EXAMPLES.

1. The synod has not commenced its sittings.

2. The presbytery was composed of men of great moral worth.

3. The parliament always meet with a gracious reception from the queen.

4. The crowd was extremely large.

5. The flock require the constant attention of the shepherd.

6. The clergy have all made literary attainments. 7. The drove of cattle was followed by three men. 8. The fleet was noticed at the dawn of day.

9. A strong body of troops was stationed in the Highlands.

10. Upon the queen's accession to the throne a new parliament was called.

11. The infantry was disbanded in Badenoch, and betook themselves to the mountains, morasses, and forests for safety.

12. The people, seeing so many of their townsmen fall, were exasperated beyond all sense of danger.

RULE IX.

A noun or pronoun, denoting a possessor, must be put in the possessive case. When several words occur all in the possessive, the apostrophe is attached to the last; as," My father, my brother, and my uncle's boats." But if several words intervene, the apostrophe may be inserted after each; as, "The gentleman's as well as the lady's gloves."

EXAMPLES.

1. The bird's nest. My uncle. Your friend. His garden.

2. The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters. 3. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

4. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

5. The boy, whose father is dead, lives here.

6. They paid too much for their whistles.

7. The tiger's as well as the lion's roar is terrible. 8. My brother and sister and cousin's enjoyments attracted my attention.

9. The enemy's cavalry were completely routed. 10. The gentlemen's seats were occupied by ladies.

RULE X.

The verb to be has the same case after it as it has before it.

EXAMPLES.

1. I am he whom ye seek.

2. It was he, not I, who spoke first on that subject. 3. It was I that purchased the goods from him.

4. Joseph, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. 5. Who art thou, my son?

6. It is he who giveth power to get wealth.

7. Who am I that I should go in unto Pharaoh?

8. I am he that came out of the army.

9. But what are they among so many? 10. Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 11. Where, and who is he?

12. These are they who separate themselves.

13. It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. 14. Who is he that gave thee this authority?

15. The path of truth is a plain and safe path; that of falsehood is a perplexing maze.

RULE XI.

Pronouns agree with the nouns for which they stand in gender, number, and person.

It and its are applied to animals the sex of which is unknown.

EXAMPLES.

1. The bird has returned to its nest.

2. Agnes, for her diligence, has received a reward from her father.

3. The trees have been shorn of their foliage.

4. The captain and sailors have retaken possession of their ship.

5. The ten commandments were written on two tables of stone; and these were deposited in the ark of the covenant, where they remained for many generations.

6. Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever.

7. Solon wrote his laws on wood. The laws of the Romans were engraved on plates of brass; and, from the number of the plates, they were called the law of the twelve tables. The Babylonians inscribed on brick their astronomical observations. The Mexicans used skins for their hieroglyphic paintings.

RULE XII.

Pronouns, which have verbs agreeing with them, must be put in the nominative case.

EXAMPLES.

1. They have taken their departure for France.

2. I have a case which I will describe.

3. She was afraid that her child would die.

4. Thou art diligently employed in studying thy lesson. 5. We have spent a delightful day.

6. His brother and he set out together.

Who hath

7. She and her mamma are in good health. 8. He and she were nearly of the same age. 9. Thomas and I have performed our task. 10. Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine.

RULE XIII.

The infinitive mood is used without the sign to, when it is preceded by, Behold, bid, dare, feel, hear, let, make, need, see; but when not preceded by any of these words, to must be inserted.

EXAMPLES.

1. We should be prepared to render an account of our actions.

2. He is eager to learn.

3. They have a desire to improve in every thing that is worthy of praise.

4. Endeavouring to persuade.

5. I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

6. My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it?

7. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them.

8. Leaves have their time to fall,

And flowers to wither at the north-wind's breath, And stars to set-but all,

Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death.

RULE XIV.

A noun and its pronoun should never be used as a nominative to the same verb.

EXAMPLES.

1. My father was present at the queen's coronation. 2. The cathedral is a magnificent building.

3. Damascus is a city of the highest antiquity, in a country celebrated for the mildness of its climate, the excellence of its fountains, the multitude of its streams, and the fertility of its soil.

4. The mosque of Omar is built on the site of Solomon's Temple.

5. The Arctic Ocean washes the northern shores of Europe, Asia, and America.

6. Smyrna has been ten times destroyed; but is still the crown of Ionia and the ornament of Asia.

7. Millions of seeds ride upon the wings of the wind, and spread afar the empire of vegetation.

RULE XV.

Adjectives qualify nouns. adjectives, and other adverbs.

Adverbs qualify verbs,

Adverbs are usually placed between the auxiliary and principal verb; but when there is no auxiliary, they are placed sometimes before and sometimes after the verb.

EXAMPLES.

1. Tatooing is universally practised by the New Zealanders, and incontestably proves the Asiatic origin of the people.

2. There are beautiful isles in the West of Scotland.