to read. I saw a man Gerund, qualifying the predicate-verb 'gave.' 5. I saw a man with a sword. Pronoun, Subject-nominative. Indefinite article, qualifying the Objective 'man.' Noun. Objective. with a sword. Prepositional phrase, qualifying the Objective He killed a man 'man.' 6. He killed a man with a sword. Pronoun, Subject-nominative. Indefinite article, qualifying the Objective Noun, Objective. with a sword. Adverbial phrase, qualifying the predicateverb 'killed,' and denoting the instrument whereby. Obs.-In Example 5, 'with a sword' is a prepositional phrase, qualifying the noun 'man;' but in Example 6, 'with a sword' is an adverbial phrase, qualifying the verb 'killed.' 7. Having abandoned their fortifications, the troops of the Emperor began a disastrous retreat. Having aban doned their fortifications the troops peror began a Participle, qualifying the predicate-verb 'began.' Pronoun possessive, or in the possessive case, qualifying the Objective fortifications.' Noun, objective dependent upon the participle 'having abandoned.' Definite article, qualifying the subject-nominative 'troops.' Noun, Subject-nominative. Prepositional phrase, qualifying the Subjectnominative 'troops.' Predicate-verb. Indefinite article, qualifying the Objective ' retreat.' disastrous retreat The Adjective, qualifying the Objective 'retreat.' Obs. 1.-Mr. Mason considers having abandoned their fortifi- No doubt in point of concord, the participle 'having abandoned' agrees with the noun troops;' but in point of signification, the participle qualifies the predicate-verb 'began.' For the meaning is that the troops, when they had abandoned the fortifications, began a retreat. In other words, the troops aban doned the fortifications, and then began a retreat. The qualification affects the act, and not the troops themselves. Therefore I am disposed to think that the participle must be held to qualify the verb. Obs. 2.-We may take their as a possessive pronoun, or as the possessive (genitive) case of the personal. 8. The enraged officer struck the unfortunate man dead on the spot with a single blow of his sword. enraged officer struck the unfortunate man dead on the spot with a single A blow of his sword Definite article, qualifying the Subject-nominative officer.' Participle or Adjective, qualifying the Sub- Noun, Subject-nominative. Definite article, qualifying the Primary Ob- Adjective, qualifying the Primary Objective 'man.' Noun, Primary Objective. Participle or Adjective, Complement-objective. Adverbial phrase, qualifying the Predicateverb struck,' and denoting the place where. Adverbial phrase, qualifying the Predicateverb 'struck,' and denoting the means or instrument whereby. 9. A man of weak health is incapable of the thorough enjoyment of life. Indefinite article, qualifying the Subjectnominative 'man.' man Noun, Substantive-nominative. of weak health Prepositional phrase, qualifying the Subject is incapable life nominative 'man.' Predicate-verb. Adjective, Predicate-nominative. Prepositional phrase, dependent upon the adjective incapable.' Or perhaps this might be taken as an Adverbial phrase, qualifying the Predicate-nominative 'incapable. See Mason, English Grammar, § 512. 10. Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, Now the bright morning star day's harbinger comes dancing from the East. Him the 11. Almighty Power hurled Adverb, 'comes.' qualifying the Predicate-verb Definite article, qualifying the Subject-nominative'star.' Adjective, qualifying the Subject-nominative 'star.' Noun, used adjectively, qualifying the Subject-nominative 'star.' Noun, Subject- nominative. Noun in the possessive case, qualifying the noun in apposition 'harbinger.' Noun in apposition, qualifying the Subjectnominative'star.' Predicate verb. Participle, Predicate-nominative. Adverbial phrase, qualifying the Predicateverb comes,' and denoting the place whence. Him the Almighty Power Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky Pronoun, Objective. Definite article, qualifying the Subject-nominative 'Power.' Adjective, qualifying the Subject-nominative Noun, Subject-nominative. headlong with hideous ruin and combustion down to bottomless perdition. Adjective, qualifying the Objective' him.' Adverb, qualifying the Predicate-verb 'hurled,' Adverbial phrase, qualifying the Predicateverb hurled,' and denoting the place whither, or the condition to which. Cases of difficulty are constantly arising in analysis; and in some instances, grammarians of equal ability might entertain different opinions. Hence, we should guard against hasty conclusions; we should proceed with caution, and learn to suspend judgment, when a case is not clear. It follows, also, that if a boy bas done his best, and yet fails to understand the construction of a sentence, he ought not to be discouraged. On the contrary, if he has discovered a real difficulty, that is a sign of growing intelligence. Let us consider a few doubtful cases. 12. The moon threw its silvery light upon the lake. The words 'upon the lake' might be taken as an adverbial phrase qualifying the predicate-verb threw; or, possibly, the lake' might be taken as a secondary objective dependent upon the compound verb 'threw upon.' 13. He recommended him to use great moderation in his diet. We might consider 'to use as an infinitive employed substantively, and as the Primary Objective dependent upon the Predicate-verb 'recommended.' In that case 'him' must be the Secondary Objective, because the use was recommended 'to him.' But it is just possible that 'him' may be the subject-accusative before the infinitive to use,' equivalent to 'He recommended that he should use.' In any case, moderation' is an objective dependent upon the verb 'to use.' 14. He found all his wants supplied by the care of his friends. Mr. Mason (English Grammar, § 511) would make 'wants' the Objective, and 'supplied' the Complement-Objective. But let us consider: he did not find his wants, but the supply of his wants. He found, that his wants were supplied. The word 'wants' seems to stand in the position of a subject-accusative but then no infinitive is expressed. If we might read, 'He found all his wants to be supplied,' there would be no further difficulty. Perhaps we may consider supplied' as a participle used instead of the infinitive. This idiom is very common in Greek. According to the old grammar rule, this sentence presents no difficulty. One verb governs another in the infinitive mood, and there is an end of the matter. But if we regard an infinitive as a verbal substantive, we expect some government analogous to the government of a noun. After transitive verbs, the case is clear. In the sentence 'He loves to ride,' the infinitive 'to ride' stands in the place of an Objective governed by the verb 'loves.' But how shall we explain the dependence of an infinitive to fly' upon an intransitive verb 'seems?' The Greeks frequently use a participle in such constructions: as, quiveraι TETÓμEros, he seems (or appears) flying;' when the participle is a predicate-nominative. But then the Greeks also employ the infinitive construction, paivetai téteoba; and the Greek grammarians draw a distinction between the use of the infinitive and that of the participle. If we turn both the verbs into nouns, we find that the second appears in the genitive case. 'He seems to fly' is equivalent to 'He has the semblance of flight.' I offer the conjecture, that the dependence of an infinitive upon an intransitive verb is analogous to the dependence of a noun, in the genitive case, upon another noun. The provincial idiom He seems a flying' is easily explained. 'He seems on flying,' that is, 'in the act of flight.' |