Higher Lessons in English Part 63

or "by _each other_."

3. We may use +all, both+, and +whole+ with a preposition and a noun following; we may use these words as adjectives qualifying the noun. We may say, "_All of_ the _people_," "_Both of_ the _trees_," "The _whole of_ the farm," or "_All_ the _people_," "_Both trees_," "The _whole farm_."

4. We may use the p.r.o.nouns +either+ and +neither+, as we do the conjunctions _either_ and _neither_, with more than two; we may use _any one_ and _none_ in such cases. We may say, "Here are _three candidates_; you may vote for _either_ or for _neither_ of them," or "for _any one_ or for _none_ of them."

5. We may use +he+ or some other personal p.r.o.noun after the indefinite one; we may repeat the _one_ in such a case. We may say, "The home _one_ must quit, yet taking much of its life along with _him_," or "along with _one_."

6. We may use +such+ before an adjective and its noun; we may use _so_ with the adjective in such a case. We may say, "_Such a strong argument_,"

"_Such admirable talent_," or "_So strong an argument_," "_Talent so admirable_."

7. We may use the plural +ones+; we may use the noun for which _ones_ stands. We may say, "You have red roses, I have white _ones_," or "white _roses_."

8. We may apply +the other two+ to those that remain when one of three things has been taken from the rest; we may use _the two others_ in such a case. We may say, "One of them kept his ground; _the other two_ ran away,"

or "_the two others_ ran away."

9. We may use +a+ before a noun in the singular and +or two+ after it; we may use _one or two_ before the noun in the plural. We may say, "I will go in _a day or two_," or "in _one or two days_."

10. We may use +either+ in the sense of _each_; we may use _each_ instead.

We may say, "He wrested the land on _either_ side of the Seine," or "on _each_ side of the Seine."

11. We may insert a noun, or a noun and other words, between +other+ and +than+; we may place the _than_ immediately after _other_. We may say, "We must look for somee _other reasons for it than_ those suggested," or "for some _reasons for it other than_ those suggested."

12. We may use +none+ in the plural; we may use _none_ in the singular. We may say, "_None hear_ thy voice," or "_None hears_ thy voice."

The paragraphs below contain noteworthy uses of adjective p.r.o.nouns but no really alternative expressions.

13. Usage is overwhelmingly in favor of +any one else's, no one else's, somebody else's, n.o.body else's+, instead of _any one's else_, etc. There is scarcely any authority for placing the (_'s_) upon _one_ or _body_.

"Written by d.i.c.kens for his own or _any one else's_ children." This form is common and convenient. We are advised to shun it, but we need not.

14. Usage is also decidedly in favor of +first two, last three+, etc., instead of _two first, three last_, etc.]

Descriptive adjectives used as nouns are plural, and are not declined. Such expressions as "the _wretched's_ only plea" and "the _wicked's_ den" are exceptional.

LESSON 125.

CASE FORMS--p.r.o.nOUNS.

The p.r.o.nouns _I_, _thou_, _he_, _she_, and _who_ are the only words in the language that have each three different case forms.

+Direction+.--_Study the Declensions, and correct these errors_:--

Our's, your's, hi's, her's, it's, their's, yourn, hisn, hern, theirn.

Construction of Case Forms--p.r.o.nouns.

+Caution.--I, we, thou, ye, he, she, they,+ and +who+ are +nominative+ forms, and must not be used in the objective case. +Me, us, thee, him, her, [Footnote: _Her_ is also a possessive.] them,+ and +whom+ are objective forms, and must not be used in the nominative case.

Remark.--The eight nominative forms and the seven objective forms here given are the only distinctive nominative and objective forms in the language. All the rules of syntax given in the grammars to guide in the use of the nominative and the objective case apply, practically, only to these fifteen words.

+Direction.+--_Study carefully the Definitions and principles given under the head of case, Lesson 119, and then correct these errors, giving your reasons in every instance:--_

1. It is not me you are in love with. [Footnote: Dr. Latham defends _It is me,_ but condemns _It is him,_ and _It is her_. Dean Alford regards as correct the forms condemned by Latham, and a.s.serts that _thee_ and _me_ are correct in, "The nations not so blest as _thee_" "Such weak minister as me may the oppressor bruise." Professor Bain justifies _If I were him, It was her, He is better than me,_ and even defends the use of _who_ as an objective form by quoting from Shakespeare, "_Who_ servest thou under?" and from Steele, "_Who_ should I meet?"

They justify such expressions as _It is me_ from the a.n.a.logy of the French _c'est moi_, and on the ground that they are "more frequently heard than the prescribed form." But such a.n.a.logy would justify _It are them (ce sont eux)_; and, if the argument from the speech of the uneducated is to have weight, we have good authority for _"Her ain't a calling we: us don't belong to she."_ A course of reading will satisfy one that the best writers and speakers in England are not in the habit of using such expressions as _It is me_, and that these are almost, if not quite unknown in American literature. No one has freed himself from the influence of early a.s.sociations that are in a careless moment some vicious colloquialism may not creep into his discourse. A Violation of every principle of grammar may be defended, if such inadvertencies are to be erected into authority. To whatever is the prevailing, the habitual, usage of a majority of the best writers and speakers the grammarian should bow without question; but not to the accidental slips of even the greatest writers, or to the common usage of the unreflecting and the uncultivated.]

2. She was neither better bred nor wiser than you or me. [See previous Footnote.]

3. Who servest thou under? [See previous footnote.]

4. It was not them, it was her.

5. Its being me should make no difference.

6. Him and me are of the same age.

7. Them that study grammar talk no better than me.

8. I am not so old as her; she is older than me by ten years.

9. He was angry, and me too.

10. Who will go? Me.

11. It isn't for such as us to sit with the rulers of the land.

12. Not one in a thousand could have done it as well as him.

13. Him being a stranger, they easily misled him.

14. Oh, happy us! surrounded thus with blessings.

15. It was Joseph, him whom Pharaoh promoted.

16. I referred to my old friend, he of whom I so often speak.

17. You have seen Ca.s.sio and she together.

18. Between you and I, I believe that he is losing his mind.

19. Who should I meet the other day but my old friend? 20. Who did he refer to, he or I?

21. Who did he choose? Did he choose you and I?

22. He that is idle and mischievous reprove.

23. We will refer it to whoever you may choose.

24. Whosoever the court favors is safe.

25. They that are diligent I will reward.

20. Scotland and thee did in each other live.

27. My hour is come, but not to render up my soul to such as thee.

28. I knew that it was him.

29. I knew it to be he.

30. Who did you suppose it to be?

31. Whom did you suppose it was?

32. I took that tall man to be he.

33. I thought that tall man was him.

Although _than_ is not a preposition, it is sometimes followed by _whom,_ as in the familiar pa.s.sage from Milton: "Beelzebub... _than whom,_ Satan except, none higher sat." _Than whom_ is an irregularity justified only on the basis of good usage. _Whom_ here may be pa.r.s.ed as an objective case form used idiomatically in place of _who_.

LESSON 126.

CONSTRUCTION OF CASE FORMS.

MISCELLANEOUS--REVIEW.