LESSON XXXI.

Second Rule of Syntax.

(SECOND RULE OF CONCORD.)

302. Two or more Nouns or Pronouns occurring in the same imple Sentence, and referring to the same person or thing, agree in Case.

As, St. PAUL, the APOSTLE, was a NATIVE of
Tarsus;

The FLORIN, or two-shilling PIECE, is a very
convenient COIN;

THOU art the MAN;

I believe HIM to be a good MAN;

My BROTHER has been appointed TEACHER;
JOHN is becoming a troublesome BOY.

303. There are two exceptions to this rule :-
(1.) When a Reflective pronoun is used, as,
John has hurt himself; You are de-
ceiving yourself; The children are
amusing themselves.

[In such constructions the Reflective pronoun is obviously in the Objective case (governed by the preceding verb), although it refers to the same person as the Nominative to the verb.]

(2.) When the Possessor of a thing is denoted by two or more nouns, the last only is put in the Possessive case, as, John has gone to Mr. Murphy the bookseller's shop to buy a copy.

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[In this example the noun Mr. Murphy and the noun bookseller's evidently refer to the same person, but taken separately they do not appear to be in the same case. In such constructions the two nouns should be taken together and parsed as one Compound Noun.]

304. When two or more nouns referring to the same person or thing come together, the construetion is called Apposition, as, St. Paul, the apostle, was born at Tarsus.

305. A noun is sometimes used in apposition with a sentence, that is, with the substance or general meaning of the sentence, as, Children attend school very irregularly, a FACT which fully accounts for their slow progress.

306. [The general rule given at the beginning of this Lesson is usually divided into three Rules, viz.:~

(1.) Two Nouns, or a Noun and Pronoun, coming together and referring to the same person or thing, agree in case.

This is called the Rule of Apposition.

(2.) The Verb To be takes the same case after it as before it.

(3.) The Verbs To become, To seem, To appear, and Passive Verbs of calling, naming, appointing, considering, &c., take the same case after them as before them, when both cases refer to the same person or thing.

The general rule, however, includes all these cases, and being quite simple, and easily understood, should be preferred.]

LESSON XXXII.

Third Rule of Syntax.

(THIRD RULE OF Concord.)

307. A Relative Pronoun agrees with its Antecedent in Number and Person,

As,

Trust in me who am your friend;

I will trust in you who are my friend;
Trust in him who is your friend;
Trust in them who are your friends.

308. [This Rule is only a part of a general rule, viz.:

Pronouns must agree in gender, number, and person, with the nouns for which they stand.

The Noun for which the Relative Pronoun stands is called its Antecedent, but the same name might properly be applied to the noun for which any pronoun stands.]

309. The Relative Pronoun does not agree in case with its Antecedent. There are two Rules to guide us as to the Case of the Relative, viz :— (1.) The Relative is the Nominative to the following verb, when no nominative

comes between it and the verb, as Trust in me WHO AM your friend.

(2). If a nominative comes between the Relative and the following verb, the relative is either in the Possessive Case, and depending upon the noun

that follows, or in the Objective case and depending on the following verb or on a preceding preposition, as,

Trust in me whose friendship you have often experienced ;

Trust in me whom you know to be your friend;

Trust in me in whom you have always trusted.

310. Relative Pronouns are used only in the Subordinate clauses of Complex sentences-[See § 276]; and the Relative and Antecedent can never occur in the same Simple sentence.

311. The Antecedent to the relative Who is sometimes included in a Possessive Pronoun; as, Can I believe HIS love will lasting prove, WHO has no reverence for the God I love.

312. The relative Which has sometimes its Antecedent repeated after it, for the sake of emphasis or clearness; as,

He employed many arguments, which argu-
MENTS, however, were of little worth.

313. [In such constructions the relative Which is really a Pronominal adjective, and performs the functions of both a Relative pronoun and a Demonstrative pronoun.]

314. The relative That is commonly employed in preference to Who or Which in the following

cases:

(1.) After adjectives in the Superlative degree; as, The wisest man that ever lived.

(2.) After the words all, any, same, none, nothing; as, All is not gold that glitters.

(3.) After the Interrogative pronoun who; as, Who that knows anything of grammar would make such a mistake?

(4.) When the Antecedent consists of two nouns, one of which would require who, and the other which; as, The man and the horse that were drowned.

315. The Objective case of the relatives Who and Which is frequently omitted in sentences, as, The person he met in the field (i.e. the person whom he met, &c.); The book you speak of (i.e., the book which, &c.) But the Nominative and Possessive

cases should never be omitted.

316. In poetry the Antecedent of the relative Who is sometimes omitted, as Who steals my purse, steals trash (i.e. He who steals, &c.)

LESSON XXXIII.

Fourth Rule of Syntax.

(FOURTH RULE OF CONCORD.)

317. Every Adjective must refer to some Noun expressed or understood in the Sentence; As, Bad books are bad companions. The good alone are happy.

318. [This rule applies also to Pronominal adjectives and Participles. Every Pronominal adjective and every Participle must refer to some noun expressed or understood in the sentence.