Page:Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information.djvu/17

Rh paragraph introduces two reasons for the last assertion respecting the influence of "experience" upon "studies;" as was seen in paragraph (3). Of the first reason, we—only to say, that the real predicate of the sentence is "like," to which the words, "natural plants," are added as an object; and that in the accessory sentence, added ae a second attributive to "plants," whilst "pruning" is the immediate object of the verb "need;" "by study" is an object annexed to "pruning." For this last word is another of the participles, properly the imperfect one, which, like the verb, at times requires some attempering object, as we see here. In the second reason, we must notice, first, an attributive attached to the subject, which we have not met with before,—"themselves." It is undoubtedly a pronoun, and it is here used as a most emphatic demonstrative. The objective form of one part of it, "them," does not concern us here. Next, we notice the predicate, which is in a form we have pease petore seen; but which is only equivalent to the word "give," alone, except that it is more empathetic. Grammarians call these words, "do," "can," "are," &c., when employed as in this case auxiliary, or helping verbs. The first and second objects to this sentence do not require particular notice; and in the third, "too much at large," it is only needful to observe the use of an adjective preceded by a preposition, and having an adverbial phrase, which we have met with, before it, to express the manner of the action. Of the third object, which is an accessory sentence, more is to be said. It is annexed w the principal sentence by means of a conjunction, "except," which implies some limitation to the meaning of the predicate and the preceding objects; but the form of its own predicate is different from any we have yet seen. Comparing it with the second predicate in this paragraph, "are perfected," we find that it is a passive form; but the employment of "be" instead of "are," shows that the limitation hinges upon the effect of "experience" upon the "studies" spoken of. The forms of verbs which are thus used, to express contingency, have been called by grammarians the subjunctive mood; they are far more rarely used now than they once were, and have, indeed, almost entirely disappeared from our spoken language. 15. Paragraph (6) affords us an opportunity of remarking some other facts in English Grammar:

In the first three sentences there is nothing new to observe, except the use of the conjunction "and," without any abbreviation or condensation; it here serves only to combine all three assertions together, so that the reasons assigned in the remainder of the paragraph are seen to apply equally to all. We may, however, notice the fact, that the association of the several attributives with their objects is effected entirely by: juxtaposition; there being nothing in the forms of the words specially to indicate their relation to the words they belong to. But the relation of the predicates to their subjects is shown by the agreement of their forms in one essential partictilar, called by grammarians number. Thus in paragraph. (2) the noun "use," which is the subject, expresses but one thing; and the form of the verb, "is," applies to no more than one; whilst in paragraph (5), "they" (which is equivalent to "studies") and "abilities," referring to more things than one, have the form of the verb "are," which also applies to more than one, in the predicates following them. And similarly here, the subjects being in the plural number, "men," the verbs in the predicates are also in the plural, "contemn," "admire," "use."

In like manner the place occupied by the word. "studies," shows it to be the object of the verb "contemn;" but the relation of the objects to the predicates in the other two sentences is indicated not only by their position, but (as we have before observed) also, and more certainly, by the form employed, "them." 16. Little needs to be said respecting the first sentence, which is introduced by the conjunction "for," most of its forms being familiar; but we may note the use of the word "own," an adjective rendering the pronoun, "their," emphatic. In the last sentence the subject is not a relative, but a demonstrative pronoun, and its reference to the "use" of "studies" is shown by the order of the words, or, as the grammarians say, by the construction. Besides this, only the attributives to the predicate, which is here a noun, require remark; for two of them, "without them, and above them," are pronouns attached by