Plain English Part 51

7. I had to take a--an upper berth.

8. He joined a--an union.

9. It is a--an unique book.

10. He is a--an unruly member of society.

11. He told a--an untruth.

12. He wears a--an uniform.

13. It is a--an honor to be chosen.

+253.+ When a singular noun is modified by several adjectives, only one of the articles _an_ or _a_ must be used if the noun denotes but _one_ object; but if the noun denotes more than one object the article must be repeated before each noun. For example, I say, _A red, white and blue flag_. You know I mean but one flag, containing the three colors, red, white and blue. But if I say, _A red, a white and a blue flag_, you know I mean three flags, one red, one white, and one blue.

Note the use of the article in the following sentences:

He wears a black and white suit.

He wears a black and a white suit.

He sold a red and white cow.

He sold a red and a white cow.

He bought a gas and coal stove.

He bought a gas and a coal stove.

The first sentences in each of the above series refers to only one object. The second sentences all refer to two objects.

+254.+ There are some rules concerning the article _the_ that it is well to know because we do not always say what we wish to say, if we do not observe these rules or customs of speech. For example, I say, _The editor and publisher of this book is unknown_. I have used the article _the_ but once, and I mean that the editor and publisher is one person.

But I may say, _The editor and the publisher of this book are well known_. In this sentence I have used the article _the_ twice, _the_ editor and _the_ publisher, and I mean that the editor and the publisher are two different persons.

So when two or more nouns following each other denote the same person or thing, the article is not repeated, but when the nouns denote different persons or things, the article must be repeated before each noun. Be sure to use the proper form of the verb.

Note the following sentences and underscore the proper verb to complete the meaning:

The secretary and treasurer were--was here.

The secretary and the treasurer were--was elected.

The singer and artist were--was with me.

The singer and the artist were--was on the program.

Sometimes we have two things so closely a.s.sociated in use that they may be considered as forming a single idea, so that we may use the article before the first one only. For example:

The pen and ink is gone.

He bought a horse and buggy.

The bread and b.u.t.ter is on the plate.

INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES

+255.+ You remember we found in the study of p.r.o.nouns that we have interrogative p.r.o.nouns which we use in asking questions when we do not know the name of the object concerning which we are asking. We also have adjectives which we use in asking questions when we do not know the number or quality of the object concerning which we are asking. For example:

_Which_ book did you enjoy most?

_What_ work are you doing now?

_What_ machine did you order?

_Which_ and _what_ are the interrogative adjectives in these sentences.

+Interrogative adjectives are adjectives used in asking questions.+

INDEFINITES

+256.+ We have one more cla.s.s of adjectives called indefinites.

+An indefinite adjective is one that does not denote any particular person or thing.+

All such adjectives as _each_, _every_, _either_, _neither_, _some_, _any_, _many_, _much_, _few_, _all_, _both_, _no_, _none_, _several_ and _certain_ are indefinite adjectives. We use them when we are not speaking of any particular person or thing, but are speaking in a broad, general sense and in an indefinite manner.

+257.+ The interrogative adjectives are sometimes used in this indefinite way. They are sometimes used to modify nouns when a direct question is not asked, and they are then used, not as interrogative adjectives, but as indefinite adjectives. For example:

He did not know which party to join.

I have not learned what time he will go.

In these sentences _which_ and _what_ are not used to ask questions, but are used to describe an unknown object.

Exercise 4

All the words in italics are adjectives. Decide to which cla.s.s each adjective belongs.

Note in this exercise the compound words used as adjectives, as: _earth-born_, _self-made_, _new-lit_, _blood-rusted_. Look up the meaning of these adjectives and see if you can use other adjectives in their places and keep the same meaning. Note the use of _fellest_.

Slavery, _the earth-born_ Cyclops, _fellest_ of _the giant_ brood, Sons of _brutish_ Force and Darkness, who have drenched _the_ earth with blood, _Famished_ in his _self-made_ desert, _blinded_ by our _purer_ day, Gropes in yet _unblasted_ regions for his _miserable_ prey;-- Shall we guide his _gory_ fingers where our _helpless_ children play?

They have rights who dare maintain them; we are traitors to our sires, _Smothering_ in their _holy_ ashes Freedom's _new-lit_ altar-fires; Shall we make their creed our jailer? Shall we, in our haste to slay, From the tombs of _the old_ prophets steal _the funeral_ lamps away To light up _the_ martyr-f.a.gots round _the_ prophets of to-day?

_New_ occasions teach _new_ duties; Time makes _ancient_ good, _uncouth_; They must upward still, and onward, who would keep _abreast_ of Truth; Lo, before us gleam her camp-fires! We ourselves must Pilgrims be, Launch our Mayflower, and steer boldly through _the desperate winter_ sea, Nor attempt _the_ Future's portal with _the_ Past's _blood-rusted_ key.

--_Lowell_.

Exercise 5

The following is from Oscar Wilde's story of _The Young King_. Oscar Wilde was a master of English, and if you have the opportunity, read all of this beautiful story and watch his use of adjectives. Mark the adjectives in this excerpt and use them in sentences of your own.

And as the young King slept he dreamed a dream, and this was his dream. He thought that he was standing in a long, low attic, amidst the whirr and clatter of many looms. The meager daylight peered in through the grated windows and showed him the gaunt figures of the weavers, bending over their cases. Pale, sickly-looking children were crouched on the huge crossbeams. As the shuttles dashed through the warp they lifted up the heavy battens, and when the shuttles stopped they let the battens fall and pressed the threads together. Their faces were pinched with famine, and their thin hands shook and trembled. Some haggard women were seated at a table, sewing. A horrible odor filled the place. The air was foul and heavy, and the walls dripped and streamed with damp.

The young King went over to one of the weavers and stood by him and watched him.

And the weaver looked at him angrily and said, "Why art thou watching me? Art thou a spy set on us by our master?"

"Who is thy master?" asked the young King.

"Our master!" cried the weaver, bitterly. "He is a man like myself.

Indeed, there is but this difference between us--that he wears fine clothes while I go in rags, and that while I am weak from hunger he suffers not a little from overfeeding."

"The land is free," said the young King, "and thou art no man's slave."

"In war," answered the weaver, "the strong make slaves of the weak, and in peace the rich make slaves of the poor. We must work to live, and they give us such mean wages that we die. We toil for them all day long, and they heap up gold in their coffers, and our children fade away before their time, and the faces of those we love become hard and evil. We tread out the grapes, another drinks the wine. We sow the corn, and our own board is empty. We have chains, though no eye beholds them; and are slaves, though men call us free."