RULE V.-Collective nouns, conveying unity of idea, require verbs and pronouns in the singular; as, The party was large, and its influence great.

Collective nouns, conveying plurality of idea, require verbs and pronouns in the plural; as, The people are sometimes mis

taken in their views.

(1.) Some collective nouns are generally used in the singular; as, army, court, family, fleet, flock, mob, nation, number, parliament, party, regiment. (2.) Other collective nouns are generally used in the plural; as, clergy, mankind, people, public.

EXERCISE.

Point out the collective nouns in the following, with the verbs which agree with them :—

The army was well distributed. The court is in mourning. His family has been well brought up. The clergy are as much divided as the laity. When the people are virtuous, they are also happy. The mob was driven by the police. The public have gained by free trade. Parliament has settled the matter, for which it deserves the thanks of the nation. The number of the men was about five thousand.*

There, in his noisy mansion, skill'd to rule,
The village master taught his little school.
A man severe he was, and stern to view;
I knew him well, and every truant knew.
Yet he was kind; or, if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault;
The village all declared how much he knew;
'Twas certain he could write and cipher too.

Supply appropriate verbs and pronouns to the following:

The party () broken up in disorder. The regiment () of a thousand men. The flock() driven into the field. Mankind () slow to learn. The fleet () driven back by the storms. Parliament () been prorogued, but ( ) ( ) again in February. The army () been called out.

COMPOSITION.

Compose sentences of the following:

The class. The party. The nation. A flock. An army. A family. Mankind. The people. Parliament. Regiment.

* The word number is often used improperly with a plural verb; as, The number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty" (Acts i. 15), "A still greater number of words were introduced," etc.-Morell.

RULE VI.-Those nouns which have only a plural form generally take plural verbs and pronouns; as, Riches are admired.

(1.) News and pains, however, generally take singular verbs; as, News has just arrived; much pains has been taken.

(2.) The names of sciences sometimes take a singular verb; as, Mechanics is the science of forces applied to material bodies.

(3.) Nouns in the singular form, with a plural idea, should have verbs in the plural; as, There were fifty head of oxen in the meadow.

EXERCISE.

Point out the nouns and the verbs which agree with them in the following:

The ashes of Pompey were burnt with the most costly perfumes. The archives were carried. Measles were spreading. Riches often take to themselves wings and fly away. The scissors are on the table. News of the event has spread with the greatest rapidity. The means adopted were successful. Politics is the science of government. Tidings have just arrived.

When the oldest cask is open'd,
And the largest lamp is lit;

When the chestnuts glow in the embers,

And the kid turns on the spit;

With weeping and with laughter,

Still is the story told,

How well Horatius kept the bridge,

In the brave days of old!

Supply appropriate verbs and pronouns to the following:

Riches (a curse to fools, while ( ) are a blessing to wise men. News of a complete victory () just arrived. The nuptials () celebrated with great pomp. The pincers () in the box: go and fetch ( ). Statics () the science of forces in equilibrium. Mathematics () arithmetic, algebra, and Euclid. Much pains () been taken to improve him.

COMPOSITION.

Compose sentences of the following, after the preceding models:—

The tongs. The shears. Wages. Alms. Summons. Riches. Amends. News. The hustings. Means.* Trousers.

Ashes. Pains. Bellows.

The fire-arms. The odds.

* The words means and amends are used with both singular and plural verbs, according to the sense; as, By this means he succeeded; by these means, etc.

RULE VII.-When nouns come together in the same case, they are said to be in apposition; as, Cromwell the Protector ruled England with a firm hand.

Explanation. In the example the two nouns Cromwell and the Protector are in the same case, and therefore in apposition. Nouns in apposition are descriptive of the same person or thing.

(1.) When nouns and pronouns are followed by a participle neither governing a word, nor being governed by one, they are said to be in the nominative ab. solute; as, The day being fine, all were anxious to start.

Explanation. Here the noun day is followed by the participle being, neither governing a word, nor being governed by a word, and is therefore in the nominative absolute.

EXERCISE.

Point out the nouns in apposition; also the nouns and pronouns in the nominative absolute :

The hero being present, there was great rejoicing. The happy day having arrived, the people turned out in joyful crowds. The rebellion being crushed, the soldiers returned to their former avocations. Lucretia being dead, the Tarquins were soon banished from Rome. John Milton, the poet and statesman, was one of the ornaments of the Commonwealth.

Oh, blindness to the future! kindly given,

That each may fill the circle mark'd by Heaven :
Hope, humbly, then; with trembling pinions soar,
Wait the great teacher, Death; and God adore.
What future bliss, He gives not thee to know,
But gives that hope to be thy blessing now.

Supply nouns in apposition, also participles to the nouns and pronouns in the nominative absolute, in the following:

Paul the() was the greatest Christian hero that ever lived. Napoleon the () was a great general. Paris, the () of France, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I have read Bunyan's great work, the (). I admire Edmund Burke, the (). The weather () favourable, we set sail. Virtue ( ) lost, all is lost.

COMPOSITION.

Compose sentences with the following in apposition, and the nominative absolute :

The

Time, the revealer of secrets. Death, the last enemy. tyrant, Henry VIII. Victoria, the queen. George Washington, the president of America.

RULE VIII.-When two nouns come together, the one represented as belonging to the other, the first is put in the possessive case; as, Mary's book.

(1.) When nouns in apposition are in the possessive case, the s with apostrophe is added to only one of them; as, I have bought a copy at Thompson's, the bookseller.

(2.) The force of possession is often as well expressed by the preposition of as the possessive form; thus, The wisdom of Solomon, for Solomon's wisdom.* (3) Sometimes, however, the of and the possessive form are used; as, This is a picture of Mr. Smith's. This means one of Mr. Smith's pictures. A picture of Mr. Smith would mean a likeness of Mr. Smith.

(4) The word after the possessive is often omitted; as, I have been to St. Paul's. Explanation.-Here the word church is understood.

EXERCISE.

Point out the possessives, whether they have the sign of the posses

sive or not :

So now the clarion's voice I hear. He virtue's arms victoriously displays. Behold yon mountain's hoary height. From truth's sure path each takes his devious way. In truth and duty's path hold on thy way. It is a play of Shakespeare's, the great dramatist. Dickens's works are greatly admired.

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel !—
Judge, O ye gods, how dearly Cæsar loved him!
This, this was the unkindest cut of all;

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitor's arms

Quite vanquish'd him. Then burst his mighty heart.

Supply the words which are understood after the possessives in the following:

St. Peter's() at Rome, and St. Paul's () in London, are grand old buildings. I have bought ( ) at Brown's, ( ). Milton's () are very sublime. Solomon's () contain much wisdom. Paul's ( ) are a precious legacy to the church. The earth's () is nearly twenty-five thousand miles.

COMPOSITION.

Make sentences with the following words in the possessive case, and also in the objective case with the preposition of before them :-

Boy. Girl. Child. Man. Woman. Homer. Virgil. Milton. Sir Isaac Newton.

* In expressing the possession of things, it is generally done by the preposition of; as The buildings of the temple.

RULE IX.-Adjectives agree in number with the nouns which they qualify; as, That house has cost a thousand pounds.

Explanation. Here the numeral adjective thousand agrees with the plural noun pounds.

Remark. The adjective does not generally vary for number. The following rules, however, show where it does vary :

(1.) Some of the indefinite adjective pronouns agree with nouns in the plural only; as, few, many,* several.

(2.) Others agree with nouns in both numbers, according to the sense; as, any, some, none.

(3.) Numeral adjectives agree in number with their nouns; as, one man, ten

men.

(4.) Sometimes, however, a plural numeral is used with a singular noun; as, That engine is of six horse power.

Note.-The following nouns often retain their singular form, while they take plural numerals before them :-brace, couple, dozen, foot, pair, pound, score, &c.; as, "He was fined twenty pound." "The well was six foot deep." is better thus-"The well was six feet deep."

EXERCISE.

Point out the adjectives and the nouns with which they agree:

It

Few men would act more wisely under the circumstances. I have been there several times. Twelve dozen make a gross. Many students fail for want of application. None is righteous; no, not one. None are so blind as those who will not see. Many a man fails for want of energy.

Ten squires, ten yeomen, mail-clad men,
Waited the beck of the warders ten;
Thirty steeds, both fleet and wight,
Stood saddled in stable day and night.

Supply appropriate adjectives to the following:

:

Henry VIII. had () wives. I have learnt () of Shakespeare's plays. The() John had his raiment of camel's hair. He shot brace that day. There were ( ) thousand horse and () thousand foot rushing to the battle.

COMPOSITION.

Make sentences of the following :—

Few. Many. Several. Some. None. Any. Horse. Foot. Feet. Couple. Dozen. Score.

* The word many sometimes takes the indefinite article after it, and then it agrees with a singular noun; as, Many a time has he wished himself far away.