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

shall reap in joy."—Id., ib., pp. 118 and 124; and Cooper's Murray, p. 141. "The pen, with which I write, makes too large a mark."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 71. "Modesty makes large amends for the pain, it gives the persons, who labour under it, by the prejudice, it affords every worthy person in their favour."—Ib., p. 80. "Irony is a figure, whereby we plainly intend something very different from what our words express."—Bucke's Gram., p. 108. "Catachresis is a figure, whereby an improper word is used instead of a proper one."—Ib., p. 109. "The man, whom you met at the party, is a Frenchman."—Frost's Practical Gram., p. 155. UNDER RULE III.—OF MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

"John, James and Thomas are here: that is, John and James, &c."—Cooper's Plain and Practical Grammar, p. 153.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is here used after James, or after Thomas, or again after John, in the latter clause; the three nouns being supposed to be in the same construction, and all of them nominatives to the verb are. But, according to Rule 3d for the Comma, "When more than two words or terms are connected in the same construction, or in a joint dependence on some other term, by conjunctions expressed or understood, the comma should be inserted after every one of them but the last; and, if they are nominatives before a verb, the comma should follow the last also." Therefore, the comma should be inserted after each; thus, "John, James, and Thomas, are here: that is, John, and James, and Thomas, are here."][463]

"Adverbs modify verbs adjectives and other adverbs."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 97. "To Nouns belong Person, Gender, Number and Case."—Id., Practical Lessons, p. 12. "Wheat, corn, rye, and oats are extensively cultivated."—Id., ib., p. 13. "In many, the definitions, rules and leading facts are prolix, inaccurate and confused."—Finch's Report on Gram., p. 3. "Most people consider it mysterious, difficult and useless."—Ib., p. 3. "His father and mother, and uncle reside at Rome."—Farnum's Gram., p. 11. "The relative pronouns are who, which and that."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 29. "That is sometimes a demonstrative, sometimes a relative and sometimes a conjunction."—Id., ib., p. 33. "Our reputation, virtue, and happiness greatly depend on the choice of our companions."—Day's Gram., p. 92. "The spirit of true religion is social, kind and cheerful."—Felton's Gram., p. 81. "Do, be, have and will are sometimes principal verbs."—Ib., p. 26. "John and Thomas and Peter reside at Oxford."—Webster, Philos. Gram., p. 142; Improved Gram., p. 96. "The most innocent pleasures are the most rational, the most delightful and the most durable."—Id., ib., pp. 215 and 151. "Love, joy, peace and blessedness are reserved for the good."—Id., ib., 215 and 151. "The husband, wife and children, suffered extremely."—Murray's Gram., 4th Am. Ed., 8vo, p. 269. "The husband, wife, and children suffer extremely."—Sanborn's Analytical Gram., p. 268. "He, you, and I have our parts assigned us."—Ibid.

   "He moaned, lamented, tugged and tried,
    Repented, promised, wept and sighed."—Felton's Gr., p. 108.

UNDER RULE IV.—OF ONLY TWO WORDS.

"Disappointments derange, and overcome, vulgar minds."—Murray's
Exercises, p. 15.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the two verbs here connected by and, are needlessly separated from each other, and from their object following. But, according to Rule 4th, "When only two words or terms are connected by a conjunction, they should not be separated by the comma." Therefore, these two commas should be omitted; thus, "Disappointments derange and overcome vulgar minds."]

"The hive of a city, or kingdom, is in the best condition, when there is the least noise or buzz in it."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 171. "When a direct address is made, the noun, or pronoun, is in the nominative case independent."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 88. "The verbs love and teach, make loved, and taught, in the imperfect and participle."—Ib., p. 97. "Neither poverty, nor riches were injurious to him."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 133. "Thou, or I am in fault."—Wright's Gram., p. 136. "A verb is a word that expresses action, or being."—Day's District School Gram., pp. 11 and 61. "The Objective Case denotes the object of a verb, or a preposition."—Ib., pp. 17 and 19. "Verbs of the second conjugation may be either transitive, or intransitive."—Ib., p. 41. "Verbs of the fourth conjugation may be either transitive, or intransitive."—Ib., 41. "If a verb does not form its past indicative by adding d, or ed to the indicative present, it is said to be irregular."—Ib., 41. "The young lady is studying rhetoric, and logic."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 143. "He writes, and speaks the language very correctly."—Ib., p. 148. "Man's happiness, or misery, is, in a great measure, put into his own hands."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 183. "This accident, or characteristic of nouns, is called their Gender."—Bullions, E. Gram., 1843, p. 195.

   "Grant that the powerful still the weak controul;
    Be Man the Wit, and Tyrant of the whole."
        —POPE: Brit. Poets, vi, 375.

UNDER EXCEPTION I.—TWO WORDS WITH ADJUNCTS.

"Franklin is justly considered the ornament of the new world and the pride of modern philosophy."—Day's District School Gram., p. 88.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the words ornament and pride, each of which has adjuncts, are here connected by and without a comma before it. But, according to Exception 1st to Rule 4th, "When the two words connected have several adjuncts, or when one of them has an adjunct that relates not to both, the comma is inserted." Therefore, a comma should be set before and; thus, "Franklin is justly considered the ornament of the New World, and the pride of modern philosophy."]

"Levity and attachment to worldly pleasures, destroy the sense of gratitude to him."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 183. "In the following Exercise, point out the adjectives and the substantives which they qualify."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 100. "When a noun or pronoun is used to explain or give emphasis to a preceding noun or pronoun."—Day's Gram., p. 87. "Superior talents and briliancy of intellect do not always constitute a great man."—Ib., p. 92. "A word that makes sense after an article or the phrase speak of, is a noun."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 12. "All feet used in poetry, are reducible to eight kinds; four of two syllables and four of three."—Hiley's Gram., p. 123. "He would not do it himself nor let me do it."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 113.[464] "The old writers give examples of the subjunctive mode and give other modes to explain what is meant by the words in the subjunctive."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 352.

UNDER EXCEPTION II.—TWO TERMS CONTRASTED.

"We often commend as well as censure imprudently."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 214. "It is as truly a violation of the right of property, to take little as to take much; to purloin a book, or a penknife, as to steal money; to steal fruit as to steal a horse; to defraud the revenue as to rob my neighbour; to overcharge the public as to overcharge my brother; to cheat the postoffice as to cheat my friend."—Wayland's Moral Science, 1st Edition, p. 254. "The classification of verbs has been and still is a vexed question."—Bullions, E. Grammar, Revised Edition, p. 200. "Names applied only to individuals of a sort or class and not common to all, are called Proper Nouns."—Id., Practical Lessons, p. 12. "A hero would desire to be loved as well as to be reverenced."—Day's Gram., p. 108. "Death or some worse misfortune now divides them."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 133. "Alexander replied, 'The world will not permit two suns nor two sovereigns.'"—Goldsmith's Greece, Vol. ii, p. 113.

   "From nature's chain, whatever link you strike,
    Tenth or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike."
        —Felton's Gram., p. 131.

UNDER EXCEPTION III.—ALTERNATIVE OF WORDS.

"Metre or Measure is the number of poetical feet which a verse contains."—Hiley's Gram., p. 123. "The Cæsura or division, is the pause which takes place in a verse, and which divides it into two parts."—Ib., 123. "It is six feet or one fathom deep."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 113. "A BRACE is used in poetry at the end of a triplet or three lines which rhyme together."—Felton's Gram., p. 142. "There are four principal kinds of English verse or poetical feet."—Ib., p. 143. "The period or full stop denotes the end of a complete sentence."—Sanborn's Analytical Gram., p. 271. "The scholar is to receive as many jetons or counters as there are words in the sentence."—St. Quentin's Gram., p. 16. "That [thing] or the thing which purifies, fortifies also the heart."—Peirce's Gram., p. 74. "That thing or the thing which would induce a laxity in public or private morals, or indifference to guilt and wretchedness, should be regarded as the deadly Sirocco."—Ib., 74. "What is elliptically what thing or that thing which."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 99. "Demonstrate means show or point out precisely."—Ib., p. 139. "The man or that man, who endures to the end, shall be saved."—Hiley's Gram., p. 73. UNDER EXCEPTION IV.—A SECOND COMMA.

"Reason, passion answer one great end."—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 152; Hiley's, p. 112. "Reason, virtue answer one great aim."—Cooper's Pl. and Pract. Gram., p. 194; Butler's, 204. "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above."—Felton's Gram., p. 90. "Every plant, and every tree produces others after its kind."—Day's Gram., p. 91. "James, and not John was paid for his services."—Ib., 91. "The single dagger, or obelisk [Dagger] is the second."—Ib., p. 113. "It was I, not he that did it."—St. Quentin's Gram., p. 152. "Each aunt, (and) each cousin hath her speculation."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 139. "'I shall see you when you come,' is equivalent to 'I shall see you then, or at that time when you come.'"—Butler's Pract. Gram., p. 121.

   "Let wealth, let honour wait the wedded dame,
    August her deed, and sacred be her fame."—Pope, p. 334.

UNDER RULE V.—OF WORDS IN PAIRS.

"My hopes and fears, joys and sorrows centre in you."—B. GREENLEAF: Sanborn's Gram., p. 268.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma here separates the second pair of nominatives from the verb. But, according to Rule 5th, "When successive words are joined in pairs by conjunctions, they should be separated in pairs by the comma." Therefore, an other comma should be inserted after sorrows; thus, "My hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, centre in you."]

"This mood implies possibility, or liberty, will, or obligation."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 113. "Substance is divided into Body, and Spirit into Extended and Thinking."—Brightland's Gram., p. 253. "These consonants, [d and t,] like p, and b, f, and v, k, and hard g, and s, and z, are letters of the same organ."—Walkers Dict., p. 41: Principles, No. 358. "Neither fig nor twist pigtail nor cavendish have passed my lips since, nor ever shall they again."—Boston Cultivator, Vol. vii, p. 36. "The words WHOEVER, or WHOSOEVER, WHICHEVER, or WHICHSOEVER, and WHATEVER, or WHATSOEVER are called COMPOUND RELATIVE PRONOUNS."—Day's Gram., p. 23. "Adjectives signifying profit or disprofit, likeness or unlikeness govern the dative."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., 12th Ed., 215.

UNDER RULE VI.—OF WORDS ABSOLUTE.

"Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 135.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is here set after staff, which, with the noun rod, is put absolute by pleonasm. But, according to Rule 6th, "Nouns or pronouns put absolute, should, with their adjuncts, be set off by the comma." Therefore, a comma should be here inserted; thus, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."—Psalm xxiii, 4.]

"Depart ye wicked."—Wright's Gram., p. 70. "He saith to his mother, Woman behold thy son."—Gurney's Portable Evidences, p. 44. "Thou God seest me."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 9; Practical Lessons, p. 13. "Thou, God seest me."—Id., E. Gram., Revised Ed., p. 195. "John write me a letter. Henry go home."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 356. "John; write a letter. Henry; go home."—Ib., p. 317. "Now, G. Brown; let us reason together."—Ib., p. 326. "Smith: You say on page 11, the objective case denotes the object."—Ib., p. 344. "Gentlemen: will you always speak as you mean?"—Ib., p. 352. "John: I sold my books to William for his brothers."—Ib., p. 47. "Walter and Seth: I will take my things, and leave yours."—Ib., p. 69. "Henry: Julia and Jane left their umbrella, and took yours."—Ib., p. 73. "John; harness the horses and go to the mine for some coal. William; run to the store for a few pounds of tea."—Ib., p. 160. "The king being dead the parliament was dissolved."—Chandler's Gram., p. 119.

   "Cease fond nature, cease thy strife,
    And let me languish into life."—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 173.

"Forbear great man, in arms renown'd, forbear."—Ib., p. 174.

    "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind,
    Each prayer accepted and each wish resign'd."—Hiley's Gr., p. 123.

UNDER RULE VII.—WORDS IN APPOSITION.

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice," &c.—Hallock's Gram., p. 200.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is here set after the pronoun We, with which the