7. What did it? The wind did it.

8. When was it done? It was done to-day.

Negative Answers.

LIT. DEF. The word, negative,' means that which denies or refuses.

149. A NEGATIVE Answer is one, which denies the existence, occurrence, etc., of the actor, action, etc., expressed in the question. I sit not.

9. Sittest thou? 10. Dost thou sit?

11. Art thou sitting?

I do not sit.

I am not sitting.

12. Who did it? Nobody did it.

13. Which boy did it? Neither boy did it. 14. What did it? Nothing did it.

15. When was it done? It was not done.

NOTE I. Responsive Sentences or Answers are, generally, very much contracted. Thus;

First. The Affirmative Answer to a direct question is constructed by restating the subject and the predicate which preceded it; or, by the word, Yes.

15. Fled they? They fled; or, Yes.

16. Did they flee? They did; Yes.

17. Were they fleeing? They were; Yes.

Second. The Negative Answer to

direct question is formed by

adding not to the Affirmative Answer; or, by the word, No.

18. Ate he the food?

He ate not; or, No.

19. Did he eat the food? He did not; No.

20. Was he eating the food?

He was not; No.

21. Was the food eaten by him?

The food was not; or,

It was not; No.

NOTE II. Many have a strange habit of putting the negative adjunct, not, in questions. Thus;

Are you not going?; for, Are you going?

Will you not come to-night?

NEGATIVE. ative, —; g➡ agac, acts, does; ne- non, not.

The only safe answer to these questions is made by changing the question to its responsive forms, retaining, or omitting the not, according to the intention of the narratee. Thus;

22. Are you not going? I am not going; I am going

23. Will you not come to-night? I will come to-night; I will not come to-night.

The answers, yes, no, are frequently given to these negative questions. For instance, if the narratee intend to go, he says "yes;" if he does not intend to go, he says "no." Now, notice the absurdity; Do you not intend to go? Yes; that is, Yes, I do not intend to go; when he really means, I do intend to go.

Third. An Affirmative Answer to an indirect question is made by stating the principal word, to which the adjunct placed at the beginning of the question, refers.

Fourth. A Negative Answer to an indirect question is made by attaching the negative adjunct, no, to the principal word, to which the adjunct beginning the question, refers.

31. Who did it? No one.

32. Which did it?

Neither.

Nothing.

33. What did it?
34. When was it done?
35. How was it done?
36. Why was it done?
37. Whence came it?

Never.
It was not done.
It was not done.
It did not come.

Historic or Declarative Sentences.

LIT. DEF. The word, historic,1 means belonging to that which is fixed, sure, fast.

The word, declarative," means like that which speaks out.

1 HISTORIC. oric, belonging to the office of; t, that which; his, stands, keeps. See history.

2 DECLARATIVE, (a)tive,· ·; clar clam, speaks, shouts; de, out, concerning.

=

150. A HISTORIC or DECLARATIVE Sentence is used by the narrator in giving an account or history of a matter, or a statement of an occurrence, and indicates that the narrator is in his ordinary moods or feelings.

1. I asked him to go with me, and he went.

2. Thus it speaks ;

"The day I commemorate is the rod with which the hand of the Lord has opened the well of Liberty. Its waters will flow; every new drop of martyr blood will increase the tide."

Imperative Sentences.

151. An IMPERATIVE Sentence is used by the narrator in entreating, ordering, giving permission, apologizing, etc., and indicates that the narrator has more than his ordinary feelings or moods in regard to it.

Imperative sentences are formed by placing the subject after the whole of the predicate.

1. Entreating. Give us this day our daily bread.

2. Permitting. Go thou in peace.

3. Apologizing. Excuse me, please.

4. Commanding. Attention! Shoulder Arms! Forward, march!

Conditional Sentences.

LIT. DEF. The word, conditional,' means that which has been put with another.

152. A CONDITIONAL Sentence is used to express a thought subordinate to an idea in another thought.

1. The trip will be pleasant, if the wind do not blow. 2. The ship, being leaky, was abandoned by the crew. 3. The vessel struck a rock, lying in the channel of the river. 4. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof; but, thou canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth.

1 CONDITIONAL. itional,· ·; d, put, placed; con, together.

Exclamative Sentences.

153. An EXCLAMATIVE Sentence is a sentence expressing a thought, by whose narration, the passions or emotions of the nurrator are excited.

1. Banished from Rome! What's banished, but set free From daily contact of the things I loathe?

.6 Tried and convicted traitor!" Who says this? Who'll prove it, at his peril, on my head? Banished! I thank you for it. It breaks my chain ! I held some slack allegiance till this hour, But now my sword's my own. Smile on, my lords! 2. Warning. "Lochiel! Lochiel! Beware of the day." 3. Rally. "To arms! To arms! They come! The Greek! The Greek!"

That is, fly to your arms! The Greek comes. Contracted.

4. Apostrophe. Hail! Holy light!

5. Affected Surprise. Oh! Ah! Yes! I do remember now, M-i-s-t-e-r Williams!

6. Grief turning to Anguish.

"And I behold!-O God! O God!

His life-blood oozing from the sod!"

7. Coaxing. Patty. Poor William ! O grandmother, do let me go!

8. Affected Indifference. Mrs. Matthews. Humph! Patty. My cousin Mary will be so disappointed.

Mrs. Matthews. Humph!

9. Cheering. Three cheers for ourselves! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hip! Hip! Hip! Hurrah!

10. Oh, that one would hear me! Behold my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. Surely, I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

Ellipsis or Contraction of Sentences.

154. Third, the ELLIPSIS or CONTRACTION OF SENTENCES.

155. DEFINITIONS.

The word, contraction,2 means brought together.

The ELLIPSIS or CONTRACTION of · Sentences includes that part of the science, which shows how a part may be used instead of the whole sentence, in expressing or naming a thought.

NOTE I. The Uncontracted sentence, expressing its thought in full, seems to have been compared to the circumference of a circle, including a whole or perfect circular area; while, the Elliptical or Contracted sentence, expressing a part of the thought only, seems to have been compared to the circumference of an ellipse, including a part of a circular This view is farther confirmed by the fact, that the point, placed at the end of an uncontracted sentence, is called the Period, a word which, literally, signifies a circumference or circular road. (See Arith., Mensuration, Circle, Ellipsis.)

area.

156. GENERAL LAW. The part of an Elliptical or Contracted sentence which is expressed, must suggest to the narratee that part of itself which is not expressed.

NOTE II. Contracted or Elliptical sentences may be used in ordinary narration, and in the transactions of common business, as a means of saving both talk and time. In important transactions, Contracted sentences should be used with great caution, because they are liable to be ambiguous. In legal documents, the sentences are amplified, instead of being contracted.

NOTE III. The Ellipsis of language is a part of that labor-saving tendency, which is a characteristic of human intelligence and of human progress. Heretofore, too little attention has been given to this subject, as a part of the Science of Language. The principles, according to which language is contracted, should be clearly and fully explained to the student. He should understand perfectly the thought which the

I ELLIPSIS. is, condition of; st,—; lip, has been left; el ex, out.

2 CONTRACTION. tion, -; trac, has been drawn; con, together.