1. The teacher wanted the boy to go to school. to go boy teacher wanted The The whole phrase boy to go to school is the object of wanted. Το go is an infinitive used as an assumed predicate. To school is an adverbial phrase modifier of to go. Note that the subject and predicate lines do not connect the infinitive with its subject, there being no predication. REMARK. The word to used before the infinitive verb go, is called the Sign of the Infinitive, and to go taken as a whole is called the Infinitive. When the infinitive is used as an adjective or as an adverb the sign of the infinitive shows a relation between the modifying phrase and the word it modifies (see Sentences 4 and 5). It= 9. To win the prize is an honor. 10. The captain ordered the troops to advance. 11. Lucy was anxious to see her cousin. 12. Henry went to see the fire. (Went why?) 13. The farmer has apples to sell. 14. To shoot at crows is powder thrown away. Gay. 15. To converse with historians is to keep good company. - Bolingbroke. 16. To throw perfume on the violet is wasteful excess. 17. Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. 18. It was his duty to obey promptly. to obey promptly was duty Congreve. The infinitive to obey is used as a noun, it being in apposition with the subject it, which introduces the sentence. 20. It is not all of life to live. 21. It was his aim to settle the strike. 22. For man to bear his fate is to conquer. 23. For a man to die rich is a disgrace. 24. Perseverance will help to conquer our difficulties. Note the use of the word studying in this sentence. Like an infinitive, studying expresses action without asserting it of a subject. Like a transitive verb it takes an object complement; and like an adjective it is used to modify the meaning of a noun. Of what noun does it modify the meaning? Point out its object complement. From its twofold nature of verb and adjective, studying is called a Participle, a term that means to share or to participate in. A participle may partake of the nature of a noun; as, Studying one's lesson is profitable. Studying lesson one's is\profitable Here the word studying is a participle used as a noun,1 it being the subject of the sentence. Like a verb it has an object complement, lesson. DEFINITION. A Participle is a form of the verb (not preceded by to) that partakes of the nature of an adjective or of a noun. Participles, when modified by adjectives, lose their power to govern as verbs, and become abstract nouns. PARTICIPLE: Breaking the wheel ABSTRACT NOUN: The breaking of the wheel caused an accident. PARTICIPLE: Eating rapidly is to be avoided. 1 Participles used as nouns are similar in construction to infinitives used as Thus, nouns. The infinitive and participle used in this construction are sometimes classed as Verbal Nouns. When thus classified, the term Gerund is used by some grammaOthers prefer to consider both to rians to designate the ing form of the verbal. study and studying infinitives, and designate the latter as the Infinitive in ing. The classification above has the advantage of being more easily comprehended by the pupil. Participles when used immediately before nouns whose meaning they modify become adjectives; thus, A roaring sound was heard. Whispering tongues can poison truth. The speaker was received with ringing cheers. Exercises. Ex. I. In the following sentences classify the indicated words and tell how each is used in the sentence: 1. Rowing a boat is healthful exercise. 2. The rowing of a boat is healthful exercise. 3. Constant smoking is injurious. 4. He was pleased at winning a prize. 5. Reading steadily affects the eyes. 6. Keep your working power at its maximum. 7. See! there is Jackson, standing like a stone wall. 8. The soldier was promoted for doing his duty. 9. Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, onward through life he goes. 10. Where boasting ends, there dignity begins. — Young. II. It is thinking makes what we read ours. — Locke. 12. There is no great achievement that is not the result of patient working and waiting.-J. G. Holland. Ex. II. Analyze or diagram the following sentences and explain the use of each participle: 1. A stream, winding through the meadow, flows into a sparkling lake. 4. Praising all alike is praising none. 5. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain. 6. By praising a man we sometimes injure him. 7. Mounting his horse, the general rode away. 8. The boy was punished for running away. 9. The squirrels playing about the Capitol are very tame. PUNCTUATION. See Composition 53, pp. 284-286, for the use of the comma with non-restrictive expressions, and then account for the commas used in sentences I and 7. NOTE. When a participle with its modifiers is used to do the work of a noun, the whole expression may be modified as a noun; as, 11. Good reading aloud is an accomplishment. reading aloud Good is\ accomplishment an Aloud is an adverb modifying the meaning of the participle reading. Good is an adjective modifying the whole expression reading aloud. 12. Your writing the letter so neatly secured you the position. 13. Much depends on your going now. 14. They were sure of winning a prize. 15. Tom's running away displeased his parents. 16. The child came running. child came running The Running is a participle used to complete the predicate and modify the subject noun child. 1 1 Some grammarians, however, say running is used as an adverb to modify came; others call it an "adverbial predicate adjective." TWO.-5. |