REM. 1. Every subject-nominative except the case absolute, and when the noun or pronoun represents a person or thing addressed, belongs to some verb expressed or implied.

REM. 2. In poetry the subject-nominative is often omitted in interrogative sentences, in such cases where in prose the omission would be improper;" as,

"Lives there who loves pain ?"-Milton.

That is, "Lives there a man who loves pain?"

REM. 3. The subject-nominative is often omitted after the conjunctions than, as, and but; as, "He felt himself addicted to philosophical speculations with more ardor than consisted with the duties of a Roman senator.”—Murphy's Tacitus. Here the ellipsis should be supplied by that which. "Not that anything in consequence of our late loss, more afflictive than was to be expected."-Life of Cowper. Here that which supplies the ellipsis after than.

REM. 4. In the answer to a question, the whole sentence is usually understood, except the noun which is the principal subject of the interrogation; as, "Who discovered the law of gravitation? Newton."

REM. 5. The personal pronoun me is sometimes the subject of a verb, and the verb has the form of the third person singular; as, methinks, methought.

REM. 6. The nominative is sometimes introduced without the verb, when the train of thought is suddenly interrupted; as, "The name of a procession, what a great mixture of ideas, persons, habits, tapers, motions, sounds, does it contain!"— Locke.

POSITION.

REM. 7. The position of the subject-nominative may be generally ascertained by the following rules :

1. In declaratory propositions, the nominative precedes the verb; as, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Gen. i. 1. "And ye will not come to me that ye might

SECOND COURSE.

May the subject-nominative often be omitted in poetry, where the omission would be improper in prose? Give an instance. Give an example where the subject-nominative is omitted after the comparative than. Is the pronoun me ever the subject of a verb? When the nominative introduced without the verb? What two rules determine the position of the subject-nominative?

have life." John v. 40.

Johnson.

"Peace dawned upon his mind.""The moral law is a rule of right.'

2. The nominative may be separated from the verb by one or more words or one or more propositions; as, "The ways of wisdom are pleasant;"." Liberty, say the fanatics, favorers of popular power, can only be found in a democracy."-Anach.

ch. 62.

REM. 8. The subject-nominative in the following cases, is placed after the verb, or the first auxiliaries:

1. When the verb is in the imperative mode; as, "Depart thou."

2. When a supposition is made without the conditional conjunction; as, "Did he but know my anxiety;" "Had I but known their plans."

3. When the pronouns whose, his, hers, mine, their, your, etc., are placed before the verb with the governing word; as, "From whose labors has resulted no important benefit."

4. When a strong desire or feeling is expressed; as, “Oh! may I not share in your smiles!" " What can I do?"

5. When a question is asked, which does not begin with an interrogative pronoun in the nominative case; as, "Why will ye die ?" "Is he able to accomplish it?"

6. Often when a neuter verb is used; as, appeared the king."

66

On a sudden

7. When an emphatical adjective introduces a sentence; as, "Happy is the man whose heart does not reproach him." 8. When a sentence depends on neither or nor, so as to be coupled with another sentence; as, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

9. Generally, when the verb is preceded by here, there, hence, thence, then, thus, neither, nor, such, so, yet, the same, herein, therein, and wherein.

"There is a stream whose gentle flow

Supplies the city of our God."

"Nei

"So panteth my soul after thee, O God." Ps. xlii. ther has this man sinned." "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." John xv. 8. "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight." Ps. cxix. 35.

SECOND COURSE.

Repeat the ten cases where the subject-nominative may come after the verb.

10. When a dialogue is introduced by the verbs say, answer, or reply, think, and the like; as, "I shall not go to the city, said he.

False Syntax.

Him that pursues the path of virtue, will be safe. Whom shall be found a faithful friend? Thou whom we love dearly, will be long in our memory. Whom are less than the least of all saints. Us who have toiled in seed-time, shall reap a rich harvest. Whom dost thou suppose was present? I can parse as well as them. Whom tore that book?

RULE IV.

Me.

§ 233. A noun or pronoun joined with a participle and governing no verb, is put in the nominative case absolute to denote the time, cause or concomitant of an action, or the state or condition on which it depends; as, "Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place." John v. 13. "Tarquinius reigning, Pythagoras came into Italy."- Cicero. Here the nominative absolute denotes time. "Hunger inciting, the wolves seek the fold."—Ovid. Here cause is denoted. "He failing, who shall meet suc

cess?"

REMARK 1. The nominative case absolute is an abridged form of expression, and may be resolved in a proposition, by making the noun or pronoun the subject, and the participle the predicate; as, "When Tarquinius was reigning Pythagoras came into Italy;" """Because of pressing hunger the wolf seeks the fold;" "If he fails, who will meet with success ?" Thus the examples under the above rule are resolved.

REM. 2. When the nominative absolute is thus resolved into a proposition, the proposition is usually commenced with when, because, if, since; as, I being a youth; when I was a youth.

Repeat rule fourth.

FIRST COURSE.

SECOND COURSE.

How may the nominative case absolute be resolved? When the nominative case absolute is thus resolved, how is the proposition usually commenced?

REM. 3. A noun may be put in the nominative absolute with either the present, perfect, or compound perfect participles; as, Pride prevailing, man becomes a slave to fancy;" "This said, he formed thee-Adam;" "An extra session of Congress having been called, each member repaired to the capitol."

REM. 4. Sometimes an indefinite noun or pronoun is understood before a participle with which it is put in the nominative case absolute; as, "It is not possible to act otherwise, considering the weakness of our nature." Here considering agrees with some noun or pronoun according to the sense; as, I, thou, he, she, we, you, they, person or persons considering," etc. " Generally speaking, his manners are agreeable." REM. 5. The participle being is often implied after nouns or pronouns in the nominative case absolute; as,

"

"Alike in ignorance, his reason (being) such,
Whether he thinks too little, or too much."-Pope.

False Syntax.

Me delighting in the pleasures of youth, no cares or anxieties disturb me. Thee being absent, the prosecution of your business was suspended. Him having dismissed his audience, returned home fatigued by his efforts. Them having fulfilled their contract, the lord can have no claim upon them.

But him, the chieftain of them all,
His sword hangs rusting on the wall.

Her quiet relapsing to her former state,

With boding fears, approach the serving train.

These all thy gifts and graces we display,
Thee, only thee, directing all the way.

RULE V.

§ 234. When an address is made, the person or thing addressed is put in the case absolute; as, "O! virtue,

Repeat rule fifth.

FIRST COURSE.

SECOND COURSE,

With what participles may a noun be put in the case absolute? What is sometimes understood before the participles? Where is the participle being often implied?

how amiable thou art!" "O! beautiful boy!" "O lovely land of my birth!”

REMARK 1. Nouns or pronouns addressed are always either in the second person, singular or plural. A noun is always in the third person when preceded by an article.

REM. 2. Nouns are sometimes expressed in exclamations, and in short phrases, to exhibit more force and vivacity. In such cases, although they are supposed by some worthy authors to depend upon some words understood, yet, if we supply the words on which they are supposed to depend, the force of the exclamatory expression will be destroyed. The author, therefore, prefers to consider such nouns and pronouns as in the case absolute. Nouns and pronouns thus used are generally of the third instead of the second person;

as,

"To arms! They come! The Greek! The Greek!"-Halleck.

"Alas! the lofty city! and alas!

The trebly-hundred triumphs! and the day
When Brutus made the dagger's edge surpass
The conqueror's sword in bearing fame away!"

Childe Harold, Canto 4, Stanza 82.

REM. 3. When a noun is used to introduce the subject of discourse, the noun should not be considered in the case absolute, as some suppose, but in apposition with the noun or pronoun that succeeds it, or governed by a verb implied; as, "Our pilgrim fathers, where are they?" In this example, fathers is in apposition with they, and is introduced first, to direct the hearer or reader to the subject of discourse. The example above, instead of being pleonastic, is highly laconic. If either is to be considered pleonastic, they, and not fathers, should be regarded as such. Give it a prosaic expression, and you would have "Think of or consider our pilgrim fathers; where are they?" How much more abbreviated is the expression, "Our fathers, where are they?” Without the expression, "Our fathers," we should have no means of knowing to what they refers. Fathers, therefore, should either

SECOND COURSE.

In what person are nouns or pronouns when addressed? For what purpose are nouns sometimes expressed in exclamation and short phrases? On what do they then depend? and in what case are they put?