Page:The Comic English Grammar.djvu/89

Rh

When there is no nominative case between the relative and the verb, the relative itself is the nominative to the verb: as, "The master who flogged us." "The rods which were used."

But when the nominative comes between the relative and the verb, the relative exchanges, as it were, the character of sire for that of son, and becomes the governed instead of the governor; depending for its case on some word in its own member of the sentence: as, "He who is now at the head of affairs, whom the people delight to honor, and to whom is intrusted the helm of state—is a Polk.

The relative and the verb, when the former is preceded by two nominatives of different persons, may agree in person with either, according to the sense: as, "I am the young gentleman who do the lovers at the Chatham;" or, "who does."

Let this maxim be borne constantly in mind. "A murderer of good characters should always be made an example of."

Every adjective, and every adjective pronoun, relates to a substantive, expressed or implied: as, "Dando was an unprincipled, as well as a voracious man." "Few quarrel with their bread and butter;" that is, "few persons." "This is the wonderful eagle of the sun." That is, "This eagle," &c.

Adjective pronouns agree in number with their substantives: "This muff, these muffs; that booby, these boobies; another numscull, other numsculls."