English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Part 45

The changing times and seasons, the removing and setting up kings, belong to Providence alone.

These are the rules of grammar, by observing of which you may avoid mistakes.

RULE XXVII.

The present participle refers to some noun or p.r.o.noun denoting the subject or actor; as, "I see a _boy running_."

RULE XXVIII.

The perfect participle belongs, like an adjective, to some noun or p.r.o.noun, expressed or understood; as, "I saw the boy _abused_."

NOTE 1. Participles of neuter verbs have the same case after them as before them; as, "_Pontius Pilate_ being _Governor_ of Judea, and _Herod_ being _Tetrarch_," &c.

2. A participle with its adjuncts, may sometimes be considered as a substantive or participial phrase, which phrase may be the subject of a verb, or the object of a verb or preposition; as, "_Taking from another without his knowledge or a.s.sent_, is called stealing; He studied to avoid _expressing himself too severely_; I cannot fail of _having money_, &c.; By _promising much and performing but little_, we become despicable."

3. As the perfect participle and the imperfect tense of irregular verbs, are sometimes different in their form, care must be taken that they be not indiscriminately used. It is frequently said, 'He begun,' for 'he began;' 'He run,' for 'he ran;' 'He come,' for 'he came;' the participles being here used instead of the imperfect tense; and much more frequently is the imperfect tense employed instead of the participle; as, 'I had wrote,' for 'I had written;'

'I was chose,' for 'I was chosen;' 'I have eat,' for 'I have eaten.'

'He would have spoke;'--_spoken_. 'He overrun his guide;'--_overran_. 'The sun had rose;'--_risen_.

FALSE SYNTAX.

I seen him. I have saw many a one.

_Seen_ is improper, the perfect participle being used instead of the imperfect tense of the verb. It ought to be, "I _saw_ him," according to Note 3, _Have saw_ is also erroneous, the imperfect tense being employed instead of the perfect participle. The perfect tense of a verb is formed by combining the auxiliary _have_ with its perfect participle: therefore the sentence should be written thus, "I have _seen_ many a one:" Note 3.

_Note_ 3. He done me no harm, for I had wrote my letter before he come home.

Had not that misfortune befel my cousin, he would have went to Europe long ago.

The sun had already arose, when I began my journey.

Since the work is began, it must be prosecuted.

The French language is spoke in every state in Europe.

He writes as the best authors would have wrote, had they writ on the same subject.

RULE XXIX.

Adverbs qualify verbs, participles, adjectives, and other adverbs; as, "A _very good_ pen _writes extremely well_;" "By _living temperately_,"

&c.

NOTE 1. Adverbs are generally set before adjectives or adverbs, after verbs, or between the auxiliary and the verb; as, "He made a _very sensible_ discourse, and was _attentively_ heard."

2. When the qualifying word which follows a verb, expresses _quality_, it must be an adjective, but when it expresses _manner_, an adverb should be used; as, "She looks _cold;_ She looks _coldly_ on him; He feels _warm;_ He feels _warmly_ the insult offered to him." If the verb _to be_ can be subst.i.tuted for the one employed, an adjective should follow, and not an adverb; as, "She looks _[is]

cold_; The hay smells _[is] sweet_; The fields look _[are] green_; The apples taste _[are] sour_; The wind blows _[is] fresh_."

3. It is not strictly proper to apply the adverbs _here, there_, and _where_, to verbs signifying motion, instead of the adverbs _hither, thither, whither_; thus, "He came _here [hither]_ hastily;" "They rode _there [thither]_ in two hours;" "_Where [whither]_ will he go?" But in familiar style, these constructions are so far sanctioned as sometimes to be admissible.

4. The use of _where_, instead of _in which_, in constructions like the following, is hardly admissible: "The immortal sages of '76, formed a charter, _where [in which]_ their rights are boldly a.s.serted."

5. As the adverbs _hence, thence_, and _whence_, literally supply the place of a noun and preposition, there appears to be a solecism in employing a preposition in conjunction with them: "_From whence_ it follows;" "He came _from thence_ since morning." Better, "_whence_ it follows;" "He came _thence_." The following phrases are also exceptionable: "The _then_ ministry;" "The _above_ argument;"

"Ask me _never_ so much dowry;" "Charm he _never_ so wisely."

Better, "The ministry _of that time_ or _period_;" "The _preceding_ argument;" "_Ever_ so much dowry;" "_Ever_ so wisely."

FALSE SYNTAX.

_Note_ 1. It cannot be impertinent or ridiculous therefore to remonstrate.

He was pleasing not often, because he was vain.

These things should be never separated.

We may happily live, though our possessions are small.

RULE x.x.x.

Two negatives destroy one another, and are generally equivalent to an affirmative; as, "Such things are _not un_common;" i.e. they are common.

NOTE. When one of the two negatives employed is joined to another word, it forms a pleasing and delicate variety of expression; as, "His language, though inelegant, is _not un_grammatical;" that is, it is grammatical.

But, as two negatives, by destroying each other, are equivalent to an affirmative, they should not be used when we wish to convey a _negative_ meaning. The following sentence is therefore inaccurate: "I can_not_ by _no_ means allow him what his argument must prove."

It should be, "I cannot by _any_ means," &c., or, "I _can_ by _no_ means."

FALSE SYNTAX.

_Note, 2d part_. I don't know nothing about it.

I did not see n.o.body there. Nothing never affects her.

Be honest, nor take no shape nor semblance of disguise.

There cannot be nothing more insignificant than vanity.

Precept nor discipline is not so forcible as example.

RULE x.x.xI.

Prepositions govern the objective case; as, "He went _from_ Utica _to_ Rome, and then pa.s.sed _through_ Redfield."

FALSE SYNTAX.

Each is accountable for hisself.

They settled it among theirselves.

It is not I who he is displeased with.