Higher Lessons in English Part 44

4. Let every one turn from his or her evil ways.

5. Napoleon, Waterloo having been lost, he gave himself up to the English.

+Caution+.--In addressing a person, do not, in the same sentence, use the two styles of the p.r.o.noun.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--

1. Thou art sad, have you heard bad news?

2. You cannot always have thy way.

3. Bestow thou upon us your blessing.

4. Love thyself last, and others will love you.

+Caution+.--The p.r.o.noun _them_ should not be used for the adjective _those_, nor the p.r.o.noun _what_ for the conjunction _that_. [Footnote: _What_ properly introduces a noun clause expressing a direct or an indirect question, but a declarative noun clause is introduced by the conjunction _that_. _But_ may be placed before this conjunction to give a negative force to the noun clause.

This use of _but_ requires careful discrimination. For example--"I have no fear _that_ he will do it"; "I have no fear _but that_ he will do it." The former indicates certainty that he will not do it, and the latter certainty that he will do it. "No one doubts but that he will do it" is incorrect, for it contains three negatives--_no_, _doubts_, and _but_. Two negatives may be used to affirm, but not three. The intended meaning is, "_No_ one _doubts_ that he will do it," or "_No_ one believes _but_ that he will do it," or "Every one _believes_ that he will do it."

_But what_, for _but that_ or _but_, is also incorrectly used to connect an adverb clause; as, "He is not so bad _but what_ he might be worse." For this office of _but_ or _but that_ in an adverb clause, see Lesson 109, fourth "Example" of the uses of _but_.]

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--

1. Hand me them things.

2. Who knows but what we may fail?

3. I cannot believe but what I shall see them men again.

4. We ought to have a great regard for them that are wise and good.

+Caution+.--The relative _who_ should always represent persons; _which_, brute animals and inanimate things; _that_, persons, animals, and things; and _what_, things. The antecedent of _what_ should not be expressed.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--

1. Those which say so are mistaken.

2. He has some friends which I know.

3. He told that what he knew.

4. The dog who was called Fido went mad.

5. The lion whom they were exhibiting broke loose.

6. All what he saw he described.

7. The horse whom Alexander rode was named Bucephalus.

+Direction+.--_Write correct sentences ill.u.s.trating every point in these five Cautions_.

LESSON 87.

CONSTRUCTION OF p.r.o.nOUNS--CONTINUED.

+Caution+.--Several connected relative clauses relating to the same antecedent require the same relative p.r.o.noun.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--

1. It was Joseph that was sold into Egypt, who became governor of the land, and which saved his father and brothers from famine.

2. He who lives, that moves, and who has his being in G.o.d should not forget him.

3. This is the horse which started first, and that reached the stand last.

4. The man that fell overboard, and who was drowned was the first mate.

+Caution+.--When the relative clause is not restrictive, [Footnote: See Lesson 61.] _who_ or _which_, and not _that_, is generally used.

+Example+.--Water, _which_ is composed of hydrogen and oxygen, covers three-fourths of the earth's surface.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--

1. The earth is enveloped by an ocean of air, that is a compound of oxygen.

and nitrogen.

2. Longfellow, that is the most popular American poet, has written beautiful prose.

3. Time, that is a precious gift, should not be wasted.

4. Man, that is born of woman, is of few days and full of trouble.

+Caution+.--The relative _that_ [Footnote: _That_ is almost always restrictive. However desirable it may seem to confine _who_ and _which_ to unrestrictive clauses, they are not confined to them in actual practice.

The wide use of _who_ and _which_ in restrictive clauses is not accounted for by saying that they occur after _this_, _these_, _those_, and _that_, and hence are used to avoid disagreeable repet.i.tions of sounds. This may frequently be the reason for employing _who_ and _which_ in restrictive clauses; but usage authorizes us to affirm (1) that _who_ and _which_ stand in such clauses oftener without, than with, _this_, _these_, _those_, or _that_ preceding them, and (2) that they so stand oftener than _that_ itself does. Especially may this be said of _which_.] should be used instead of _who_ or _which_ (1) when the antecedent names both persons and things; (2) when _that_ would prevent ambiguity; and (3) when it would sound better than _who_ or _which_, _e. g._, after _that_, _same_, _very_, _all_, the interrogative _who_, the indefinite _it_, and adjectives expressing quality in the highest degree.

+Example+.--He lived near a _pond that_ was a nuisance. (_That_ relates to _pond_--the pond was a nuisance. _Which_ might have, for its antecedent, _pond_, or the whole clause _He lived near a pond_; and so its use here would be ambiguous.)

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--

1. The wisest men who ever lived made mistakes.

2. The chief material which is used now in building is brick.

3. Who who saw him did not pity him?

4. He is the very man whom we want.

5. He is the same who he has ever been.

6. He sent his boy to a school which did him good.

7. All who knew him respected him.

8. It was not I who did it.

9. That man that you just met is my friend.

+Caution+.--The relative clause should be placed as near as possible to the word which it modifies.

+Direction+.--_Correct these errors_:--

1. The pupil will receive a reward from his teacher who is diligent.

2. Her hair hung in ringlets, which was dark and glossy.

3. A dog was found in the street that wore a bra.s.s collar.

4. A purse was picked up by a boy that was made of leather.

5. Claudius was canonized among the G.o.ds, who scarcely deserved the name of man.

6. He should not keep a horse that cannot ride.

+Caution+.--When _this_ and _that_, _these_ and _those_, _the one_ and _the other_ refer to things previously mentioned, _this_ and _these_ refer to the last mentioned, and _that_ and _those_ to the first mentioned; _the one_ refers to the first mentioned, and _the other_ to the last mentioned.

When there is danger of obscurity, repeat the nouns.

+Examples+.--_High_ and _tall_ are synonyms: _this_ may be used in speaking of what grows--a tree; _that_, in speaking of what does not grow--a mountain. Homer was a genius; Virgil, an artist: in _the one_ we most admire the man; in _the other_, the work.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution, and correct these errors_:--