An English Grammar Part 24

(_b_) Bring up sentences having five indefinite relatives.

(_c_) Bring up five sentences having indirect questions introduced by p.r.o.nouns.

(_d_) Tell whether the p.r.o.nouns in the following are interrogatives, simple relatives, or indefinite relatives:--

1. He ushered him into one of the wherries which lay ready to attend the Queen's barge, which was already proceeding.

2. The n.o.bles looked at each other, but more with the purpose to see what each thought of the news, than to exchange any remarks on what had happened.

3. Gracious Heaven! who was this that knew the word?

4. It needed to be ascertained which was the strongest kind of men; who were to be rulers over whom.

5. He went on speaking to who would listen to him.

6. What kept me silent was the thought of my mother.

ADJECTIVE p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Function of adjective p.r.o.nouns._]

131. Most of the words how to be considered are capable of a double use,--they may be pure modifiers of nouns, or they may stand for nouns. In the first use they are adjectives; in the second they retain an adjective _meaning_, but have lost their adjective _use_. Primarily they are adjectives, but in this function, or use, they are properly cla.s.sed as adjective p.r.o.nouns.

The following are some examples of these:--

_Some_ say that the place was bewitched.--IRVING.

That mysterious realm where _each_ shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death.

--BRYANT.

How happy is he born or taught That serveth not _another's_ will.

--WOTTON

_That_ is more than any martyr can stand.--EMERSON.

[Sidenote: _Caution._]

[Sidenote: _Adjectives, not p.r.o.nouns._]

Hence these words are like adjectives used as nouns, which we have seen in such expressions as, "_The dead_ are there;" that is, a word, in order to be an adjective p.r.o.noun, _must not modify any word, expressed or understood_. It must come under the requirement of p.r.o.nouns, and _stand for a noun_. For instance, in the following sentences--"The cubes are of stainless ivory, and on _each_ is written, in letters of gold, '_Truth_;'" "You needs must play such pranks as _these_;" "They will always have one bank to sun themselves upon, and _another_ to get cool under;" "Where two men ride on a horse, _one_ must ride behind"--the words italicized modify nouns understood, necessarily thought of: thus, in the first, "each _cube_;"

in the second, "these _pranks_," in the others, "another _bank_," "one _man_."

[Sidenote: _Cla.s.ses of adjective p.r.o.nouns._]

132. Adjective p.r.o.nouns are divided into three cla.s.ses:--

(1) DEMONSTRATIVE p.r.o.nOUNS, such as _this_, _that_, _the former_, etc.

(2) DISTRIBUTIVE p.r.o.nOUNS, such as _each_, _either_, _neither_, etc.

(3) NUMERAL p.r.o.nOUNS, as _some_, _any_, _few_, _many_, _none_, _all_, etc.

DEMONSTRATIVE p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Definition and examples._]

133. A DEMONSTRATIVE p.r.o.nOUN is one that definitely points out what persons or things are alluded to in the sentence.

The person or thing alluded to by the demonstrative may be in another sentence, or may be the whole of a sentence. For example, "Be _that_ as it may" could refer to a sentiment in a sentence, or an argument in a paragraph; but the demonstrative clearly points to that thing.

The following are examples of demonstratives:--

I did not say _this_ in so many words.

All _these_ he saw; but what he fain had seen He could not see.

Beyond _that_ I seek not to penetrate the veil.

How much we forgive in _those_ who yield us the rare spectacle of heroic manners!

The correspondence of Bonaparte with his brother Joseph, when _the latter_ was the King of Spain.

_Such_ are a few isolated instances, accidentally preserved.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap _the same_.

They know that patriotism has its glorious opportunities and its sacred duties. They have not shunned _the one_, and they have well performed _the other_.

NOTE.--It will be noticed in the first four sentences that _this_ and _that_ are inflected for number.

Exercises.

(_a_) Find six sentences using demonstrative adjective p.r.o.nouns.

(_b_) In which of the following is _these_ a p.r.o.noun?--

1. Formerly the duty of a librarian was to keep people as much as possible from the books, and to hand _these_ over to his successor as little worn as he could.--LOWELL.

2. They had fewer books, but _these_ were of the best.--_Id._

3. A man inspires affection and honor, because he was not lying in wait for _these_.--EMERSON