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

longer."—Ib., p. 178. "The principles of the Reformation were deeper in the prince's mind than to be easily eradicated."—HUME: Cobbett's E. Gram., ¶217. "Whether they do not create jealousy and animosity more hurtful than the benefit derived from them."—DR. J. LEO WOLF: Lit. Conv., p. 250. "The Scotch have preserved the ancient character of their music more entire than any other country."—Music of Nature, p. 461. "When the time or quantity of one syllable exceeds the rest, that syllable readily receives the accent."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 277. "What then can be more obviously true than that it should be made as just as we can?"—Dymond's Essays, p. 198. "It was not likely that they would criminate themselves more than they could avoid."—Clarkson's Hist., Abridged, p. 76. "Their understandings were the most acute of any people who have ever lived."—Knapp's Lectures, p32. "The patentees have printed it with neat types, and upon better paper than was done formerly."—Lily's Gram., Pref., p. xiii. "In reality, its relative use is not exactly like any other word."—Felch's Comprehensive Gram., p. 62. "Thus, instead of two books, which are required, (the grammar and the exercises,) the learner finds both in one, for a price at least not greater than the others."—Bullions's E. Gram., Recom., p. iii; New Ed., Recom., p. 6. "They are not improperly regarded as pronouns, though in a sense less strict than the others"—Ib., p. 199. "We have had the opportunity, as will readily be believed, of becoming conversant with the case much more particularly, than the generality of our readers can be supposed to have had."—The British Friend, 11mo, 29th, 1845. UNDER CRITICAL NOTE V.—OF FALSITIES.

"The long sound of i is compounded of the sound of a, as heard in ball, and that of e, as heard in be."—Churchill's Gram., p. 3.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the sentence falsely teaches, that the long sound of i is that of the diphthong heard in oil or boy. But, according to Critical Note 5th, "Sentences that convey a meaning manifestly false, should be changed, rejected, or contradicted; because they distort language from its chief end, or only worthy use; which is, to state facts, and to tell the truth." The error may be corrected thus: "The long sound of i is like a very quick union of the sound of a, as heard in bar, and that of e, as heard in be."]

"The omission of a word necessary to grammatical propriety, is called ELLIPSIS."—Priestley's Gram., p. 45. "Every substantive is of the third person."—Alexander Murray's Gram., p. 91. "A noun, when the subject is spoken to, is in the second person; and when spoken of, it is in the third person; but never in the first."—Nutting's Gram., p. 17. "With us, no substantive nouns have gender, or are masculine and feminine, except the proper names of male and female creatures."—Blair's Rhet., p. 156. "Apostrophe is a little mark signifying that something is shortened; as, for William his hat, we say, William's hat."—Infant School Gram., p. 30. "When a word beginning with a vowel is coupled with one beginning with a consonant, the indefinite article must be repeated; thus, 'Sir Matthew Hale was a noble and an impartial judge;' 'Pope was an elegant and a nervous writer.'"—Maunder's Gram., p. 11. "W and y are consonants, when they begin a word or syllable; but in every other situation they are vowels."—Murray's Gram., p. 7: Bacon, Comly, Cooper, Fish, Ingersoll, Kirkham, Smith, et al. "The is used before all adjectives and substantives, let them begin as they will."—Bucke's Gram., p. 26. "Prepositions are also prefixed to words in such manner, as to coalesce with them, and to become a part of them."—Lowth's Gram., p. 66. "But h is entirely silent at the beginning of syllables not accented, as historian."—Blair's Gram., p. 5. "Any word that will make sense with to before it, is a verb."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 44. "Verbs do not, in reality, express actions; but they are intrinsically the mere names of actions."—Ib., p. 37. "The nominative is the actor or subject, and the active verb is the action performed by the nominative."—Ib., p. 45. "If, therefore, only one creature or thing acts, only one action, at the same instant, can be done; as, the girl writes."—Ib., 45. "The verb writes denotes but one action, which the girl performs; therefore the verb writes is of the singular number."—Ib., 45. "And when I say, Two men walk, is it not equally apparent, that walk is plural, because it expresses two actions?"—Ib., p. 47. "The subjunctive mood is formed by adding a conjunction to the indicative mood."—Beck's Gram., p. 16. "The possessive case should always be distinguished by the apostrophe."— Frost's El. of Gram., Rule 44th, p. 49. "'At these proceedings of the commons,'—Here of is the sign of the genitive or possessive case, and commons is of that case, governed of proceedings."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 95. "Here let it be observed again that, strictly speaking, no verbs have numbers nor persons, neither have nouns nor pronouns persons, when they refer to irrational creatures and inanimate things."—S. Barrett's Gram., p. 136. "The noun or pronoun denoting the person or thing addressed or spoken to, is in the nominative case independent."—Frost's El. of Gram., Rule 8th, p. 44. "Every noun, when addressed, becomes of the second person, and is in the nominative case absolute; as—'Paul, thou art beside thyself.'"—Jaudon's Gram., Rule 19th, p. 108. "Does the Conjunction join Words together? No; only Sentences."—British Gram., p. 103. "No; the Conjunction only joins sentences together."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 64. "Every Genitive has a Noun to govern it, expressed or understood; as, St. James's, Palace is understood; therefore one Genitive cannot govern another."—Ib., p. 111. "Every adjective, and every adjective pronoun, belongs to a substantive, expressed or understood."— Murray's Gram., p. 161; Bacon's, 48; Alger's, 57; et al. "Every adjective qualifies a substantive expressed or understood."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 97. "Every adjective belongs to some noun expressed or understood."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 36. "Adjectives belong to the nouns which they describe."—Smith's New Gram., p. 137. "Adjectives must agree with the nouns, which they qualify."—Fisk's Murray, p. 101. "The Adjective must agree with its Substantive in Number."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 94. "Every adjective and participle belongs to some noun or pronoun expressed or understood."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 44. "Every Verb of the Infinitive Mood, supposes a verb before it expressed or understood."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 94. "Every Adverb has its Verb expressed or understood."—Ib., p. 94. "Conjunctions which connect Sentence to Sentence, are always placed betwixt the two Propositions or Sentences which they unite."—Ib., p. 88. "The words for all that, seem to be too low."—Murray's Gram., p. 213. "For all that seems to be too low and vulgar."—Priestley's Gram., p. 139. "The reader, or hearer, then, understands from and, that he is to add something."—J. Brown's E. Syntax, p. 124. "But and never, never connects one thing with another thing, nor one word with another word."—Ib., p. 122. "'Six, and six are twelve.' Here it is affirmed that, six is twelve!"—Ib., p. 120. "'John, and his wife have six children.' This is an instance of gross catachresis. It is here affirmed that John has six children, and that his wife has six children."—Ib., p. 122. "Nothing which is not right can be great."—Murray's Exercises, 8vo, p. 146: see Rambler, No. 185. "Nothing can be great which is not right."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 277. "The highest degree of reverence should be paid to youth."—Ib., p. 278. "There is, in many minds, neither knowledge nor understanding."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 151; Russell's, 84; Alger's, 54; Bacon's, 47; et al. "Formerly, what we call the objective cases of our pronouns, were employed in the same manner as our present nominatives are."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 164. "As it respects a choice of words and expressions, no rules of grammar can materially aid the learner."—S. S. Greene's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 202. "Whatever exists, or is conceived to exist, is a Noun."—Fowler's E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, §137. "As all men are not brave, brave is itself comparative."—Ib., §190.

UNDER CRITICAL NOTE VI.—OF ABSURDITIES.

(1.) "And sometimes two unaccented syllables follow each other."—Blair's Rhet., p. 384.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the phrase, "follow each other," is here an absurdity; it being impossible for two things to "follow each other," except they alternate, or whirl round. But, according to Critical Note 6th, "Absurdities, of every kind, are contrary to grammar; because they are contrary to reason, or good sense, which is the foundation of grammar." Therefore, a different expression should here be chosen; thus: "And sometimes two unaccented syllables come together." Or: "And sometimes one unaccented syllable follows an other."]

(2.) "What nouns frequently succeed each other?"—Sanborn's Gram., p. 65. (3.) "Words are derived from one another in various ways."—Ib., p. 288; Merchant's Gram., 78; Weld's, 2d Edition, 222. (4.) "Prepositions are derived from the two Latin words præ and pono, which signify before and place."—Mack's Gram., p. 86. (5.) "He was sadly laughed at for such conduct."—Bullion's E. Gram., p. 79. (6.) "Every adjective pronoun belongs to some noun or pronoun expressed or understood."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 212. (7.) "If he [Addison] fails in anything, it is in want of strength and precision, which renders his manner not altogether a proper model."—Blair's Rhet., p. 187. (8.) "Indeed, if Horace be deficient in any thing, it is in this, of not being sufficiently attentive to juncture and connexion of parts."—Ib., p. 401. (9.) "The pupil is now supposed to be acquainted with the nine sorts of speech, and their most usual modifications."—Taylor's District School, p. 204. (10.) "I could see, hear, taste, and smell the rose."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 156. (11.) "The triphthong iou is sometimes pronounced distinctly in two syllables; as in bilious, various, abstemious."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 13; Walker's Dict., Prin. 292, p. 37. (12.) "The diphthong aa generally sounds like a short in proper names; as in Balaam, Canaan, Isaac; but not in Baal, Gaal."—Murray's Gram., p. 10. (13.) "Participles are sometimes governed by the article; for the present participle, with the definite article the before it, becomes a substantive."—Ib., p. 192. (14.) "Words ending with y, preceded by a consonant, form the plurals of nouns, the persons of verbs, verbal nouns, past participles, comparatives and superlatives, by changing y into i."—Walker's Rhyming Dict., p. viii; Murray's Gram., 23; Merchant's Murray, 13; Fisk's, 44; Kirkham's, 23; Greenleaf's, 20; Wright's Gram., 28; et al. (15.) "But y preceded by a vowel, in such instances as the above, is not changed; as boy, boys."—Murray's Gram., p. 24; Merchant's, Fisk's, Kirkham's, Greenleaf's, et al. (16.) "But when y is preceded by a vowel, it is very rarely[455] changed in the additional syllable: as coy, coyly."—Murray's Gram. again, p. 24; Merchant's, 14; Fisk's, 45; Greenleaf's, 20; Wright's, 29; et al. (17.) "But when y is preceded by a vowel, in such instances, it is very rarely changed into i; as coy, COYLESS."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 24. (18.) "Sentences are of a twofold nature: Simple and Compound."—Wright's Gram., p. 123. (19.) "The neuter pronoun it is applied to all nouns and pronouns: as, It is he; it is she; it is they; it is the land."—Bucke's Gram., p. 92. (20.) "It is and it was, are often used in a plural construction; as, 'It was the heretics who first began to rail.'"—Merchant's Gram., p. 87. (21.) "It is and it was, are often, after the manner of the French, used in a plural construction, and by some of our best writers: as, 'It was the heretics that first began to rail.' Smollett."—Priestley's Gram., p. 190; Murray's, 158; Smith's, 134; Ingersoll's, 210; Fisk's, 115; et al. (22.) "w and y, as consonants, have one sound."—Town's Spelling-Book, p. 9. (23.) "The conjunction as is frequently used as a relative."—Bucke's Gram., p. 93. (24.) "When several clauses succeed each other, the conjunction may be omitted with propriety."—Merchant's Gram., p. 97. (25.) "If, however, the members succeeding each other, are very closely connected, the comma is unnecessary: as, 'Revelation tells us how we may attain happiness.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 273; Merchant's, 151; Russell's, 115; Comly's, 152; Alger's, 80; Smith's, 190; et al. (26.) "The mind has difficulty in passing readily through so many different views given it, in quick succession, of the same object."—Blair's Rhet., p. 149. (27.) "The mind has difficulty in passing readily through many different views of the same object, presented in quick succession."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 341. (28.) "Adjective pronouns are a kind of adjectives which point out nouns by some distinct specification."—Kirkham's Gram., the Compend, or Table. (29.) "A noun of multitude conveying plurality of idea[456], must have a verb or pronoun agreeing with it in the plural."—Ib., pp. 59 and 181: see also Lowth's Gram., p. 74; L. Murray's, 152; Comly's, 80; Lennie's, 87; Alger's, 54; Jaudon's, 96; Alden's, 81; Parker and Fox's, I, 76; II, 26; and others. (30.) "A noun or pronoun signifying possession, is governed by the noun it possesses."—Greenleaf's Gram., p. 35. (31.) "A noun signifying possession, is governed by the noun which it possesses."—Wilbur and Livingston's Gram.,