Page:Mion-Chaint - Ua Laoghaire (1899).djvu/11

Rh has been for centuries the every day dialogue of millions of people who could neither read nor write.

For example; in the whole range of the language there is not a single exception to the rule which says that “” takes the predicate next to it, and that “” takes the subject next to it. Now, in English common conversation there are hundreds of instances in the use of the verb to be, in which no person can tell which of the two nominative cases is the subject.

That is only one out of the numberless beauties which await the learner.

A most useful exercise for the learner will be, after having mastered the meaning of each phrase, to take it asunder, and to distinguish carefully the link-word, the subject or nominative case, and the predicate, that is the piece of information which is given concerning the subject. Thus:—

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