one of them. For example, in the sentence, "He wants to learn," he is nominative, because it is the subject of the finite verb wants, not because it is the subject of the infinitive to learn. And in the sentence, “I saw a man called a thief," man is both the object of saw and the subject of called, but is objective only because it is the object of saw. But thief, the complement of called, is objective to agree in case with man, the subject of called.

710. Explanation of Exception.

In this, the sub

"That he is a scholar has never been questioned." ject of the subordinate clause is he, and the complement is scholar, both in the nominative case. But the clause is abridged by dropping that, changing the finite verb is to the participle being, changing the nominative he to the possessive his, and leaving scholar unchanged. Then we have, "His being a scholar has never been questioned." His, the subject of being, is evidently possessive, but WHY is scholar, the complement, nominative?

(1) Scholar was nominative before the clause was abridged.

(2) No change has taken place in the process of abridgment to cause any change in its case, unless it should follow the general rule and become possessive when the subject becomes possessive.

(3) It is not possessive, for it does not have the possessive sign, neither does it denote possession.

(4) Therefore, "scholar," or the complement in all such cases, is nominative.

711. Rules of Syntax.

SUBJECTS.

FINITE VERB.

I. The subject of a finite verb is always in the nominative

case.

INFINITIVE.

II. The subject of an infinitive is in the objective case when it is not also the subject of the finite verb on which the infinitive depends.

PARTICIPLE.

III. When the subject of a participle does not depend upon any other word in the sentence, it is in the possessive case or nominative absolute; possessive when the participle is used as a noun in a dependent construction, and absolute when the participle with its subject is used independently.

OBJECTS.

TRANSITIVE VERB.

IV. The object of an active transitive verb is in the .objective case.

PREPOSITION.

V. The object of a preposition is in the objective case.

IDENTIFICATION.

ATTRIBUTIVE COMPLEMENT.

VI. A noun or pronoun used as the complement of a copulative verb is in the same case as its subject.

When the subject of a copulative participle is possessive,

the complement is nominative.

APPOSITION.

VII. A noun or pronoun in apposition is in the same case as the noun or pronoun which it explains.

POSSESSIVE CASE.

VIII. A noun or pronoun limiting another noun signifying a different thing is in the possessive case.

ABSOLUTE CASE.

IX. A noun or pronoun used independently is in the nominative absolute case.

MODIFIERS.

ADJECTIVES.

X. Adjectives limit nouns and pronouns.

ADVERBS.

XI. Adverbs [usually] limit verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

CONNECTIVE OR RELATION WORDS.

CONJUNCTIONS.

XII. Conjunctions connect words, phrases, and sentences.

PREPOSITION.

XIII. A preposition shows the relation of its object to the word which the phrase limits.

AGREEMENT.

PRONOUN.

XIV. A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person, number, and gender.

FINITE VERB.

XV. A finite verb agrees with its subject in person and number.

INFINITIVES AND PARTICIPLES.

XVI. Infinitives and participles are used as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

INTERJECTIONS.

XVII. An interjection does not depend for grammatical construction upon any other word.

EXPLETIVES.

XVIII. The words and, that, there, for, and some others, are often used merely as introductory expletives.

SYNTAX OF PHRASES AND CLAUSES.

712. General Rule.

Give the phrase or clause that position in the sentence which will best express the relation it bears to the part it modifies, and to the parts modifying it.

(1) Put the phrase or clause as near the term it modifies as possible.

(2) It often makes the best arrangement to begin a sentence with a phrase or clause; as,

In dreams, through camp and court, he bore

The trophies of a conqueror. — Halleck.

(3) When the word that introduces an objective clause, it should not be preceded by any part of the clause.

"I have observed, in all ages, that women have been denied many advantages allowed to men," does not mean the same as, "I have observed that, in all ages, women have been denied many advantages allowed to men."

713. Exercise.

Rewrite the following sentences, making necessary changes in the position of phrases and clauses:

(1) These verses were written by a young man, who has long since lain in the grave for his amusement.

(2) There we saw a young man digging a well with a Roman nose.

(3) A lecture on the methods of teaching geography at 10 o'clock. (4) Wanted. A young man to take care of horses of a religious turn of mind.

(5) He went to see his friends on horseback.

(6) That small man is speaking with red whiskers.

(7) A message was read from the President in the Senate.

(8) On Monday evening on temperance by Mr. Gough, a lecture at the old brick church was delivered.

(9) There we saw some men digging gold from China.

(10) His grandfather died from cancer on his mother's side. (11) Mr. French needs a surgeon, who has broken his arm. (12) The figs were in small wooden boxes, which we ate.

(13) He needs no spectacles, that cannot see; nor boots, that cannot walk.

(14) He must endure the follies of others, who will have their kind

ness.

(15) Found a white-handled knife by a child, that has a broken back. (16) To rent, a house containing ten rooms, located in a pleasant village, which has a large bay window in front.

(17) John at last found the key, locked the door, and went off, putting it into his pocket.

(18) Life, with him, has ended in a sad mistake which began with such bright prospects.