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

ridiculed."—Amer. Chesterfield cor. "LET expresses not only permission, but entreaty, exhortation, and command."—Lowth cor.; also Murray, et al. "That death which is our leaving of this world, is nothing else than the putting-off of these bodies."—Sherlock cor. "They differ from the saints recorded in either the Old or the New Testament."—Newton cor. "The nature of relation, therefore, consists in the referring or comparing of two things to each other; from which comparison, one or both come to be denominated."—Locke cor. "It is not credible, that there is any one who will say, that through the whole course of his life he has kept himself entirely undefiled, without the least spot or stain of sin."—Witsius cor. "If to act conformably to the will of our Creator,—if to promote the welfare of mankind around us,—if to secure our own happiness, is an object of the highest moment; then are we loudly called upon to cultivate and extend the great interests of religion and virtue." Or: "If, to act conformably to the will of our Creator, to promote the welfare of mankind around us, and to secure our own happiness, are objects of the highest moment; then," &c.—Murray et al. cor. "The verb being in the plural number, it is supposed, that the officer and his guard are joint agents. But this is not the case: the only nominative to the verb is 'officer.' In the expression, 'with his guard,' the noun 'guard' is in the objective case, being governed by the preposition with; and consequently it cannot form the nominative, or any part of it. The prominent subject for the agreement, the true nominative to the verb, or the term to which the verb peculiarly refers, is the word 'officer.'"—L. Murray cor. "This is an other use, that, in my opinion, contributes to make a man learned rather than wise; and is incapable of pleasing either the understanding or the imagination."—Addison cor. "The work is a dull performance; and is incapable of pleasing either the understanding or the imagination."—L. Murray cor. "I would recommend the 'Elements of English Grammar,' by Mr. Frost. The plan of this little work is similar to that of Mr. L. Murray's smallest Grammar; but, in order to meet the understanding of children, its definitions and language are simplified, so far as the nature of the subject will admit. It also embraces more examples for Parsing, than are usual in elementary treatises."—S. R. Hall cor. "More rain falls in the first two summer months, than in the first two months of winter; but what falls, makes a much greater show upon the earth, in winter than in summer, because there is a much slower evaporation."—L. Murray cor. "They often contribute also to render some persons prosperous, though wicked; and, what is still worse, to reward some actions, though vicious; and punish other actions, though virtuous."—Bp. Butler cor. "Hence, to such a man, arise naturally a secret satisfaction, a sense of security, and an implicit hope of somewhat further."—Id. "So much for the third and last cause of illusion, that was noticed above; which arises from the abuse of very general and abstract terms; and which is the principal source of the abundant nonsense that has been vented by metaphysicians, mystagogues, and theologians."—Campbell cor. "As to those animals which are less common, or which, on account of the places they inhabit, fall less under our observation, as fishes and birds, or which their diminutive size removes still further from our observation, we generally, in English, employ a single noun to designate both genders, the masculine and the feminine."—Fosdick cor. "Adjectives may always be distinguished by their relation to other words: they express the quality, condition, or number, of whatever things are mentioned."—Emmons cor. "An adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner."—Brown's Inst., p. 29. "The joining-together of two objects, so grand, and the representing of them both, as subject at one moment to the command of God, produce a noble effect."—Dr. Blair cor. "Twisted columns, for instance, are undoubtedly ornamental; but, as they have an appearance of weakness, they displease the eye, whenever they are used to support any massy part of a building, or what seems to require a more substantial prop."—Id. "In a vast number of inscriptions, some upon rocks, some upon stones of a defined shape, is found an Alphabet different from the Greeks', the Latins', and the Hebrews', and also unlike that of any modern nation."—W. C. Fowler cor. LESSON XVIII.—MANY ERRORS.

"The empire of Blefuscu is an island situated on the northeast side of Lilliput, from which it is parted by a channel of only 800 yards in width."—Swift and Kames cor. "The nominative case usually denotes the agent or doer; and any noun or pronoun which is the subject of a finite verb, is always in this case."—R. C. Smith cor. "There are, in his allegorical personages, an originality, a richness, and a variety, which almost vie with the splendours of the ancient mythology."—Hazlitt cor. "As neither the Jewish nor the Christian revelation has been universal, and as each has been afforded to a greater or a less part of the world at different times; so likewise, at different times, both revelations have had different degrees of evidence."—Bp. Butler cor. "Thus we see, that, to kill a man with a sword, and to kill one with a hatchet, are looked upon as no distinct species of action; but, if the point of the sword first enter the body, the action passes for a distinct species, called stabbing."—Locke cor. "If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour concerning that which was delivered him to keep, or deceive his neighbour, or find that which was lost, and lie concerning it, and swear falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein, then it shall be," &c.—Bible cor. "As, to do and teach the commandments of God, is the great proof of virtue; so, to break them, and to teach others to break them, are the great proofs of vice."—Wayland cor. "The latter simile, in Pope's terrific maltreatment of it, is true neither to the mind nor to the eye."—Coleridge cor. "And the two brothers were seen, transported with rage and fury, like Eteocles and Polynices, each endeavouring to plunge his sword into the other's heart, and to assure himself of the throne by the death of his rival."—Goldsmith cor. "Is it not plain, therefore, that neither the castle, nor the planet, nor the cloud, which you here see, is that real one which you suppose to exist at a distance?"—Berkley cor. "I have often wondered, how it comes to pass, that every body should love himself best, and yet value his neighbours' opinion about himself more than his own."—Collier cor. "Virtue, ([Greek: Aretæ], Virtus,) as well as most of its species, when sex is figuratively ascribed to it, is made feminine, perhaps from its beauty and amiable appearance."—Harris cor. "Virtue, with most of its species, is made feminine when personified; and so is Vice, perhaps for being Virtue's opposite."—Brit. Gram. cor.; also Buchanan. "From this deduction, it may easily be seen, how it comes to pass, that personification makes so great a figure in all compositions in which imagination or passion has any concern."—Dr. Blair cor. "An Article is a word placed before a noun, to point it out as such, and to show how far its signification extends."—Folker cor. "All men have certain natural, essential, and inherent rights;—among which are the rights of enjoying and defending life and liberty; of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property; and, in a word, of seeking and obtaining happiness."—Const. of N. H. cor. "From those grammarians who form their ideas and make their decisions, respecting this part of English grammar, from the principles and construction of other languages,—of languages which do not in these points accord with our own, but which differ considerably from it,—we may naturally expect grammatical schemes that will be neither perspicuous nor consistent, and that will tend rather to perplex than to inform the learner."—Murray and Hall cor. "Indeed there are but very few who know how to be idle and innocent, or who have a relish for any pleasures that are not criminal; every diversion which the majority take, is at the expense of some one virtue or other, and their very first step out of business is into vice or folly."—Addison cor.

"Hail, holy Love! thou bliss that sumst all bliss! Giv'st and receiv'st all bliss; fullest when most Thou giv'st; spring-head of all felicity!"—Pollok cor.

CHAPTER XIII—GENERAL RULE. CORRECTIONS UNDER THE GENERAL RULE. LESSON I.—ARTICLES.

(1.) "The article is a part of speech placed before nouns." Or thus: "An article is a word placed before nouns."—Comly cor. (2.) "The article is a part of speech used to limit nouns."—Gilbert cor. (3.) "An article is a word set before nouns to fix their vague signification."—Ash cor. (4.) "The adjective is a part of speech used to describe something named by a noun."—Gilbert cor. (5.) "A pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun."—Id. and Weld cor.: Inst., p. 45. (6.) "The pronoun is a part of speech which is often used in stead of a noun."—Brit. Gram. and Buchanan cor. (7.) "A verb is a word which signifies to be, to do, or to be acted upon."—Merchant cor. (8.) "The verb is a part of speech which signifies to be, to act, or to receive an action."—Comly cor. (9.) "The verb is the part of speech by which any thing is asserted."—Weld cor. (10.) "The verb is a part of speech, which expresses action or existence in a direct manner."—Gilbert cor. (11.) "A participle is a word derived from a verb, and expresses action or existence in an indirect manner."—Id. (12.) "The participle is a part of speech derived from the verb, and denotes being, doing, or suffering, and implies time, as a verb does."—Brit. Gram. and Buchanan cor. (13.) "The adverb is a part of speech used to add some modification to the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and participles."—Gilbert cor. (14.) "An adverb is an indeclinable word added to a verb, [a participle,] an adjective, or an other adverb, to express some circumstance, accident, or manner of its signification."—Adam and Gould cor. (15.) "An adverb is a word added to a verb, an adjective, a participle, or an other adverb, to express the circumstance of time, place, degree, or manner."—Dr. Ash cor. (16.) "An adverb is a word added to a verb, an adjective, a participle, or, sometimes, an other adverb, to express some circumstance respecting the sense."—Beck cor. (17.) "The adverb is a part of speech, which is added to verbs, adjectives, participles, or to other adverbs, to express some modification or circumstance, quality or manner, of their signification."—Buchanan cor. (18.) "The adverb is a part of speech which we add to the verb, (whence the name,) to the adjective or participle likewise, and sometimes even to an other adverb."—Bucke cor. (19.) "A conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences."—Gilbert and Weld cor. (20.) "The conjunction is a part of speech that joins words or sentences together."—Ash cor. (21.) "The conjunction is that part of speech which connects sentences, or parts of sentences, or single words."—D. Blair cor. (22.) "The conjunction is a part of speech that is used principally to connect sentences, so as, out of two, three, or more sentences, to make one."—Bucke cor. (23.) "The conjunction is a part of speech that is used to connect words or sentences together; but, chiefly, to join simple sentences into such as are compound."—Kirkham cor. (24.) "A conjunction is a word which joins words or sentences together, and shows the manner of their dependence, as they stand in connexion."—Brit. Gram. et al. cor. (25.) "A preposition is a word used to show the relation between other words, and govern the subsequent term."—Gilbert cor. (26.) "A preposition is a governing word which serves to connect other words, and to show the relation between them."—Frost cor. (27.) "A preposition is a governing particle used to connect words and show their relation."—Weld cor. (28.) "The preposition is that part of speech which shows the various positions of persons or things, and the consequent relations that certain words bear toward one an other."—David Blair cor. (29.) "The preposition is a part of speech, which, being added to certain other parts of speech, serves to show their state of relation, or their reference to each other."—Brit. Gram. and Buchanan cor. (30.) "The interjection is a part of speech used to express sudden passion or strong emotion."—Gilbert cor. (31.) "An interjection is an unconnected word used in giving utterance to some sudden feeling or strong emotion."—Weld cor. (32.) "The interjection is that part of speech which denotes any sudden affection or