An English Grammar Part 19

SING. AND PLUR. SING. AND PLUR. SINGULAR

_Nom._ who? which? what?

_Poss._ whose? -- -- _Obj._ whom? which? what?

In spoken English, _who_ is used as objective instead of _whom_; as, "_Who_ did you see?" "_Who_ did he speak to?"

[Sidenote: _To tell the case of interrogatives._]

102. The interrogative _who_ has a separate form for each case, consequently the case can be told by the form of the word; but the case of _which_ and _what_ must be determined exactly as in nouns,--by the _use_ of the words.

For instance, in Sec. 99, _which_ is nominative in the first sentence, since it is subject of the verb _had_; nominative in the second also, subject of _doth love_; objective in the last, being the direct object of the verb _shall take_.

[Sidenote: _Further treatment of_ who, which _and_ what.]

103. _Who_, _which_, and _what_ are also relative p.r.o.nouns; _which_ and _what_ are sometimes adjectives; _what_ may be an adverb in some expressions.

They will be spoken of again in the proper places, especially in the treatment of indirect questions (Sec. 127).

RELATIVE p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Function of the relative p.r.o.noun_.]

104. Relative p.r.o.nouns differ from both personal and interrogative p.r.o.nouns in referring to an antecedent, and also in having a conjunctive use. The advantage in using them is to unite short statements into longer sentences, and so to make smoother discourse.

Thus we may say, "The last of all the Bards was he. These bards sang of Border chivalry." Or, it may be shortened into,--

"The last of all the Bards was he, _Who_ sung of Border chivalry."

In the latter sentence, _who_ evidently refers to _Bards_, which is called the antecedent of the relative.

[Sidenote: _The antecedent._]

105. The antecedent of a p.r.o.noun is the noun, p.r.o.noun, or other word or expression, for which the p.r.o.noun stands. It usually precedes the p.r.o.noun.

Personal p.r.o.nouns of the third person may have antecedents also, as they take the place usually of a word already used; as,--

The priest hath _his_ fee who comes and shrives us.--LOWELL

In this, both _his_ and _who_ have the antecedent _priest_.

The p.r.o.noun _which_ may have its antecedent following, and the antecedent may be a word or a group of words, as will be shown in the remarks on _which_ below.

[Sidenote: _Two kinds._]

106. Relatives may be SIMPLE or INDEFINITE.

When the word _relative_ is used, a simple relative is meant.

Indefinite relatives, and the indefinite use of simple relatives, will be discussed further on.

The SIMPLE RELATIVES are _who_, _which_, _that_, _what_.

[Sidenote: Who _and its forms._]

107. Examples of the relative _who_ and its forms:--

1. Has a man gained anything _who_ has received a hundred favors and rendered none?--EMERSON.

2. That man is little to be envied _whose_ patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon.--DR JOHNSON.

3. For her enchanting son, _Whom_ universal nature did lament.--MILTON.

4. The nurse came to us, _who_ were sitting in an adjoining apartment.--THACKERAY.

5. Ye mariners of England, That guard our native seas; _Whose_ flag has braved, a thousand years, The battle and the breeze!--CAMPBELL.

6. The men _whom_ men respect, the women _whom_ women approve, are the men and women _who_ bless their species.--PARTON

[Sidenote: Which _and its forms._]

108. Examples of the relative _which_ and its forms:--

1. They had not their own l.u.s.ter, but the look _which_ is not of the earth.--BYRON.

2. The embattled portal arch he pa.s.s'd, _Whose_ ponderous grate and ma.s.sy bar Had oft roll'd back the tide of war.--SCOTT.

3. Generally speaking, the dogs _which_ stray around the butcher shops restrain their appet.i.tes.--c.o.x.

4. The origin of language is divine, in the same sense in _which_ man's nature, with all its capabilities ..., is a divine creation.--W.D. WHITNEY.

5. (_a_) This gradation ... ought to be kept in view; else this description will seem exaggerated, _which_ it certainly is not.--BURKE.

(_b_) The snow was three inches deep and still falling, _which_ prevented him from taking his usual ride.--IRVING.

[Sidenote: That.]

109. Examples of the relative _that_:--

1. The man _that_ hath no music in himself,...

Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.

--SHAKESPEARE