others to denote but one.

Our is used in the same way.

Thus, "We give this as our opinion."

You is often used to denote but one; but the verb agreeing with it must have the plural form.

When neuter nouns are personified they are represented by pronouns in the masculine or the feminine gender. Thus, "Grim Darkness furls his leaden shroud."

Such collectives as dozen, many, few, score, preceded by a, are represented by pronouns in the plural; as, “A few of them were present."

Antecedents in the singular number but of different persons cannot be represented by a single pronoun. A separate pronoun must be used to represent each antecedent. Thus, "The boy found his pencil, but his sister did not find hers."

Violations in the Usage of Pronouns.

Every one in the family should know their [his] duty.-Penn. His form had not yet lost all her [its] original brightness.— Milton.

I shall not learn my duty from such as thee [thou].—Fielding. But he must be stronger than thee [thou].-Southey.

No one will answer as if I were their [his] friend or companion.-Steele, in Spectator.

She was no better bred nor wiser than you or me [I].—Thackeray.

If the part deserve any comment, every considering Christian will make it themselves [himself] as they go [he goes].Defoe.

Now these systems, so far from having any tendency to make men better, have manifest tendency to make him [them] worse. -Wayland.

Every nation have their [has its] refinement.-Sterne.

Neither gave vent to their [his] feelings in words.-Scott, Everybody will become of use in their [his] own fittest way. -Ruskin.

The tongue is like a race-horse, which runs the faster the less weight it [he] carries.—Addison.

Nobody knows what it is to lose a friend till they have [he has] lost one.-Fielding.

I do not mean that I think any one to blame for taking care of their [his] health.—Addison.

"Rose Satterly, the mayor's daughter?"-"That's her" [she]. -Fielding.

RELATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS.

A Relative Pronoun is one which relates to a preceding word, phrase, or clause, called its antecedent, and unites with it a subordinate clause.

The relative pronouns are who, which, what, and that. Some grammarians consider as a relative pronoun when it follows such, same, or many; as, "We give you such as we have." Others claim that there is an ellipsis in such expressions, the relative pronoun being understood, the foregoing sentence meaning, "We give you such as (those are which) we have."

Who is used to represent persons, which to represent inferior animals and things without life, what to represent things, and that to represent both persons and things.

What, that, and which have the same form in the nominative as in the objective case.

In many sentences what is equivalent to both the antecedent and the relative; as in

a. That is what I saw.

b. He bought what he wanted.

In parsing what, a form something like the following is the simplest: In the first sentence, "What is a relative pronoun having a double construction. It is in the nominative case after is, and in the objective case after saw."

Three of the words used as relative pronouns, who, which, what, are used also as Interrogative Pronouns. Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.

The possessive form of who and which is whose. What and that have no possessive form.

SYNTAX OF RELATIVE PRONOUNS.

The relative pronoun who is sometimes applied to the names of animals when these are personified; as, “The fox, who now addressed the assembly," etc.

Which was formerly used in referring to persons; as, "Our Father, which art in heaven," but the question is pertinent as to this expression, the opening of the Lord's Prayer, May not the use of which here arise from the thought that the petitioner was addressing the Lord not as a person but as a pure spirit?

A clause introduced by a relative pronoun is said to be restrictive when it limits or restricts the meaning of its antecedent word as would be done by an adjective. Thus, "The man who is industrious will succeed;" that is, "The industrious man will succeed."

Notice the difference in the force of the relative clauses in the following:

a. "My brother that is studying law will be examined in June." (Restrictive.)

b. "My brother, who has been spending the summer with us, will return to the city soon." (Non-restrictive.)

In sentence b, the subordinate clause "who has been spending the summer with us," may be stricken out without changing the meaning of the main clause, but this cannot be done with a restrictive clause.

Relative pronouns which are used apparently in answer to questions, as "Who spoke ?"-"I do not know who spoke," are known as Responsive Relative Pronouns.

The relative pronoun should be placed near its antecedent to avoid ambiguity.

When a relative pronoun represents a collective noun denoting unity, which is used; as, "The school, which convened at nine, has been dismissed."

When a proper name is used merely as a word, it is represented by which; thus, "Washington, a name which is dear to every American."

What should not be used instead of the conjunction that; as, "We do not know but what [that] he may come."

Whom and which generally follow the preposition by which they are governed; that always precedes both the verb and the preposition. Thus, "To whom did he speak?" "Here is the boy that I spoke to."

That is frequently used instead of who or which. The following are the most important cases:

a. After who used interrogatively; as, "Who that has seen his work is not pleased?"

b. After an adjective or an adverb in the superlative degree; as, "This is the best that we could get."

c. When reference is made to antecedents which separately are represented by who and which; as, "Both the horse and the rider that we saw fell off the bridge."

d. After the adjectives same, very, and every, when the relative clause is restrictive; as, "This is the same man that called yesterday."

e. After the pronoun it used indefinitely; as, "It was not I alone that was careless."

f. After all and similar antecedents when the limiting clause is restrictive; as, "All that are studious will improve."

By many writers and speakers the last of these rules is not strictly observed. Thus, while it is certainly cor

rect to say "All that are interested will remain," the form All who are interested will remain " is sanctioned by custom at least.

A change of relatives referring to the same antecedent should be avoided. The following is incorrect: "This is the same person that called, and whom we met in the city."

Violations of the Correct Usage of Relative Pronouns. Who [whom] have we here?-Goldsmith.

Our party of seventeen, the largest which [that] ever entered the valley.-Richardson.

Massillon is perhaps the most eloquent writer of sermons which [that] modern times have produced.—Blair.

Who [whom] should I meet the other day but my old friend? -Steele.

The princes and states who [that] had neglected or favored the growth of this power.-Bolingbroke.

The army whom [which] the chief had abandoned, pursued meanwhile their [its] miserable march.-Lockhart's Napoleon. Both minister and magistrate are compelled to choose between his [their] duty and (their) reputation.-Junius.

The first American who [that] adopted literature as a calling, and who [that] successfully relied on his pen for support, etc.— A History of Literature.

This is just as if an eye or a foot should demand a salary for their [its] service to the body.-Collier's Antoninus.

When you press a watch or pull a clock, they answer [it answers] your question with precision, for they report [it reports] exactly the hour of the day, and tell [tells] you neither more nor less than you desire to know.-Bolingbroke.

Valancourt was the hero of one of the most famous romances which [that] was [were] published in this country.-Thackeray. Not the Mogul, or Czar of Muscovy,

Nor [or] Prester John, or Chan of Tartary,

Are [is] in their houses [his house] monarch more than I.

-King: British Poets.