Syntax is divided into two parts, concord and government.

CONCORD.

Concord means agreeement. There are three species of concord-that of the verb with its nominative case, that of the pronoun with its noun, and that of nouns and pronouns in apposition.

Words are said to agree when they are of the same person, gender, number, and case.

CONCORD I.

THE VERB AND ITS NOMINATIVE.

RULE 1.*-A verb must be of the same number and person as its nominative: as, I love, thou lovest, he loves.

EXPLANATION.-Here I and love are first person singular; thou and lovest are second person; he and loves are third person.

The Nominative may be

1st, a Noun-as, Animals live.

2nd, a Pronoun-as, They live.

3rd, an Infinitive Mood-as, To die is gain.

4th, Part of a Sentence-as, His being thus disposed gives me pleasure.

5th, an Adjective, taken for a noun-as, The foolish act foolishly.

6th, an Adverb, taken as a noun-as, The dread hereafter comes for all.

7th, once in the Bible a verb in the indicative mood is a nominative-as, I am hath sent you.

RULE 2.-Two or more nominatives singular,

Every rule, with the observations on it, should be thoroughly committed to memory before the pupil proceeds to the exercises, as the examples are mixed up together so as to test the soundness of his knowledge.

coupled by a copulative conjunction, require a plural verb: as, John and James are here.

EXCEPTIONS.-1st. If, however, the nouns refer to the same thing, the verb must be singular: as, Wellington, the warrior and statesman, is

no more.

2nd. If the nouns are preceded by the adjective every, the verb must be in the singular as, Every man, woman, and child was slain.

RULE 3.-If the second of two nominatives connected by and is preceded by not, the verb must agree with the former: as, His uprightness, and not his houses or lands, entitles him to our respect.

RULE 4.-When two nominatives are coupled by as well as, the verb must agree with the former: as, Good principles, as well as good conduct, are necessary to form a gentleman.

RULE 5.-A noun of multitude, signifying plurality of idea, requires a verb in the plural: as, The people do not consider this; they are not

wise.

RULE 6.-But a noun of multitude signifying unity of idea requires a verb in the singular : as, The army is disbanded.

OBSERVE.-Among the nouns of multitude may be classed such words as means, news, &c.; thus we say, This means is sufficient, and These means are sufficient.

RULE 7.-Two or more nouns in the singular coupled by a disjunctive require the verb to

be in the singular: as, Either William or Henry has done this.

RULE 8.-But if one of the nouns be plural, the verb should be plural: as, Neither the strength of the body nor the energies of the mind survive protracted anxiety.

OBSERVE. It is better, as a rule, to place the plural noun next the verb.

EXCEPTION.-If, however, there be a negative in the former clause, the verb should agree with the latter: as, Not his virtues, but his wealth gives him a position in society.

RULE 9.-The verb to be, and such others as take a nominative both before and after them, should agree with the more prominent (i.e., that on which most emphasis is laid): as, The wages of sin is death.

RULE 10.-When two or more nominatives of different persons are connected by a disjunctive, the verb should agree with the nearest: as, I, thou, or he is to blame.

CAUTIONS.

1. The student is warned to avoid such expressions as, "The horse with his rider fall into the ditch," "The angle A, with the angles B and C, compose the triangle." They are both inelegant and ungrammatical.

2. Though in certain poetical and Scriptural expressions, such as "The Lord he is God," a double nominative gives vigour to the sentence, it should be avoided as a rule.

EXERCISES.

Fill the blanks, and quote the Rules:

The girl

come.

you there?

thou

They

he that should come? I come.

He

They all slain. wisely. To walk

well.
The wise

some care. He has me much satisarrived. You

wisely before all men,
always behaved well, which
John and his sister
there. You and I

faction. and he

present. The in one carriage. perished miserably

a wretched suicide. That great engineer and good man dead. Every dog, cat, and horse master. Every act and thought of man's life noted down in the eternal register. A part of the hedges cut down. You, and not he, there. Henry, and not I,- (pres. tense) expected. His riches, and not his virtue, him among men.

The army

fifty thousand men. The artillery well handled by Colonel Jones. The people voices and wept.

the Ministry assembled? The home of happy -hearts here. A part of them - not hold these opinions. the English nation know this? Ten sail of the line seen in the Channel. A flee of sixteen ships descried. The class dismissed. Neither you nor he there. If either of them I shall go also. Not his talents, but his virtue, him beloved. You seen your friends. John, as well as

come (perf.) Neither you nor he (perf.) The treasures of the earth compared with the salvation of one soul. Sentences to be corrected :

come

nothing

The various conditions of life requires various powers of mind. His riches makes him proud. Every means were used to accomplish the object. There was no such things as railways in those times. The art of constructing telegraphs and steam-engines were unknown. The council differs in opinion, and refers the matter to the queen. The whole army were well equipped. Thou sees not as other men see. How does your party go on? They are broken up and all gone home. Virtue and vice is contrary the one to the other. In mutual forbearance consists the harmony and the happiness of families. Neither wealth nor power ward off disease. In Elizabeth were blended the firmness of a hero with the warmth of a truly feminine heart. Every leaf that grows, every insect that crawls on the earth, have their end to fulfil in creation. It is his virtues, and not his rank, that has endeared him to me. His amiability of temper, and not his riches, draw me to him. The excellency of her mind, as well as the goodness of her heart, endear her to her friends. You will find that these means is sufficient. The news are old. Either great riches or great merit gives a title to nobility in England. Neither thou nor I art to blame. I or he have come. Thou or he deservest to be punished. The ants,