The Grammar of English Grammars Part 159

--_Liberator_, Vol. 12, p. 24.

UNDER CRITICAL NOTE XV.--OF SILLINESS AND TRUISMS.

"Such is the state of man, that he is never at rest."--_L. Murray's Gram._, p. 57.

[FORMULE.--This is a remark of no wisdom or force, because it would be nearer the truth, to say, "Such is the state of man, that he _must often_ rest," But, according to Critical Note 15th, "Silly remarks and idle truisms are traits of a feeble style, and when their weakness is positive, or inherent, they ought to be entirely omitted." It is useless to attempt a correction of this example, for it is not susceptible of any form worth preserving.]

"Participles belong to the nouns or p.r.o.nouns to which they relate."--_Wells's Gram._, 1st Ed., p. 153. "Though the measure is mysterious, it is worthy of attention."--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 221.

"Though the measure is _mysterious_, it is not unworthy your attention."--_Kirkham's Gram._, pp. 197 and 227. "The inquietude of his mind made his station and wealth far from being enviable."--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 250. "By rules so general and comprehensive as these are [,] the clearest ideas are conveyed."--_Ib._, p. 273. "The mind of man cannot be long without some food to nourish the activity of its thoughts."--_Ib._, p.

185. "Not having known, or not having considered, the measures proposed, he failed of success."--_Ib._, p. 202. "Not having known or considered the subject, he made a crude decision."--_Ib._, p. 275. "Not to exasperate him, I spoke only a very few words."--_Ib._, p. 257. "These are points too trivial, to be noticed. They are objects with which I am totally unacquainted."--_Ib._, p. 275. "Before we close this section, it may afford instruction to the learners, to be informed, more particularly than they have been."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 110. "The articles are often properly omitted: when used, they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature."--_Ib._, p. 170; _Alger's_, 60. "Any thing, which is done now, is supposed to be done at the present time."--_Sanborn's Gram._, p.

34. "Any thing which was done yesterday is supposed to be done in past time."--_Ib._, 34. "Any thing which may be done hereafter, is supposed to be done in future time."--_Ib._, 34. "When the mind compares two things in reference to each other, it performs the operation of comparing."--_Ib._, p. 244. "The persons, with whom you dispute, are not of your opinion."--_Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram._, p. 124. "But the preposition _at_ is _always used_ when it _follows the neuter Verb_ in the same Case: as, 'I have been _at_ London.'"--_Dr. Ash's Gram._, p. 60. "But the preposition _at_ is _generally used_ after the neuter verb _to be_: as, 'I have been _at_ London.'"--_L. Murray's Gram._, p. 203; _Ingersoll's_, 231; _Fisk's_, 143; _et al._ "The article _the_ has sometimes a _different_ effect, in distinguis.h.i.+ng a person by an epithet."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 172. "The article _the_ has, sometimes, a fine effect, in distinguis.h.i.+ng a person by an epithet."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 151. "Some nouns have plurals belonging only to themselves."--_Infant School Gram._, p. 26. "Sentences are either simple or compound."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 68. "All sentences are either simple or compound."--_Gould's Adam's Gram._, p. 155. "The definite article _the_ belongs to nouns in the singular or plural number."--_Kirkham's Gram._, Rule 2d, p. 156. "Where a riddle is not intended, it is _always a fault_ in allegory to be _too dark_."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 151; _Murray's Gram._, 343. "There may be an _excess in too many_ short sentences _also_; by _which_ the sense is split and broken."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 101. "Are there any nouns you cannot see, hear, or feel, but only think of? Name such a noun."--_Infant School Gram._, p. 17. "_Flock_ is of the singular number, it denotes but one flock--and in the nominative case, it is the _active agent_ of the verb."--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 58. "The article THE _agrees_ with nouns of the _singular or plural_ number."--_Parker and Fox's Gram._, p. 8. "The admiral bombarded Algiers, which has been continued."--_Nixon's Pa.r.s.er_, p.

128. "The world demanded freedom, which might have been expected."--_Ibid._ "The past tense represents an action as past and finished, either with or without respect to the time when."--_Felton's Gram._, p. 22. "That boy rode the _wicked_ horse."--_Butler's Practical Gram._, p. 42. "The snake _swallowed itself_."--_Ib._, p. 57. "_Do_ is sometimes used when _shall or should_ is omitted; as, 'if thou _do_ repent.'"--_Ib._, p. 85. "SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. This mood _has the tenses of the indicative_."--_Ib._, p. 87. "As _nouns never speak_, they are never in the first person."--_Davis's Practical Gram._, p. 148. "Nearly _all parts_ of speech are _used more or less_ in an _elliptical sense_."--_Day's District School Gram._, p. 80.

"RULE. No word in a period can have any greater _extension_ than the _other_ words _or sections_ in the same sentence _will give_ it."--_Barrett's Revised Gram._, p. 38 and p. 43. "Words used exclusively as Adverbs, should not be used as adjectives."--_Clark's Practical Gram._, p. 166. "Adjectives used in Predication, should not take the Adverbial form."--_Ib._, pp. 167 and 173.

UNDER CRITICAL NOTE XVI.--OF THE INCORRIGIBLE.

"And this state of things belonging to the painter governs it in the possessive case."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 195; _Ingersoll's_, 201; _et al._

[FORMULE.--This composition is incorrigibly bad. The participle "_belonging_" which seems to relate to "_things_," is improperly meant to qualify "_state_." And the "_state of things_," (which _state_ really belongs _only to the things_,) is absurdly supposed to belong to a _person_--i. e., "_to the painter_." Then this _man_, to whom the "state of things" is said to belong, is forthwith called "_it_," and nonsensically declared to be "in the possessive case." But, according to Critical Note 16th, "Pa.s.sages too erroneous for correction, may be criticised, orally or otherwise, and then pa.s.sed over without any attempt to amend them."

Therefore, no correction is attempted here.]

"Nouns or p.r.o.nouns, following the verb _to be_; or the words _than, but, as_; or that answer the question _who?_ have the same case _after as preceded_ them."--_Beck's Gram._, p. 29. "The common gender is _when_ the noun may be either masculine or feminine."--_Frost's Gram._, p. 8. "The possessive is generally p.r.o.nounced the same as if the _s_ were added."--_Alden's Gram._, p. 11. "For, a.s.suredly, as soon as men _had got_ beyond simple interjections, and began to communicate _themselves_ by discourse, they would be under a necessity of a.s.signing names to the objects they _saw around_ them, _which_ in grammatical language, _is called the invention_ of substantive nouns."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 72. "Young children will learn to form letters as _soon_, if not _readier, than they_ will when older."--_Taylor's District School_, p. 159. "This comparing words with one another, const.i.tutes what is called the _degrees_ of comparison."--_Sanborn's Gram._, p. 29. "Whenever a noun is _immediately annexed_ to a _preceding neuter_ verb, it _expresses either_ the same notion _with_ the verb, or denotes only _the_ circ.u.mstance of the _action."_--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 73. "Two or more nouns or p.r.o.nouns joined _singular_ together by the conjunction _and, must have verbs_ agreeing with them in the plural number."--_Infant School Gram._, p. 129. "Possessive and demonstrative p.r.o.nouns agree with their nouns in number and case; as, 'my brother,' 'this slate, 'these slates.'"--_Ib._, p. 130. "Participles which have no relation to time are used either as adjectives or as substantives."--_Maunder's Gram._, p. 1. "They are in use only in some of their times and modes; and in some of them are a composition of times of several defective verbs, having the same signification."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 59. "When _words_ of the possessive case _that are_ in apposition, _follow one another_ in quick succession, the possessive sign should be annexed to the _last only_, and _understood_ to the rest; as, 'For David, my servant's sake.'"--_Comly's Gram._, p. 92. "_By this order_, the first nine _rules_ accord with _those_ which respect the _rules_ of concord; and the _remainder include_, though _they_ extend beyond the _rules_ of government."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 143. "_Own_ and _self_, in the plural _selves_, are _joined_ to the possessives, _my, our, thy, your, his, her, their_; as, _my own_ hand, _myself, yourselves_; both of them expressing emphasis or opposition, as, 'I did it _my own self_,' that is, _and_ no one else; the latter also forming the reciprocal p.r.o.noun, as, 'he hurt _himself_.'"--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 25. "A _flowing_ copious style, therefore, is required _in_ all public speakers; _guarding_, at the _same time_, against such a degree of _diffusion_, as renders _them_ languid and tiresome; _which_ will always _prove the case_, when they _inculcate_ too much, and present the _same thought_ under _too many_ different views."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 177. "As sentences should be cleared of redundant words, so also of redundant members. As every word ought to present a new idea, so every member ought to contain a new thought. Opposed to _this_, stands the fault we sometimes meet with, of the _last_ member of a period _being_ no other than _the_ echo of the _former_, or _the_ repet.i.tion of it in _somewhat_ a different form." [458]--_Ib._, p. 111.

"_Which_ always refers grammatically to the substantive _immediately preceding_: [as,] 'It is folly to pretend, by heaping up treasures, to arm ourselves against the accidents of _life, which_ nothing can protect us against, but the good providence of our heavenly Father.'"--_Murray's Gram._, p. 311; _Maunder's_, p. 18; _Blair's Rhet._, p. 105. "The English _adjectives_, having but a very limited syntax, _is cla.s.sed_ with _its_ kindred _article_, the _adjective p.r.o.noun_, under the eighth rule."--_L.

Murray's Gram._, 8vo, p. 143. "When a _substantive_ is put _absolutely_, and does _not agree_ with the following verb, it _remains independent on_ the participle, and _is called_ the _case_ absolute, or the _nominative_ absolute."--_Ib._, p. 195. "It will, doubtless, _sometimes_ happen, that, on _this occasion_, as well as on many _other occasions_, a strict adherence to grammatical rules, _would_ render _the_ language stiff and formal: but when _cases of this sort_ occur, it is better to give the expression a _different_ turn, than to violate _grammar_ for the sake of _ease_, or even of _elegance_."--_Ib._, p. 208. "Number, which distinguishes _objects_ as _singly_ or _collectively_, must have been coeval with the very infancy of language"--_Jamieson's Rhet._, p. 25. "The article _a_ or _an_ agrees with nouns _in_ the singular number _only, individually_ or _collectively_."--_L. Murray's Gram._, p. 170; _and others_. "No language is perfect _because it is_ a human invention."--_Parker and Fox's Grammar_, Part III, p. 112. "The _participles_, or as they may properly be termed, _forms_ of the verb in the _second infinitive_, usually _precedes another_ verb, and _states_ some fact, or event, from which an _inference_ is drawn _by that verb_; as, 'the sun _having arisen_, they departed.'"--_Day's Grammar_, 2nd Ed., p. 36.

"They must describe _what has happened_ as having done so in the past _or the present_ time, or as _likely to occur_ in the future."--_The Well-Wishers' Grammar, Introd._, p. 5. "Nouns are either male, female, or neither."--_Fowle's Common School Grammar_, Part Second, p. 12. "Possessive _Adjectives_ express possession, and distinguish _nouns_ from _each_ other by showing _to what_ they belong; as, _my hat, John's_ hat."--_Ib._, p. 31.

PROMISCUOUS EXAMPLES OF FALSE SYNTAX.

LESSON I.--VARIOUS RULES.

"What is the reason that our language is less refined than that of Italy, Spain, or France?"--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 185. "What is the reason that our language is less refined than that of France?"--_Ingersoll's Gram._, p.

152. "'I believe your Lords.h.i.+p will agree with me, in the reason why our language is less refined than those of Italy, Spain, or France.' DEAN SWIFT. Even in this short sentence, we may discern an inaccuracy--'why our language is less refined than _those_ of Italy, Spain, or France;' putting the p.r.o.noun _those_ in the plural, when the antecedent substantive to which it refers is in the singular, _our language_."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 228.

"The sentence might have been made to run much better in this way; 'why our language is less refined than the Italian, Spanish, or French.'"--_Ibid._ "But when arranged in an entire sentence, which they must be to make a complete sense, they show it still more evidently."--_L. Murray's Gram._, p. 65. "This is a more artificial and refined construction than that, in which the common connective is simply made use of."--_Ib._, p. 127. "We shall present the reader with a list of Prepositions, which are derived from the Latin and Greek languages."--_Ib._, p. 120. "Relatives comprehend the meaning of a p.r.o.noun and conjunction copulative."--_Ib._, p. 126.

"Personal p.r.o.nouns being used to supply the place of the noun, are not employed in the same part of the sentence as the noun which they represent."--_Ib._, p. 155; _R. C. Smith's Gram._, 131. "There is very seldom any occasion for a subst.i.tute in the same part where the princ.i.p.al word is present."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 155. "We hardly consider little children as persons, because that term gives us the idea of reason and reflection."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 98; _Murray's_, 157; _Smith's_, 133; _and others_. "The occasion of exerting each of these qualities is different."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 95; _Murray's Gram._, 302; _Jamieson's Rhet._, 66. "I'll tell you who time ambles withal, who time trots withal, who time gallops withal and who he stands still withal. I pray thee, who doth he trot withal?"--_Shakspeare_. "By greatness, I do not only mean the bulk of any single object, but the largeness of a whole view."--_Addison_.

"The question may then be put, What does he more than mean?"--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 103. "The question might be put, what more does he than only mean?"--_Ib._, p. 204. "He is surprised to find himself got to so great a distance, from the object with which he at first set out."--_Ib._, p. 108.

"He is surprised to find himself at so great a distance from the object with which he sets out."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 313. "Few precise rules can be given, which will hold without exception in all cases."--_Ib._, p. 267; _Lowth's Gram._, p. 115. "Versification is the arrangement of a certain number of syllables according to certain laws."--_Dr. Johnson's Gram._, p.

13. "Versification is the arrangement of a certain number and variety of syllables, according to certain laws."--_L. Murray's Gram._, p. 252; R. C.

Smith's, 187; and others. "Charlotte, the friend of Amelia, to whom no one imputed blame, was too prompt in her own vindication."--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 273. "Mr. Pitt, joining the war party in 1793, the most striking and the most fatal instance of this offence, is the one which at once presents itself."--_Brougham's Sketches_, Vol. i, p. 57. "To the framing such a sound const.i.tution of mind."--_The American Lady_, p. 132. "'I beseech you,' said St. Paul to his Ephesian converts, 'that ye walk worthy the vocation wherewith ye are called.'"--_Ib._, p. 208. "So as to prevent its being equal to that."--_Booth's Introd._, p. 88. "When speaking of an action's being performed."--_Ib._, p. 89. "And, in all questions of an action's being so performed, _est_ is added to the second person."--_Ib._, p. 72. "No account can be given of this, than that custom has blinded their eyes."--_Dymond's Essays_, p. 269.

"Design, or chance, make other wive; But nature did this match contrive."--_Waller_, p. 24.

LESSON II.--VARIOUS RULES.

"I suppose each of you think it is your own nail."--_Abbott's Teacher_, p.

58. "They are useless, from their being apparently based upon this supposition."--_Ib._, p. 71. "The form and manner, in which this plan may be adopted, is various."--_Ib._, p. 83. "Making intellectual effort, and acquiring knowledge, are always pleasant to the human mind."--_Ib._, p. 85.

"This will do more than the best lecture which ever was delivered."--_Ib._, p. 90. "Doing easy things is generally dull work."--_Ib._, p. 92. "Such is the tone and manner of some teachers."--_Ib._, p. 118. "Well, the fault is, being disorderly at prayer time."--_Ib._, p. 153. "Do you remember speaking on this subject in school?"--_Ib._, p. 154. "The course above recommended, is not trying lax and inefficient measures."--_Ib._, p. 156. "Our community is agreed that there is a G.o.d."--_Ib._, p. 163. "It prevents their being interested in what is said."--_Ib._, p. 175. "We will also suppose that I call another boy to me, who I have reason to believe to be a sincere Christian."--_Ib._, p. 180. "Five minutes notice is given by the bell."--_Ib._, p. 211. "The Annals of Education gives notice of it."--_Ib._, p. 240. "Teacher's meetings will be interesting and useful."--_Ib._, p. 243. "She thought an half hour's study would conquer all the difficulties."--_Ib._, p. 257. "The difference between an honest and an hypocritical confession."--_Ib._, p. 263. "There is no point of attainment where we must stop."--_Ib._, p. 267. "Now six hours is as much as is expected of teachers."--_Ib._, p. 268. "How much is seven times nine?"--_Ib._, p. 292. "Then the reckoning proceeds till it come to _ten hundred_."--_Frost's Practical Gram._, p. 170. "Your success will depend on your own exertions; see, then, that you are diligent."--_Ib._, p. 142.

"Subjunctive Mood, Present Tense: If I am known, If thou art known. If he is known: etc."--_Ib._, p. 91. "If I be loved, If thou be loved, If he be loved;" &c.--_Ib._, p. 85. "An Interjection is a word used to express sudden emotion. They are so called, because they are generally thrown in between the parts of a sentence without any reference to the structure of the other parts of it."--_Ib._, p. 35. "The Cardinals are those which simplify or denote number; as one, two, three."--_Ib._, p. 31. "More than one organ is concerned in the utterance of almost every consonant."--_Ib._, p. 21. "To extract from them all the Terms we make use in our Divisions and Subdivisions of the Art."--_Holmes's Rhetoric_, Pref. "And there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."--_Ezekiel_, ii, 10.

"If I were to be judged as to my behaviour, compared with that of John's."--_Josephus_, Vol. 5, p. 172. "When the preposition _to_ signifies _in order to_, it used to be preceded by _for_, which is now almost obsolete; What went ye out _for to_ see."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 132.

"This makes the proper perfect tense, which, in English, is always expressed by the help of the auxiliary verb, 'I have written.'"--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 82. "Indeed, in the formation of character, personal exertion is the first, the second, and the third virtues."--_Sanders, Spelling-Book_, p. 93. "The reducing them to the condition of the beasts that perish."--_Dymond's Essays_, p. 67. "Yet this affords no reason to deny that the nature of the gift is not the same, or that both are not divine."--_Ib._, p. 68. "If G.o.d have made known his will."--_Ib._, p. 98.

"If Christ have prohibited them, [i.e., oaths,] nothing else can prove them right."--_Ib._, p. 150 "That the taking them is wrong, every man who simply consults his own heart, will know."--_Ib._, p. 163. "These evils would be spared the world, if one did not write."--_Ib._, p. 168. "It is in a great degree our own faults."--_Ib._, p. 200. "It is worthy observation that lesson-learning is nearly excluded."--_Ib._, p. 212. "Who spares the aggressor's life even to the endangering his own."--_Ib._, p. 227. "Who advocates the taking the life of an aggressor."--_Ib._, p. 229. "And thence up to the intentionally and voluntary fraudulent."--_Ib._, p. 318. "'And the contention was so great among them, that they departed asunder, one from _an_other.'--_Acts_, xv. 39."--_Rev. Matt. Harrison's English Lang._, p. 235. "Here the man is John, and John is the man; so the words are _the imagination and the fancy_, and _the imagination and the fancy_ are the _words_."--_Harrison's E. Lang._, p. 227. "The article, which is here so emphatic in the Greek, is lost sight of in our translation."--_Ib._, p.

223. "We have no less than thirty p.r.o.nouns."--_Ib._, p. 166. "It will admit of a p.r.o.noun being joined to it."--_Ib._, p. 137. "From intercourse and from conquest, all the languages of Europe partic.i.p.ate with each other."--_Ib._, p. 104. "It is not always necessity, therefore, that has been the cause of our introducing terms derived from the cla.s.sical languages."--_Ib._, p. 100. "The man of genius stamps upon it any impression that he pleases."--_Ib._, p. 90. "The proportion of names ending in _son_ preponderate greatly among the Dano-Saxon population of the North."--_Ib._, p. 43. "As a proof of the strong similarity between the English and the Danish languages."--_Ib._, p. 37. "A century from the time that Hengist and Horsa landed on the Isle of Thanet."--_Ib._, p. 27.

"I saw the colours waving in the wind, And they within, to mischief how combin'd."--_Bunyan_.

LESSON III.--VARIOUS RULES.

"A s.h.i.+p expected: of whom we say, _she_ sails well."--_Ben Jonson's Gram._, Chap. 10. "Honesty is reckoned little worth."--_Paul's Accidence_, p. 58.

"Learn to esteem life as it ought."--_Economy of Human Life_, p. 118. "As the soundest health is less perceived than the lightest malady, so the highest joy toucheth us less deep than the smallest sorrow."--_Ib._, p.

152. "Being young is no apology for being frivolous."--_Whiting's Elementary Reader_, p. 117. "The porch was the same width with the temple."--_Milman's Jews_, Vol. i. p. 208. "The other tribes neither contributed to his rise or downfall."--_Ib._, Vol. i. p. 165. "His whole laws and religion would have been shaken to its foundation."--_Ib._, Vol.

i. p. 109. "The English has most commonly been neglected, and children taught only the Latin syntax."--_Lily's Gram., Pref._, p. xi. "They are not taken notice of in the notes."--_Ib._, p. x. "He walks in righteousness, doing what he would be done to."--_S. Fisher's Works_, p. 14. "They stand independently on the rest of the sentence."--_Ingersoll's Gram._, p. 151.

"My uncle, with his son, were in town yesterday."--_Lennie's Gram._, p.

142. "She with her sisters are well."--_Ib._, p. 143. "His purse, with its contents, were abstracted from his pocket."--_Ib._, p. 143. "The great const.i.tutional feature of this inst.i.tution being, that directly the acrimony of the last election is over, the acrimony of the next begins."--_d.i.c.kens's Notes_, p. 27. "His disregarding his parents' advice has brought him into disgrace."--_Farnum's Pract. Gram._, 2d Ed., p. 19.

"Error: Can you tell me the reason of his father making that remark?--_Ib._, p. 93. Cor.: Can you tell me the reason of his father's making that remark?"--See _Farnum's Gram._, Rule 12th. p. 76. "Error: What is the reason of our teacher detaining us so long?--_Ib._, p. 76. Cor.: What is the reason of our _teacher's_ detaining us so long?"--See _Ib._ "Error: I am certain of the boy having said so. Correction: I am certain of the _boy's_ having said so."--_Exercises in Farnum's Gram._, p. 76.

"_Which_ means any thing or things before-named; and _that_ may represent any person or persons, thing or things, which have been speaking, spoken to or spoken of."--_Dr. Perley's Gram._, p. 9. "A certain number of syllables connected, form a foot. They are called _feet_, because it is by their aid that the voice, as it were, steps along."--_L. Murray's Gram._, p. 252; _C.

Adams's_, 121. "Asking questions with a princ.i.p.al verb--as, _Teach I? Burns he_, &c. are barbarisms, and carefully to be avoided."--_Alex. Murray's Gram._, p. 122. "Tell whether the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22d, or 23d Rules are to be used, and repeat the Rule."--_Parker and Fox's Gram._, Part I, p.

4. "The resolution was adopted without much deliberation, which caused great dissatisfaction."--_Ib._, p. 71. "The man is now taken much notice of by the people thereabouts."--_Edward's First Lessons in Gram._, p. 42.

"The sand prevents their sticking to one another."--_Ib._, p. 84.

"Defective Verbs are those which are used only in some of their moods and tenses."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 108; _Guy's_, 42; _Russell's_, 46; _Bacon's_, 42; _Frost's_, 40; _Alger's_, 47; _S. Putnam's_, 47; _Goldsbury's_, 54; _Felton's_, 59; and _others_. "Defective verbs are those which want some of their moods and tenses."--_Lennie's Gram._, p. 47; _Bullions, E. Gram._, 65; _Practical Lessons_, 75. "Defective Verbs want some of their parts."--_Bullions, Lat. Gram._, p. 78. "A Defective verb is one that wants some of its parts."--_Bullions, a.n.a.lyt. and Pract. Gram._, 1849, p. 101. "To the irregular verbs are to be added the defective; which are not only for the most part irregular, but also wanting in some of their parts."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 59. "To the irregular verbs are to be added the defective; which are not only wanting in some of their parts, but are, when inflected, irregular."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 112. "When two or more nouns succeed each other in the possessive case."--_Farnum's Gram._, 2d Ed., pp. 20 and 63. "When several short sentences succeed each other."--_Ib._, p. 113. "Words are divided into ten Cla.s.ses, and are called PARTS OF SPEECH."--_Ainsworth's Gram._, p. 8. "A Pa.s.sive Verb has its _agent_ or _doer_ always in the objective case, and is governed by a preposition."--_Ib._, p. 40. "I am surprised at your negligent attention."

_Ib._, p. 43. "SINGULAR: Thou lovest or you love. _You_ has always a plural verb."--_Bullions, E. Gram._, p. 43. "How do you know that _love_ is the first person? _Ans_. Because _we_ is the first personal p.r.o.noun."--_Id., ib._, p. 47; _Lennie's Gram._, p. 26. "The lowing herd wind slowly round the lea."--_Bullions, E. Gram._, p. 96. "Iambic verses have every second, fourth, and other even syllables accented."--_Ib._, p. 170. "Contractions are often made in poetry, which are not allowable in prose."--_Ib._, p.

179. "Yet to their general's voice they all obeyed."--_Ib._, p. 179. "It never presents to his mind but one new subject at the same time."--_Felton's Gram._, 1st edition, p. 6. "When the name of a quality is abstracted, that is separated from its substance, it is called an abstract noun."--_Ib._, p. 9. "Nouns are in the _first_ person when speaking."--_Ib._, p. 9. "Which of the two brothers are graduates?"--_Hallock's Gram._, p. 59. "I am a linen draper bold, as you and all the world doth know."--_Ib._, p. 60. "O the bliss, the pain of dying!"--_Ib._, p. 127. "This do; take you censers, Korah, and all his company."--_Numbers_, xvi, 6. "There are two participles,--the _present_ and _perfect_; as, _reading, having read_. Transitive verbs have an _active_ and _pa.s.sive_ participle. Examples: ACTIVE, _Present_, Loving; _Perfect_, Having loved: Pa.s.sIVE, _Present_, Loved _or_ being loved; _Perfect_, Having been loved."--_S. S. Greene's a.n.a.lysis_, 1st Ed., p. 225.

"O heav'n, in my connubial hour decree This man my spouse, or such a spouse as he."--_Pope_.

LESSON IV.--VARIOUS RULES.

"The _Past Tenses_ represent a conditional past fact or event, and of which the speaker is uncertain."--_Hiley's Gram._, p. 89. "Care also should be taken that they are not introduced too abundantly."--_Ib._, p. 134. "Till they are become familiar to the mind."--_Ib._, Pref., p. v. "When once a particular arrangement and phraseology are become familiar to the mind."--_Ib._, p. vii. "I have furnished the student with the plainest and most practical directions which I could devise."--_Ib._, p. xiv. "When you are become conversant with the Rules of Grammar, you will then be qualified to commence the study of Style."--_Ib._, p. xxii. "_C_ has a soft sound like _s_ before _e, i_, and _y_, generally."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 10. "_G_ before _e, i_, and _y_, is soft; as in genius, ginger, Egypt."--_Ib._, p.

12. "_C_ before _e, i_, and _y_, generally sounds soft like _s_."--_Hiley's Gram._, p. 4. "_G_ is soft before _e, i_, and _y_, as in genius, ginger, Egypt."--_Ib._, p. 4. "As a perfect Alphabet must always contain as many letters as there are elementary sounds in the language, the English Alphabet is therefore both defective and redundant."--_Hiley's Gram._, p.

5. "Common Nouns are the names given to a whole cla.s.s or species, and are applicable to every individual of that cla.s.s."--_Ib._, p. 11. "Thus an adjective has always a noun either expressed or understood."--_Ib._, p.

20. "First, let us consider emphasis; by _this_, is meant a _stronger_ and _fuller_ sound of voice, by which we distinguish _the accented syllable_ of some word, on _which_ we _design to lay_ particular stress, _and to shew_ how _it effects_ the rest of the sentence."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 330. "By emphasis is meant a _stronger_ and _fuller_ sound of voice, by which we distinguish some word or words on which we _design to lay_ particular stress, _and to show_ how _they affect_ the rest of the sentence."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 242. "Such a simple question as this: 'Do you ride to town to-day,' is capable of _no fewer than_ four different acceptations, _according as_ the emphasis is differently placed _on the words_."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 330; _Murray's Gram._, p. 242. "Thus, _bravely_, or 'in a brave manner,' is derived from _brave-like_."--_Hiley's Gram._, p. 51. "In the same manner, the different parts of speech are formed from each other generally by means of some affix."--_Ib._, p. 60.

"Words derived from each other, are always, more or less, allied in signification."--_Ib._, p. 60. "When a noun of mult.i.tude conveys unity of idea the verb and p.r.o.noun should be singular. But when it conveys plurality of idea, the verb and p.r.o.noun must be plural."--_Hiley's Gram._, p. 71.

"They have spent their whole time to make the sacred chronology agree with that of the profane."--_Ib._, p. 87. "'I have studied my lesson, but you _have_ not;' that is, 'but you have not _studied_ it.'"--_Ib._, p. 109.

"When words follow each other in pairs, there is a comma between each pair."--_Ib._, p. 112; _Bullions_, 152; _Lennie_, 132. "When words follow each other in pairs, the pairs should be marked by the comma."--_Farnum's Gram._, p. 111. "His 'Studies of Nature,' is deservedly a popular work."--_Univ. Biog. Dict., n. St. Pierre_. "'Here lies _his_ head, a _youth_ to fortune and to fame unknown.' 'Youth,' here is in the _possessive_ (the sign being omitted), and is _in apposition_ with his.'

The meaning is, 'the head of him, a youth.' &c."--_Hart's E. Gram._, p.

124. "The p.r.o.noun I, and the interjection O, should be written with a capital."--_Weld's E. Gram._, 2d Ed., p. 16. "The p.r.o.noun _I_ always should be written with a capital letter."--_Ib._, p. 68. "He went from England to York."--_Ib._, p. 41. "An adverb is a part of speech joined to verbs, adjectives and other adverbs, to modify their meaning."--_Ib._, p. 51; "_Abridged Ed._," 46. "_Singular_, signifies 'one person or thing.'

_Plural_, (Latin _plus_,) signifies 'more than one.'"--_Weld's Gram._, p.

55. "When the present ends in e, _d_ only is added to form the Imperfect and Perfect participle."--_Ib._, p. 82. "SYNaeRESIS is the contraction of two syllables into one; as, _Seest_ for _see-est, drowned_ for _drown-ed_"--_Ib._, p. 213. "Words ending in _ee_ drop the final _e_ on receiving an additional syllable beginning with _e_; as, _see, seest, agree, agreed_."--_Ib._, p, 227. "Monosyllables in _f, l_, or _s_, preceded by a single vowel are doubled; as, staff, gra.s.s, mill."--_Ib._, p. 226.

"Words ending _ie_ drop the _e_ and take _y_; as die, _dying_."--_Ib._, p.

226. "One number may be used for another; as, _we_ for _I, you_ for _thou_."--_S. S. Greene's Gram._, 1st Ed., p. 198. "STR~OB'ILE, _n._ A pericarp made up of scales that lie over each other. SMART."--_Worcester's Univ. and Crit. Dict._

"Yet ever from the clearest source have ran Some gross allay, some tincture of the man."--_Dr. Lowth_.

LESSON V.--VARIOUS RULES.