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p. 138) has collected the following examples of improper usage:

Your character, which I or any other writer may now value ourselves by drawing. [upon.]—Swift, Letter on the English Tongue.

You have bestowed your favours to the most deserving
persons. [upon.]—Ibid.

Upon such occasions as fell into their cognisance. [under.]
-Id. Contest and Dissensions, &c., c. iii.

That variety of factions into which we are still engaged.
[in.]-Ibid. c. v.

To restore myself into the good graces of my fair critics.
[to.]-Dryden, Preface to Aurungzebe.

Accused the ministers for betraying the Dutch. [of.]—
Swift, Four Last Years of the Queen..

[It is possible to defend this sentence, thus: 'Accused the
ministers, on account of their having betrayed the
Dutch.']

Ovid, whom you accuse for luxuriancy of verse. [of.]—
Dryden, On Dramatic Poesy.

Something like this has been reproached to Tacitus.
-Bolingbroke, On History, vol. i. p. 136.

[It would be necessary to give this sentence a complete
turn: Tacitus has been reproached with something
like this.']

He was made much on at Argos. [of.]

He is so resolved of going to the Persian court. [on.] -Bentley, Dissertation on Themistocles's Epistles, sect. iii.

Neither the one nor the other shall make me swerve out of the path, which I have traced to myself. [from.]— Bolingbroke, Letter to Wyndham, p. 242.

If poesy can prevail upon force. [over.]—Addison, Travels, p. 62.

[We prevail upon persons, but over physical forces.]

I do likewise dissent with the examiner.-Id. Whig
Examiner, No. 1.

[We 'differ with' but 'dissent from.']

Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.-Matthew xxiii. 24.

[The original has diüλiCorres, i.e. 'straining out a gnat,' 'taking a gnat out of liquor by straining.']

It was perfectly in compliance to some persons, for whose opinion I have great deference. [with.]-Swift, Preface to Temple's Memoirs.

The wisest Princes need not think it any diminution to their greatness, or derogation to their sufficiency, to rely upon counsel. [of] [from.]-Bacon, Essay xx. 503. In the use of prepositions after verbs, much depends on usage:

We 'go beyond,' and 'rise above.'

We 'except from censure,' and state 'exceptions to a

course.'

We 'inquire of a person,' and 'at a place.'

We are 'dependent on' and 'independent of.'

See Angus, Handbook of the English Tongue, § 590, where the student will find a list of verbs followed by the prepositions commonly used after them.

EXAMPLES.

'The ordering of exercises is matter of great consequence to hurt or help; for, as is well observed by Cicero, men in exercising their faculties, if they be not well advised, do exercise their faults and get ill habits as well as good.'-Bacon.

In all studies, much depends upon judicious exercise; for, however useful theory may be in its proper place, the main thing is practice.

In grammar, the chief end is accuracy; and slovenly exercises do more harm than good. Scrupulous attention should be paid to the handwriting, and the spelling. Boys are apt to despise these things as trifles; but they have to learn, that attention to trifles often makes all the difference between a man who succeeds in life, and a man who fails.

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In the present day, there is too much hurry; and even boys are ready to account for their negligence by saying that they had not time.' This is an idle excuse. No portion of their time can be so well spent as that which is occupied in acquiring habits of neatness, and accuracy.

In grammatical analysis, two methods may be adopted. The first is the method of construing; that is, to begin by selecting the principal words in a sentence, as, the 'subjectnominative' and the 'predicate-verb;' then to subjoin the qualifications of each; and then, to add the dependent words of the sentence. For example:

Him the Almighty Power
Hurled flaming.

Subject-nominative

Power

Predicate-verb.

hurled

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The second method is to take the words as they stand, and

to explain each in its order: as,

Him

the.

Objective.

Qualification of the Sub

ject-nominative' Power.'

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In oral instruction both methods may be employed. But in written analysis, I incline to the second method. For this reason, that the mind is less liable to be distracted by moving from one part of the sentence to another; and there is less danger of omitting any word. In this way, we begin at the beginning, and go on steadily to the end. However, on this point, there may be difference of opinion; some may prefer the one way, and some the other.

For a while, I hesitated whether to use abbreviations, as, subj. nom., pred. verb, or to discard them. At first, there is a temptation to save time and trouble. But in looking over an exercise, the analysis written in full is much more pleasing to the eye, than one in which abbreviations are used. And as there is an artistic pleasure in beholding a well-written exercise, I conclude that it is better to discard abbreviations.

In selecting examples, I have introduced several of those given by Dr. Morell and Mr. Mason, in order to exhibit the difference of the systems. The reader may compare the analysis here proposed with that of the writers mentioned: Morell, Grammar of the English Language, pp. 80-103; Mason, English Grammar, pp. 122-143.

I. EXAMPLES OF SENTENCES.

1. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.

The

curfew

tolls

the

knell

of parting

day.

Definite article, qualifying the subject-nomi

native'curfew.'

Noun, Subject-nominative.

Predicate-verb.

Definite article, qualifying the Objective 'knell.'

Noun, Objective.

Prepositional phrase, qualifying the Objective 'knell: consisting of a preposition 'of,' a participle 'parting,' a noun 'day.'

The

sun

2. The sun from the western horizon extended his golden wand o'er the landscape.

from the

western

horizon

extended

his

golden

wand

Definite article, qualifying the subject-nominative 'sun.'

Noun, Subject-nominative.

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Adverbial phrase, qualifying the predicateverb extended,' and denoting the place whence.

Predicate-verb.

Pronoun possessive (or in the possessive case),
qualifying the Objective' wand.'

Adjective, qualifying the Objective 'wand.'
Noun, Objective.

o'er the land- Adverbial phrase, qualifying the predicateverb 'extended,' and denoting the place where.

scape.

The

Obs.-The phrase of parting day' is called a prepositional phrase; whereas from the western horizon' and 'o'er the landscape' are termed adverbial phrases. In one sense they are all prepositional phrases; but as the first qualifies a noun, while the second and third qualify a verb, it is better to distinguish the latter as adverbial phrases.

3. The doctor prescribed his patient a receipt.

doctor prescribed

his

patient

a

receipt.

Definite article, qualifying the subject-nominative' doctor.'

Noun, Subject- nominative.

Predicate-verb.

Pronoun in the possessive case, qualifying the
Secondary Objective 'patient.'

Noun, Secondary Objective [to or for his
patient].

Indefinite article, qualifying the Primary Objective' receipt.'

Noun, Primary Objective (immediately dependent upon the predicate-verb 'prescribed ').

him a letter to read.

Pronoun, Subject-nominative.
Predicate-verb.

4. He

gave

He

gave

him

a

letter

Pronoun, Secondary Objective.

Indefinite article, qualifying the Primary Objective 'letter.'

Noun, Primary Objective.

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