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

"The Lord, the covenant God of his people requires it."—Anti-Slavery Magazine, Vol. i, p. 73. "He as a patriot deserves praise."—Hallock's Gram., p. 124. "Thomson the watchmaker and jeweller from London, was of the party."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 128. "Every body knows that the person here spoken of by the name of the conqueror, is William duke of Normandy."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 33. "The words myself, thyself, himself, herself, and their plurals ourselves, yourselves, and themselves are called Compound Personal Pronouns."—Day's Gram., p. 22.

   "For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey,
    This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,
    Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
    Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?"—U. Poems, p. 68.

"Smith and Williams' store; Nicholas, the emperor's army."—Day's Gram., p. 17. "He was named William, the conqueror."—Ib., p. 80. "John, the Baptist, was beheaded."—Ib., p. 87. "Alexander, the coppersmith, did me great harm."—Hart's Gram., p. 126. "A nominative in immediate apposition; as, 'The boy, Henry, speaks.'"—Smart's Accidence, p. 29. "A noun objective can be in apposition with some other; as, 'I teach the boy, Henry.'"—Ib., p. 30.

"But he found me, not singing at my work ruddy with health vivid with cheerfulness; but pale and dejected, sitting on the ground, and chewing opium."

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the phrases, "ruddy with health," and "vivid with cheerfulness," which begin with adjectives, are not here commaed. But, according to Rule 8th, "Adjectives, when something depends on them, or when they have the import of a dependent clause, should, with their adjuncts, be set off by the comma." Therefore, two other commas should be here inserted; thus, "But he found me, not singing at my work, ruddy with health, vivid with cheerfulness; but pale," &c.—Dr. Johnson.]

"I looked up, and beheld an inclosure beautiful as the gardens of paradise, but of a small extent."—See Key. "A is an article, indefinite and belongs to 'book.'"—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 10. "The first expresses the rapid movement of a troop of horse over the plain eager for the combat."—Id., Lat. Gram., p. 296. "He [, the Indian chieftain, King Philip,] was a patriot, attached to his native soil; a prince true to his subjects and indignant of their wrongs; a soldier daring in battle firm in adversity patient of fatigue, of hunger, of every variety of bodily suffering and ready to perish in the cause he had espoused."—See Key.

   "For thee, who mindful of th' unhonour'd dead
    Dost in these lines their artless tale relate."
        —Union Poems, p. 68.

    "Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest:
    Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood."
        —Day's Gram., p. 117.

    "Idle after dinner in his chair
    Sat a farmer ruddy, fat, and fair."
        —Hiley's Gram., p. 125.

"When an attribute becomes a title, or is emphatically applied to a name, it follows it; as Charles, the Great; Henry, the First; Lewis, the Gross."—Webster's Philos. Gram., p. 153; Improved Gram., p. 107. "Feed me with food, convenient for me."—Cooper's Practical Gram., p. 118. "The words and phrases, necessary to exemplify every principle progressively laid down, will be found strictly and exclusively adapted to the illustration of the principles to which they are referred."—Ingersoll's Gram., Pref., p. x. "The Infinitive Mode is that form of the verb which expresses action or being, unlimited by person, or number."—Day's Gram., p. 35. "A man, diligent in his business, prospers."—Frost's Practical Gram., p. 113.

   "O wretched state! oh bosom, black as death!"
        —Hallock's Gram., p. 118.

    "O, wretched state! O, bosom, black as death!"
        —Singer's Shak., Vol. ii, p. 494.

"The Singular denotes one; the Plural more than one."—Bullions, E.
Gram., p. 12; Pract. Lessons, p. 16; Lennie's Gram., p. 7.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is here set after Plural, where the verb denotes is understood. But, according to Rule 9th, "Where a finite verb is understood, a comma is generally required." Therefore, a comma should be inserted at the place mentioned; thus, "The Singular denotes one; the Plural, more than one."]

"The comma represents the shortest pause; the semicolon a pause longer than the comma; the colon longer than the semicolon; and the period longer than the colon."—Hiley's Gram., p. 111. "The comma represents the shortest pause; the semicolon a pause double that of the comma; the colon, double that of the semicolon; and the period, double that of the colon."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 151; Pract. Lessons, p. 127. "Who is applied only to persons; which to animals and things; what to things only; and that to persons, animals, and things."—Day's Gram., p. 23. "A or an is used before the singular number only; the before either singular or plural."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 10. "Homer was the greater genius; Virgil the better artist."—Day's Gram., p. 96. "Homer was the greater genius, Virgil the better artist."—POPE'S PREFACE: British Poets, Vol. vi, p. viii. "Words are formed of syllables; syllables of letters."—St. Quentin's General Gram., p. 2. "The Conjugation of an active verb is styled the ACTIVE VOICE; and that of a passive verb the PASSIVE VOICE."—Frost's El. of E. Gram., p. 19. "The CONJUGATION of an active verb is styled the ACTIVE VOICE, and that of a passive verb the PASSIVE VOICE."—Smith's New. Gram., p. 171. "The possessive is sometimes called the genitive case; and the objective the accusative."—L. Murray's Gram., 12mo, p. 44. "Benevolence is allied to few vices; selfishness to fewer virtues."—Kames, Art of Thinking, p. 40. "Orthography treats of Letters, Etymology of Words, Syntax of Sentences, and Prosody of Versification."—Hart's English Gram., p. 21.

   "Earth praises conquerors for shedding blood;
    Heaven those that love their foes, and do them good."—See Key.

"His business is to observe the agreement or disagreement of words."—Bullions, E. Grammar, Revised Edition, p. 189.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma here divides to observe from the preceding verb. But, according to Rule 10th, "The infinitive mood, when it follows a verb from which it must be separated, or when it depends on something remote or understood, is generally, with its adjuncts, set off by the comma." Therefore, a comma should be inserted after is; thus, "His business is, to observe the agreement or disagreement of words."]

"It is a mark of distinction to be made a member of this society."— Farnum's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 25; 2d Ed., p. 23. "To distinguish the conjugations let the pupil observe the following rules."—Day's D. S. Gram., p. 40. "He was now sent for to preach before the Parliament."— Life of Dr. J. Owen, p. 18. "It is incumbent on the young to love and honour their parents."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 83. "It is the business of every man to prepare for death."—Id., ib., 83. "It argued the sincerest candor to make such an acknowledgement."—Id., ib., p. 115. "The proper way is to complete the construction of the first member, and leave that of the second understood."—Ib., ib., p. 125. "ENEMY is a name. It is a term of distinction given to a certain person to show the character in which he is represented."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 23. "The object of this is to preserve the soft sound of c and g."—Hart's Gram., p. 29. "The design of grammar is to facilitate the reading, writing, and speaking of a language."—Barrett's Gram., 10th Ed., Pref., p. iii. "Four kinds of type are used in the following pages to indicate the portions that are considered more or less elementary."—Hart's Gram., p. 3.

"The chancellor being attached to the king secured his crown."—Wright's
Gram., p. 114.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the phrase, "being attached to the king," is not commaed. But, according to Rule 11th, "Participles, when something depends on them, when they have the import of a dependent clause, or when they relate to something understood, should, with their adjuncts, be set off by the comma." Therefore, two commas should be here inserted; thus, "The chancellor, being attached to the king, secured his crown."—Murray's Gram., p. 66.]

"The officer having received his orders, proceeded to execute them."— Day's Gram., p. 108. "Thus used it is in the present tense."—Bullions, E. Gram., Revised Ed., p. 33. "The Imperfect tense has three distinct forms corresponding to those of the present tense."—Id., ib., p. 40. "Every possessive case is governed by some noun denoting the thing possessed."—Id., ib., p. 87. "The word that used as a conjunction is preceded by a comma."—Id., ib., p. 154. "His narrative being composed upon such good authority, deserves credit."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 97. "The hen being in her nest, was killed and eaten there by the eagle."—Murray's Key, 8vo. p. 252. "Pronouns being used instead of nouns are subject to the same modifications."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 92. "When placed at the beginning of words they are consonants."—Hallock's Gram., p. 14. "Man starting from his couch, shall sleep no more."—Ib., p. 222. "His and her followed by a noun are possessive pronouns: not followed by a noun they are personal pronouns."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 33.

   "He with viny crown advancing,
    First to the lively pipe his hand addressed."—Id., E. Gram., p. 83.

"But when they convey the idea of many, acting individually, or separately, they are of the plural number."—Day's Gram., p. 15. "Two or more singular antecedents, connected by and require verbs and pronouns of the plural number."—Ib., pp. 80 and 91. "Words ending in y, preceded by a consonant, change y into i when a termination is added."—Butlers Gram., p. 11. "A noun, used without an article to limit it, is generally taken in its widest sense."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 30. "Two nouns, meaning the same person or thing, frequently come together."—Bucke's Gram., p. 89. "Each one must give an account to God for the use, or the abuse of the talents, committed to him."—Coopers Pl. and Pract. Gram., p. 133. "Two vowels, united in one sound, form a diphthong."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 6. "Three vowels, united in one sound, form a triphthong."—Ib. "Any word, joined to an adverb, is a secondary adverb."—Barrett's Revised Gram., p. 68. "The person, spoken to, is put in the Second person. The person, spoken of, in the Third person."—Cutler's Gram., p. 14. "A man, devoted to his business, prospers."—Frost's Pr. Gram., p. 113.

"So in indirect questions; as, 'Tell me when he will come.'"—Butler's
Gram., p. 121.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the adverb So is not set off by the comma. But according to Rule 12th, "Adverbs, when they break the connexion of a simple sentence, or when they have not a close dependence on some particular word in the context, should, with their adjuncts, be set off by the comma." Therefore, a comma should be inserted after So; thus, "So, in indirect questions; as," &c.]

"Now when the verb tells what one person or thing does to another, the verb is transitive."—Bullions, Pract. Les., p 37. "Agreeably to your request I send this letter."—Id., E. Gram., p. 141. "There seems therefore, to be no good reason for giving them a different classification."—Id., E. Gram., p. 199. "Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls."—ALGER'S BIBLE: Matt., xiii, 45. "Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea."—Ib, ib., verse 47. "Cease however, is used as a transitive verb by our best writers."—Webster's Philos. Gram., p. 171. "Time admits of three natural divisions, namely: Present, Past, and Future."—Day's Gram., p. 37. "There are three kinds of comparison, namely: regular, irregular, and adverbial."—Ib., p. 31. "There are five Personal Pronouns namely: I, thou, he, she, and it."—Ib., p. 22. "Nouns have three cases, viz. the Nominative, Possessive, and Objective."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 16; P. Lessons, p. 19. "Hence in studying Grammar, we have to study words."—Frazee's Gram., p. 18. "Participles like Verbs relate to Nouns and Pronouns."—Miller's Ready Grammarian, p. 23. "The time of the participle like that of the infinitive is estimated from the time of the leading verb."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., p. 97.

   "The dumb shall sing the lame his crutch forego,
    And leap exulting like the bounding roe."—Hiley's Gram., p. 123.

"But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them."—FRIENDS' BIBLE, and SMITH'S: Matt., xiii, 29.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is inserted after lest. But, according to Rule 13th, "Conjunctions, when they are separated from the principal clauses that depend on them, or when they introduce examples, are generally set off by the