Higher Lessons in English Part 49

21. Most everybody talks so.

22. He hasn't yet gone, I don't believe.

23. He behaved thoughtlessly, recklessly, and carelessly.

24. That 'ere book is readable.

25. I will not go but once.

26. I can't find out neither where the lesson begins nor where it ends.

27. They were nearly dressed alike.

28. The tortured man begged that they would kill him again and again.

29. The fortune was lavishly, profusely, and prodigally spent.

30. I am real glad to see you.

31. We publish all the information, official and otherwise.

LESSON 95.

PREPOSITIONS.

+DEFINITION.--A _Preposition_ is a word that introduces a phrase modifier, and shows the relation, in sense, of its princ.i.p.al word to the word modified.+

Composition.

+Direction+.--_We give below a list of the prepositions in common use. Make short sentences in which each of these shall be aptly used. Use two or three of them in a single sentence if you wish_:--

Aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid, amidst, among, amongst, around, at, athwart, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, betwixt, beyond, but, by, down, ere, for, from, in, into, of, on, over, past, round, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, towards, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon, with, within, without.

+Remarks+.--_Bating_, _concerning_, _during_, _excepting_, _notwithstanding_, _pending_, _regarding_, _respecting_, _saving_, and _touching_ are still participles in form and sometimes are such in use. But in most cases the participial meaning has faded out of them, and they express mere relations.

_But_, _except_, and _save_, in such a sentence as, All _but_ or _except_ or _save him_ were lost, are usually cla.s.sed with prepositions.

The phrases _aboard of_, _according to_, _along with_, _as to_, _because of_ (by cause of), _from among_, _from between_, _from under_, _instead of_ (in stead of), _out of_, _over against_, and _round about_ may be called compound prepositions. But _from_ in these compounds; as, He crawled _from under the ruins_, really introduces a phrase, the princ.i.p.al term of which is the phrase that follows _from_.

Many prepositions become adverbs when the noun which ordinarily follows them is omitted; as, He rode _past_; He stands _above_.

LESSON 96.

CONSTRUCTION OF PREPOSITIONS.

+To the Teacher+.--Most prepositions express relations so diverse, and so delicate in their shades of distinction that a definition of them based upon etymology would mislead. A happy and discriminating use of prepositions can be acquired only by an extended study of good authors. We do below all that we think it prudent or profitable to do with them. He should he a man of wide and careful reading who a.s.sumes to teach pupils that such prepositions, and such only, should be used with certain words.

Nowhere in grammar is dogmatism more dangerous than here. That grammarian exceeds his commission who marks out for the pupils' feet a path narrower than the highway which the usage of the best writers and speakers has cast up. [Footnote: Take a single ill.u.s.tration. Grammarians, in general, teach that _between_ and _betwixt_ "refer to two," are used "only when two things or sets of things are referred to." Ordinarily, and while clinging to their derivation, they are so used, but are they always, and must they be? "There was a hunting match agreed upon betwixt a lion, an a.s.s, and a fox."-- _L'Estrange_. "A Triple Alliance between England, Holland, and Sweden."-- _J. B. Green_. "In the vacant s.p.a.ce between Persia, Syria, Egypt, and Ethiopia."--_Gibbon_. "His flight between the several worlds."--_Addison_.

"The ident.i.ty of form between the nominative, accusative, and vocative cases in the neuter." --_G. P. Marsh_. "The distinction between these three orders has been well expressed by Prof. Max Mueller."--_W. D. Whitney_.

"Between such dictionaries as Worcester's, The Imperial, and Webster's."-- _B. G. White_. "Betwixt the slender boughs came glimpses of her ivory neck."--_Bryant_. With what clumsy circ.u.mlocutions would our speech be filled if prepositions could never slip the leash of their etymology! What simple and graceful subst.i.tute could be found for the last phrase in this sentence, for instance: There were forty desks in the room with ample s.p.a.ce _between them_?

"We observe that _between_ is not restricted to two."--_Imperial Dictionary_. "In all senses _between_ has been, from its earliest appearance, extended to more than two. It is still the only word available to express the relation of a thing to many surrounding things severally and individually--_among_ expressing a relation to them collectively and vaguely: we should not say, 'The choice lies among the three candidates,'

or 'to insert a needle among the closed petals of a flower.'"--_The New English Dictionary_.

We have collected hundreds of instances of _between_ used by good writers with three or more.

Guard against such expressions as _between each_ page; a choice _between one_ of several.]

+Direction+.--_We give below a few words with the prepositions which usually accompany them. Form short sentences containing these words combined with each of the prepositions which follow them, and note carefully the different relations expressed by the different prepositions_:--

(Consult the dictionary for both the preposition and the accompanying word.)

Abide _at, by, with_; accommodate _to, with_; advantage _of, over_; agree _to, with_; angry _at, with_; anxious _about, for_; argue _against, with_; arrive _at, in_; attend _on_ or _upon, to_; careless _about, in, of_; communicate _to, with_; compare _to, with_; consists _in, of_; defend _against, from_; die _by, for, of_; different _from_; disappointed _in, of_; distinguish _by, from_; familiar _to, with_; impatient _for, of_; indulge _in, with_; influence _on, over, with_; insensible _of, to_; sat _beside_; many _besides_.

LESSON 97.

CONSTRUCTION OF PREPOSITIONS--CONTINUED.

+Direction+.--_Do with the following words as with those above_:--

Inquire _after, for, into, of_; intrude _into, upon_; joined _to, with_; liberal _of, to_; live _at, in, on_; look _after, for, on_; need _of_; obliged _for, to_; part _from, with_; placed _in, on_; reconcile _to, with_; regard _for, to_; remonstrate _against, with_; sank _beneath, in, into_; share _in, of, with_; sit _in, on_ or _upon_; smile _at, on_; solicitous _about, for_; strive _for, with, against_; taste _for, of_; touch _at, on_ or _upon_; useful _for, in, to_; weary _of, in, with_; yearn _for, towards_.

LESSON 98.

CONSTRUCTION OF PREPOSITIONS--CONTINUED.

+Caution+.--Great care must be used in the choice of prepositions.

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

1. This book is different to that.

2. He stays to home.

3. They two quarreled among each other.

4. He is in want for money.

5. I was followed with a crowd.

6. He fell from the bridge in the water. [Footnote: _In_ denotes motion or rest in a condition or place; _into_, change from one condition or place into another. "When one is outside of a place, he may be able to get _into_ it; but he cannot do anything _in_ it until he has got _into_ it."]

7. He fought into the Revolution. [See previous footnote]

8. He bears a close resemblance of his father.

9. He entered in the plot.

10. He lives at London.

11. He lives in the turn of the road.

12. I have need for a vacation.

13. The child died with the croup.

14. He took a walk, but was disappointed of it.

15. He did not take a walk; he was disappointed in it.

16. He was accused with felony.

17. School keeps upon Monday.

18. Place a mark between each leaf.

19. He is angry at his father.

20. He placed a letter into my hands.

21. She is angry with your conduct.

22. What is the matter of him?

23. I saw him over to the house.

24. These plants differ with each other.