An English Grammar Part 18

Years ago, Arcturus and _myself_ met a gentleman from China who knew the language.--THACKERAY.

Exercises on Personal p.r.o.nouns.

(_a_) Bring up sentences containing ten personal p.r.o.nouns, some each of masculine, feminine, and neuter.

(_b_) Bring up sentences containing five personal p.r.o.nouns in the possessive, some of them being double possessives.

(_c_) Tell which use each _it_ has in the following sentences:--

1. Come and trip it as we go, On the light fantastic toe.

2. Infancy conforms to n.o.body; all conform to it.

3. It is an ill wind that blows n.o.body good.

4. Courage, father, fight it out.

5. And it grew wondrous cold.

6. To know what is best to do, and how to do it, is wisdom.

7. If any phenomenon remains brute and dark, it is because the corresponding faculty in the observer is not yet active.

8. But if a man do not speak from within the veil, where the word is one with that it tells of, let him lowly confess it.

9. It behooved him to keep on good terms with his pupils.

10. Biscuit is about the best thing I know; but it is the soonest spoiled; and one would like to hear counsel on one point, why it is that a touch of water utterly ruins it.

INTERROGATIVE p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Three now in use._]

97. The interrogative p.r.o.nouns now in use are _who_ (with the forms _whose_ and _whom_), _which_, and _what_.

[Sidenote: _One obsolete._]

There is an old word, _whether_, used formerly to mean which of two, but now obsolete. Examples from the Bible:--

_Whether_ of them twain did the will of his father?

_Whether_ is greater, the gold, or the temple?

From Steele (eighteenth century):--

It may be a question _whether_ of these unfortunate persons had the greater soul.

[Sidenote: _Use of_ who _and its forms._]

98. The use of _who_, with its possessive and objective, is seen in these sentences:--

_Who_ is she in b.l.o.o.d.y coronation robes from Rheims?--DE QUINCEY.

_Whose_ was that gentle voice, that, whispering sweet, Promised, methought, long days of bliss sincere?--BOWLES.

What doth she look on? _Whom_ doth she behold?--WORDSWORTH.

From these sentences it will be seen that interrogative _who_ refers to _persons only_; that it is not inflected for gender or number, but for case alone, having three forms; it is always third person, as it always asks _about_ somebody.

[Sidenote: _Use of_ which.]

99. Examples of the use of interrogative _which_:--

_Which_ of these had speed enough to sweep between the question and the answer, and divide the one from the other?--DE QUINCEY.

_Which_ of you, shall we say, doth love us most?--SHAKESPEARE.

_Which_ of them [the sisters] shall I take?--_Id._

As shown here, _which_ is not inflected for gender, number, or case; it refers to either persons or things; it is selective, that is, picks out one or more from a number of known persons or objects.

[Sidenote: _Use of_ what.]

100. Sentences showing the use of interrogative _what_:--

Since I from Smaylho'me tower have been, _What_ did thy lady do?--SCOTT.

_What_ is so rare as a day in June?--LOWELL.

_What_ wouldst thou do, old man?--SHAKESPEARE.

These show that _what_ is not inflected for case; that it is always singular and neuter, referring to things, ideas, actions, etc., not to persons.

DECLENSION OF INTERROGATIVE p.r.o.nOUNS.

101. The following are all the interrogative forms:--