they are intended to express; and, rhetorically, because they generally require "a mean little word at the end of the sentence." They are condemned by the Rhetoricians both of Ancient and of Modern times. Horace says, "Nor should a mean little word be allowed to end a sentence; unless, you wish to degrade the subject by the style." "Montes laborantur nascitur ridiculus mus."-Ars. Poetica. 44. Error. "Charles was applied to." Charles names neither the actor nor the receiver of the act, was applied. The expression being intended to say that Charles was requested, or desired, or asked, or entreated, etc. In fact, the words, Charles was applied to, name a Second Part only. The whole sentence being somebody applied to Charles. 1 2. No Third part is mentioned, as is the case, when we say, "The surgeon applied a plaster to Charles. F S T. When an error of this kind occurs, the expression should be declared either not to express a thought, and hence, not a sentence; or to express the thought erroneously, and hence, to be faulty. It should be corrected at once, either by supplying a subject, or by changing the word naming the action. 45. Charles was applied to. General Analysis. Charles was, etc., is not a sentence; because, it does not contain a thought. Charles was applied to is merely a phrase; principal idea, was applied; secondary, Charles; to, idea of relation. Corrected Forms. First; Somebody applied to Charles. Second; Charles was requested, desired, entreated, etc. 46. John was told the tale. asked, General Analysis. John was told, etc., contains a thought, improperly expressed; hence, it is an incorrect sentence. It is incorrect, because it is an attempt to form a sentence on the word, John, the name of a secondary idea. Its proper forms are ; (Subject not expressed) told the tale to John. The tale was told to John by 47. The trial was proceeded with. the trial. Corrected Form. The trial was continued. Incorrect. proceeded with Incorrect. Incorrect. 48. William was paid ten dollars. Corrected Forms. The boy was ridiculed by the man. derided by the man. The man laughed at the boy. The boy was 51. The second person is the person spoken to." "The tl ird person is the person spoken of." Errors. Correction. The second person is the person addressed; the second person is the narratee. SECOND ERROR. Sometimes the narrator, having commenced the construction of a sentence with a particular word as a subject, suddenly interposes another word as a subject, and then, completes the sentence. This is called Breaking or violating the Unity of a Subject. (See Chap. V., Unity of Subjects.) This error may be corrected by rejecting one of the Subjects, and finishing the sentence with reference to the other. 52. The dog, being rabid, his master shot him. Incorrect. First Correction. The dog, being rabid, was shot by his master. Second Correction. The master shot the dog, because he was rabid. 53. The stranger, being poor and needy, the people gave him money. Incorrect. 54. The soldier, being wounded, his comrades carried him to his tent. Incorrect. For Errors in Definitions of Subjects, see Chap. VI., Definitions. NOTE IX. When a word, apparently a relator, appears at the end of a construction, one error surely exists, while three may exist. Of these, one may be a logical, as in the examples given above; another, is a rhetorical error. (See Position or Syntax of the Relator.) For the third Error, see Grammar, Prepositions. The student should now turn to Chap. II., and give the Special Analyses, both logical and rhetorical, through Subjects, changing each sentence from its Passive to its corresponding Active form; and, from its Active to its corresponding Passive, when this is possible. EXERCISE. 1. Look around, and tell, in corresponding Actively and Passively constructed simple sentences, the names of what you see. Give the Special Analysis of each Subject. 2. In like manner, tell what you hear. Analyze the Subjects. 3. Name and describe something that you can touch. 4. Name and describe something that you can taste. 5. Name and describe something that you can learn in none of these ways. 6. Now repeat each one of these exercises, and put the name of the actor, who sees, hears, etc., in each sentence. It may be your own, or it may be another person's name. 7. At the next recitation, bring a written exercise of this kind, describing something that you have seen, heard, etc. 8. Notice carefully every sentence that you speak, or write; also, every sentence that you hear, or read; and, examine those that please you, to find what element in them gives you pleasure. In like manner, examine those that displease you, to find what element or elements in them are displeasing. This knowledge will be useful to you as a means of self-improvement, if you bear in mind that whatever is acceptable to you in another's use of language, will be very likely to be acceptable to others in your use of it; and, that whatever is not acceptable to you in another's use of language, will be quite as likely not to be acceptable to others in your use of it. Finally, if you succeed in selecting the right words for the subjects of the sentences which you construct, you will be quite sure to avoid the larger portion of those errors of construction into which the narrator is quite sure to fall, who is careless in his selections, or who is ignorant of the principles on which these selections should be made. The students may now turn to the selections at the end of this Work, and while reading, select the subject of each sentence which is read. II. Predicates or Affirmers. LIT. DEF. The word, predicate,1 means that which tells about [something]. LIT. DEF. The word, affirmer,' means that which makes sure concerning [something]. 73. A PREDICATE or AFFIRMER is a word, or a phrase, naming the action or second primary idea, and used to ask or to declare something concerning the subject. NOTE I. Some call the Predicate or Affirmer an Asserter. 1. The rain fell heavily last night. Special Analysis. Logically, fell is the action or second primary idea; rhetorically, fell is the predicate of the subject, rain. Fell is a predicate or affirmer; because, it names an action, and is used to declare or tell something concerning the subject, rain. It is a Word Predicate or a Word Affirmer; because, it names the whole of the action. 2. Does the fire consume the fuel? The fire does consume the fuel. Is the fuel consumed by the fire? The fuel is consumed by the fire. Special Analysis. Logically, does consume is the action or second primary idea; rhetorically, does consume is used as the predicate or affirmer of the subject, fire; because, it names an action or second primary idea, and in one case, it asks concerning the subject, fire, and, in the other, it declares concerning the subject, fire. It is a Phrase Predicate; because, it names a group of ideas. In like manner, analyze is consumed, as the Predicate or Affirmer of the subject, fuel. 3. The boys sit on these benches. The table is standing by the wall. 4. Sugar is sweet. Is sugar sweet? Did your brother, Robert, the farmer, raise this grain? This grain was raised by my brother, Robert, the farmer. 74. A PHRASE Predicate consists of two or more Predicates; 1 PREDICATE. e, state of, office of; (a)t, about, concerning. ; dic, tells, speaks, declares; pre, 2 AFFIRMER. er, office of, one which; firm, makes sure, tells; af-ad, concerning, toward [something]. of which, one is called the Principal Predicate; the others, its Auxiliary Predicates. 75. The PRINCIPAL Predicate is the one which names the principal idea of action. 5. Asa will be reading the book. The book will be read by Asa. In these examples, the principal predicates are reading, read. LIT. DEF. The word, auxiliary,' means belonging to that which increases, enlarges. 76. An AUXILIARY Predicate names an idea of action subordinate to another idea of action. 6. Ralph will have been doing the work. The work will have been done by Ralph. In this example, the auxiliary predicates are will, have, been; of which, have, and been, are the auxiliaries of the principals, done, or doing; will is an auxiliary of the auxiliary, have. 7. Can a boy do this work? Can this work be done by a boy? 8. This house was built by the job. This house is built by the job. This house will be built by the job. NOTE II. Sometimes a Subject and its Affirmer together are called the Affirmation or Predication. 9. Greatness confers no exemption from care. In the above example, greatness confers, is the Affirmation or Predication. 10. The odor of the rose refreshes the sense. 11. Jane sings beautiful songs. Beautiful songs are sung by Jane. 77. Generally, a Predicate or Affirmer may be used in three forms; called, its Simple, its Emphatic, and its Periphrastic Forms. AUXILIARY. (ia)ry, a state, a condition; il, belonging to; aux which increases, enlarges, helps. Compare augment, auxiliary, auction. auct, that |