Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

with ye, and another is governed by of. "Ye are one another's joy."-Bible. Here one is in apposition with ye, and another's is in the possessive case, being governed by joy. "Love will make you one another's joy." Here one is in the objective case, being in apposition with you, and another's is governed as before. The Latin terms alius alium, alii alios, &c. sufficiently confirm this doctrine.

93. 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.

94. Adjectives should be employed to qualify nouns and pronouns, and adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It is, therefore, incorrect to say, "She writes elegant ;"-" Thine often infirmities."

95. Conjunctions should not be unnecessarily accumulated; as, "But AND if that evil servant shall say in his heart," &c.-Matt. xxiv. 48.

96. Those verbs and participles, which require a regimen, should not be employed without it; as " She endeavoured to ingratiate [herself] with the family." "I will not allow of it." Leave out of.

97. Those verbs and participles, which do not admit a regimen, should not be used transitively; as, "The planters grow cotton:" say raise, or cultivate.

N.B. Some verbs, however, may govern a kindred noun, or its pronoun, but no other; as,

"He lived a

[ocr errors]

virtuous life."-" Hear, I pray you, this dream, which I have dreamed."-Gen. xxxvii. 6.

98. Beside should be used as a preposition, and besides only as an adverb.

99. Passive verbs of asking, giving, teaching, and some others, are often employed to govern a noun or pronoun in the objective.

66

Examples:-" He was asked his opinion."

Johnson.

They were denied the indulgence.”—Macaulay.

"He was taught the science in its strictly logical form."-"They had been refused shelter."-" And all are taught an avarice of praise."-Goldsmith.

100. There are some verbs, which may be used either transitively or intransitively; as, "He will return in a week," "He will return the book;". "The wind blows violently," "The wind blows the chaff."

66

101. Mussulmen is used by many writers as the plural of Mussulman, which is decidedly incorrect. We say Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Irishmen, &c., and not Frenchmans, Dutchmans, Irishmans, because Frenchman, Dutchman, and Irishman, are respectively compounded of French and man, Dutch and man, Irish and man, and because men is the plural of man. as to the word Mussulman, though it may be a compound in the Arabic, in which language it signifies a believer in the true religion, yet considered as an English word, it is not compounded, but simple, as we have no such word as Mussul in the English tongue.

But,

It is the same with the words Ottoman and German,

which considered as English words, are not compounded, whatever they may be in the countries, where they were coined. We, therefore, say Ottomans and Germans in the plural: and no one ever yet took it into his head to say Ottomen or Germen.

We ought, on the same principle, to say Mussulmans in the plural, and not Mussulmen.

102. Co- ought to be used only when the word, with which it is joined, begins with a vowel, as in co-eval, co-existent, co-incident, co-operate &c.-Con-, when the word begins with a consonant, as in contemporary, conjuncture, &c.-There is but one exception, which is co-partner.

103. Extemporary is preferable as an adjective to extempore, which is properly an adverb, and ought, for the sake of precision, to be confined to that use. Thus we say with propriety, an extemporary prayer, an extemporary sermon-but, he prays extempore, he preaches extempore. On the same principle scarcely as an adverb ought to be preferred to scarce, which is an adjective; and exceedingly, as an adverb, to exceeding, which is a participle.

104. When this and that are used in the sense of former and latter, this and these correspond with latter, that and those with former.

Examples:-"Religion raises men above themselves; irreligion sinks them beneath the brutes ;this [irreligion] binds them down to a pitiable speck of earth-that [religion] opens for them a prospect to the skies."

"The palaces and lofty domes arose ;—

These for devotion, and for pleasure those."

Pope.

73

INSTANCES OF FALSE SYNTAX,

ERRORS, INACCURACIES, INCONSISTENCIES, OBJECTIONABLE EXPRESSIONS, AND BAD ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS, SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF AUTHORS OF EMINENCE.

1. "He trusted to have equalled the Most High.”

Milton.

2. "Such is the advantage we receive from the chain being composed of so many links, the spine of so many bones."—Paley.

3. "A contemporary scholar speaks of the author being unknown."-Campbell.

4. "These reflections naturally recalled again more strongly than before his haggard face."-Dickens.

5. "Harbour more craft and more corrupter ends." -Shakspere.

6. "There was a chance of him recovering his senses."―Macaulay.

7. "There are bodies, each of which are so small.” -Locke.

8. "If the ancient prowess and intrepidity of our people is gone."—Alison.

9. "The high reputation, which he afterwards obtained, came too late to gladden the heart, which, of all others, would have most rejoiced in it."-Southey.

10. "Many of the streets have trees planted along the edge of the foot-pavement on each side, which, in summer, affords an agreeable shade."-Buckingham's "America."

11. "They continue with me now three days."Matt. xv. 32.

12. "Columbus had fondly hoped, at one time, to have rendered the natives civilised, industrious, and tributary subjects of the crown."—Irving.

13. "Where a blue sky and glowing clime extends."-Byron.

14. As Dr. Wallis hath long ago observed."Lowth.

15. "We are not condemned to toil through halt a folio, to be convinced that the writer has broke his promise."-Johnson.

16. "To make this sentence perspicuous, it would be necessary to entirely remodel it."-Newman.

17. "And down comes her masts with a reeling shock."-Wilson.

18. He neither loves nor either cares for him."Shakspere.

19. "We ascend up to our native seat."-Milton. 20. "Hood took the station, which the Goliath intended to have occupied."-Southey.

21. "The application of gravel and sand effects as much, if not more, improvement, in consolidating and decomposing the mass, than either lime or dung."Jackson's "Agriculture."

22. 66 The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass.”—James i. 11.

23. "I have proceeded in the revisal, as far, and somewhat farther than the fifteenth book."-Cowper.

24. "The purer and perfecter our religion is, the worthier effects it hath."-Hooker.

25. "Christian and Moor in death promiscuous lay, Each where they fell."-Southey.

« ZurückWeiter »