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

last, which was done first."—Webster cor. "A BARBARISM is a foreign or strange word, an expression contrary to the pure idiom of the language."—Adam and Gould cor. "A SOLECISM is an impropriety in respect to syntax, an absurdity or incongruity in speech."—Iid. cor. "An IDIOTISM is a manner of expression peculiar to one language childishly transferred to an other."—Iid. cor. "TAUTOLOGY is a disagreeable repetition, either of the same words, or of the same sense in different words."—Iid. cor. "BOMBAST, or FUSTIAN, is an inflated or ambitious style, in which high-sounding words are used, with little or no meaning, or upon a trifling occasion."—Iid. cor. "AMPHIBOLOGY is ambiguity of construction, phraseology which may be taken in two different senses."—Iid. cor. "IRONY is a figure in which one means the contrary of what is said."—Adam and Gould cor. "PERIPHRASIS, or CIRCUMLOCUTION, is the use of several words, to express what might be said in fewer."—Iid. cor. "HYPERBOLE is a figure in which a thing is magnified above the truth."—Iid. cor. "PERSONIFICATION is a figure which ascribes human life, sentiments, or actions, to inanimate beings, or to abstract qualities."—Iid. cor. "APOSTROPHE is a turning from the tenor of one's discourse, into an animated address to some person, present or absent, living or dead, or to some object personified."—Iid. cor. "A SIMILE is a simple and express comparison; and is generally introduced by LIKE, AS, or so."—G. B., Inst., p. 233; Kirkham cor.; also Adam and Gould. "ANTITHESIS is a placing of things in opposition, to heighten their effect by contrast."—Inst., p. 234; Adam and Gould corrected. "VISION, or IMAGERY, is a figure in which what is present only to the mind, is represented as actually before one's eyes, and present to the senses."—G. B.; Adam cor. "EMPHASIS is a particular stress of voice laid on some word in a sentence."—Gould's Adam's Gram., p. 241. "EPANORTHOSIS, or CORRECTION, is the recalling or correcting by the speaker, of what he last said."—Ibid. "PARALIPSIS, or OMISSION, is the pretending to omit or pass by, what one at the same time declares."—Ibid. "INCREMENTUM, or CLIMAX in sense, is the rising of one member above an other to the highest."—Ibid. "METONYMY is a change of names: as when the cause is mentioned for the effect, or the effect for the cause; the container for the thing contained, or the sign for the thing signified."—Kirkham cor. "The Agreement of words is their similarity in person, number, gender, case, mood, tense, or form."—Brown's Inst., p. 104. "The Government of words is that power which one word has over an other, to cause it to assume some particular modification."—Ib. "Fusion is the converting of some solid substance into a fluid by heat."—G. B. "A proper diphthong is a diphthong in which both the vowels are sounded together; as, oi in voice, ou in house."—Fisher cor. "An improper diphthong is a diphthong in which the sound of but one of the two vowels is heard; as, eo in people."—Id. UNDER NOTE VII.—THE ADVERB NO FOR NOT.

"An adverb is added to a verb to show how, or when, or where, or whether or not, one is, does, or suffers."—Buchanan cor. "We must be immortal, whether we will or not."—Maturin cor. "He cares not whether the world was made for Cæsar or not."—A. Q. Rev. cor. "I do not know whether they are out or not."—Byron cor. "Whether it can be proved or not, is not the thing."—Bp. Butler cor. "Whether he makes use of the means commanded by God, or not."—Id. "Whether it pleases the world or not, the care is taken."—L'Estrange cor. "How comes this to be never heard of, nor in the least questioned, whether the Law was undoubtedly of Moses's writing or not?"—Tomline cor. "Whether he be a sinner or not, I do not know." Or, as the text is more literally translated by Campbell: "Whether he be a sinner, I know not."—Bible cor. "Can I make men live, whether they will or not?"—Shak. cor.

   "Can hearts not free, be tried whether they serve
    Willing or not, who will but what they must?"—Milton cor.

UNDER NOTE VIII.—OF DOUBLE NEGATIVES.

"We need not, nor do we, confine the purposes of God." Or: "We need not, and do not, confine," &c.—Bentley cor. "I cannot by any means allow him that."—Id. "We must try whether or not we can increase the attention by the help of the senses."—Brightland cor. "There is nothing more admirable or more useful."—Tooke cor. "And what in time to come he can never be said to have done, he can never be supposed to do."—R. Johnson cor. "No skill could obviate, no remedy dispel, the terrible infection."—Goldsmith cor. "Prudery cannot be an indication either of sense or of taste."—Spurzheim cor. "But neither that scripture, nor any other, speaks of imperfect faith."—Barclay cor. "But neither this scripture, nor any other, proves that faith was or is always accompanied with doubting."—Id. "The light of Christ is not, and cannot be, darkness."—Id. "Doth not the Scripture, which cannot lie, give some of the saints this testimony?"—Id. "Which do not continue, and are not binding."—Id. "It not being perceived directly, any more than the air."—Campbell cor. "Let us be no Stoics, and no stocks, I pray."—Shak. cor. "Where there is no marked or peculiar character in the style."—Dr. Blair cor. "There can be no rules laid down, nor any manner recommended."—Sheridan cor.

"Bates. 'He hath not told his thought to the king?' K. Henry. 'No; and it is not meet he should.'" Or thus: "'No; nor is it meet he should.'"—Shak. cor.

UNDER NOTE IX.—EVER AND NEVER.

"The prayer of Christ is more than sufficient both to strengthen us, be we everso weak; and to overthrow all adversary power, be it everso strong."—Hooker cor. "He is like to have no share in it, or to be never the better for it." Or: "He is not likely to have any share in it, or to be ever the better for it."—Bunyan cor. "In some parts of Chili it seldom or never rains."—Willetts cor. "If Pompey shall but everso little seem to like it."—W. Walker cor. "Though everso great a posse of dogs and hunters pursue him."—Id. "Though you be everso excellent."—Id. "If you do amiss everso little."—Id. "If we cast our eyes everso little down."—Id. "A wise man scorneth nothing, be it everso small or homely."—M. F. Tupper cor. "Because they have seldom if ever an opportunity of learning them at all."—Clarkson cor. "We seldom or never see those forsaken who trust in God."—Atterbury cor.

   "Where, playing with him at bo-peep,
    He solved all problems, e'erso deep."—S. Butler cor.

UNDER NOTE X.—OF THE FORM OF ADVERBS.

"One can scarcely think that Pope was capable of epic or tragic poetry; but, within a certain limited region, he has been outdone by no poet."—Dr. Blair cor. "I who now read, have nearly finished this chapter."—Harris cor. "And yet, to refine our taste with respect to beauties of art or of nature, is scarcely endeavoured in any seminary of learning."—Kames cor. "The numbers being confounded, and the possessives wrongly applied, the passage is neither English nor grammar."—Buchanan cor. "The letter G is wrongly named Jee."—Creighton cor. "Lastly, remember that in science, as in morals, authority cannot make right what in itself is wrong."—O. B. Peirce cor. "They regulate our taste even where we are scarcely sensible of them."—Kames cor. "Slow action, for example, is imitated by words pronounced slowly."—Id. "Surely, if it be to profit withal, it must be in order to save."—Barclay cor. "Which is scarcely possible at best."—Sheridan cor. "Our wealth being nearly finished."—Harris cor.

CHAPTER IX.—CONJUNCTIONS. CORRECTIONS UNDER THE NOTES TO RULE XXII. UNDER NOTE I.—OF TWO TERMS WITH ONE.

"The first proposal was essentially different from the second, and inferior to it."—Inst. "A neuter verb expresses the state which a subject is in, without acting upon any other thing, or being acted upon by an other."—A. Murray cor. "I answer, You may use stories and anecdotes, and ought to do so."—Todd cor. "ORACLE, n. Any person from whom, or place at which, certain decisions are obtained."—Webster cor. "Forms of government may, and occasionally must, be changed."—Lyttelton cor. "I have been, and I still pretend to be, a tolerable judge."—Sped. cor. "Are we not lazy in our duties, or do we not make a Christ of them?"—Baxter cor. "They may not express that idea which the author intends, but some other which only resembles it, or is akin to it."—Dr. Blair cor. "We may therefore read them, we ought to read them, with a distinguishing eye."—Ib. "Compare their poverty with what they might possess, and ought to possess."—Sedgwick cor. "He is much better acquainted with grammar than they are."—L. Murray cor. "He was more beloved than Cinthio, but [he was] not so much admired."—L. Murray's Gram., i, 222. "Will it be urged, that the four gospels are as old as tradition, and even older?"—Campbell's Rhet., p. 207. "The court of chancery frequently mitigates and disarms the common law."—Spect. and Ware cor. "Antony, coming along side of her ship, entered it without seeing her, or being seen by her."—Goldsmith cor. "Into candid minds, truth enters as a welcome guest."—L. Murray cor. "There are many designs in which we may succeed, to our ultimate ruin."—Id. "From many pursuits in which we embark with pleasure, we are destined to land sorrowfully."—Id. "They gain much more than I, by this unexpected event."—Id.

UNDER NOTE II.—OF HETEROGENEOUS TERMS.

"Athens saw them entering her gates and filling her academies."—Chazotte cor. "Neither have we forgot his past achievements, nor do we despair of his future success."—Duncan cor. "Her monuments and temples had long been shattered, or had crumbled into dust."—Journal cor. "Competition is excellent; it is the vital principle in all these things."—Id. "Whether provision should, or should not, be made, in order to meet this exigency."—Ib.. "That our Saviour was divinely inspired, and that he was endued with supernatural powers, are positions that are here taken for granted."—L. Mur. cor. "It would be much more eligible, to contract or enlarge their extent by explanatory notes and observations, than to sweep away our ancient landmarks and set up others."—Id. "It is certainly much better to supply defects and abridge superfluities by occasional notes and observations, than to disorganize or greatly alter a system which has been so long established."—Id. "To have only one tune, or measure, is not much better than to have none at all."—Dr. Blair cor. "Facts too well known and too obvious to be insisted on."—Id. "In proportion as all these circumstances are happily chosen, and are of a sublime kind."—Id. "If the description be too general, and be divested of circumstances."—Id. "He gained nothing but commendation."—L. Mur. cor. "I cannot but think its application somewhat strained and misplaced."—Vethake cor. "Two negatives standing in the same clause, or referring to the same thing, destroy each other, and leave the sense affirmative."—Maunder cor. "Slates are thin plates of stone, and are often used to cover the roofs of houses."—Webster cor. "Every man of taste, and of an elevated mind, ought to feel almost the necessity of apologizing for the power he possesses."—Translator of De Staël cor. "They very seldom trouble themselves with inquiries, or make any useful observations of their own."—Locke cor.

"We've both the field and honour won; Our foes are profligate, and run."—S. Butler cor.

UNDER NOTE III.—IMPORT OF CONJUNCTIONS.

"THE is sometimes used before adverbs in the comparative or the superlative degree."—Lennie, Bullions, and Brace cor. "The definite article THE is frequently applied to adverbs in the comparative or the superlative degree."—Lowth. Murray, et al, cor. "Conjunctions usually connect verbs in the same mood and tense." Or, more truly: "Verbs connected by a conjunction, are usually in the same mood and tense."—Sanborn cor. "Conjunctions connect verbs in the same style, and usually in the same mood, tense, and form." Or better: "Verbs connected by a conjunction, are usually of the same mood, tense, and form, as well as style."—Id. "The ruins of Greece or Rome are but the monuments of her former greatness."—P. E. Day cor. "It is not improbably, that in many of these cases the articles were used originally."—Priestley cor. "I cannot doubt that these objects are really what they appear to be."—Kames cor. "I question not that my reader will be as much pleased with it."—Spect. cor. "It is ten to one that my friend Peter is among them."—Id. "I doubt not that such objections as these will be made"—Locke cor. "I doubt not that it will appear in the perusal of the following sheets."—Buchanan cor. "It is not improbable, that in time these different constructions maybe appropriated to different uses."—Priestley cor. "But to forget and to remember at pleasure, are equally beyond the power of man."—Idler cor. "The nominative case