The grammatical subject is plant and animal, compound; its parts are connected as alternates by or (570), and both modified by minutest. The grammatical predicate is affords and obliges, compound; its parts are connected by and. Affords is modified by its object won ders, which is limited by a thousand. Obliges is modified by its object us, the infinitive to admire and to adore, of which us is also the sub. ject; and these infinitives are modified by their object hand, which is qualified and described by Omnipotent, and the relative clause by which it was created. The verbs affords and obliges are modified also by the conditional clause if [it is] attentively examined. [Or, obliges is modified by the objective clause "us to admire and adore,” etc., of which us is the subject, and admire and adore the Omnipotent hand, etc., is the logical predicate. This clause is itself complex, having the dependent relative clause, " by which it was created," limiting hand.] In the first dependent clause- The logical subject is it, referring to plant or animal. The logical predicate is is attentively examined. The grammatical subject is it. The grammatical predicate is is examined; which is modified by the adverb of manner, attentively. In the second dependent clause— The logical subject is it, referring to plant or animal. The logical predicate is was created by which. The grammatical subject is the same as the logical. The grammatical predicate is was created. It is modified by the adjunct by which, referring to hand, its antecedent. The preceding process of analysis, which takes up so much room on paper, may be accomplished orally with great rapidity. Let this be done in the following EXERCISES. In the same way, analyze the following sentences: Knowledge is power.-Truth is the basis of honor: it is the beginning of virtue: it liveth and conquereth for ever. -Time is a gift bestowed on us by the bounty of Heaven. -The heart and the tongue are the best and the worst parts of man. Proficiency in language is a rare accomplishment. Praise is more acceptable to the heart than profitable to the mind. He who is first to condemn will often be the last to forgive. True religion gives order and beauty to the world, and, after life, a better existence. A little philosophy carries us away from truth, while a greater brings us back to it again. What we know is nothing; but what we are ignorant of is immense. Books which save the trouble of thinking, and inventions which save the labor of working, are in universal demand. Some cultivate philosophy in theory who are imperfect philosophers in practice; as others advocate religion, who are nevertheless indifferently religious. II. Construction of Sentences. 660. WORDS are arranged in sentences according to certain rules called the Rules of Syntax (662 and 666). 1. In every sentence there must be a verb and its subject, expressed or understood. 2. Every article, adjective, adjective pronoun, or participle, must have a substantive (109), expressed or understood. 3. Every subject has its own verb, expressed or understood. 4. Every finite verb (that is, every verb not in the infinitive or participles) has its own subject in the nominative case, expressed or understood. 5. Every possessive case limits a noun or substantive. 6. Every objective case is the object of a transitive verb in the active voice, or of a preposition, or denotes circumstances of time, value, weight, or measure (828). 7. The infinitive mood depends upon a verb, adjective, or noun. 8. Every adverb limits a verb, adjective, or adverb. 9. Conjunctions unite words and phrases that stand. in the same relation in a sentence. The exceptions to these general principles will appear under the Rules of Syntax. Parts of Syntax. 662. The Rules of Syntax may all be referred to three heads, viz., Concord or agreement, Government, and Position. 663. Concord is the agreement which one word has with another in gender, number, case, or person. 664. Government is the power which one word has in determining the mood, tense, or case of another word. The word governed by another word is called its regimen. 665. Position means the place which a word occupies in relation to other words in a sentence. 666. In the English language, which has but few inflections, the meaning of a sentence often depends much on the position of the words of which it consists. + RULES OF SYNTAX. RULE I.-Substantives denoting the same person or thing agree in case; as, The river Thames.-Cicero the orator.-Paul the apostle.-I myself.-I Paul have written it.-I Wisdom dwell with Prudence. RULE II-1. An adjective or a participle qualifies the substantive to which it belongs; as, A good boy; a new book; an old hat; a rough road; a steep hill: a lofty mountain; God is good; an amusing story; a man loved by all. 2. Adjectives denoting one, qualify nouns in the singular; adjectives denoting more than one, qualify nouns in the plural; as, One man; this book; that house; two men; these books; those houses; the sixth day; several weeks; many sorrows; this court (676, etc.). RULE III.-1. The article a or an is put before common nouns in the singular number, when used indefinitely; as, A man; a house; a tree; an acorn; an hour; a history; an historical fact; a youth; a unit (186-187 and 707). 2. The article the is put before common nouns, either singular or plural, when used definitely; as, "The sun shines."-"The moon rises."-" The city of New York." "The age of improvement."--" The seven stars." "The twelve Cæsars.""The most virtuous (men) are the most happy" (707, 2). RULE IV.-Personal pronouns agree with the words for which they stand in gender, number, and person; as, "All that a man hath he will give for his life."-" A tree is known by its fruit."- "The court has finished its business.""The people elect their rulers" (729, etc.). RULE V.-The relative agrees with its antecedent in gender, number, and person; as, "The man who speaks."-"The book which was lost."-" The friends whom we love."—" Ye who love mercy."-"I that speak to you."-"The best thing you can do" (742, etc.). RULE VI.-The subject of a finite verb is put in the nominative; as. "I am. ."-"Thou speakest."--" He reads."-" We talk."-" Time flies."- "Who did that?"-"I know who did it."-"Do you know who is to blame?"—" He is taller than I (am); than she (is)” (760). RULE VII.—A substantive whose case depends on no other word is put in the nominative absolute; as, "The ship having arrived, all is safe."-" He being alone, there was no one to disturb him."- "Your fathers, where are they ?"—" Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?". "O Absalom! my son, my son!"-" Plato, thou reasonest well" (768, etc.). RULE VIII-A verb agrees with its subject in number and person; as, "I write."-" Thou writest."-" He reads."-" We sell."—" They buy."-" John and James are brothers."-" Jane or Mary is at home." -"The army is on its march."-" The people are kind."—" Come (ye) and see.' -"Go thou and do likewise."-"Who art thou?" (776, etc.). RULE IX.-The predicate substantive after an attributive verb is put in the same case as the subject before it; as, "I am he."—"Ye are they who justify yourselves.""God is love." -“Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am ?"-" He is said to be a good man.' They represent him to be a good man.' .”—“ Saying is not doing" (796, etc.). 66 RULE X.—A substantive being the object of a transitive verb in the active voice, is put in the objective case; as, وو "Send "We love him."-" He loves us.' "Whom shall I send ?"me." "Honor thy father and mother." "Them that honor me I will honor."-" Boys love to play."-" Boys love playing."-"I know that thou fearest God."-"Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who art thou ?" (801, etc.). RULE XI.—A substantive being the object of a preposition is put in the objective case; as, "Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever."-" To whom much is given, of him much shall be required."-" Come with us, and we will do (to) thee good."—" Science they do not pretend to."-" Whom did he speak to ?" (818, etc.). |