Page images
PDF
EPUB

d. Two similar horses used together are called a span. C. S.

e. Let a double portion of his spirit rest upon me. C. S. f. Man has a two-fold nature.

C. S.

Note I.-There were six pair of doves, two couple of partridges, and three brace of ducks.

C. S.

Note II-a. They came and departed by twos. C. S.

b.

Shout ye! and ye! make answer, Saul hath slain

His thousands; David his ten thousands slain. C. S.

Note III.-The clergyman commenced the services by read ing the four first stanzas of the 90th Psalm, omitting the fifth and last. C. S.

State the arguments for the use of each form.

SYNTAX OF THE ARTICLE "AN" OR "A."

§ 495. RULE VIII.-The article AN or A, called the Indefinite Article, is used before nouns in the singular number, to show that some single object is meant, without specifying or defining it; as, An army; a book.

Note I-The Indefinite Article has sometimes the meaning of every or each; as, "They cost five dollars a dozen;" "it cost ten cents an inch" "every dozen," "each inch." The following adjective pronouns exclude the articles: This, that, each, every, either, any, much, some, no, none, neither.

Note II.-The Indefinite Article is placed before plural nouns preceded by few or many, and also before any collective word; as, "A few days;" "a great many persons;" "a hundred men;" "a thousand years." A never precedes many without the intervention of great between them, but follows many, standing between this word and a noun; as, 66 'Many a man." Some other pronominal adjectives, in like manner, precede the articles; as, All, both, many, such.

Note III.-The omission or the insertion of the indefinite article in some instances nearly reverses the meaning. Its omis sion before such words as few, little, shows that the number or quantity indicated by the adjectives is taken in its proper sense: "Ah! little think the gay, licentious, proud." Here little is equivalent to "not much," or, by a trope, to "not at all." "He reads with a little attention." Here, on the contrary, when

the indefinite article is inserted, "a little" means "not none," or "some." If we say "few accompanied the prince," we seem to disparage the number, and to represent it as inconsiderable, as if we said "not many." If we say "a few accompanied the prince," we seem to amplify the number, as if it were not unworthy of attention. If the article is inserted, the clause is equivalent to a double negative, and thus serves to amplify; if the article is suppressed, the expression has either a diminutive or a negative import.

Note IV.-In expressing comparison, when the indefinite article is suppressed before the second term, the latter becomes the predicate of the subject, or first term. If, on the contrary, the second term is prefaced with the article, it forms the other subject of comparison. In the former case, the subject, as possessing different qualities in various degrees, is compared with itself; in the latter, it is compared with something else. Thus, if we say, "He is a better soldier than scholar," omitting the article before the second term, the expression is equivalent to "he possesses the qualities of a soldier in a higher degree than those of a scholar," or "he is more warlike than learned." If, on the contrary, the second term is preceded by the article, it forms the other subject of comparison. Thus, "He would make a better soldier than a scholar," denotes that "he would make a better soldier than a scholar would make."

Note V.-The indefinite article, like the definite, is employed to distinguish between things which are individually different, but have one generic name, and things which in reality are one and the same, but are characterized by different qualities. "A black and a white horse," or "a black horse and a white," conveys the idea of two horses, the one black and the other white. "A black and white horse," on the contrary, denotes one horse, partly black and partly white. In general, the ellipsis of articles implies identity, whether with respect to person, subject, or predicate; the insertion or repetition of them, diversity.

Note VI.-The word to which A or AN refers must always be expressed; that to which ONE refers may be understood. Pointing to books, we can not say, "Give me a or an," but we may "Give me one." say, Moreover, if you say, "Give me onc book," you are understood to say, "Give a single book, and not

two or more;" but if you say, "Give me a book," you are supposed to say, "Give me a book, and not something else."

Note VII.-When the meaning of a term is general, it should not be limited by the use of the article; as, "Man is born to trouble," that is, "all men." "God Almighty has given reason to a man, to be a light to him." The article here should be suppressed. "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" It is not any wheel that Pope meant, but a known instrument of torture, or the wheel."

[ocr errors]

Note VIII. The indefinite article is applied to proper

names; as,

[ocr errors]

"From liberty each nobler science sprung;
A Bacon brightened, and a Spenser sung."

Note IX. The form of the indefinite article depends on the sound by which it is followed. When it is followed by a vowel sound, it has the form of AN; as, An artist; an eagle; an hour. When it is followed by a consonantal sound, it has the form of A; as, A lion; a union; a oneness. The form before the letter h is not uniform, as the practice of sounding or suppressing tho aspirate is not uniform. See § 285.

For the use of the articles with the present participle, see § 521

EXERCISES UNDER RULE VIII.

THE ARTICLE "AN" OR "A.”

RULE VIII.-In my journey I traveled through a beautiful valley. C. S.

Note I. They visit the north once a year for health and relaxation. C. S.

Note II.-a. He will come in a few hours to make arrangements for his voyage. C. S.

[blocks in formation]

Note III.-He has few friends; he has a few friends. He

has little money; he has a little money. C. S.

Note IV-a. He is a better artist than seaman.

C. S.

C. S.

b. He would make a better artist than a seaman. Note V-A black and white horse; a black and a white horse. Give equivalents for the two last expressions.

Note VI.-Here are apples; give me one.

C. S.

F. S.

Note VII.-a. A man is the noblest work of creation. F. S. b. He was doomed to ascend a scaffold. Note VIII-It needed a Newton to demonstrate the laws of gravitation. C. S.

Note IX. There was an unanimity that was very gratifying.

F. S.

SYNTAX OF THE

ARTICLE "THE."

§ 496. RULE IX.-The article THE, called the Definite Article, is used before nouns, both in the singular and plural number, to specify and define their meaning; as, "The President;" "the Senate;" "the Representatives."

Note I.-The omission of the definite article, when the sense is restricted, creates ambiguity; as, "All words which are signs of complex ideas furnish matter of mistake." This may mean either that all words are signs of complex ideas, and furnish matter of mistake, or that such a part of them as are the signs of complex ideas furnish matter of mistake. The ambiguity is removed by the use of the article; as, "All the words which are signs of complex ideas furnish matter of mistake."

Note II. The definite article is likewise used to distinguish between things which are individually different, but have one generic name, and things which are, in truth, one and the same, but are characterized by several qualities: "The red and white roses were most admired." It may be doubtful whether two kinds of roses are here indicated, or roses with two colors. By repeating the article the ambiguity is removed: "The red and the white roses." In this phraseology two kinds of roses are indicated. The expression, "The ecclesiastical and secular powers concurred in this measure," is ambiguous so far as language can make it so. By repeating the article or varying the phraseology, the ambiguity is removed: "The ecclesiastical and the secular powers;" or "the ecclesiastical powers and the secular;" or "the ecclesiastical powers and the secular powers."

Note III. When an additional epithet or description of the same subject is intended, the definite article should not be employed. For this reason, the following sentence is faulty: "The Apostle James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John, would be declared the apostle of the Britons." It should be "and brother of St. John." When a diversity of persons or a change of subject is intended to be expressed, the definite article is necessarily employed; as, "Cincinnatus the dictator, and the master of the horse, marched against the Equi." Were the article omitted, the expression would imply that the dictator and the master of the horse were one and the same individual.

Note IV. In general, it may be sufficient to prefix the article, whether definite or indefinite, to the former of two words in the same construction; as, "There were many hours both of the night and day which he could spend without suspicion in solitary thought." It might have been of the night and of the day. And, for the sake of emphasis, we often repeat the article in a series of epithets; as, "He hoped that this title would secure him an ample and an independent authority." The article is repeated before titles; as, "The honorable the lord mayor." Note V.-The definite article is often placed before an adjective when the noun is understood; as, "Cowards die many times, the valiant never taste of death but once."

Note VI.—The definite article gives energy and precision when applied to comparatives and superlatives; as, “The more frequently I see him, the more I respect him;" "at the worst,' I could incur but a gentle reprimand;" "for neither if we eat are we the better; neither if we eat not are we the worse." See § 287.

Note VII.-As proper names are already determinate, they do not admit the article, except, 1. When a particular family is distinguished; as, "He was a Stuart," or "of the family of the Stuarts." 2. When eminence is implied; as, "A Brutus;" meaning a patriotic person. 3. When a common name is understood; as, "The (river) Hudson."

Note VIII.-The use of the definite article before the relative which has become obsolete: "Where there was a garden, into the which he entered."-John, xviii., 1.

Note IX.

Formerly, to express death in general, authors

« PreviousContinue »