An English Grammar Part 28

(1) SIMPLE ADJECTIVES expressing quality; such as _safe_, _happy_, _deep_, _fair_, _rash_, _beautiful_, _remotest_, _terrible_, etc.

(2) COMPOUND ADJECTIVES, made up of various words thrown together to make descriptive epithets. Examples are, "_Heaven-derived_ power,"

"this _life-giving_ book," "his spirit wrapt and _wonder-struck_,"

"_ice-cold_ water," "_half-dead_ traveler," "_unlooked-for_ burden,"

"_next-door_ neighbor," "_ivory-handled_ pistols," "the _cold-shudder-inspiring_ Woman in White."

(3) PROPER ADJECTIVES, derived from proper nouns; such as, "an old _English_ ma.n.u.script," "the _Christian_ pearl of charity," "the well-curb had a _Chinese_ roof," "the _Roman_ writer Palladius."

(4) PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES, which are either pure participles used to describe, or participles which have lost all verbal force and have no function except to express quality. Examples are,--

_Pure participial adjectives_: "The _healing_ power of the Messiah,"

"The _shattering_ sway of one strong arm," "_trailing_ clouds," "The _shattered_ squares have opened into line," "It came on like the _rolling_ simoom," "G.o.d tempers the wind to the _shorn_ lamb."

_Faded participial adjectives_: "Sleep is a _blessed_ thing;" "One is hungry, and another is _drunken_;" "under the _fitting_ drapery of the jagged and trailing clouds;" "The clearness and quickness are _amazing_;" "an _aged_ man;" "a _charming_ sight."

[Sidenote: _Caution._]

144. Care is needed, in studying these last-named words, to distinguish between a participle that forms part of a verb, and a participle or participial adjective that belongs to a noun.

For instance: in the sentence, "The work was well and rapidly accomplished," _was accomplished_ is a verb; in this, "No man of his day was more brilliant or more accomplished," _was_ is the verb, and _accomplished_ is an adjective.

Exercises.

1. Bring up sentences with twenty descriptive adjectives, having some of each subcla.s.s named in Sec. 143.

2. Is the italicized word an adjective in this?--

The old sources of intellectual excitement seem to be well-nigh _exhausted_.

ADJECTIVES OF QUANt.i.tY.

145. Adjectives of quant.i.ty tell _how much_ or _how many_. They have these three subdivisions:--

[Sidenote: _How much._]

(1) QUANt.i.tY IN BULK: such words as _little_, _much_, _some_, _no_, _any_, _considerable_, sometimes _small_, joined usually to singular nouns to express an indefinite measure of the thing spoken of.

The following examples are from Kingsley:--

So he parted with _much_ weeping of the lady.

Which we began to do with _great_ labor and _little_ profit.

Because I had _some_ knowledge of surgery and blood-letting.

But ever she looked on Mr. Oxenham, and seemed to take _no_ care as long as he was by.

Examples of _small_ an adjective of quant.i.ty:--

"The deil's in it but I bude to anger him!" said the woman, and walked away with a laugh of _small_ satisfaction.--MACDONALD.

'Tis midnight, but _small_ thoughts have I of sleep.--COLERIDGE.

It gives _small_ idea of Coleridge's way of talking.--CARLYLE.

When _some_, _any_, _no_, are used with plural nouns, they come under the next division of adjectives.

[Sidenote: _How many._]

(2) QUANt.i.tY IN NUMBER, which may be expressed exactly by numbers or remotely designated by words expressing indefinite amounts. Hence the natural division into--

(_a_) _Definite numerals_; as, "_one_ blaze of musketry;" "He found in the pathway _fourteen_ Spaniards;" "I have lost _one_ brother, but I have gained _fourscore_;" "_a dozen_ volunteers."

(_b_) _Indefinite numerals_, as the following from Kingsley: "We gave _several_ thousand pounds for it;" "In came some five and twenty more, and with them _a few_ negroes;" "Then we wandered for _many_ days;"

"Amyas had evidently _more_ schemes in his head;" "He had lived by hunting for _some_ months;" "That light is far too red to be the reflection of _any_ beams of hers."

[Sidenote: _Single ones of any number of changes._]

(3) DISTRIBUTIVE NUMERALS, which occupy a place midway between the last two subdivisions of numeral adjectives; for they are indefinite in telling how many objects are spoken of, but definite in referring to the objects one at a time. Thus,--

_Every_ town had its fair; _every_ village, its wake.--THACKERAY.

An arrow was quivering in _each_ body.--KINGSLEY.

Few on _either_ side but had their shrewd scratch to show.--_Id._

Before I taught my tongue to wound My conscience with a sinful sound, Or had the black art to dispense A _several_ sin to _every_ sense.--VAUGHAN.

Exercise.--Bring up sentences with ten adjectives of quant.i.ty.

DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES.

[Sidenote: _Not primarily p.r.o.nouns._]

146. The words of this list are placed here instead of among p.r.o.nominal adjectives, for the reason that they are felt to be primarily adjectives; their p.r.o.nominal use being evidently a shortening, by which the words point out but stand for words omitted, instead of modifying them. Their natural and original use is to be joined to a noun following or in close connection.

[Sidenote: _The list._]

The demonstrative adjectives are _this_, _that_, (plural _these_, _those_), _yonder_ (or _yon_), _former_, _latter_; also the pairs _one_ (or _the one_)--_the other_, _the former_--_the latter_, used to refer to two things which have been already named in a sentence.

[Sidenote: _Examples._]