2. The participle may be used with a noun (§ 69) in the nominative absolute; as, (1) The fire being out, the firemen retired. (2) The storm having subsided, the boats left the harbor. This use has the sanction of good writers, but a clause will usually make the sentence more coherent, and is preferable to the absolute construction; as, Since the fire was out, the firemen retired. 138. A participle may have all the modifiers of the verb; it may take a noun complement, adjective complement, adverbial phrase or word, substantive clause, etc. EXERCISE 23 Parse each participle in the following sentences : MODEL: We heard them singing college songs. Singing is a present, active, participle; it is used as an adjective to modify the pronoun them. As a verb, it takes the direct object, college songs. 1. There was a crown offered him; and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand. 2. The rising generation is taller than the present. 3. The soldiers saw him fallen; and having seen, they feared for their safety; and fearing, they fled. 4. We found him standing at the gate. 5. We sat till late watching the fire on the hearth. 6. The children marched out singing "America." 7. A howling storm, blowing directly over the harbor, made the anchored vessels rock in the rolling sea. 8. It was a freezing cold night when we started. 9. His father being ill, all responsibility rests upon James. 10. You suddenly arose and walked about, musing and sigh ing. 11. I grant I am a woman, but withal a woman well re puted. 12. We heard him walking about in the dark. CHAPTER XV THE INFINITIVE 139. Another form of the verbal is the infinitive. It is formed by using the particle to with forms of the verb; as, to praise, to have praised. The infinitive differs from the verb in three respects: 1. It is not connected with any subject through person and number. 2. It has no variation of mode. 3. It has no distinctions of time except relative to the principal verb in its clause. It is like the verb in that it can govern an object and take adverbial modifiers; it is like the noun in that it serves as subject or complement of a verb. An infinitive is a verb form which partakes of the nature of a noun and expresses action without reference to a subject. 140. There are two infinitives, the present infinitive and the perfect infinitive. The present active infinitive is formed by joining the particle to to the simplest form of the verb; as, to be, to praise. The perfect active infinitive is formed by joining to have to the past participle of the verb; as, to have been, to have praised. The passive infinitives are formed by joining the infinitives of the verb to be to the past participle. THE INFINITIVES OF THE VERBS BE, PRAISE, SEE 141. The infinitive is used as substantive; as adjective; in relation to verbs and adjectives; in independent phrases; in the clause; and to form pure verb phrases. 142. There are five uses of the infinitive as substantive. 1. The infinitive as substantive may be the subject of a sentence, and as such it always takes a singular verb; as, (1) To serve your neighbor is your high privilege. (2) To seem is easier than to be. 2. The infinitive as substantive is used as the predi cate attribute or as complement with the copula or a copulative verb; as, (1) He appears to be honest. (2) His hope is to win a fortune. The retained object (§ 66: 2) with passive verbs may be an infinitive and as such is a predicate attribute or complement; as, He was permitted to keep the book. (We permitted him to keep the book.) See 5 below for the infinitive as secondary object. The infinitive may stand in the predicate in sentences beginning with it is or was; as, It is a wise policy to be honest. Here the infinitive may be regarded either as subject or as in apposition with it. 3. The infinitive as substantive may be the object of a preposition; as, (1) Nothing was left to us except to surrender. (2) We had tried every device but to flatter him. 4. The substantive infinitive is used to complete the meaning of a transitive or incomplete verb and is an object complement; as, (1) We desire to improve these conditions. (2) The governor wishes to see you. This use is sometimes called the complementary infinitive. 5. The substantive infinitive may stand with verbs which require a double object, either direct or indirect; as, (1) We permitted him to keep the book. (2) My father asked me to go. Here the pronoun him is the indirect object in close connection with permitted; me is the direct object in close connection with asked. The infinitive is the secondary object. See 2 above for this infinitive as retained object. 143. The infinitive may be used as an adjective; as, 1. My duty to remain became very clear. In these sentences the infinitive limits and describes |