SYNTAX She reads proper, writes very neat, and composes accurate." He was extreme prodigal, and his property is now near exhausted." They generally succeeded; for they lived conformable to the rules of prudence." 'We may reason very clear and exceeding strong, without knowing that there is such a thing as a syllogism.' "He had many virtues, and was exceeding beloved." "The amputation was exceeding well performed, and saved the patient's life." He came agreeable to his promise, and conducted himself suitable to the occasion." He speaks very fluent, reads excellent, but does not think very coherent." "He behaved himself submissive, and was exceeding careful not to give (1.) offence." "They rejected the advice, and conducted themselves exceedingly indiscreetly." He is a person of great abilities, and exceeding upright; and is like to be a very useful member (2.) of the community." 4. 143 "The conspiracy was the easier (3.) discovered, from its (4.) being known (5.) to many. "Not being fully acquainted with the subject, he could affirm no stronger (6.) than he did." "He was so deeply impressed with the subject. that few could speak nob.er upon it." "We may credit his testimony, for he says express, that he saw the transaction." "Use a little wine for thy stom ach's sake, and thine often (7.) infirmities." "From these favorable beginnings, we may hope for a soon (8.) and prosperous is sue. a 5. Double comparatives and superlatives should be avoided; such as worser conduct;" ;"*" on lesser hopes;" "a more serener temper;" "the most straitest sect;" a more superior work." They should be, "worse conduct;" "less hopes;" "a more serene temper;""the straitest sect;" a superior work." "A worser conduct." Will you correct this sentence, and give the Rule for it? (5.) "being known"-partícipial noun. (7.) thy frequent." (8.) "speedy." 66 5. "The pleasures of the understanding are more preferable than (14.) those of the imagination, or of sense." "The nightingale sings: hers is the most sweetest voice in the grove." (3.) "more easily." (9.) 656. (4.) Rule I (6.) "not affirm more strongly." (10.) "A disposition (11.) Rule IV. so amiable," &c See the Note, a few lines before the close. (14.)"preferable to." 5. Adjectives that have in themselves a superlative signation, do not properly admit of the superlative or comparative form supera.'ded; such as chief, extreme, perfect, right, universal, supreme, &c.; which are sometimes improperly written chiefest, extremest, perfectest, rightest, most unive. sal, most supreme, &c. The following expressions are, therefore, imprope : "He sometimes claims admission to the chiefest offices." "The quarrel became so universal an national." "A method of attaining the rightest and greatest happiness." The phrases "so perfect," ""so right," 79 66 so extreme," versal," &c., are incorrect; because they imply that one thing is less por less extreme, &c., than another, which is not possible. Is it proper to say, "The most perfect work"? Why not? "Virtue confers the supremest (1.) 6. "His work is perfect; (4.) his "He gave the fullest and most 7. Inaccuracies are often found in the way in which the degrees of comparison are applied and construed. The following are examples of wrong construction in this respect: "This noble nation hath, of all others, admit ted fewer corruptions." The word fewer is here construed precisely as if it were the superlative. It should be, "This noble nation hath admitted fewer corruptions than any other." We commonly say, "This is the weaker of the two," or, "the weakest of the two;" but the former is the regu.ar mode of expression, because there are only two things compared. "The vice of covetousness is what enters deepest into the soul of any other.' "He celebrates the church of England as the most perfect of all others." Both these modes of expression are faulty: we should not say, "the best of any man," or "the best of any other man," for the best of men." The sentences may be corrected by substituting the comparative in the room of the superlative: "The vice, &c., is what enters deeper into the soul than any other." "He celebrates, &c., as more perfect than any other." It is also possible to retain the superlative, and render the expression grammatical: Covetousness, of all vices, enters the deepest into the soul." "He celebrates, &c., as the most perfect of all churches." These sentences contain other errors, against which it is proper to caution the learner. The words deeper and deepest, being intended for adverbs, should have been more deeply, most deeply. The phrases more perfect and most perfect are improper; because perfection admits of no degrees of comparison, We may say, nearer or nearest to perfection, or more or less imperfect. In speaking of two persons, snould we say, "The weaker of the two,” or "The weakest of the two"? Why? 445 8. In some cases, adjectives should not be separated from their substan ves, even by words which modify their neaming, and make but one sense with them; as, “A large enough number, surely." It should be, “A number large enough." "The lower sort of people are good enough judges of one Bot very distant from them." The adjective is usually placed before its substantive; as, “A generous man;" “How amiable a woman!" The instances in which it comes afax the substantive, are the following: 66 1st. When something depends upon the adjective; and when it gives a better sound, especially in poetry; as," A man generous to his enemies;" Feed ne with food convenient for me;" "A tree three feet thick;""Á body of crps fifty thousand strong," "The torrent tumbling through rocks abrupt.' 2d. When the adjective is emphatical; as, “Ålexander the Great," Lewis the Bold" "Goodness infinite" "Wisdom unsearchable." 3d. When several adjectives belong to one substantive; as, “ A man just, wise, and charitable;" "A woman modest, sensible, and virtuous." 4th. When the adjective is preceded by an adverb; as, “A boy regularly studious;" "A girl unaffectedly modest." 5th. When the verb to be, in any of its variations, comes between a substantive and an adjective, the adjective may frequently either precede or follow it; as, "The man is happy," or, Happy is the man, who makes virtue his choice:" "The interview was delightful” or, “ Delightful was the interview." 6th. When the adjective expresses some circumstance of a substantive placed after an active verb; as, "Vanity often renders its possessor despicable." In an exclamatory sentence, the adjective generally precedes the substantive; as, "How despicable does vanity often render its possessor!' There is sometimes great beauty, as well as force, in placing the adjective before the verb, and the substantive immediately after it; as, "Great is the Lord! just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!" Sometimes the word all is emphaticali put after a number of particulars comprehended under it. "Ambition, interest, honor, all concurred." Sometimes a substantive. which likewise comprehends the preceding particulars, is used in conjunction with this adjective; as, "Royalists, republicans, churchmen, sectaries, courtiers, all parties, concurred in the illusion." An adjective pronoun, in the plural number, will sometimes properly associate with a singular noun; as, “Our desire, your intention, their resignation." This association applies rather to things of an intellectual nature, than to those which are corporeal. It forms an exception to the general rule. A substantive with is adjective is reckoned as one compounded word; whence they often take another adjective, and sometimes a third, and so on “An old man; a good old man; a very learned, judicious, good old man." Though the adjective always relates to a substantive, it is, in many instances, put as if it were absolute; especially where the noun has been men tioned before, or easily understood, though not expressed; as, "I often sur vey it." Is it correct to say, "A large enough number"? How should it be alterad? What is the Note for it? Should the adjective be placed usually before, ar after the noun ? RULE II. Corresponding with Murray's Grammar, RULE IX. The indefinite article, a or an, belongs to nouns of the singular number RULE III. The definite article, THE, belongs to nouns of the singu lar or plural numbers. The artic.es are often properly omitted: when used, they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature; as, "Gold is corrupting; the set is green; a lion is bold." It is the nature of both the articles to determine or limit the thing spoken of A determines it to be one single thing of the kind, leaving it still uncertain which; the determines which it is, or, if many, which they are. The following passage will serve as an example of the different uses of a and the, and of the force of the substantive without any article: "Man was made for society, and ought to extend his good will to all men; but a man will naturally entertain a more particular kindness for the men with whom he has the most frequent intercourse; and enter into a still closer union with the man whose temper and disposition suit best with his own." As the articles are sometimes misapplied, it may be of some use to exhibit a few instances: "And I persecuted this way unto the death." The apostle does not mean any particular sort of death, but death in general: the definite article, therefore, is improperly used: it ought to be, "unto death," without any article. "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth;" that is, according to this translation, "into all truth whatsoever, into truth of all kinds ;"-very different from the meaning of the evangelist, and from the original, "into all the truth;" that is, "into all evangelical truth, all truth necessary for you to know." "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel ?" it ought to be "the wheel,” used as an instrument for the particular purpose of torturing criminals. "The Almighty hath given reason to a man to be a light unto him:" it should rather be," to man," in general. "This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham :" it ought to be, “a son of Abraham." These remarks may serve to show the great importance of the proper use of the article, and the excellence of the English language in this respect; which, by means of its two articles, does most precisely determine the extent of signification of common names. What is the nature of the articles? What does the article a determine ?. What the article the ? tion of the sense is sometimes made by the use or omisIf I say, "He behaved with a little reverence," my If I I say, "He behaved with little reverence," my meannd these two are by no means the same, or to be used in y the former, I rather praise a person; by the latter, I dise sake of this distinction, which is a very useful one, we seeming impropriety of the article a before nouns of uum"There were few men with him," I speak diminutively, ent them as inconsiderable: whereas, when I say, "There h him," I evidently intend to make the most of them. rence in meaning between the expressions "We behaved ce," and "We behaved with little reverence" } ch censured for mself with a lito his business." of order called everity in punnder.' companied with ition and canigment, that he ersons to inter 1. "There were so many mitigatir.g (3.) circumstances attending his misconduct, particularly that (4.) of his open confession, that he found (5.) few friends who were disposed to interest themselves in his fa vor. "As his misfortunes were the fruit of his own obstinacy, a few persons pitied aim." ay be sufficient to prefix the article to the former of two nstruction; though the French never fail to repeat it in vere many hours, both of the night and day, which he suspicion, in solitary thought." It might have been "of ay." And. for the sake of emphasis, we often repeat the epithets. "He hoped that this title would secure him an ndent authority." repeated before two words in the same construction? ne, (6.) the deation, prevent ons." he was influt and (7.) gen 2. "He was fired with desire of doing something, though he knew not yet, with distinctness, either end or means." |