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

(34.) "A scene might tempt some peaceful sage
       To rear him a lone hermitage."
        —Union Poems, p. 89.

(35.) "Not all the storms that shake the pole
       Can e'er disturb thy halcyon soul,
         And smooth th' unaltered brow."
        —Day's Gram., p. 78; E. Reader, 230.

LESSON II.—NOUNS. "The thrones of every monarchy felt the shock."—Frelinghuysen.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the plural noun thrones has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected thus: "The throne of every monarchy felt the shock."]

"These principles ought to be deeply impressed upon the minds of every American."—Webster's Essays, p. 44. "The word church and shire are radically the same."—Ib., p. 256. "They may not, in their present form, be readily accommodated to every circumstance belonging to the possessive cases of nouns."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 53. "Will, in the second and third person, only foretels."—Ib., p. 88. "Which seem to form the true distinction between the subjunctive and the indicative moods."—Ib., p. 208. "The very general approbation, which this performance of Walker has received from the public."—Ib., p. 241. "Lest she carry her improvements this way too far."—CAMPBELL: ib., p. 371. "Charles was extravagant, and by this means became poor and despicable."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 189. "We should entertain no prejudices against simple and rustic persons."—Ib., p. 205. "These are indeed the foundations of all solid merit."—Blair's Rhet., p. 175. "And his embellishment, by means of musical cadence, figures, or other parts of speech."—Ib., p. 175. "If he is at no pains to engage us by the employment of figures, musical arrangement, or any other art of writing."—Ib., p. 181. "The most eminent of the sacred poets are, the Author of the book of Job, David and Isaiah."—Ib., p. 418. "Nothing, in any poet, is more beautifully described than the death of old Priam."—Ib., p. 439. "When two vowels meet together, and are sounded at one breath, they are called diphthongs."—Infant School Gram., p. 10. "How many ss would goodness then end with? Three."—Ib., p. 33. "Birds is a noun, the name of a thing or creature."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 53. "Adam gave names to every living creature."—Bicknell's Gram., Part ii, p. 5. "The steps of a stair ought to be accommodated to the human figure."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 337. "Nor ought an emblem more than a simile to be founded on low or familiar objects."—Ib., Vol. ii. p. 357. "Whatever the Latin has not from the Greek, it has from the Goth."—Tooke's Diversions, Vol. ii, p. 450. "The mint and secretary of state's offices are neat buildings."—The Friend, Vol. iv, p. 266. "The scenes of dead and still life are apt to pall upon us."—Blair's Rhet., p. 407. "And Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus, the angelical and the subtle doctors, are the brightest stars in the scholastic constellation."—Literary Hist., p. 244. "The English language has three methods of distinguishing the sex."—Murray's Gram., p. 38; Ingersoll's, 27; Alger's, 16; Bacon's, 13; Fisk's, 58; Greenleaf's, 21. "The English language has three methods of distinguishing sex."—Smith's New Gram., p. 44. "In English there are the three following methods of distinguishing sex."—Jaudon's Gram., p. 26. "There are three ways of distinguishing the sex."—Lennie's Gram., p. 10; Picket's, 26; Bullions's, 10. "There are three ways of distinguishing sex."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 26. "Gender is distinguished in three ways."—Maunder's Gram., p. 2. "Neither discourse in general, nor poetry in particular, can be called altogether imitative arts."—Blair's Rhet., p. 51.

   "Do we for this the gods and conscience brave,
    That one may rule and make the rest a slave?"
        —Rowe's Lucan, B. ii, l. 96.

"There is a deal of more heads, than either heart or horns."—Barclay's
Works, i, 234.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the adjective more has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected thus: "There is a deal more of heads, than of either heart or horns."]

"For, of all villains, I think he has the wrong name."—Bunyan's P. P., p. 86. "Of all the men that I met in my pilgrimage, he, I think bears the wrong name."—Ib., p. 84. "I am surprized to see so much of the distribution, and technical terms of the Latin grammar, retained in the grammar of our tongue."—Priestley's Gram., Pref., p. vi. "Nor did the Duke of Burgundy bring him the smallest assistance."—HUME: Priestley's Gram., p. 178. "Else he will find it difficult to make one obstinate believe him."—Brightland's Gram., p. 243. "Are there any adjectives which form the degrees of comparison peculiar to themselves?"—Infant School Gram., p. 46. "Yet the verbs are all of the indicative mood."—Lowth's Gram., p. 33. "The word candidate is in the absolute case."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 155. "An Iambus has the first syllable unaccented, and the latter accented."—Russell's Gram., p. 108; Smith's New Gram., 188. "A Dactyl has the first syllable accented, and the two latter unaccented."—L. Murray, p. 253; Bullions's E. Gram., 170; Smith's, 188; Kirkham's, 219; Guy's, 120; Blair's, 118; Merchant's, 167; Russell's, 109. "It is proper to begin with a capital the first word of every book, chapter, letter, note, or any other piece of writing."—L. Murray, p. 284; R. C. Smith's New Gram., 192; Ingersoll's, 295; Comly's, 166; Merchant's, 14; Greenleaf's, 42; D. C. Allen's, 85; Fisk's, 159; Bullions's, 158; Kirkham's, 219; Hiley's, 119; Weld's Abridged, 16; Bullions's Analyt. and Pract., 16; Fowler's E. Gr., 674. "Five and seven make twelve, and one makes thirteen."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 227. "I wish to cultivate a farther acquaintance with you."—Ib., p. 272. "Let us consider the proper means to effect our purpose."—Ib., p. 276. "Yet they are of such a similar nature, as readily to mix and blend."—Blair's Rhet., p. 48. "The Latin is formed on the same model, but more imperfect."—Ib., p. 83. "I know very well how much pains have been taken."—Sir W. Temple. "The management of the breath requires a good deal of care."—Blair's Rhet., p. 331. "Because the mind, during such a momentary stupefaction, is in a good measure, if not totally, insensible."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. i, p. 222. "Motives alone of reason and interest are not sufficient."—Ib., Vol. i, p. 232. "To render the composition distinct in its parts, and striking on the whole,"—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 333. "A and an are named indefinite because they denote some one thing of a kind."—Maunder's Gram., p. 1. "The is named definite, because it points out some particular thing."—Ibid. "So much depends upon the proper construction of sentences, that, in every sort of composition, we cannot be too strict in our attention to it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 103. "All sort of declamation and public speaking, was carried on by them."—Ib., p. 123. "The first has on many occasions, a sublimity to which the latter never attains."—Ib., p. 440. "When the words therefore, consequently, accordingly, and the like are used in connexion with other conjunctions, they are adverbs."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 88. "Rude nations make little or no allusions to the productions of the arts."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 10. "While two of her maids knelt on either side of her."—Mirror, xi, 307. "The third personal pronouns differ from each other in meaning and use, as follows."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., p. 65. "It was happy for the state, that Fabius continued in the command with Minucius: the former's phlegm was a check upon the latter's vivacity."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 57. "If it should be objected that the words must and ought, in the preceding sentences, are all in the present tense."—Ib., p. 108. "But it will be well if you turn to them, every now and then."—Buckets Classical Gram., p. 6. "That every part should have a dependence on, and mutually contribute to support each other."—Rollin's Hist., ii, 115. "The phrase, 'Good, my Lord,' is not common, and low."—Priestley's Gram., p. 110.

   "That brother should not war with brother,
    And worry and devour each other."—Cowper.

"If I can contribute to your and my country's glory."—Goldsmith.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the pronoun your has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence, having a doubtful or double meaning, may be corrected in two ways, thus: "If I can contribute to our country's glory;"—or, "If I can contribute to your glory and that of my country."]

"As likewise of the several subjects, which have in effect each their verb."—Lowth's Gram., p. 120. "He is likewise required to make examples himself."—J. Flint's Gram., p. 3. "If the emphasis be placed wrong, we shall pervert and confound the meaning wholly."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 242. "If the emphasis be placed wrong, we pervert and confound the meaning wholly."—Blair's Rhet., p. 330. "It was this that characterized the great men of antiquity; it is this, which must distinguish moderns who would tread in their steps."—Ib., p. 341. "I am a great enemy to implicit faith, as well the Popish as Presbyterian, who in that are much what alike."—Barclay's Works, iii, 280. "Will he thence dare to say the apostle held another Christ than he that died?"—Ib., iii, 414. "What need you be anxious about this event?"—Collier's Antoninus, p. 188. "If a substantive can be placed after the verb, it is active."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 31 "When we see bad men honoured and prosperous in the world, it is some discouragement to virtue."—L. Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 224. "It is a happiness to young persons, when they are preserved from the snares of the world, as in a garden enclosed."—Ib., p. 171. "The court of Queen Elizabeth, which was but another name for prudence and economy."— Bullions, E. Gram., p. 24. "It is no wonder if such a man did not shine at the court of Queen Elizabeth, who was but another name for prudence and economy. Here which ought to be used, and not who."—Priestley's Gram., p. 99; Fowler's, §488. "Better thus; Whose name was but another word for prudence, &c."—Murray's Gram., p. 157; Fish's, 115; Ingersoll's, 221; Smith's, 133; and others. "A Defective verb is one that wants some of its parts. They are chiefly the Auxiliary and Impersonal verbs."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 31; Old Editions, 32. "Some writers have given our moods a much greater extent than we have assigned to them."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 67. "The Personal Pronouns give information which no other words are capable of conveying."—M'Culloch's Gram., p. 37, "When the article a, an, or the precedes the participle, it also becomes a noun."— Merchant's School Gram., p. 93. "There is a preference to be given to some of these, which custom and judgment must determine."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 107. "Many writers affect to subjoin to any word the preposition with which it is compounded, or the idea of which it implies."—Ib., p. 200; Priestley's Gram., 157.

   "Say, dost thou know Tectidius?—Who, the wretch
    Whose lands beyond the Sabines largely stretch?"
        —Dryden's IV Sat. of Pers.

"We would naturally expect, that the word depend, would require from after it."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 201. "A dish which they pretend to be made of emerald."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 198. "For the very nature of a sentence implies one proposition to be expressed."—Blair's Rhet., p. 106. "Without a careful attention to the sense, we would be naturally led, by the rules of syntax, to refer it to the rising and setting of the sun."—Ib., p. 105. "For any rules that can be given, on this subject, are very general."—Ib., p. 125. "He is in the right, if eloquence were what he conceives it to be."—Ib., p. 234. "There I would prefer a more free and diffuse manner."—Ib., p. 178. "Yet that they also agreed and resembled one another, in certain qualities."—Ib., p. 73. "But since he must restore her, he insists to have another in her place."—Ib., p. 431. "But these are far from being so frequent or so common as has been supposed."—Ib., p. 445. "We are not misled to assign a wrong place to the pleasant or painful feelings." Kames, El. of Crit., Introd., p. xviii. "Which are of greater importance than is commonly thought."—Vol. ii, p. 92. "Since these qualities are both coarse and common, lets find out the mark of a man of probity."—Collier's Antoninus, p. 40. "Cicero did what no man