An English Grammar Part 25

4. Souls such as _these_ treat you as G.o.ds would.--_Id._

5. _These_ are the first mountains that broke the uniform level of the earth's surface.--AGa.s.sIZ

DISTRIBUTIVE p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Definition and examples._]

134. The DISTRIBUTIVE p.r.o.nOUNS are those which stand for the names of persons or things considered singly.

[Sidenote: _Simple._]

Some of these are _simple_ p.r.o.nouns; for example,--

They stood, or sat, or reclined, as seemed good to _each_.

As two yoke devils sworn to _other's_ purpose.

Their minds accorded into one strain, and made delightful music which _neither_ could have claimed as all his own.

[Sidenote: _Compound_.]

Two are compound p.r.o.nouns,--_each other_, _one another_. They may be separated into two adjective p.r.o.nouns; as,

We violated our reverence _each_ for _the other's_ soul.

--HAWTHORNE.

More frequently they are considered as one p.r.o.noun.

They led one another, as it were, into a high pavilion of their thoughts.--HAWTHORNE.

Men take each other's measure when they react.--EMERSON.

Exercise.--Find sentences containing three distributive p.r.o.nouns.

NUMERAL p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Definition and examples_.]

135. The NUMERAL p.r.o.nOUNS are those which stand for an uncertain number or quant.i.ty of persons or things.

The following sentences contain numeral p.r.o.nouns:--

Trusting too much to _others'_ care is the ruin of _many_.

'Tis of no importance how large his house, you quickly come to the end of _all_.

_Another_ opposes him with sound argument.

It is as if _one_ should be so enthusiastic a lover of poetry as to care nothing for Homer or Milton.

There were plenty _more_ for him to fall in company with, as _some_ of the rangers had gone astray.

The Soldan, imbued, as _most_ were, with the superst.i.tions of his time, paused over a horoscope.

If those [taxes] were the only _ones_ we had to pay, we might the more easily discharge them.

_Much_ might be said on both sides.

If hand of mine _another's_ task has lightened.

It felt the guidance that it does not claim.

So perish _all_ whose breast ne'er learned to glow For _others_' good, or melt for _others_' woe.

_None_ shall rule but the humble.

[Sidenote: _Some inflected._]

It will be noticed that some of these are inflected for case and number; such as _one other_, _another_.

The word _one_ has a reflexive form; for example,--

[Sidenote: One _reflexive_.]

The best way to punish _oneself_ for doing ill seems to me to go and do good.--KINGSLEY.

The lines sound so prettily to _one's self_. HOLMES.

Exercise.--Find sentences containing ten numeral p.r.o.nouns.

INDEFINITE p.r.o.nOUNS.

[Sidenote: _Definition and examples._]

136. Indefinite p.r.o.nouns are words which stand for an indefinite number or quant.i.ty of persons or things; but, unlike adjective p.r.o.nouns, they are never used as adjectives.

Most of them are compounds of two or more words:--

[Sidenote: _List._]

_Somebody_, _some one_, _something_; _anybody_, _any one_ (or _anyone_), _anything_; _everybody_, _every one_ (or _everyone_), _everything_; _n.o.body_, _no one_, _nothing_; _somebody else_, _anyone else_, _everybody else_, _every one else_, etc.; also _aught_, _naught_; and _somewhat_, _what_, and _they_.

The following sentences contain indefinite p.r.o.nouns:--

As he had them of all hues, he hoped to fit _everybody's_ fancy.