In the first sentence, I is in the Subject-form, because the Verb was is preceded by it, a Pronoun-subject. It would be incorrect to say, "They thought that it was me." In the second sentence, the Pronoun us is in the Object-form, and this is correct. Why is this? The reason is, that the Verb be is preceded by them, an Object-Pronoun.

20. RULE.-The Subject-form of the Pronouns comes after the Verb BE, when a Subject comes before the Verb BE. The Object-form of the Pronouns comes after the Verb BE, when an Object comes before the Verb BE.

(7.) Parsing Pronouns.

21. Pronouns have the same uses as Nouns, and are parsed in the same way as Nouns.

Exercise 46.

Copy the following story; underline all the PRONOUNS, and parse them:

DUTCH CURE FOR LAZINESS.

During a morning walk, a merchant who was detained by business in Amsterdam came to a group of men who were standing round a well, into which a strongly-built man had just been let down. A pipe, whose mouth was at the top of the well, had been opened, and a stream of water from it was flowing down into the well and beginning gradually to fill it. The fellow below had quite enough to do, if he did not want to be drowned, to keep the water out by means of a pump which was at the bottom of the well.

The merchant, pitying the man, asked for an explanation of what seemed a heartless, cruel joke. "Sir," replied an old man standing near, "that man is, as you see, healthy and strong; I have myself offered him work twenty times; nevertheless, he always allows laziness to get the better of him, and will make any excuse to beg his bread from door to door, though he might easily earn it himself by work if he liked. We are now trying to make him feel that he can work. If he uses the strength which is in his arms, he will be saved; if he lets them hang idle, he will be drowned. But look," continued the old Dutchman, as he went to the edge of the well, "the fellow finds out that he has got muscles; in an hour we shall let him out with better resolutions for the future."

Such was the case, and the cure was effectual

L. SYNTAX OF ADVERBS.

(1.) Position of Adverbs.

1. RULE Adverbs should be so placed in a sentence as to qualify the word intended.

ILLUSTRATION.

1. He came to see me only once.
2. He only came to see me once.

2. These two sentences have different meanings according as the Adverb only is placed so as to qualify once or came. The first means, "He came to see me only once," not oftener. The second means, "He only came to see me once"-he did nothing else.

See in how many positions you can place the Adverbs in these sentences, and tell the change of meaning made by each shifting of place.

1. Only he mourned for his brother.

2. We may probably go there to-morrow.

3. Charles resolved immediately to make an apology.

(2.) Misuse of Adjectives for Adverbs.

3. RULE.-Never use Adjectives as Adverbs. Say, The girl speaks distinctly-not distinct.

Is there any thing wrong in these sentences?

1. Pauline writes elegant.

2. Joseph walks slow.

4. Remember that Verbs can be qualified only by Adverbs, and that the only seeming exception is in the case of a few Verbs that contain the meaning of the Verb be. (See Lesson XLIV., page 121.)

5 DIRECTION.-Use the ADJECTIVE, and not the AD

VERB, when you can change the Verb into the corresponding part of the Verb be. Thus, The fields look green, might be, The fields are green.

He looks cold;

The air felt keen;

} but, {

He looks coldly on us.

He felt the insult keenly.

Would you say, She looks fine, or finely? Would

you say, Mary looks beautifully, or beautiful?

(3.) Double Negatives.

6. RULE.-In English, two negatives are equal to an affirmative. Hence, never introduce two negatives when you intend to make a negative statement.

ILLUSTRATION.

I have not done nothing.

This means I have done something; whereas what was meant was, I have not done any thing.

Correct these sentences:

1. I don't like geography nohow.
2. I did not get no dinner to-day.
3. Can your father not do no work?
4. He did not say nothing.

Parsing Adverbs.

7. Adverbs are parsed by saying, They limit the Verb, Adjective, or other Adverb [naming it].

Exercise 47.

Parse the ADVERBS in the following sentences:

1. The very fairest flowers usually wither most quickly.

2. Slowly and sadly we laid him down.

3. The pupil has answered very well.

4. When are you coming?

5. We will know our lesson better to-morrow.

6. She loved not wisely, but too well.

LI. ON COMPOUND SENTENCES.

The rain descended, and the floods came.

1. Here two statements, The rain descended, the floods came, are joined into one sentence by the conjunction and, but neither qualifies the other.

2. DEFINITION.-A sentence consisting of two or more statements joined, so that one does not qualify another, is called a Compound Sentence.

EXPLANATION.-If we should say, "When the rain descended, the floods came," the first statement would qualify the second; it would tell when the floods came. "When the rain descended, the floods came," is not a Compound Sentence, but a Complex Sentence; and this kind of sentence we shall learn about hereafter.

3. The different statements of a Compound Sentence are called its members.

4. The members of a Compound Sentence are joined by one of the Co-ordinative Conjunctions. The principal Co-ordinative Conjunctions are and, but, or, hence, either -or, neither-nor.

NOTE 1.-Sometimes the Conjunction is omitted; but if the sentence contains two principal statements, it is still a Compound Sentence. Thus-"Man proposes, God disposes."

NOTE 2.-Sometimes the connecting word is a Relative Pronoun, or a Relative Adverb.

EXAMPLE 1.-"The next battle was that of Gettysburg; which decided the war." This is equivalent to, "and this decided the

war."

EXAMPLE 2.-"I shall be here at ten o'clock; when I shall expect to meet you" = and then I shall expect to meet you."

= 66

We shall hereafter see that Relative Pronouns and Relative Adverbs generally connect a subordinate clause with a principal member, and so make a Complex Sentence. But when the Relative Pronoun or Adverb contains the sense of and, the sentence is Compound.

Select the Members of the following Compound Sentences, and name the Connectives, if any:

1. John went, but James stayed at home.

2. Give me my wages, and send me away.

3. He is a diligent boy; hence he succeeds well.

4. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. 5. I shall either see you or write to you.

Supply a Second Member to make Compound Sentences out of the following:

1. The clouds are dispersed, and

2. To err is human; but

3. We learn our lessons carefully; therefore
4. Either you never asked me to do it, or ———

5. Contracted Compound Sentences.-It often happens that different members of a Compound Sentence have the same Subject, or the same Predicate, or the same enlargements of either or of both. When these common elements are omitted in one of the members, the sentence is a contracted Compound Sentence.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. "The birds saw the little pool, and the birds came there to drink."

Contracted thus: "The birds saw the little pool, and came there to drink.'

Here the Subject, birds, being common to both members, is omitted, and the sentence is contracted.

2. "Either a knave must have done this, or a fool must have done this."

Contracted: "Either a knave or a fool must have done this."

Here the Predicate, must have done this, being common to both members, is omitted with the first Subject.

3. "Cold produces ice, and heat dissolves ice." Contracted: "Cold produces, and heat dissolves ice." The Object, ice, being common to both members, is omitted in the first member of the contracted form,