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What warlike pageants have ye seen, what trains of captives, and what heaps of spoil!

What (plural number) make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?

This is what I call having taste and sentiment.

Which of these lessons do you like the best.

How dar'st thou look on that prophetic sky,

And seek to save what all things else condemn ?

What is your affair in Elsinore?

113. A noun of multitude is a noun which expresses one thing consisting of several individuals; as, A school, a fleet,

an army.

TWENTY-FIFTH RULE OF SYNTAX.

WHEN A NOUN OF MULTITUDE CONVEYS unity OF IDEA, THE

VERBS AND PRONOUNS AGREEING WITH IT MUST BE OF THE

singular NUMBER.

[Unity of idea means that it expresses several things unitedly considered.]

TWENTY-SIXTH RULE OF SYNTAX.

WHEN A NOUN OF MULTITUDE CONVEYS plurality of idea,

THE VERBS AND PRONOUNS AGREEING WITH IT MUST BE IN

THE plural Number.

[Plurality of idea means that it expresses several things separately considered.]

Parse the following sentences, and apply the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Rules of Syntax.

mous.

The council, which met at the state-house, were not unaniThe parliament was dissolved. The fleet was seen sailing up the river. The fleet have all arrived. The regiment consists of a thousand men. The regiment did not obey the orders of their officers. The committee met at the room. The committee were divided in their sentiments. The flock was tended by a boy. The flock were all sheared. The church has no power to inflict corporeal punishment. The church refused to receive him. The crowd was so great,

that the judges with difficulty made, their way through it. The British nation is great and generous. The company is assembled; it is composed of persons possessing very different sentiments. A herd of cattle peacefully grazing, affords a pleasing sight.

A flock of sheep were driven to slaughter. The flock were running in different directions. Liberty should reach every individual of a people, as they all share one common nature. A part of these colonies then felt the fatal calamities of fire and sword. A part of these towns had been incorporated. A people thus enlightened are always careful to secure their rights and privileges. A part, who did not respect the authority of their officers, insulted them on the parade. The Romish church differs much from the Protestant. What party is that which despises the constituted authorities, and pretends to make laws for itself? When all his father's

house heard it, they went down to see him. A fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger came up also against Israel, because they believed not in God, though he had rained down manna upon them.

TWENTY-SEVENTH RULE OF SYNTAX.

WHEN A NOMINATIVE CASE HAS NO VERE TO AGREE WITH IT, BUT IS PLACED BEFORE A PARTICIPLE, IT IS CALLED THE NOMINATIVE CASE ABSOLUTE.

Parse the following sentences.

Shame being lost, all virtue is lost. The lessons having been recited, the pupils were dismissed. The clouds having been dispersed, the moon diffused her mild radiance. The fire having been neglected, the building was consumed. The wind blowing in her favour, the ship soon reached the shore. The tide being favourable, the vessel was enabled to come at once to the pier. The book being lost, the girl neglected her lesson. Order having been restored, the business proceeded. There being no insurance, the loss was great. The guards waiting, he is led out. The master agreeing, the slave was emancipated. Honour and shame rising from no condition, we should not be discontented with our lot. The rain and dew descending alike on all, Providence should be blessed by all mankind. John and William being there, the assertion was made. Hope predominating, fear was

Overcome.

RECAPITULATION OF THE RULES OF SYNTAX.

RULE 1.

The article a, or an, agrees with nouns of the singular number only. The article the agrees with nouns of the sin

gular or plural number.

RULE 2.

Every adjective, and every adjective pronoun, belongs to some noun or pronoun, expressed or understood.

RULE 3.

Prepositions govern the objective case.

RULE 4.

The possessive case of a noun or pronoun is always governed by the next noun that follows it expressed or understood.

RULE 5.

Conjunctions connect similar parts of speech, and members of Sentences.

RULE 6.

The pronoun which follows an interjection must be in the nominative case, if it be of the second person, and in the obiective case, if it be of the first person.

RULE 7.

The noun or pronoun addressed or spoken to, is of the second person, and is called the nominative case independent.

RULE 8.

When two or more nouns, or a noun and a pronoun, come together, and mean the same person or thing, they are said to be in apposition, and agree in case.

RULE 9.

The nominative case governs the verb. The verb and its nominative must be of the same person and number.

RULE 10.

When two or more words, in the singular number, are

Joined together by the conjunction and, the verbs, nouns, and pronouns, agreeing with them, must be in the plural number.

RULE 11.

Neuter and passive verbs have the same case after them as before them, when both words represent the same thing.

RULE 12.

Active verbs govern the objective case.

RULE 13.

Participles belong to nouns or pronouns, expressed or understood.

RULE 14.

The present and compound perfect participles of active verbs govern the objective case.

RULE 15.

A participial noun, derived from an active verb, may govern the objective case.

RULE 16.

Adverbs qualify verbs, participles, adjectives, adverbs, and sometimes other words.

RULE 17.

The infinitive mood may be governed by a verb, a participle, a noun, or an adjective.

RULE 18.

The infinitive mood is used without its sign to, after the verbs bid, dare, need, make, see, hear, feel, let, and a few others.

RULE 19.

The infinitive mood is sometimes used as the nominative to a verb, and may have an adjective agreeing with it.

RULE 20.

The infinitive mood is sometimes used as the objective case, governed by an active verb, or a preposition.

RULE 21.

The infinitive mood is made absolute, when it supplies the place of the conjunction that, with the potential mood.

RULE 22.

The infinitive mood sometimes follows an objective case.

RULE 23.

The infinitive mood sometimes follows the conjunctions than or as.

RULE 24.

Relative pronouns must be of the same person, number, and gender, as their antecedents or subsequents.

RULE 25.

When a noun of multitude conveys unity of idea, the verbs and pronouns agreeing with it must be in the SINGULAR number.

RULE 26.

When a noun of multitude conveys plurality of idea, the verbs and pronouns agreeing with it must be in the PLURAL number.

RULE 27.

When a nominative case has no verb to agree with it, but is placed before a participle, it is called the nominative case absolute.

[The preceding twenty-seven Rules of Syntax, it is believed, include all that is necessary for the analysis of English sentences. Other rules will be found superfluous by those who can supply the words and phrases which are frequently omitted for the sake of brevity, or rhetorical beauty. Under the head of Ellipsis will be found many sentences containing examples, for the parsing of which, grammarians have furnished distinct rules. The elliptical parts of those sentences which are peculiarly difficult, are supplied in Italic letters; by which it will be seen, that those words, which, in the elliptical form of the sentence, do not appear susceptible of analysis, are readily referred to some of the rules given above.]

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