SYNTAX OF PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVES OR ADJECTIVE

PRONOUNS.

$493. RULE VI.-PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVES, like adjectives, belong to substantives and to words used as substantives. See examples in the notes below.

Note I.-The DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS THIS and THAT agree with nouns in the singular number, THESE and THOSE with nouns in the plural number; as, This city, that church; these cities, those churches.

Note II-THIS, THAT, and other adjectives denoting unity, are joined to nouns in the plural form denoting an aggregate or a unity of idea; as, "This ten years;" "every three years." A plural form expressing unity of idea is sometimes, by the influence of this idea, changed to the singular form; as, Twelve months into twelvemonth; seven nights into sevennight; fourteen nights into fortnight.

Note III.-Tшs and THAT, THESE and THOSE, are joined either in the singular or the plural number to the word means, which has the same form in both numbers; as, "This means;" "these means."

Note IV.-The Personal pronoun THEM is sometimes improperly used for THESE and THOSE; as, "Give me them books" for "give me those books;" "read them lines" for "read these lines." This error can be historically accounted for by referring to the demonstrative power of THEM, which was derived from the Anglo-Saxon Demonstrative pronoun þæt, and not from he, she, or it, though it is used as the plural form of each one of them.

Note V. THIS and THAT, placed before a general term, not only individualize it like the article, but also express opposition between different individuals; as, "That boy;" "this girl." Here there is a contrast expressed between one boy and another boy, and one girl and another girl.

Note VI.-The DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS EACH, EVERY, EITHER, require the nouns to which they belong to be in the singular number.

EACH is employed to denote two or more taken separately; as, "Each member is entitled to his share."

EVERY is applied to more than two objects taken individually,

and comprehends them all; as, "Every tree is known by its fruit." It is sometimes joined to a plural noun, when the things are conceived of as forming one aggregate; as, "Every twelve years."

EITHER and NEITHER signify only one of two; as, "Tako etther of the two apples," that is, one or the other, but not both. EITHER is sometimes used improperly for each or both; as, "On either side of the river." EITHER has sometimes the meaning of one or another of any number; as, "You may take either of these ten books." This use of the word EITHER is not to be encouraged.

Instead of EITHER, the phrase any one or the word any should be employed. So, instead of NEITHER, in like manner, none or no one should be employed. Thus, instead of saying "either of the fifty men," we should say "any one of the fifty men," or "one of the fifty men."

Note VII.-MANY, FEW, SEVERAL, denote number, and belong to plural substantives; as, "Many men;" "few offices;" "several prisoners."

MANY is used with a singular substantive, with the article a between it and the substantive; as, "You, I know, have many a time sacrificed your own feelings to those of others." "A great many" is a phrase in current use.

FEW may take the article a before it, though that article cant not be used with a plural word; as, "Can you lend me a few shillings?"

MUCH and LITTLE denote quantity, and are used in the singular; as, "Much money;" "little money."

MORE and MOST denote number and quantity, and are used both in the singular and the plural number; as, "More fruit,” "most fruit;""more men," "most men."

"All

Note VIII-ALL, NONE, NO, SOME, ANY, denote number or quantity, and belong to singular or plural nouns; as, men;""all the earth." No and NONE differ as my and mine, etc.; as, "I have no paper;" "as to paper, I have none." NONE, like mine, was formerly used before a vowel. "This is none other but he house of God."-Gen., xxviii., 17. Though compounded of no one, NONE is used as either singular or plural. "Some men" (number); "some water" (quantity). SOME is

used with numerals to signify about. "Some fifty years ago." Mr. CROMBIE Considers this phraseology as highly objectionable, but it is a good old Saxon idiom. "Sum" is often found combined with the genitive plural of the cardinal numbers, and signifies about; as, "Sume ten géar," some ten years. ARNOLD, p. 25, from RASK, p. 61. "Any food" (quantity); "any apsometimes equivalent to EVERY; as, 'Any body can do that." It is sometimes indefinite, being equivalent to SOME; as, "Shall we tell any body our misfortunes?" the particular person being left undecided.

ples" (number). ANY is

ENOUGH is an adjective singular, and denotes quantity; as, "Bread enough." ENow, the old plural of enough, denotes number; as, "Books enow."

Note IX.-There is an ambiguity in the adjective No against which it is necessary to guard. Thus, if we say, "No laws are better than the English," it may mean either that the absence of all law is better than the English laws, or that no code of jurisprudence is superior to the English. If the latter be the meaning intended, the ambiguity is removed by saying, “There are no laws better than the English." If the former, we might say, "The absence of all law is preferable to the English system."

RULE VI.-See examples in the notes below.

Note I.-a. These sort of actions injure society. F. S.

b. Those kind of injuries bring with them an appropriate punishment. F. S.

Note II.-I have not been in Washington this five years. C. S. Note III-a. By this means they are happy in each other. C. S.

b. By that means he preserved his superiority. C. S.

c. In the use of these means he preserved his superiority. C. S. Note IV. Will you drive them cattle out of the lot? F. S. Note V. This student is industrious, that soldier is brave. C. S.

Note VI. a. Each had his place appointed, each his course. C. S.

M M

b. Each of them, in their turn, receive the benefits to which they are entitled. F. S.

c. Every nation has reason to feel interested in the pretensions of its own native language; in the original quality of that language, or characteristic kind of its power; and in the particular degree of its expansion at the period in question.-DE QUINCEY. C. S.

d. Every person, whatever be their station, is bound to obey the laws of morality. F. S.

e. Are either of those five men worthy of public confidence? F. S.

f. Are either of those two men worthy of public confidence? C. S.

g. Neither of those men are aware that their opinions are false. F. S.

h. It is neither grace, nor is it dignity, that speaks to us from the noble countenance of Juno Ludovici; it is neither, because it is at the same time both.-SCHILLER, Translation. C. S. Note VII.-Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. C. S.

Note VIII.-All nature is but art unknown to thee;

All chance direction which thou canst not see;

All discord harmony not understood;

All partial evil universal good.-POPE. C. S.

Note IX. No religion is better than the Mohammedan. (State each of the two meanings which this ambiguous sentence may express.)

SYNTAX OF NUMERAL

ADJECTIVES.

§ 494. RULE VII.-The CARDINAL ONE, the ORDINAL FIRST, and the word SINGLE, are naturally Singular, and are used with nouns in the singular number.

The CARDINALS TWO, THREE, etc., which answer to the question how many, are used with nouns in the plural number. The ORDINALS SECOND, THIRD, etc., which denote WHAT PLACE the thing occupies;

The MULTIPLICATIVES DOUBLE, TWO-FOLD, TRIPLE, THREE-FOLD, FOUR-FOLD, which show how many times one thing exceeds another, are used with nouns in the singular number.

Note I. After Numerals, the words PAIR, COUPLE, DOZEN, Score, Hundred, Thousand, etc., do not take the plural form; as, "Six pair of shoes;" "three dozen of apples;" "four couple of dancers." We say twenty sail of vessels; a hundred head of cattle.

Note II. Both Cardinals and Ordinals can be used as nouns, and some of them take the plural termination; as, Ones, twos, threes, tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, seconds, thirds, fourths. See § 282.

Note III. It has been a question whether the Ordinal shall come before the Cardinal; for instance, whether the first three, or the three first, is the correct order. The objection to the use of first three is, that it implies an absurdity, when there is no second three. The objection to the use of three first is, that it implies an absurdity, since there can be but one first. Each order is justified by respectable usage. A preacher, having his mind upon the number of stanzas to be sung, would be apt to say the "four first stanzas." The captains of two different classes at school would be called the two first boys. The first and second boys of the same class would be called the first two boys. Expressions like two first are sanctioned by the example of some of the best writers; so also are expressions like first two, which, indeed, in some cases, are to be preferred. "The fathers of the five first centuries."-MIDDLETON. "I have not numbered the lines, except of the four first books."-COWPER. So we say "the two former" and "the two latter," or "the three former" and "the three latter." "The three former' are relics of the idiom of the ancient Britons; the three latter' of that spoken by the inhabitants of Ireland."-PRICHARD'S Eastern Origin of the Celtic Nations, p. 25. It is becoming the more common practice to name the Ordinal first.

EXERCISES UNDER RULE VII.

NUMERAL ADJECTIVES.

RULE VII.-a. One man esteemeth one day above another. C. S.

b. Washington is first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen. C. S.

c. No single man is born with the right of controlling ali the rest. C. S.