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Est or st is added for the Second Person, solem walkest.

S is added for the Third Person; as, John walks. In the Plural Number, Verbs are not varied to of their Subjects.

NUMBER.

NOTE I.-One Subject in the Singular N its Verb to be in the Singular.

EXAMPLES.

Word Subjects....1. "EARTH keeps me here awhile." 2. "MAN needs but little here below.

3.

"KNOWLEDGE reaches or may reach

4. "HE leaps inclosures, bounds into

Phrase Subjects ..5. "MY LEAVING HOME does not please 6. "TO DISPUTE THE DOCTOR requires fo

7. "HIS BEING A SCHOLAR entitles him

Sentence Subjects..8.

9.

"THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL

truth."

"HOW HE CAME BACK AGAIN, doth n 10. "THAT I HAVE TAKEN THIS OLD M

most true."

NOTE II.-Two or more Singular Subjec the same thing, require the Verb to be Sing EXAMPLE.-The SAINT, the FATHER, and the HUSBAND p

NOTE III.-Two or more Singular Su separately, require the Verb to be Singular.

EXAMPLES.

W Subjects....1. WILLIAM or WARNER has my knife. 2. "DISEASE or POVERTY follows the la

sluggard."

3. "My POVERTY, but not my WILL, con

4. "Every PHRASE and every FIGURE tends to render the picture m complete."-Blair.

Phrase Subjects ..5. "WRITING LETTERS OF READING NOVELS occupies her

evening hours."

6. "TO BE OR NOT TO BE, is the question."

7. "TO SHOOT OR BE SHOT, was my only alternative."

Sentence Subjects..8. "That my client aided in the rescue, or that he was present at the time of it, DOES not APPEAR from

the evidence adduced."

NOTE IV.-A Collective Noun, indicating Unity, requires its Verb to be in the Singular Number.

EXAMPLES.-1. "A NATION has been smitten."

2. "The SENATE HAS REJECTED the bill."

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NOTE V.-One or more Subjects of the Plural Number should have a Verb in the Plural.

EXAMPLES.

Word Subjects....1. "WOODS and GROVES are of thy dressing."-Milton. 2. "THEY were forced to eat what never was esteemed

food." -Josephus.

3. "RULES and PRINCIPLES are of the greatest possible

advantage."

4. "WINGS were on her feet."

NOTE VI.-Two or more Subjects of the Singular Number require the Verb to be in the Plural.

EXAMPLES.

Word Subjects..1. "The VIVACITY and SENSIBILITY of the Greeks seem to

2.

3.

have been much greater than ours."

Even as the ROEBUCK and the HART are eaten."―Bible. "Hill and valley boast thy blessing."-Milton.

Phrase Subjects. 4. "To be wise in our own eyes, to be wise in the opinion of the world, and to be wise in the sight of our Creator, are three things so very different as rarely to coincide."-Blair.

5. "Chewing tobacco and smoking cigars disqualify a

young man for mental improvement."-Cutcheon.

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6. "To spin, to weave, to knit, and
a girl's employments;
But now to dress and to catch
calls enjoyments."-Lynn I
"Read of this burgess-on the
How worthy he !-how virtuous.

Sentenos Subjects. .1

8. "That friendship is a sacred trus That friends should be sincere

That constancy befits them Are observations on the case, That savor much of commonp And all the world admits t

NOTE VII.-A Collective Noun, indicat requires its Verb to be in the Plural Numb EXAMPLES.-1. "The PEOPLE are foolish, they have no 2. "For the people speak but do not wr OBS. 1.-Collective Nouns, which always require a the following:

Gentry-mankind-nobility-people-peasa

OBS. 2.-Those which may have Verbs in the Sin according to the sense, are the following:Aristocracy-army-auditory-committee-congress

ing-public-school-remnant-senate.

OBS. 3.-The Logical Subject of a Sentence is sometim a Phrase used to qualify the Grammatical Subject. Object of the Phrase is plural in form, and indicates t which the number is composed are taken severally, the plural.

EXAMPLE.-A part of the STUDENTS have left.

Here "students"-the name of many taken severally Subject of “have left," and requires the Verb to be "part," the Grammatical Subject, is Singular.

OBS. 4.-When the Object of the Phrase is Singular, n aggregate number taken collectively, the Verb should EXAMPLE.-"Two-thirds of my HAIR has fallen off." Here "hair"-the name of many taken collectively

Subject of "has fallen,' and requires the Verb to be Singular, although "two-thirds," the Grammatical Subject, is plural.

OBS. 5.-But Nouns not Collective are not varied in number by their Adjuncts.

EXAMPLES.-1. "The progress of his forces was impeded.'—Allen.

2. The selection of appropriate examples requires taste.
3. "All appearances of modesty are favorable and pre-
possessing."-Blair.

PERSON.

NOTE VIII.-Two or more Subjects, taken separately and differing in Person, should have separate Verbs, when the Verb is varied to denote the Person of its Subject.

EXAMPLE.-You ARE in error, or I AM.

OBS.-But when the Verb is not varied to denote the person, it need not be repeated.

EXAMPLES.-1. You or I MUST GO.

2. The doctors or you ARE in error.

3. Was IT thou?

4. IT was the students.

NOTE IX. When the Subject of a Verb differs in Person or Number (or both) from a Noun or Pronoun in Predicate, the Verb should agree with its Subject rather than with the word in Predicate.

EXAMPLES.-1. "THOU art the man."

2. "Who art THOU?"

3. "The wages of sin is DEATH."

4. CLOUDS are vapor.

5. A HORSE is an animal.

6.

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And hoary peaks that proudly prop the skies, thy dwellings are."

OBS. 1.-The young Pupil often finds it difficult to decide which of the two Substantives is the Subject and which the Noun in Predicate. The following test will decide this point:

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When one term is generic and the other specific, in Predicate--the latter is the Subject. Thus, in E is a generic term-"horse" is specific. We cannot horse, for not every animal is a horse; but every Hence, "horse" is the Subject, and "animal" is in Pr pendent Case, p. 85, Obs. 5.)

MODE AND TENSE.

NOTE X.-That Mode and Tense of a V used which will most clearly convey the se

OBS. 1.-A Verb used to denote a conditional fact should have the Subjunctive or the Potential form. EXAMPLES. "WERE I Alexander, I would accept the "So would I WERE I Parmenio."

"If we would improve, we must study."

OBS. 2.-But if the condition is assumed as unquesti may be in the Indicative Mode.

EXAMPLES.

"If thou hadst known."

If John has offended you, he will make d

NOTE XI.-That form of the Verb sho which will most clearly express the time int

OBS.-In constructing Complex Sentences, the Tense Sentence does not necessarily control the Tense of th Auxiliary Sentence.

EXAMPLES.-1. "I said in my haste, all men are liars." 2. "He has been so long idle, that he kno

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