3. How would you classify the absolute clauses in the following examples? a. The wind being favourable, we set sail. b. The object being a good one, we shall support it. c. He out of the way, we should have no difficulty. ANALYSIS OF SIMPLE SENTENCES. 125. In analysing simple sentences, the learner will do well to note the following hints : 1. Seek out first the Subject of the sentence, remembering that the Subject in Imperative sentences is often not expressed. If the Subject be a noun or pronoun, it must be in the Nominative Case. 2. Seek out next the Predicate, remembering that it must be a finite verb, i.e. a verb having number and person, not a participle or infinitive. 3. If the verb be transitive and in the Active Voice, seek out the Direct Object, and, if there be one, the Indirect Object. The former will generally be found by placing whom? or what? after the verb; the latter by placing to whom? or to what? after the verb. 4. Next seek for any enlargements there may be of the Subject and Predicate. 5. Remember that as copulative verbs can never alone form a Predicate, the nouns or adjectives which they connect with the subject will form part of the Predicate : He is a carpenter (Pred.) They are happy (Pred.) 6. Do not confound the noun or pronoun in an absolute clause with the Subject of the sentence: The coach having gone, we returned (Subj.) 7. Do not confound the Direct Object followed by a Gerundial Infinitive with the Subject and Predicate:— I saw him (Dir. Obj.) die (Ind. Obj.) 8. The simple negative should be taken with the Predicate. 9. The introductory particle 'there 'is ranked with the Adverbial extensions. 10. Treat Interrogative sentences as though they were Assertive. 11. Interrogative Pronouns may be either Subjects or Objects: Who is going to town? (Subj.) 12. Interrogative Adverbs should be ranked with the Adverbial extensions. 13. In dealing with such imperative constructions as 'Let us go,' treat 'let' as an Imperative of the second person, 'us' as Direct Object, 'go' as Indirect Object. 14. Conjunctions, Interjections, and Vocatives are not integral parts of a sentence, and should be treated separately. This remark is not intended to apply to Adverbial Conjunctions, which, in virtue of their adverbial function, form integral parts of the sentences in which they occur. 15. Remember that a transitive verb may have an Object in any part of the sentence, but that an Objective Case is not necessarily the Object of a sentence:— To save money in such circumstances is not easy (in the I tried to catch some fish (here one Direct Object depends I asked him to catch some fish (here a Direct Object depends on an Indirect Object). Unless it be in a detailed analysis, take no separate notice of any Direct Object, except the Direct Object which forms the comple tion of the Predicate. Examples. 1. Imperial Cæsar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.-Shakspere. 2. There is a special Providence in the fall of a sparrow.-Id. 3. The sun himself looks feeble through the morning mist.. G. Eliot. 4. A suppressed resolve will betray itself in the eyes.-Id. 5. Why did you not give him some temporary aid? 6. Let us make the most capable man among us our leader. 7. The war being now over, and the troops having been ordered home, George determined to settle down in some quiet part of his native country. q. The world is too much with us; late and soon, Wordsworth. b. We are sometimes required to lay our natural, lawful affections on the altar-G. Eliot. c. It is better sometimes not to follow great reformers of abuses beyond the threshold of their own homes.-Id. d g. Little Ellie sits alone Mid the rushes of a meadow, By a stream-side on the grass.-Mrs. Browning. Each morning sees some task begin, Stern o'er each bosom reason holds her state, Pride in their port, defiance in their eye, I see the lords of human-kind go by.-Goldsmith. h. In a mind charged with an eager purpose and an unsatisfied vindictiveness, there is no room for new feelings.-G. Eliot. i. The reward of one duty is the power to fulfil another. All silently the little moon Drops down behind the sky.-Longfellow. He nothing human alien deems He tore out a reed, the great god Pan, From the deep cool bed of the river.-Mrs. Browning. CLAUSES AND COMPLEX SENTENCES. 126. A Clause is a limb of a sentence containing a subject and predicate of its own, but incapable of standing alone. Some writers speak of such clauses as sentences, but, if we define a sentence as a complete utterance of thought, it is clear that a dependent clause cannot be consistently called a sentence. A sentence containing one or more clauses is called complex, as distinguished from a simple sentence, which contains only one subject and one predicate. The main sentence is called, relatively to dependent clauses, the principal sentence. 127 Clauses are classified according to their functions as(1) Noun, (2) Adjective, and (3) Adverbial. I. A Noun Clause is one which, with reference to the whole sentence, discharges the function of a noun. It may be Where he was born cannot now be ascertained. 2. An enlargement of a Noun: The fact, that he deserted his colours, was suppressed. 3. A part of the Predicate: My motive was that I might help him. The alleged reason was that nature abhors a vacuum. 4. The Direct Object : I heard that he was there. You saw why he avoided me. Do you know where he is? Noun clauses are often introduced by the subordinative conjunction that,' and by interrogative pronouns and adverbs, as what,' 'who,'' which,' 'where,' ' how.' Sometimes that' is suppressedI knew he was here. 6 II. Adjective Clauses are so called because they qualify or limit some noun or pronoun in the same way as simple adjectives. They may, clearly, occur wherever a noun occurs. Thus they may be attached a. To the Subject: The man that stole the gun is caught. b. To the Direct Object: I saw the man that stole the gun. c. To the Indirect Object: I gave the reward to the man that apprehended the thief. Adjective sentences may be introduced by a relative pronoun, or by an adverb of place or time, as 'where,'' when,' wherein,' 'why,' 'wherethrough,' wherefore,' or by a preposition followed by a relative pronoun :— The book that I bought is on the table. The reason why he came was obvious. The place where they live is near my home. The house in which this event happened is taken down. Very frequently the introductory word is omitted: The book I bought is on the table. The reason A he came was obvious. III. Adverbial Clauses are so called because they qualify or limit a verb. They may occur wherever a verb may cccur. Thus they may be attached to— a. The Subject: To write, when we are not disposed to write, is irksome. b. The Predicate: I write when I can. c. The Direct Object: He loves to write after we have gone to bed. |