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

NOTE II.—In general, any two terms which we connect by a conjunction, should be the same in kind or quality, rather than different or heterogeneous. Example: "The assistance was welcome, and seasonably afforded."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 249. Better: "The assistance was welcome, and it was seasonably afforded." Or: "The assistance was both seasonable and welcome."

NOTE III.—The conjunctions, copulative or disjunctive, affirmative or negative, must be used with a due regard to their own import, and to the true idiom of the language. Thus, say, "The general bent or turn of the language is towards the other form;" and not, with Lowth and Churchill, "The general bent and turn of the language is towards the other form."—Short Introd., p. 60; New Gram., p. 113. So, say, "I cannot deny that there are perverse jades;" and not, with Addison, "I cannot deny but there are perverse jades."—Spect., No. 457. Again, say, "I feared that I should be deserted;" not, "lest I should be deserted."

NOTE IV.—After else, other,[437] otherwise, rather, and all English comparatives, the latter term of an exclusive comparison should be introduced by the conjunction than—a word which is appropriated to this use solely: as, "Style is nothing else than that sort of expression which our thoughts most readily assume."—Blair's Rhet., p. 92. "What we call fables or parables are no other than allegories."—Ib., p. 151; Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 243. "We judge otherwise of them than of ourselves."—R. Ainsworth. "The premeditation should be of things rather than of words."—Blair's Rhet., p. 262. "Is not the life more than meat?"—Com. Bible. "Is not life a greater gift than food?"—Campbell's Gospels.

NOTE V.—Relative pronouns, being themselves a species of connective words, necessarily exclude conjunctions; except there be two or more relative clauses to be connected together; that is, one to the other. Example of error: "The principal and distinguishing excellence of Virgil, and which, in my opinion, he possesses beyond all poets, is tenderness."—Blair's Rhet., p. 439. Better: "The principal and distinguishing excellence of Virgil, an excellence which, in my opinion, he possesses beyond all other poets, is tenderness."

NOTE VI.—The word that, (as was shown in the fifth chapter of Etymology,) is often made a pronoun in respect to what precedes it, and a conjunction in respect to what follows it—a construction which, for its anomaly, ought to be rejected. For example: "In the mean time THAT the Muscovites were complaining to St. Nicholas, Charles returned thanks to God, and prepared for new victories."—Life of Charles XII. Better thus: "While the Muscovites were thus complaining to St. Nicholas, Charles returned thanks to God, and prepared for new victories."

NOTE VII.—The words in each of the following pairs, are the proper correspondents to each other; and care should be taken, to give them their right place in the sentence:

1. To though, corresponds yet; as, "Though he were dead, yet shall he live."—John, xi, 25. 2. To whether, corresponds or; as, "Whether it be greater or less."—Butler's Analogy, p. 77.

3. To either, corresponds or; as, "The constant indulgence of a declamatory manner, is not favourable either to good composition, or [to] good delivery."—Blair's Rhet., p. 334.

4. To neither, corresponds nor; as, "John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine."—Luke, vii, 33. "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him."—Exod., xxii, 21.

5. To both, corresponds and; as, "I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise."—Rom., i, 14.

6. To such, corresponds as; (the former being a pronominal adjective, and the latter a relative pronoun;) as, "An assembly such as earth saw never."—Cowper.

7. To such, corresponds that; with, a finite verb following, to express a consequence: as, "The difference is such that all will perceive it."

8. To as, corresponds as; with an adjective or an adverb, to express equality of degree: as, "And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow."—2 Kings. v. 27.

9. To as, corresponds so; with two verbs, to express proportion or sameness: as, "As two are to four, so are six to twelve."—"As the tree falls, so it must lie."

10. So is used before as; with an adjective or an adverb, to limit the degree by comparison: as, "How can you descend to a thing so base as falsehood?"

11. So is used before as; with a negative preceding, to deny equality of degree: as, "No lamb was e'er so mild as he."—Langhorne. "Relatives are not so useful in language as conjunctions."—BEATTIE: Murray's Gram., p. 126.

12. To so, corresponds as; with an infinitive following, to express a consequence: as, "We ought, certainly, to read blank verse so as to make every line sensible to the ear"—Blair's Rhet., p. 332.

13. To so, corresponds that; with a finite verb following, to express a consequence: as, "No man was so poor that he could not make restitution."—Milman's Jews, i, 113. "So run that ye may obtain."—1 Cor., ix, 24.

14. To not only, or not merely, corresponds but, but also, or but even; as, "In heroic times, smuggling and piracy were deemed not only not infamous, but [even] absolutely honourable."—Maunder's Gram., p. 15. "These are questions, not of prudence merely, but of morals also."—Dymond's Essay, p. 82.

NOTE VIII.—"When correspondent conjunctions are used, the verb, or phrase, that precedes the first, applies [also] to the second; but no word following the former, can [by virtue of this correspondence,] be understood after the latter."—Churchill's Gram., p. 353. Such ellipses as the following ought therefore in general to be avoided: "Tones are different both from emphasis and [from] pauses."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, i, 250. "Though both the intention and [the] purchase are now past."—Ib., ii, 24.

"The first proposal was essentially different and inferior to the second."—Inst., p. 171.

[FORMULE,—Not proper, because the preposition to is used with joint reference to the two adjectives different and inferior, which require different prepositions. But, according to Note 1st under Rule 22d, "When two terms connected are each to be extended and completed in sense by a third, they must both be such as will make sense with it." The sentence may be corrected thus: "The first proposal was essentially different from the second, and inferior to it."]

"A neuter verb implies the state a subject is in, without acting upon, or being acted upon, by another."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 30. "I answer, you may and ought to use stories and anecdotes."—Student's Manual, p. 220. "ORACLE, n. Any person or place where certain decisions are obtained."—Webster's Dict. "Forms of government may, and must be occasionally, changed."—Ld. Lyttelton. "I have, and pretend to be a tolerable judge."—Spect., No. 555. "Are we not lazy in our duties, or make a Christ of them?"—Baxter's Saints' Rest. "They may not express that idea which the author intends, but some other which only resembles, or is a-kin to it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 94. "We may, we ought therefore to read them with a distinguishing eye."—Ib., p. 352. "Compare their poverty, with what they might, and ought to possess."—Sedgwick's Econ., p. 95. "He is a much better grammarian than they are."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 211. "He was more beloved, but not so much admired as Cinthio."—ADDISON, ON MEDALS: in Priestly's Gram., p. 200. "Will it be urged, that the four gospels are as old, or even older than tradition?"—Bolingb. Phil. Es., iv, §19. "The court of Chancery frequently mitigates, and breaks the teeth of the common law."—Spectator, No. 564; Ware's Gram., p. 16. "Antony, coming along side of her ship, entered it without seeing or being seen by her."—Goldsmith's Rome, p. 160. "In candid minds, truth finds an entrance, and a welcome too."—Murray's Key, ii, 168. "In many designs, we may succeed and be miserable."—lb., p. 169. "In many pursuits, we embark with pleasure, and land sorrowfully."—Ib., p. 170. "They are much greater gainers than I am by this unexpected event."—lb., p. 211.

"Athens saw them entering her gates and fill her academies."—Chazotte's Essay, p. 30. "We have neither forgot his past, nor despair of his future success."—Duncan's Cicero, p. 121. "Her monuments and temples had long been shattered or crumbled into dust."—Lit. Conv., p. 15. "Competition is excellent, and the vital principle in all these things."—DR. LIEBER: ib., p. 64. "Whether provision should or not be made to meet this exigency."—Ib., p. 128. "That our Saviour was divinely inspired, and endued with supernatural powers, are positions that are here taken for granted."—Murray's Gram., i. 206. "It would be much more eligible, to contract or enlarge their extent, by explanatory notes and observations, than by sweeping away our ancient landmarks, and setting up others."—Ib., i. p. 30. "It is certainly much better, to supply the defects and abridge superfluities, by occasional notes and observations, than by disorganizing, or altering a system which has been so long established."—Ib., i, 59. "To have only one tune, or measure, is not much better than having none at all"—Blair's Rhet., p. 126. "Facts too well known and obvious to be insisted on."—Ib., p. 233. "In proportion as all these circumstances are happily chosen, and of a sublime kind."—Ib., p. 41. "If the description be too general, and divested of circumstances."—Ibid. "He gained nothing further than to be commended."—Murray's Key, ii, 210. "I cannot but think its application somewhat strained, and out of place."—VETHAKE: Lit. Conv., p. 29. "Two negatives in the same clause, or referring to the same thing, destroy each other, and leave the sense affirmative."—Maunders Gram., p. 15. "Slates are stone and used to cover roofs of houses."—Webster's El. Spelling-Book, p. 47. "Every man of taste, and possessing an elevated mind, ought to feel almost the necessity of apologizing for the power he possesses."—Influence of Literature. Vol. ii, p, 122. "They very seldom trouble themselves with Enquiries, or making useful observations of their own."—Locke, on Ed., p. 376.

   "We've both the field and honour won;
    The foe is profligate, and run."—Hudibras, p. 93.

"The is sometimes used before adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree."—Lennie's Gram., p. 6; Bullions's, 8; Brace's, 9. "The definite article the is frequently applied to adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 33; Ingersoll's, 33; Lowth's, 14; Fisk's, 53; Merchant's, 24; and others. "Conjunctions usually connect verbs in the same mode or tense."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 137. "Conjunctions connect verbs in the same style, and usually in the same mode, tense, or form."—Ib. "The ruins of Greece and Rome are but the monuments of her former greatness."—Day's Gram., p. 88. "In many of these cases, it is not improbable, but that the articles were used originally."—Priestley's Gram., p. 152. "I cannot doubt but that these objects are really what they appear to be."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 85. "I question not but my reader will be as much pleased with it."—Spect., No. 535. "It is ten to one but my friend Peter is among them."—Ib., No. 457. "I doubt not but such objections as these will be made."—Locke, on Education, p. 169. "I doubt not but it will appear in the perusal of the following sheets."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. vi. "It is not improbable, but that, in time, these different constructions may be appropriated to different uses."—Priestley's Gram., p. 156. "But to forget or to remember at pleasure, are equally beyond the power of man."—Idler, No. 72. "The nominative case follows the verb, in interrogative and imperative sentences."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. ii, p. 290. "Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs?"—James, iii, 12. "Whose characters are too profligate, that the managing of them should be of any consequence."—Swift, Examiner, No. 24. "You that are a step higher than a philosopher, a divine; yet have too much grace and wit than to be a bishop."—Pope, to Swift, Let. 80. "The terms rich or poor enter not into their language."—Robertson's America, Vol. i, p. 314. "This pause is but seldom or ever sufficiently dwelt upon."—Music of Nature, p. 181. "There would be no possibility of any such thing as human life and human happiness."—Butler's Anal., p. 110. "The multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace."—Matt., xx, 21.

"A metaphor is nothing else but a short comparison."—Adam's Gram., p. 243; Gould's, 236. "There being no other dictator here but use."— Campbell's Rhet., p. 167. "This Construction is no otherwise known in English but by supplying the first or second Person Plural."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. xi. "Cyaxares was no sooner in the throne, but he was engaged in a terrible war."—Rollin's Hist., ii, 62. "Those classics contain little else but histories of murders."—Am. Museum, v, 526. "Ye shall not worship any other except God."—Sale's Koran, p. 15. "Their relation, therefore, is not otherwise to be ascertained but by their