The Grammar of English Grammars · Chapter 220Chapter VI.—Verbs. (2)
This chapter is not translated yet. You are reading the original.
NOTE I.—When the nominative is a relative pronoun, the verb must agree with it in person and number, according to the pronoun's agreement with its true antecedent or antecedents. Example of error: "The second book [of the Æneid] is one of the greatest masterpieces that ever was executed by any hand."—Blair's Rhet., p. 439. Here the true antecedent is masterpieces, and not the word one; but was executed is singular, and "by any hand" implies but one agent. Either say, "It is one of the greatest masterpieces that ever were executed;" or else, "It is the greatest masterpiece that ever was executed by any hand." But these assertions differ much in their import.
NOTE II.—"The adjuncts of the nominative do not control its agreement with the verb; as, Six months' interest was due. The progress of his forces was impeded."—W. Allen's Gram., p. 131. "The ship, with all her furniture, was destroyed."—Murray's Gram., p. 150. "All appearances of modesty are favourable and prepossessing."—Blair's Rhet., p. 308. "The power of relishing natural enjoyments is soon gone."—Fuller, on the Gospel, p. 135. "I, your master, command you (not commands)"— Latham's Hand-Book, p. 330.[390]
NOTE III.—Any phrase, sentence, mere word, or other sign, taken as one whole, and made the subject of an assertion, requires a verb in the third person singular; as, "To lie is base."—Adam's Gram., p. 154. "When, to read and write, was of itself an honorary distinction."—Hazlitt's Lect., p. 40. "To admit a God and then refuse to worship him, is a modern and inconsistent practice."—Fuller, on the Gospel, p. 30. "We is a personal pronoun."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 227. "Th has two sounds."—Ib., p. 161. "The 's is annexed to each."—Bucke's Gram., p. 89. "Ld. stands for lord."—Webster's American Dict., 8vo.
NOTE IV.—The pronominal adjectives, each, one,[391] either, and neither, are always in the third person singular; and, when they are the leading words in their clauses, they require verbs and pronouns to agree with them accordingly: as, "Each of you is entitled to his share."—"Let no one deceive himself."
NOTE V.—A neuter or a passive verb between two nominatives should be made to agree with that which precedes it;[392] as, "Words are wind:" except when the terms are transposed, and the proper subject is put after the verb by question or hyperbaton; as, "His pavilion were dark waters and thick clouds of the sky."—Bible. "Who art thou?"—Ib. "The wages of sin is death."—Ib. Murray, Comly, and others. But, of this last example, Churchill says, "Wages are the subject, of which it is affirmed, that they are death."—New Gram., p. 314. If so, is ought to be are; unless Dr. Webster is right, who imagines wages to be singular, and cites this example to prove it so. See his Improved Gram., p. 21.
NOTE VI.—When the verb cannot well be made singular, the nominative should be made plural, that they may agree: or, if the verb cannot be plural, let the nominative be singular. Example of error: "For every one of them know their several duties."—Hope of Israel, p. 72. Say, "For all of them know their several duties."
NOTE VII.—When the verb has different forms, that form should be adopted, which is the most consistent with present and reputable usage in the style employed: thus, to say familiarly, "The clock hath stricken;"—"Thou laughedst and talkedst, when thou oughtest to have been silent;"—"He readeth and writeth, but he doth not cipher," would be no better, than to use don't, won't, can't, shan't, and didn't, in preaching.
NOTE VIII.—Every finite verb not in the imperative mood, should have a separate nominative expressed; as, "I came, I saw, I conquered:" except when the verb is repeated for the sake of emphasis, or connected to an other in the same construction, or put after but or than; as, "Not an eminent orator has lived but is an example of it."—Ware. "Where more is meant than meets the ear."—Milton's Allegro. (See Obs. 5th and Obs. 18th above.)
"They bud, blow, wither, fall, and die."—Watts.
"That evermore his teeth they chatter, Chatter, chatter, chatter still."—Wordsworth.
NOTE IX.—A future contingency is best expressed by a verb in the subjunctive present; and a mere supposition, with indefinite time, by a verb in the subjunctive imperfect; but a conditional circumstance assumed as a fact, requires the indicative mood:[393] as, "If thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever."—Bible. "If it were not so, I would have told you."—Ib. "If thou went, nothing would be gained."—"Though he is poor, he is contented."—"Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor."—2 Cor., viii, 9.
NOTE X.—In general, every such use or extension of the subjunctive mood, as the reader will be likely to mistake for a discord between the verb and its nominative, ought to be avoided as an impropriety: as, "We are not sensible of disproportion, till the difference between the quantities compared become the most striking circumstance."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 341. Say rather, "becomes;" which is indicative. "Till the general preference of certain forms have been declared."—Priestley's Gram., Pref., p. xvii. Say, "has been declared;" for "preference" is here the nominative, and Dr. Priestley himself recognizes no other subjunctive tenses than the present and the imperfect; as, "If thou love, If thou loved."—Ib., p. 16.
"Before you left Sicily, you was reconciled to Verres."—Duncan's Cicero, p. 19.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the passive verb was reconciled is of the singular number, and does not agree with its nominative you, which is of the second person plural. But, according to Rule 14th, "Every finite verb must agree with its subject, or nominative, in person and number." Therefore, was reconciled should be were reconciled; thus, "Before you left Sicily, you were reconciled to Verres."]
"Knowing that you was my old master's good friend."—Spect., No. 517. "When the judge dare not act, where is the loser's remedy?"—Webster's Essays, p. 131. "Which extends it no farther than the variation of the verb extend."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. i, p. 211. "They presently dry without hurt, as myself hath often proved."—Roger Williams. "Whose goings forth hath been from of old, from everlasting."—Keith's Evidences. "You was paid to fight against Alexander, not to rail at him."—Porter's Analysis, p. 70. "Where more than one part of speech is almost always concerned."—Churchill's Gram., Pref., p. viii. "Nothing less than murders, rapines, and conflagrations, employ their thoughts."—Duncan's Cicero, p. 175. "I wondered where you was, my dear."—Lloyd's Poems, p. 185. "When thou most sweetly sings."—Drummond of Hawthornden. "Who dare, at the present day, avow himself equal to the task?"—Music of Nature, p. 11. "Every body are very kind to her, and not discourteous to me."—Byron's Letters. "As to what thou says respecting the diversity of opinions."—The Friend, Vol. ix, p. 45. "Thy nature, immortality, who knowest?"—Everest's Gram., p. 38. "The natural distinction of sex in animals gives rise to what, in grammar, is called genders."—Ib., p. 51. "Some pains has likewise been taken."—Scott's Pref. to Bible. "And many a steed in his stables were seen."—Penwarne's Poems, p. 108. "They was forced to eat what never was esteemed food."—Josephus's Jewish War, B. i, Ch. i, §7. "This that yourself hath spoken, I desire that they may take their oaths upon."—Hutchinson's Mass., ii, 435. "By men whose experience best qualify them to judge."—Committee on Literature, N. Y. Legislature. "He dare venture to kill and destroy several other kinds of fish."—Johnson's Dict, w. Perch. "If a gudgeon meet a roach, He dare not venture to approach."—SWIFT: Ib., w. Roach. "Which thou endeavours to establish unto thyself."—Barclay's Works, i, 164. "But they pray together much oftener than thou insinuates."—Ib., i, 215. "Of people of all denominations, over whom thou presideth."—The Friend, Vol. v, p. 198. "I can produce ladies and gentlemen whose progress have been astonishing."—Chazotte, on Teaching Lang., p. 62. "Which of these two kinds of vice are more criminal?"—Brown's Estimate, ii, 115. "Every twenty-four hours affords to us the vicissitudes of day and night."—Smith's New Gram., p. 103. "Every four years adds another day."—Ib. "Every error I could find, Have my busy muse employed."—Swift's Poems, p. 335. "A studious scholar deserve the approbation of his teacher."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 226. "Perfect submission to the rules of a school indicate good breeding."—Ib., p. 37. "A comparison in which more than two is concerned."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 114. "By the facilities which artificial language afford them."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 16. "Now thyself hath lost both lop and top."—SPENSER: Joh. Dict., w. Lop. "Glad tidings is brought to the poor."—Campbell's Gospels: Luke, vii, 23. "Upon which, all that is pleasurable, or affecting in elocution, chiefly depend."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 129. "No pains has been spared to render this work complete."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., Pref., p. iv. "The United States contains more than a twentieth part of the land of this globe."—DE WITT CLINTON: Cobb's N. Amer. Reader, p. 173. "I am mindful that myself is (or am) strong."—Fowler's E. Gram., § 500. "Myself is (not am) weak; thyself is (not art) weak."—Ib., §479.
"How pale each worshipful and reverend guest Rise from a clergy or a city feast!"—Pope, Sat. ii, l. 75.
"Where was you born? In London."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. 133. "There is frequent occasions for commas."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 281. "There necessarily follows from thence, these plain and unquestionable consequences."—Priestley's Gram., p. 191. "And to this impression contribute the redoubled effort."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 112. "Or if he was, was there no spiritual men then?"—Barclay's Works, iii, 86. "So by these two also is signified their contrary principles."—Ib., iii, 200. "In the motions made with the hands, consist the chief part of gesture in speaking."—Blair's Rhet., p. 336. "Dare he assume the name of a popular magistrate?"—Duncan's Cicero, p. 140. "There was no damages as in England, and so Scott lost his wager."—Byron. "In fact there exists such resemblances."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 64. "To him giveth all the prophets witness."—Crewdson's Beacon, p. 79. "That there was so many witnesses and actors."—Addison's Evidences, p. 37. "How does this man's definitions stand affected?"—Collier's Antoninus, p. 136. "Whence comes all the powers and prerogatives of rational beings?"—Ib., p. 144. "Nor does the Scriptures cited by thee prove thy intent."—Barclay's Works, i, 155. "Nor do the Scripture cited by thee prove the contrary."—Ib., i, 211. "Why then cite thou a Scripture which is so plain and clear for it?"—Ib., i, 163. "But what saith the Scriptures as to respect of persons among Christians?"—Ib., i, 404. "But in the mind of man, while in the savage state, there seems to be hardly any ideas but what enter by the senses."—Robertson's America, i, 289. "What sounds have each of the vowels?"—Griscom's Questions. "Out of this has grown up aristocracies, monarchies, despotisms, tyrannies."—Brownson's Elwood, p. 222. "And there was taken up, of fragments that remained to them, twelve baskets."— Luke, ix, 17. "There seems to be but two general classes."—Day's Gram., p. 3. "Hence arises the six forms of expressing time."—Ib., p. 37. "There seems to be no other words required."—Chandler's Gram., p. 28. "If there is two, the second increment is the syllable next the last."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., 12th Ed., p. 281. "Hence arises the following advantages."—Id., Analyt. and Pract. Gram., 1849, p. 67. "There is no data by which it can be estimated."—J. C. Calhoun's Speech, March 4, 1850. "To this class belong the Chinese [language], in which we have nothing but naked roots."—Fowler's E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, p. 27. "There was several other grotesque figures that presented themselves."— Spect., No. 173. "In these consist that sovereign good which ancient sages so much extol."—Percival's Tales, ii, 221. "Here comes those I have done good to against my will."—Shak., Shrew. "Where there is more than one auxiliary."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 80.
"On me to cast those eyes where shine nobility." —SIDNEY: Joh. Dict.
"Here's half-pence in plenty, for one you'll have twenty." —Swift's Poems, p. 347.
"Ah, Jockey, ill advises thou, I wis, To think of songs at such a time as this." —Churchill, p. 18.
"Thou who loves us, wilt protect us still."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 67. "To use that endearing language, Our Father, who is in heaven"—Bates's Doctrines, p. 103. "Resembling the passions that produceth these actions."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 157. "Except dwarf, grief, hoof, muff, &c. which takes s to make the plural."—Ash's Gram., p. 19. "As the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure."— Gen. xxxiii, 14 "Where is the man who dare affirm that such an action is mad?"—Werter. "The ninth book of Livy affords one of the most beautiful exemplifications of historical painting, that is any where to be met with."—Blair's Rhet., p. 360. "In some studies too, that relate to taste and fine writing, which is our object," &c.—Ib., p. 349. "Of those affecting situations, which makes man's heart feel for man."—Ib., p. 464. "We see very plainly, that it is neither Osmyn, nor Jane Shore, that speak."—Ib., p. 468. "It should assume that briskness and ease, which is suited to the freedom of dialogue."—Ib., p. 469. "Yet they grant, that none ought to be admitted into the ministry, but such as is truly pious."—Barclay's Works, iii, 147. "This letter is one of the best that has been written about Lord Byron."—Hunt's Byron, p. 119. "Thus, besides what was sunk, the Athenians took above two hundred ships."—Goldsmith's Greece, i, 102. "To have made and declared such orders as was necessary."—Hutchinson's Hist., i, 470. "The idea of such a collection of men as make an army."—Locke's Essay, p. 217. "I'm not the first that have been wretched."—Southern's In. Ad., Act 2. "And the faint sparks of it, which is in the angels, are concealed from our view."—Calvin's Institutes, B. i, Ch. 11. "The subjects are of such a nature, as allow room for much diversity of taste and sentiment."—Blair's Rhet., Pref., p. 5. "It is in order to propose examples of such perfection, as are not to be found in the real examples of society."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 16. "I do not believe that he would amuse himself with such fooleries as has been attributed to him."—Ib., p. 218. "That shepherd, who first taughtst the chosen seed."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 238. "With respect to the vehemence and warmth which is allowed in popular eloquence."— Blair's Rhet., p. 261. "Ambition is one of those passions that is never to be satisfied."—Home's Art of Thinking, p. 36. "Thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel."—2 Samuel, v, 2; and 1 Chron., xi, 2. "Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah?"—1 Kings, xiii, 14.
"How beauty is excell'd by manly grace And wisdom, which alone is truly fair."—Milton, B. iv, l. 490.
"What art thou, speak, that on designs unknown, While others sleep, thus range the camp alone?"—Pope, Il., x, 90.
"The literal sense of the words are, that the action had been done."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of Lang., i, 65. "The rapidity of his movements were beyond example."—Wells's Hist., p. 161. "Murray's Grammar, together with his Exercises and Key, have nearly superseded every thing else of the kind."—EVAN'S REC.: Murray's Gram., 8vo, ii, 305. "The mechanism of clocks and watches were totally unknown."—HUME: Priestley's Gram., p. 193. "The it, together with the verb to be, express states of being."—Cobbett's Eng. Gram., ¶ 190. "Hence it is, that the profuse variety of objects in some natural landscapes, neither breed confusion nor fatigue."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 266. "Such a clatter of sounds indicate rage and ferocity."—Music of Nature, p. 195. "One of the fields make threescore square yards, and the other only fifty-five."—Duncan's Logic, p. 8. "The happy effects of this fable is worth attending to."—Bailey's Ovid, p. x. "Yet the glorious serenity of its parting rays still linger with us."—Gould's Advocate. "Enough of its form and force are retained to render them uneasy."—Maturin's Sermons, p. 261. "The works of nature, in this respect, is extremely regular."—Dr. Pratt's Werter. "No small addition of exotic and foreign words and phrases have been made by commerce."—Bicknell's Gram., Part ii, p. 10. "The dialect of some nouns are taken notice of in the notes."—Milnes, Greek Gram., p. 255. "It has been said, that a discovery of the full resources of the arts, afford the means of debasement, or of perversion."—Rush, on the Voice, p. xxvii. "By which means the Order of the Words are disturbed."—Holmes's Rhet., B. i, p. 57. "The twofold influence of these and the others require the asserter to be in the plural form."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 251. "And each of these afford employment."—Percival's Tales, Vol. ii, p. 175. "The pronunciation of the vowels are best explained under the rules relative to the consonants."—Coar's Gram., p. 7. "The judicial power of these courts extend to all cases in law and equity."—Hall and Baker's School Hist., p. 286. "One of you have stolen my money."—Rational Humorist, p. 45. "Such redundancy of epithets, instead of pleasing, produce satiety and disgust."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 256. "It has been alleged, that a compliance with the rules of Rhetoric, tend to cramp the mind."—Hiley's Gram., 3d Ed., p. 187. "Each of these are presented to us in different relations"—Hendrick's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 34. "The past tense of these verbs, should, would, might, could, are very indefinite with respect to time."—Bullions, E. Gram., 2d Ed., p. 33; 5th Ed., p. 31. "The power of the words, which are said to govern this mood, are distinctly understood."—Chandler's Gram., Ed. of 1821, p. 33.
"And now, at length, the fated term of years The world's desire have brought, and lo! the God appears." —Dr. Lowth, on "the Genealogy of Christ."
"Variety of Numbers still belong To the soft Melody of Ode or Song." —Brightland's Gram., p. 170.
"Many are the works of human industry, which to begin and finish are hardly granted to the same man."—Johnson, Adv. to Dict. "To lay down rules for these are as inefficacious."—Dr. Pratt's Werter, p. 19. "To profess regard, and to act differently, discover a base mind."—Murray's Key, ii, p. 206. See also Bullions's E. Gram., 82 and 112; Lennie's, 58. "To magnify to the height of wonder things great, new, and admirable, extremely please the mind of man."—Fisher's Gram., p. 152. "In this passage, according as are used in a manner which is very common."—Webster's Philosophical Gram., p. 183. "A cause de are called a preposition; a cause que, a conjunction."—DR. WEBSTER: Knickerbocker, 1836. "To these are given to speak in the name of the Lord."—The Friend, vii, 256. "While wheat has no plural, oats have seldom any singular."—Cobbett's E. Gram. ¶ 41. "He cannot assert that ll are inserted in fullness to denote the sound of u."—Cobb's Review of Webster, p. 11. "ch have the power of k."—Gould's Adam's Gram., p. 2. "ti, before a vowel, and unaccented, have the sound of si or ci."—Ibid. "In words derived from the French, as chagrin, chicanery, and chaise, ch are sounded like sh."—Bucke's Gram., p. 10. "But in the word schism, schismatic, &c., the ch are silent."—Ibid. "Ph are always sounded like f, at the beginning of words."—Bucke's Gram. "Ph have the sound of f as in philosophy."—Webster's El. Spelling-Book, p. 11. "Sh have one sound only as in shall."—Ib. "Th have two sounds."—Ib. "Sc have the sound of sk, before a, o, u, and r."—Ib. "Aw, have the sound of a in hall."—Bolles's Spelling-Book, p. vi. "Ew, sound like u."—Ib. "Ow, when both sounded, have the sound of ou."—Ib. "Ui, when both pronounced in one syllable sound like wi in languid."—Ib.
"Ui three several Sorts of Sound express, As Guile, rebuild, Bruise and Recruit confess." —Brightland's Gram., p. 34.
"When each of the letters which compose this word, have been learned."—Dr. Weeks, on Orthog., p. 22. "As neither of us deny that both Homer and Virgil have great beauties."—Blair's Rhet., p. 21. "Yet neither of them are remarkable for precision."—Ib., p. 95. "How far each of the three great epic poets have distinguished themselves."—Ib., p. 427. "Each of these produce a separate agreeable sensation."—Ib., p. 48. "On the Lord's day every one of us Christians keep the sabbath."—Tr. of Irenæus. "And each of them bear the image of purity and holiness."—Hope of Israel, p. 81. "Were either of these meetings ever acknowledged or recognized?"—Foster's Report, i, 96. "Whilst neither of these letters exist in the Eugubian inscription."—Knight, on Greek Alph., p. 122. "And neither of them are properly termed indefinite."—Wilson's Essay on Gram., p. 88. "As likewise of the several subjects, which have in effect each their verb."—Lowth's Gram., p. 120. "Sometimes when the word ends in s, neither of the signs are used."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 21. "And as neither of these manners offend the ear."—Walker's Dict., Pref., p. 5. "Neither of these two Tenses are confined to this signification only."—Johnson's Gram. Com., p. 339. "But neither of these circumstances are intended here."—Tooke's Diversions, ii, 237. "So that all are indebted to each, and each are dependent upon all."—Am. Bible Society's Rep., 1838, p. 89. "And yet neither of them express any more action in this case than they did in the other."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 201. "Each of these expressions denote action."—Hallock's Gram., p. 74. "Neither of these moods seem to be defined by distinct boundaries."—Butler's Practical Gram., p. 66. "Neither of these solutions are correct."— Bullions, Lat. Gram., p. 236. "Neither bear any sign of case at all."—Fowler's E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, §217.
"Each in their turn like Banquo's monarchs stalk."—Byron.
"And tell what each of them by th'other lose."—Shak., Cori., iii, 2.
"The quarrels of lovers is a renewal of love."—Adam's Lat. Gram., p. 156; Alexander's, 49; Gould's, 159; Bullions's, 206. "Two dots, one placed above the other, is called Sheva."—Dr. Wilson's Heb. Gram., p. 43. "A few centuries, more or less, is a matter of small consequence."—Ib. p. 31. "Pictures were the first step towards the art of writing. Hieroglyphicks was the second step."—Parker's English Composition, p. 27. "The comeliness of youth are modesty and frankness; of age, condescension and dignity."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 166. "Merit and good works is the end of man's motion."—Lord Bacon. "Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mind."—Shakspeare. "The clothing of the natives were the skins of wild beasts."—Indian Wars, p. 92. "Prepossessions in favor of our nativ town, is not a matter of surprise."—Webster's Essays, p. 217. "Two shillings and six pence is half a crown, but not a half crown."—Priestley's Gram., p. 150; Bicknell's, ii, 53. "Two vowels, pronounced by a single impulse of the voice, and uniting in one sound, is called a dipthong."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 1. "Two or more sentences united together is called a Compound Sentence."—P. E. Day's District School Gram., p. 10. "Two or more words rightly put together, but not completing an entire proposition, is called a Phrase."—Ibid. "But the common Number of Times are five."—The British Grammar, p. 122. "Technical terms, injudiciously introduced, is another source of darkness in composition."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 107. "The United States is the great middle division of North America."—Morse's Geog., p. 44. "A great cause of the low state of industry were the restraints put upon it."—HUME: Murray's Gram., p. 145; Ingersoll's, 172; Sanborn's, 192; Smith's, 123; and others. "Here two tall ships becomes the victor's prey."—Rowe's Lucan, B. ii, l. 1098. "The expenses incident to an outfit is surely no object."—The Friend, Vol. iii., p. 200.
"Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep."—Milton.
"Much pains has been taken to explain all the kinds of words."—Infant School Gram. p. 128. "Not less [time] than three years are spent in attaining this faculty."—Music of Nature, p. 28. "Where this night are met in state Many a friend to gratulate His wish'd presence."—Milton's Comus. l. 948. "Peace! my darling, here's no danger, Here's no oxen near thy bed."—Watts. "But every one of these are mere conjectures, and some of them very unhappy ones."—Coleridge's Introduction, p. 61. "The old theorists, calling the Interrogatives and Repliers, adverbs, is only a part of their regular system of naming words."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 374. "Where a series of sentences occur, place them in the order in which the facts occur."—Ib., p. 264. "And that the whole in conjunction make a regular chain of causes and effects."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 275. "The origin of the Grecian, and Roman republics, though equally involved in the obscurities and uncertainties of fabulous events, present one remarkable distinction."—Adam's Rhet., i, 95. "In these respects, mankind is left by nature an unformed, unfinished creature."—Butler's Analogy, p. 144. "The scripture are the oracles of God himself."—HOOKER: Joh. Dict., w. Oracle. "And at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits."—Solomon's Song, vii, 13. "The preterit of pluck, look, and toss are, in speech, pronounced pluckt, lookt, tosst."—Fowler's E. Gram., 1850, §68.
"Severe the doom that length of days impose, To stand sad witness of unnumber'd woes!"—Melmoth.
1. Forms not proper for the Common or Familiar Style.
"Was it thou that buildedst that house?"—Inst., p. 151. "That boy writeth very elegantly."—Ib. "Couldest not thou write without blotting thy book?"—Ib. "Thinkest thou not it will rain to-day?"—Ib. "Doth not your cousin intend to visit you?"—Ib. "That boy hath torn my book."—Ib. "Was it thou that spreadest the hay?"—Ib. "Was it James, or thou, that didst let him in?"—Ib. "He dareth not say a word."—Ib. "Thou stoodest in my way and hinderedst me."—Ib.
"Whom see I?—Whom seest thou now?—Whom sees he?—Whom lovest thou most?—What dost thou to-day?—What person seest thou teaching that boy?—He hath two new knives.—Which road takest thou?—What child teaches he?"—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 66. "Thou, who makest my shoes, sellest many more."—Ib., p. 67.
"The English language hath been much cultivated during the last two hundred years. It hath been considerably polished and refined."—Lowth's Gram., Pref., p. iii. "This stile is ostentatious, and doth not suit grave writing."—Priestley's Gram., p. 82. "But custom hath now appropriated who to persons, and which to things."—Ib., p. 97. "The indicative mood sheweth or declareth; as, Ego amo, I love: or else asketh a question; as, Amas tu? Dost thou love?"—Paul's Accidence, Ed. of 1793, p. 16. "Though thou canst not do much for the cause, thou mayst and shouldst do something."—Murray's Gram., p. 143. "The support of so many of his relations, was a heavy task; but thou knowest he paid it cheerfully."—Murray's Key, R. 1, p. 180. "It may, and often doth, come short of it."—Campbell's Rhetoric, p. 160.
"'Twas thou, who, while thou seem'dst to chide, To give me all thy pittance tried."—Mitford's Blanch, p. 78.
2. Forms not proper for the Solemn or Biblical Style.
"The Lord has prepaid his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all."—See Key. "Thou answer'd them, O Lord our God: thou was a God that forgave them, though thou took vengeance of their inventions."—See Key. "Then thou spoke in vision to thy Holy One, and said, I have laid help upon one that is mighty."—See Key. "So then, it is not of him that wills, nor of him that rules, but of God that shows mercy; who dispenses his blessings, whether temporal or spiritual, as seems good in his sight."—See Key.
"Thou, the mean while, was blending with my thought; Yea, with my life, and life's own secret joy."—Coleridge.
"Who is here so base, that would be a bondman?"—Beauties of Shakspeare, p. 249. "Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman?"—Ib. "There is not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice."—Murray's Gram., p. 300. "In order to adjust them so, as shall consist equally with the perspicuity and the strength of the period."—Ib., p. 324; Blair's Rhet., 118. "But, sometimes, there is a verb comest in."—Cobbett's English Gram., ¶248. "Mr. Prince has a genius would prompt him to better things."—Spectator, No. 466. "It is this removes that impenetrable mist."—Harris's Hermes, p. 362. "By the praise is given him for his courage."—Locke, on Education, p. 214. "There is no man would be more welcome here."—Steele, Spect., No. 544. "Between an antecedent and a consequent, or what goes before, and immediately follows."—Blair's Rhet., p. 141. "And as connected with what goes before and follows."— Ib., p. 354. "There is no man doth a wrong for the wrong's sake."—Lord Bacon. "All the various miseries of life, which people bring upon themselves by negligence and folly, and might have been avoided by proper care, are instances of this."—Butler's Analogy, p. 108. "Ancient philosophers have taught many things in favour of morality, so far at least as respect justice and goodness towards our fellow-creatures."—Gospel its own Witness, p. 56. "Indeed, if there be any such, have been, or appear to be of us, as suppose, there is not a wise man among us all, nor an honest man, that is able to judge betwixt his brethren; we shall not covet to meddle in their matter."—Barclay's Works, i, 504. "There were that drew back; there were that made shipwreck of faith: yea, there were that brought in damnable heresies."—Ib., i, 466. "The nature of the cause rendered this plan altogether proper, and in similar situations is fit to be imitated."—Blair's Rhet., p. 274. "This is an idiom to which our language is strongly inclined, and was formerly very prevalent."— Churchill's Gram., p. 150. "His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones."—Job, viii, 17.