Exercise 15
Fill the blanks in the following sentences with the proper emphatic or reflexive forms. Punctuate properly. (See §108):
32. The Compound Relative Pronouns are formed by adding ever, so, or soever to the relative pronouns, who, which, and what; as, whoever, whatever, whomever, whosoever, whoso, whosoever, etc. It will be noted that whoever, whosoever, and whoso have objective forms, whomever, whomsoever, and whomso; and possessive forms, whosoever, whosesoever, and whoseso. These forms must be used whenever the objective or possessive case is demanded. Thus, one should say, I will give it to whomever I find there. (See §29 and Note 3.)
Exercise 16
Fill the following blanks with the proper forms of the compound relatives:
33. There are certain words, called Adjective Pronouns, which are regarded as pronouns, because, although they are properly adjective in their meaning, the nouns which they modify are never expressed; as, One (there is a possessive form, one's, and a plural form, ones), none, this, that, these, those, other, former, some, few, many, etc.
34. Some miscellaneous cautions in the use of pronouns:
1. The pronoun I should always be capitalized, and should, when used as part of a compound subject, be placed second; as, James and I were present, not I and James were present.
2. Do not use the common and grave forms of the personal pronouns in the same sentence; as, Thou wilt do this whether you wish or not.
3. Avoid the use of personal pronouns where they are unnecessary; as, John, he did it, or Mary, she said. This is a frequent error in speech.
4. Let the antecedent of each pronoun be clearly apparent. Note the uncertainty in the following sentence; He sent a box of cheese, and it was made of wood. The antecedent of it is not clear. Again, A man told his son to take his coat home. The antecedent of his is very uncertain. Such errors are frequent.
In relative clauses this error may sometimes be avoided by placing the relative clause as near as possible to the noun it limits. Note the following sentence: A cat was found in the yard which wore a blue ribbon. The grammatical inference would be that the yard wore the blue ribbon. The sentence might be changed to, A cat, which wore a blue ribbon, was found in the yard.
5. Relative clauses referring to the same thing require the same relative pronoun to introduce them; as, The book that we found and the book that he lost are the same.
6. Use but that when but is a conjunction and that introduces a noun clause; as, There is no doubt but that he will go. Use but what when but is a preposition in the sense of except; as, He has no money but (except) what I gave him.
7. Them is a pronoun and should never be used as an adjective. Those is the adjective which should be used in its place; as, Those people, not, Them people.
8. Avoid using you and they indefinitely; as, You seldom hear of such things, They make chairs there. Instead, say, One seldom hears of such things, Chairs are made there.
9. Which should not be used with a clause or phrase as its antecedent. Both the following sentences are wrong: He sent me to see John, which I did. Their whispering became very loud, which annoyed the preacher.
10. Never use an apostrophe with the possessive pronouns, its, yours, theirs, ours and hers.
Exercise 17
Correct the following sentences so that they do not violate the cautions above stated:
ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
35. An Adjective is a word used to modify a noun or a pronoun. An Adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adjectives and adverbs are very closely related in both their forms and their use.
36. Comparison. The variation of adjectives and adverbs to indicate the degree of modification they express is called Comparison. There are three degrees of comparison.
The Positive Degree indicates the mere possession of a quality; as, true, good, sweet, fast, lovely.
The Comparative Degree indicates a stronger degree of the quality than the positive; as, truer, sweeter, better, faster, lovelier.
The Superlative Degree indicates the highest degree of quality; as, truest, sweetest, best, fastest, loveliest.
Where the adjectives and adverbs are compared by inflection they are said to be compared regularly. In regular comparison the comparative is formed by adding er, and the superlative by adding est. If the word ends in y, the y is changed to i before adding the ending; as, pretty, prettier, prettiest.
Where the adjectives and adverbs have two or more syllables, most of them are compared by the use of the adverbs more and most, or, if the comparison be a descending one, by the use of less and least; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful, and less beautiful, least beautiful.
37. Some adjectives and adverbs are compared by changing to entirely different words in the comparative and superlative. Note the following:
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| bad, ill, evil, badly | worse | worst |
| far | farther, further | farthest, furthest |
| forth | further | furthest |
| fore | former | foremost, first |
| good, well | better | best |
| hind | hinder | hindmost |
| late | later, latter | latest, last |
| little | less | least |
| much, many | more | most |
| old | older, elder | oldest, eldest |
Note.—Badly and forth may be used only as adverbs. Well is usually an adverb; as, He talks well, but may be used as an adjective; as, He seems well.
38. Confusion of Adjectives and Adverbs. An adjective is often used where an adverb is required, and vice versa. The sentence, She talks foolish, is wrong, because here the word to be modified is talks, and since talks is a verb, the adverb foolishly should be used. The sentence, She looks charmingly, means, as it stands, that her manner of looking at a thing is charming. What is intended to be said is that she appears as if she was a charming woman. To convey that meaning, the adjective, charming, should have been used, and the sentence should read, She looks charming. Wherever the word modifies a verb or an adjective or another adverb, an adverb should be used, and wherever the word, whatever its location in the sentence, modifies a noun or pronoun, an adjective should be used.
39. The adjective and the adverb are sometimes alike in form. Thus, both the following sentences are correct: He works hard (adverb), and His work is hard (adjective). But, usually, where the adjective and the adverb correspond at all, the adverb has the additional ending ly; as, The track is smooth, (adjective), and The train runs smoothly, (adverb).
In the following sentences choose from the italicized words the proper word to be used:
Exercise 19
The adjectives and adverbs in the following sentences are correctly used. In every case show what they modify:
Write sentences containing the following words correctly used:
Thoughtful, thoughtfully, masterful, masterfully, hard, hardly, cool, coolly, rapid, rapidly, ungainly, careful, carefully, eager, eagerly, sweet, sweetly, gracious, graciously.
40. Improper Forms of Adjectives. The wrong forms in the following list of adjectives are frequently used in place of the right forms:
| RIGHT | WRONG |
| everywhere | everywheres |
| not nearly | nowhere near |
| not at all | not much or not muchly |
| ill | illy |
| first | firstly |
| thus | thusly |
| much | muchly |
| unknown | unbeknown |
| complexioned | complected |
Exercise 21
Correct the errors in the following sentences:
41. Errors in comparison are frequently made. Observe carefully the following rules:
1. The superlative should not be used in comparing only two things. One should say, He is the larger of the two, not He is the largest of the two. But, He is the largest of the three, is right.
2. A comparison should not be attempted by adjectives that express absolute quality—adjectives that cannot be compared; as, round, perfect, equally, universal. A thing may be round or perfect, but it cannot be more round or most round, more perfect or most perfect.
3. When two objects are used in the comparative, one must not be included in the other; but, when two objects are used in the superlative, one must be included in the other. It is wrong to say, The discovery of America was more important than any geographical discovery, for that is saying that the discovery of America was more important than itself—an absurdity. But it would be right to say, The discovery of America was more important than any other geographical discovery. One should not say, He is the most honest of his fellow-workmen, for he is not one of his fellow-workmen. One should say, He is more honest than any of his fellow-workmen, or, He is the most honest of all the workmen. To say, This machine is better than any machine, is incorrect, but to say, This machine is better than any other machine, is correct. To say, This machine is the best of any machine (or any other machine), is wrong, because all machines are meant, not one machine or some machines. To say, This machine is the best of machines (or the best of all machines), is correct.
Note the following rules in regard to the use of other in comparisons:
a. After comparatives followed by than the words any and all should be followed by other.
b. After superlatives followed by of, any and other should not be used.
4. Avoid mixed comparisons. John is as good, if not better than she. If the clause, if not better, were left out, this sentence would read, John is as good than she. It could be corrected to read, John is as good as, if not better than she. Similarly, it is wrong to say, He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, man in history.
Exercise 22
Choose the correct word from those italicized:
Exercise 23
Correct any of the following sentences that may be wrong. Give a valid reason for each correction:
42. Singular and Plural Adjectives. Some adjectives can be used only with singular nouns and some only with plural nouns. Such adjectives as one, each, every, etc., can be used only with singular nouns. Such adjectives as several, various, many, sundry, two, etc., can be used only with plural nouns. In many cases, the noun which the adjective modifies is omitted, and the adjective thus acquires the force of a pronoun; as, Few are seen, Several have come.
The adjective pronouns this and that have plural forms, these and those. The plurals must be used with plural nouns. To say those kind is then incorrect. It should be those kinds. Those sort of men should be that sort of men or those sorts of men.
43. Either and neither are used to designate one of two objects only. If more than two are referred to, use any, none, any one, no one. Note the following correct sentences:
Neither John nor Henry may go.
Any one of the three boys may go.
44. Each other should be used when referring to two; one another when referring to more than two. Note the following correct sentences:
The two brothers love each other.
The four brothers love one another.
Exercise 24
Correct such of the following sentences as are incorrect. Be able to give reasons:
45. Placing of Adverbs and Adjectives. In the placing of adjective elements and adverbial elements in the sentence, one should so arrange them as to leave no doubt as to what they are intended to modify.
| Wrong: A man was riding on a horse wearing gray trousers. |
| Right: A man wearing gray trousers was riding on a horse. |
The adverb only requires especial attention. Generally only should come before the word it is intended to modify. Compare the following correct sentences, and note the differences in meaning.
Only he found the book.
He only found the book.
He found only the book.
He found the book only.
The placing of the words, almost, ever, hardly, scarcely, merely, and quite, also requires care and thought.
Exercise 25
Correct the errors in the location of adjectives and adverbs in the following sentences:
46. Double Negatives. I am here is called an affirmative statement. A denial of that, I am not here, is called a negative statement. The words, not, neither, never, none, nothing, etc., are all negative words; that is, they serve to make denials of statements.
Two negatives should never be used in the same sentence, since the effect is then to deny the negative you wish to assert, and an affirmative is made where a negative is intended. We haven't no books, means that we have some books. The proper negative form would be, We have no books, or We haven't any books. The mistake occurs usually where such forms as isn't, don't, haven't, etc., are used. Examine the following sentences:
| Wrong: It isn't no use. |
| Wrong: There don't none of them believe it. |
| Wrong: We didn't do nothing. |
Hardly, scarcely, only, and but (in the sense of only) are often incorrectly used with a negative. Compare the following right and wrong forms:
| Wrong: It was so dark that we couldn't hardly see. |
| Right: It was so dark that we could hardly see. |
| Wrong: There wasn't only one person present. |
| Right: There was only one person present. |
Correct the following sentences:
47. The Articles. A, an, and the, are called Articles. A and an are called the Indefinite Articles, because they are used to limit the noun to any one thing of a class; as, a book, a chair. But a or an is not used to denote the whole of that class; as, Silence is golden, or, He was elected to the office of President.
The is called the Definite Article because it picks out some one definite individual from a class.
In the sentence, On the street are a brick and a stone house, the article is repeated before each adjective; the effect of this repetition is to make the sentence mean two houses. But, in the sentence, On the street is a brick and stone house, since the article is used only before the first of the two adjectives, the sentence means that there is only one house and that it is constructed of brick and stone.
Where two nouns refer to the same object, the article need appear only before the first of the two; as, God, the author and creator of the universe. But where the nouns refer to two different objects, regarded as distinct from each other, the article should appear before each; as, He bought a horse and a cow.
A is used before all words except those beginning with a vowel sound. Before those beginning with a vowel sound an is used. If, in a succession of words, one of these forms could not be used before all of the words, then the article must be repeated before each. Thus, one should say, An ax, a saw, and an adze (not An ax, saw and adze), made up his outfit. Generally it is better to repeat the article in each case, whether or not it be the same.
Do not say, kind of a house. Since a house is singular, it can have but one kind. Say instead, a kind of house, a sort of man, etc.
Exercise 27
Correct the following where you think correction is needed:
48. No adverb necessary to the sense should be omitted from the sentence. Such improper omission is frequently made when very or too are used with past participles that are not also recognized as adjectives; as,
Poor: I am very insulted. He was too wrapped in thought to notice the mistake.
Right: I am very much insulted. He was too much wrapped in thought to notice the mistake.
Exercise 28
Write sentences containing the following adjectives and adverbs. Be sure that they are used correctly.
Both, each, every, only, evidently, hard, latest, awful, terribly, charming, charmingly, lovely, brave, perfect, straight, extreme, very, either, neither, larger, oldest, one, none, hardly, scarcely, only, but, finally, almost, ever, never, new, newly, very.
VERBS
49. A Verb has already been defined as a word stating something about the subject. Verbs are inflected or changed to indicate the time of the action as past, present, or future; as, I talk, I talked, I shall talk, etc. Verbs also vary to indicate completed or incompleted action; as, I have talked, I shall have talked, etc. To these variations, which indicate the time of the action, the name Tense is given.
The full verbal statement may consist of several words; as, He may have gone home. Here the verb is may have gone. The last word of such a verb phrase is called the Principal Verb, and the other words the Auxiliaries. In the sentence above, go (gone) is the principal verb, and may and have are the auxiliaries.
50. In constructing the full form of the verb or verb phrase there are three distinct parts from which all other forms are made. These are called the Principal Parts.
The First Principal Part, since it is the part by which the verb is referred to as a word, may be called the Name-Form. The following are name-forms: do, see, come, walk, pass.
The Second Principal Part is called the Past Tense. It is formed by adding ed to the name-form; as, walked, pushed, passed. These verbs that add ed are called Regular Verbs. The verb form is often entirely changed; as, done (do), saw (see), came (come). These verbs are called Irregular Verbs.
The Third Principal Part is called the Past Participle. It is used mainly in expressing completed action or in the passive voice. In regular verbs the past participle is the same in form as the past tense. In irregular verbs it may differ entirely from both the name-form and the past tense, or it may resemble one or both of them. Examples: done (do, did), seen (see, saw), come (come, came), set (set, set).
51. The name-form, when unaccompanied by auxiliaries, is used with all subjects, except those in the third person singular, to assert action in the present time or present tense; as, I go, We come, You see, Horses run.
The name-form is also used with various auxiliaries (may, might, can, must, will, should, shall, etc.) to assert futurity, determination, possibility, possession, etc. Examples: I may go, We shall come, You can see, Horses should run.
By preceding it with the word to, the name-form is used to form what is called the Present Infinitive; as, I wish to go, I hope to see.
What may be called the s-form of the verb, or the singular form, is usually constructed by adding s or es to the name-form. The s-form is used with singular subjects in the third person; as, He goes, She comes, It runs, The dog trots.
The s-form is found in the third personal singular of the present tense. In other tenses, if present at all, the s-form is in the auxiliary, where the present tense of the auxiliary is used to form some other tense of the principal verb. Examples: He has (present tense), He has gone (perfect tense), He has been seen.
Some verbs have no s-form; as, will, shall, may. The verb be has two irregular s-forms: Is, in the present tense, and was in the past tense. The s-form of have is has.
52. The past tense always stands alone in the predicate; i. e., it should never be used with any auxiliaries. To use it so, however, is one of the most frequent errors in grammar. The following are past tense forms: went, saw, wore, tore. To say, therefore, I have saw, I have went, It was tore, They were wore, would be grossly incorrect.
53. The third principal part, the past participle, on the other hand, can never be used as a predicate verb without an auxiliary. The following are distinctly past participle forms: done, seen, sung, etc. One could not then properly say, I seen, I done, I sung, etc.
The distinction as to use with and without auxiliaries applies, of course, only to irregular verbs. In regular verbs, the past tense and past participle are always the same, and so no error could result from their confusion.
The past participle is used to form the Perfect Infinitives; as, to have gone, to have seen, to have been seen.
54. The following is a list of the principal parts of the most important irregular verbs. The list should be mastered thoroughly. The student should bear in mind always that, the past tense form should never be used with an auxiliary, and that the past participle form should never be used as a predicate verb without an auxiliary.
In some instances verbs have been included in the list below which are always regular in their forms, or which have both regular and irregular forms. These are verbs for whose principal parts incorrect forms are often used.
PRINCIPAL PARTS OF VERBS
Notes.—Ought has no past participle. It may then never be used with an auxiliary. I had ought to go is incorrect. The idea would be amply expressed by I ought to go.
Model conjugations of the verbs to be and to see in all forms are given under §77 at the end of this chapter.
Exercise 29
In the following sentences change the italicized verb so as to use the past tense, and then so as to use the past participle:
| Example: | (Original sentence), | The guests begin to go home. |
| (Changed to past tense), | The guests began to go home. | |
| (Changed to past participle), | The guests have begun to go home. |
Exercise 30
Write original sentences containing the following verbs, correctly used:
Begun, blew, bidden, bad, chose, broke, come, dealt, dived, drew, driven, flew, forsook, froze, given, give, gave, went, hanged, knew, rode, pleaded, ran, seen, saw, shook, shod, sung, slew, spoke, swum, taken, torn, wore, threw, woven, wrote, written.
Exercise 31
Insert the proper form of the verb in the following sentences. The verb to be used is in black-faced type at the beginning of each group:
Correct the errors in the use of verbs in the following sentences:
Exercise 33
Write sentences in which the following verb forms are properly used:
begun, blew, broke, chose, come, came, done, did, drew, drunk, drove, ate, flew, forsook, froze, forgot, gave, give, went, hang, hung, knew, rode, run, shook, sung, slew, spoke, stole, took, tore, threw, wore, wrote.
55. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. A Transitive Verb is one in which the action of the verb goes over to a receiver; as, He killed the horse, I keep my word. In both these sentences, the verb serves to transfer the action from the subject to the object or receiver of the action. The verbs in these sentences, and all similar verbs, are transitive verbs. All others, in which the action does not go to a receiver, are called Intransitive Verbs.
56. Active and Passive Voice. The Active Voice represents the subject as the doer of the action; as, I tell, I see, He makes chairs. The Passive Voice represents the subject as the receiver of the action; as, I am told, I am seen, I have been seen, Chairs are made by me. Since only transitive verbs can have a receiver of the action, only transitive verbs can have both active and passive voice.
57. There are a few special verbs in which the failure to distinguish between the transitive and the intransitive verbs leads to frequent error. The most important of these verbs are the following: sit, set, awake, wake, lie, lay, rise, arise, raise, fell, and fall. Note again the principal parts of these verbs:
| wake (to rouse another) | woke, waked | woke, waked |
| awake (to cease to sleep) | awoke, awaked | awaked |
| fell (to strike down) | felled | felled |
| fall (to topple over) | fell | fallen |
| lay (to place) | laid | laid |
| lie (to recline) | lay | lain |
| raise (to cause to ascend) | raised | raised |
| (a)rise (to ascend) | (a)rose | (a)risen |
| set (to place) | set | set |
| sit (to rest) | sat | sat |
The first of each pair of the above verbs is transitive, and the second is intransitive. Only the first, then, of each pair can have an object or can be used in the passive voice.
NOTES.—The following exceptions in the use of sit and set are, by reason of usage, regarded as correct: The sun sets, The moon sets, They sat themselves down to rest, and He set out for Chicago.
Lie, meaning to deceive, has for its principal parts, lie, lied, lied. Lie, however, with this meaning is seldom confused with lie meaning to recline. The present participle of lie is lying.
Compare the following sentences, and note the reasons why the second form in each case is the correct form.
| WRONG | RIGHT |
| Awake me early to-morrow. | Wake me early to-morrow. |
| He was awoke by the noise. | He was woke (waked) by the noise. |
| He has fallen a tree. | He has felled a tree. |
| I have laid down. | I have lain down. |
| I lay the book down (past tense). | I laid the book down. |
| The river has raised. | The river has risen. |
| He raised in bed. | He rose in bed. |
| I set there. | I sat there. |
| I sat the chair there. | I set the chair there. |
Exercise 34
Form an original sentence showing the proper use of each of the following words:
Lie, lay (to place), sit, set, sat, sitting, setting, lie (to recline), lie (to deceive), lying, laying, rise, arose, raised, raise, fell (to topple over), fallen, felled, awake, wake, awaked, woke, falling, felling, rising, raising, waking, awaking, lain, laid, lied.
Exercise 35
Correct such of the following sentences as are wrong:
Exercise 36
In the following sentences fill the blanks with the proper forms of the verbs indicated:
SIT AND SET
LAY AND LIE
RAISE AND RISE (ARISE)
FELL AND FALL
AWAKE AND WAKE
58. Mode. Mode is that form of the verb which indicates the manner in which the action or state is to be regarded. There are several modes in English, but only between the indicative and subjunctive modes is the distinction important. Generally speaking, the Indicative Mode is used when the statement is regarded as a fact or as truth, and the Subjunctive Mode is used when the statement expresses uncertainty or implies some degree of doubt.
59. Forms of the Subjunctive. The places in which the subjunctive differs from the indicative are in the present and past tenses of the verb be, and in the present tense of active verbs. The following outline will show the difference between the indicative and the subjunctive of be:
| INDICATIVE PRESENT OF BE | INDICATIVE PAST OF BE | ||
| I am | we are | I was | we were |
| thou art | you are | thou wert or wast | you were |
| he (she, it) is | they are | he (she, it) was | they were |
| SUBJUNCTIVE PRESENT OF BE | SUBJUNCTIVE PAST OF BE | ||
| If I be | If we be | If I were | If we were |
| If thou be | If you be | If thou were | If you were |
| If he (she, it) be | If they be | If he (she, it) were | If they were |
If is used only as an example of the conjunctions on which the subjunctive depends. Other conjunctions may be used, or the verb may precede the subject.
Note.—It will be noticed that thou art and thou wast, etc., have been used in the second person singular. Strictly speaking, these are the proper forms to be used here, even though you are and you were, etc., are customarily used in addressing a single person.
In the subjunctive of be, it will be noted that the form be is used throughout the present tense; and the form were throughout the past tense.
In other verbs the subjunctive, instead of having the s-form in the third person singular of the present tense, has the name-form, or the same form as all the other forms of the present tense; as, indicative, he runs, she sees, it seems, he has; subjunctive, if he run, though she see, lest it seem, if he have.
Note.—An examination of the model conjugations under §77 will give a further understanding of the forms of the subjunctive.
60. Use of Indicative and Subjunctive. The indicative mode would be properly used in the following sentence, when the statement is regarded as true: If that evidence is true, then he is a criminal. Similarly: If he is rich, he ought to be charitable. Most directly declarative statements are put in the indicative mode.