The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

   "Dear Welsted, mark, in dirty hole,
    That painful animal, a Mole."—Note to Dunciad, B. ii, l. 207.

"Either thou or the boys were in the fault."—Comly's Key, in Gram., p. 174. "It may, at the first view, appear to be too general."—Murray's Gram., p. 222; Ingersoll's, 275. "When the verb has a reference to future time."—Ib.: M., p. 207; Ing., 264. "No; they are the language of imagination rather than of a passion."—Blair's Rhet., p. 165. "The dislike of the English Grammar, which has so generally prevailed, can only be attributed to the intricacy of syntax."—Russell's Gram., p. iv. "Is that ornament in a good taste?"—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 326. "There are not many fountains in a good taste."—Ib., ii, 329. "And I persecuted this way unto the death."—Acts, xxii, 4. "The sense of the feeling can, indeed, give us the idea of extension."—Blair's Rhet., p. 196. "The distributive adjective pronouns, each, every, either, agree with the nouns, pronouns, and verbs, of the singular number only."—Murray's Gram., p. 165; Lowth's, 89. "Expressing by one word, what might, by a circumlocution, be resolved into two or more words belonging to the other parts of speech."—Blair's Rhet., p. 84. "By the certain muscles which operate all at the same time."—Murray's Gram., p. 19. "It is sufficient here to have observed thus much in the general concerning them."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 112. "Nothing disgusts us sooner than the empty pomp of language."—Murray's Gram., p. 319.

"He is entitled to the appellation of a gentleman."—Brown's Inst., p. 126. "Cromwell assumed the title of a Protector."—Ib. "Her father is honoured with the title of an Earl."—Ib. "The chief magistrate is styled a President."—Ib. "The highest title in the state is that of the Governor."—Ib. "That boy is known by the name of the Idler."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 205. "The one styled the Mufti, is the head of the ministers of law and religion."—Balbi's Geog., p. 360. "Banging all that possessed them under one class, he called that whole class a tree."—Blair's Rhet., p. 73. "For the oak, the pine, and the ash, were names of whole classes of objects."—Ib., p. 73. "It is of little importance whether we give to some particular mode of expression the name of a trope, or of a figure."—Ib., p. 133. "The collision of a vowel with itself is the most ungracious of all combinations, and has been doomed to peculiar reprobation under the name of an hiatus."—J. Q. Adams's Rhet., Vol. ii, p. 217. "We hesitate to determine, whether the Tyrant alone, is the nominative, or whether the nominative includes the spy."—Cobbett's E. Gram., ¶ 246. "Hence originated the customary abbreviation of twelve months into a twelve-month; seven nights into se'night; fourteen nights into a fortnight."—Webster's Improved Gram., p. 105.

"He is a better writer than a reader."—W. Allen's False Syntax, Gram., p. 332. "He was an abler mathematician than a linguist."—Ib. "I should rather have an orange than apple."—Brown's Inst., p. 126. "He was no less able a negotiator, than a courageous warrior."—Smollett's Voltaire, Vol. i, p. 181. "In an epic poem we pardon many negligences that would not be permitted in a sonnet or epigram."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. i, p. 186. "That figure is a sphere, or a globe, or a ball."—Harris's Hermes, p. 258.

"Carriages which were formerly in use, were very clumsy."—Inst., p. 126. "The place is not mentioned by geographers who wrote at that time."—Ib. "Questions which a person asks himself in contemplation, ought to be terminated by points of interrogation."—Murray's Gram., p. 279; Comly's, 162; Ingersoll's, 291. "The work is designed for the use of persons, who may think it merits a place in their Libraries."—Murray's Gram., 8vo., p. iii. "That persons who think confusedly, should express themselves obscurely, is not to be wondered at."—Ib., p. 298. "Grammarians who limit the number to two, or at most to three, do not reflect."—Ib., p. 75. "Substantives which end in ian, are those that signify profession."—Ib., p. 132. "To these may be added verbs, which chiefly among the poets govern the dative."—Adam's Gram., p. 170; Gould's, 171. "Consonants are letters, which cannot be sounded without the aid of a vowel."—Bucke's Gram., p. 9. "To employ the curiosity of persons who are skilled in grammar."—Murray's Gram., Pref., p. iii. "This rule refers only to nouns and pronouns, which have the same bearing or relation."—Ib., i, p. 204. "So that things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear."—Heb., xi, 3. "Man is an imitative creature; he may utter sounds, which he has heard."—Wilson's Essay on Gram., p. 21. "But men, whose business is wholly domestic, have little or no use for any language but their own."—Webster's Essays, p. 5.

"Great benefit may be reaped from reading of histories."—Sewel's Hist., p. iii. "And some attempts were made towards writing of history."—Bolingbroke, on Hist., p. 110. "It is Invading of the Priest's Office for any other to Offer it."—Right of Tythes, p. 200. "And thus far of forming of verbs."—Walker's Art of Teaching, p. 35. "And without shedding of blood is no remission."—Heb., ix, 22. "For making of measures we have the best method here in England."—Printer's Gram. "This is really both admitting and denying, at once."—Butler's Analogy, p. 72. "And hence the origin of making of parliaments."—Brown's Estimate, Vol. i, p. 71. "Next thou objectest, that having of saving light and grace presupposes conversion. But that I deny: for, on the contrary, conversion presupposeth having light and grace."—Barclay's Works, Vol. i, p. 143. "They cried down wearing of rings and other superfluities as we do."—Ib., i, 236. "Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel."—1 Peter, iii, 3. "In spelling of derivative Words, the Primitive must be kept whole."—British Gram., p. 50; Buchanan's Syntax, 9. "And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar."—Numbers, vii, 10. "Boasting is not only telling of lies, but also many unseemly truths."—Sheffield's Works, ii, 244. "We freely confess that forbearing of prayer in the wicked is sinful."—Barclay, i, 316. "For revealing of a secret, there is no remedy."—Inst. E. Gram., p. 126. "He turned all his thoughts to composing of laws for the good of the state."—Rollin's Ancient Hist., Vol. ii, p. 38.

UNDER NOTE XVI.—PARTICIPLES, NOT NOUNS. "It is salvation to be kept from falling into a pit, as truly as to be taken out of it after the falling in."—Barclay, i, 210. "For in the receiving and embracing the testimony of truth, they felt eased."—Ib., i, 469. "True regularity does not consist in the having but a single rule, and forcing every thing to conform to it."—Philol. Museum, i, 664. "To the man of the world, this sound of glad tidings appears only an idle tale, and not worth the attending to."—Life of Tho. Say, p. 144. "To be the deliverer of the captive Jews, by the ordering their temple to be re-built," &c.—Rollin, ii, 124. "And for the preserving them from being defiled."—N. E. Discipline, p. 133. "A wise man will avoid the showing any excellence in trifles."—Art of Thinking, p. 80. "Hirsutus had no other reason for the valuing a book."—Rambler, No. 177; Wright's Gram., p. 190. "To the being heard with satisfaction, it is necessary that the speaker should deliver himself with ease."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 114. "And to the being well heard, and clearly understood, a good and distinct articulation contributes more, than power of voice."—Ib., p. 117.

   "Potential means the having power or will;
    As, If you would improve, you should be still."
        —Tobitt's Gram., p. 31.

"For the same reason, a neuter verb cannot become a passive."—Lowth's Gram., p. 74. "The period is the whole sentence complete in itself."—Ib., p. 115. "The colon or member is a chief constructive part, or greater division of a sentence."—Ib. "The semicolon or half member, is a less constructive part or subdivision, of a sentence or member."—Ib. "A sentence or member is again subdivided into commas or segments."—Ib., p. 116. "The first error that I would mention, is, a too general attention to the dead languages, with a neglect of our own."—Webster's Essays, p. 3. "One third of the importations would supply the demands of people."—Ib., p. 119. "And especially in grave stile."—Priestley's Gram., p. 72. "By too eager pursuit, he ran a great risk of being disappointed."—Murray's Key, Octavo Gram., Vol. ii, p. 201. "Letters are divided into vowels and consonants."—Murray's Gram., i, p. 7; and others. "Consonants are divided into mutes and semi-vowels."—Ib., i, 8; and others. "The first of these forms is most agreeable to the English idiom."—Ib., i, 176. "If they gain, it is a too dear rate."—Barclay's Works, i, 504. "A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, to prevent a too frequent repetition of it."—Maunder's Gram., p. 1. "This vulgar error might perhaps arise from a too partial fondness for the Latin."—Dr. Ash's Gram., Pref., p. iv. "The groans which a too heavy load extorts from her."—Hitchcock, on Dyspepsy, p. 50. "The numbers [of a verb] are, of course, singular and plural."—Bucke's Gram. p. 58. "To brook no meanness, and to stoop to no dissimulation, are the indications of a great mind."—Murray's Key, ii, 236. "This mode of expression rather suits familiar than grave style."—Murray's Gram., i, 198. "This use of the word rather suits familiar and low style."—Priestley's Gram., p. 134. "According to the nature of the composition the one or other may be predominant."—Blair's Rhet., p. 102. "Yet the commonness of such sentences prevents in a great measure a too early expectation of the end."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 411. "An eulogy or a philippie may be pronounced by an individual of one nation upon the subject of another."—Adams's Rhet., i, 298. "A French sermon, is for most part, a warm animated exhortation."—Blair's Rhet., p. 288. "I do not envy those who think slavery no very pitiable a lot."—Channing, on Emancipation, p. 52. "The auxiliary and principal united, constitute a tense."—Murray's Gram., i, 75. "There are some verbs which are defective with respect to persons."—Ib., i, 109. "In youth, the habits of industry are most easily acquired."—Murray's Key, ii, 235. "Apostrophe (') is used in place of a letter left out."—Bullions's Eng. Gram., p. 156.

The rules for the construction of Nouns, or Cases, are seven; hence this chapter, according to the order adopted above, reviews the series of rules from the second rule to the eighth, inclusively. Though Nouns are here the topic, all these seven rules apply alike to Nouns and to Pronouns; that is, to all the words of our language which are susceptible of Cases.

A Noun or a Pronoun which is the subject of a finite verb, must be in the nominative case: as, "The Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things; and they derided him."—Luke, xvi, 14. "But where the meekness of self-knowledge veileth the front of self-respect, there look thou for the man whom none can know but they will honour."—Book of Thoughts, p. 66.

   "Dost thou mourn Philander's fate?
    I know thou sayst it: says thy life the same?"
        —Young, N. ii, l. 22.

OBS. 1.—To this rule, there are no exceptions; and nearly all nominatives, or far the greater part, are to be parsed by it. There are however four different ways of disposing of the nominative case. First, it is generally the subject of a verb, according to Rule 2d. Secondly, it may be put in apposition with an other nominative, according to Rule 3d. Thirdly, it may be put after a verb or a participle not transitive, according to Rule 6th. Fourthly, it may be put absolute, or may help to form a phrase that is independent of the rest of the sentence, according to Rule 8th.

OBS. 2.—The subject, or nominative, is generally placed before the verb; as, "Peace dawned upon his mind."—Johnson. "What is written in the law?"—Bible. But, in the following nine cases, the subject of the verb is usually placed after it, or after the first auxiliary: 1. When a question is asked without an interrogative pronoun in the nominative case; as, "Shall mortals be implacable?"—Hooke. "What art thou doing?"—Id. "How many loaves have ye?"—Bible. "Are they Israelites? so am I."—Ib.

2. When the verb is in the imperative mood; as, "Go thou"—"Come ye" But, with this mood, the pronoun is very often omitted and understood; as, "Philip saith unto him, Come and see"—John, i, 46. "And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted."—Mark, xvi, 5.

3. When an earnest wish, or other strong feeling, is expressed; as, "May she