noting the possessor is usually omitted; as, "Let us go to St. Paul's;" that is, St. Paul's church. "He is at the Presi

dent's;" that is, house.

REM. 5. To avoid a hissing sound and to facilitate pronunciation, the apostrophic s is sometimes omitted, and the sessive sign is retained when the noun is in the singular number; as, "For righteousness' sake."

REM. 6. Explanatory circumstances should not be introduced between the possessive case and the following noun; as, "She began to extol the farmer's-as she called him— excellent understanding.' Better thus, "She began to extol the excellent understanding of the farmer, as she called him." REM. 7. When a sentence consists of terms that denote the name and office of a person, and is so connected as to admit of a pause, the possessive sign is affixed to the noun denoting the person, and not to that which signifies his office; as, “I left a parcel at Smith's the bookseller;" "Whose glory did he emulate? He emulated Caesar's, the greatest general of antiquity;" "This is Paul's advice, the Christian hero, and the greatest apostle of the Gentiles."

REM. 8. When the possessive case prevents the smoothness of a sentence, the preposition of should be substituted in its place if possible; as, "The general, in the army's name, published a declaration ;" "Unless he is very ignorant of the kingdom's condition. Better thus, "In the name of the army;" "The condition of the kingdom."

REM. 9. The practice of connecting three or more nouns, dependent on each other, by the preposition of, which is frequently used instead of the possessive case, should be gene rally avoided; as, "The severity of the distress of the son of the king, touched the nation." Better thus, "The severe dis

tress of the king's son, touched the nation."

REM. 10. Participial nouns, as well as pure nouns, govern the possessive case; as, "This will be the effect of the pupil's composing frequently;" "A courier arrived from Madrid with

SECOND COURSE.

Why is the apostrophic s sometimes omitted? Should explanatory circumstances be introduced between the possessive case and the following noun? When there are terms denoting the name and office of a person, to which should the sign of the possessive be affixed? When is the preposition of sometimes substituted for the possessive case? Should three or more nouns, dependent on each other be connected by of? Do participial nouns govern the possessive case?

an account of his majesty's having agreed to the neutrality ;" "There is no reason for hydrogen's being an exception.' The possessive sign should not be omitted in any of these cases. This will be the effect of the pupil composing frequently,' is incorrect.

REM. 11. Sometimes the possessive sign and the preposition of are used; as, "Vital air was a discovery of Dr. Priestley's;" "It is a discovery of Sir Isaac Newton's.'

POSITION.

§ 250. The possessive case usually precedes immediately the governing noun; as, "All nature's difference, keeps all nature's peace ;" "It is thine—i. e. thy province to calm the troubled spirit.”

REMARK 1. To this general rule, there are the following exceptions; as,

1. When a noun in apposition intervenes, or when the case occurs without a sign; as, "In her brother Absalom's house;" "Moses and Aaron's devotions.”

2. When an adjective intervenes; as, "Evening's gentle dews."

False Syntax-First Course.

My ancestors virtue is not mine. A mothers tenderness and a father's care are natures gift's for mans advantage. Nevertheless, Asa, his heart was perfect with the Lord.

False Syntax, under Remark 1.

It was the men, women, and children's lot to suffer great calamities. This measure gained the king as well as the people's approbation.

Rem. 2.

I will not destroy the city for tens sake. He lived in Henry the Eights time.

FIRST COURSE.

What is the usual position of the possessive case?

SECOND COURSE.

Are the possessive case, and the preposition of ever used together? Give an instance. What two exceptions are there to the general rule for the position of the possessive case?

Rem. 3.

A rich mans joys increase, the poors decay.

Rem. 4.

Charles, shall we go down to Spencers house? you ever at Mr. Astors house?

Rem. 5.

He labored for righteousness's sake.

Rem. 7.

I procured the knives at Johnson, the cutler's.

RULE XX.

Were

251. Nouns denoting duration of time, measure or value, are often put after verbs and adjectives without a governing word; as, "He lived thirty years," "The wall is ten feet high;" "This article is worth five shillings."

REMARK. The nouns to which the above rule refers may sometimes be governed by a preposition understood.

RULE XXI.

§ 252. The object of a transitive verb, is put in the objective case; as, "The mind moves the body;" "Children imitate their parents;" "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”—Bible.

"He was

REMARK 1. The passive verb is sometimes followed by a noun in the objective case; as, "Their bishops and abbots were all allowed their seats in the house of lords;" "Theresa was forbid the presence of the emperor;" shown that very story in one of his own books." ever, is an unnatural inversion of the order of the subject and object. The more proper arrangement is the following:

FIRST COURSE.

What is rule twentieth? Rule twenty-first?

SECOND COURSE.

This, how

Is a passive verb ever followed by a noun in the objective case?

"Seats in the house of lords were allowed to the bishops and abbots." Such idioms should be carefully avoided.

REM. 2. The object is often understood after transitive verbs; as, "He studies (his lesson).”

REM. 3. When active transitive verbs are followed by two objectives, one is governed by a preposition understood; as, "He promised (to) me a present;" except nouns after verbs of asking and teaching, and also those that signify to name or call, render or constitute, to reckon or esteem.

REM. 4. Transitive verbs sometimes govern a part or a whole sentence as their object; as, 66 'He is not alarmed so far as to consider how much nearer he approaches to his end." "Whether that which we call ecstasy be not dreaming with the eyes open, I leave to be examined."—Locke ii. 19. in italics, in these examples, are sentential nouns.

POSITION.

The clauses

253. The objective case usually follows the verb by which it is governed. To this general rule there are, however, some exceptions.

1. When the objective case is emphatic, it precedes the nominative; as, "Silver and gold have I none.' -Bible.

"But through the heart

Should jealousy its venom once diffuse."-Thomson.

2. When the objective is a pronoun; as, "Whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."-Bible.

3. A noun with whatever, whatsoever, or whichever preceding it, is generally placed before the governing word; as, "Whatsoever ideas we have."-Locke. Sometimes it is placed after it; as, "He gave him what things he chose."

False Syntax.

They who opulence has made proud, and who luxury has

FIRST COURSE.

Where is the objective case usually placed?

SECOND COURSE.

Is the object often understood after transitive verbs? When an active verb is followed by two objectives, how is one of them governed? Do transitive verbs ever govern a whole sentence? Give an illustration. What three exceptions are there to the general rule for the position of the objective ?

corrupted, cannot relish the simple pleasures of nature. You have reason to dread his wrath, which one day will destroy ye both. That is the friend who you must receive cordially, and who you cannot esteem too highly. He who committed the offence you should correct, not I who am innocent.

RULE XXII.

§ 254. Verbs of asking and teaching are followed by two objectives, one of a person, and the other of the thing; as, "When they shall read who taught Epaminondas music ;” "A parent teaches his children good manners;" "Ask him his opinion;" "You have asked him the news."

RULE XXIII.

255. "Verbs signifying to name or call, to render or constitute, to esteem or reckon, are followed by two objectives, denoting the same person or thing;" as, "He named his child John," "He named the city Antioch," "He rendered himself a pleasing companion."

REMARK. The above construction differs from the common principle of apposition in this, that the two nouns come to denote the same thing by the action of the verb.

RULE XXIV.

§ 256. Transitive participles are followed by the same cases as their verbs; as, "Having accomplished his labor, he retired to rest;" "A person pursuing one object constantly, will very surely attain it."

False Syntax.

Though his conduct was in some respects exceptionable, yet he dared not commit so great an offence, as that which was proposed to him. He writes as the best writers would have wrote, had they writ on the same subject. His resolu

FIRST COURSE.

What is rule twenty-second? Rule twenty-third? Rule twentyfourth?