The omission of the verb from the second dependent clause of the sentence under II may be excused, for more freedom is permissible with "be" than with other verbs. Were the verb omitted of the same number as the verb in the first dependent clause, the omission would be unobjectionable in any but the most formal writing. In formal writing, do not omit a verb or a part of a verb that is needed to make the meaning clear or the sentence grammatical. EXERCISE XCIX Supply any verbs or parts of verbs needed to make the meaning clear or the grammatical construction correct: 1. If you have not already written, you ought to. 2. Portia begins by telling Shylock that he better receive the money instead of the forfeit. 3. Albert Lee, the son of Sir Henry, was as devoted to his king as his father. 4. They would not have done so much as I have. 5. Captain Mahan was a native of New York, and appointed to the Naval Academy in 1856. 6. It is as pretty a dress as she ever has or will wear. 7. Buck said his father and brothers ought to waited for their relatives.1 1 See page 74. CHAPTER VII ARTICLES 1 “A” or “An” ? — No one says " an book," and few are so ignorant as to say "a elephant." Even those who never heard of the rule that "a" should be used before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound, are guided correctly by the ear; for euphony lies at the foundation of the rule. In order to get an appointment in a university, he must go to Germany to study. I spoke of such a one. ་ II So this is your idea of an uni corn! This high man, aiming at a million, Misses an unit. In order to get an appointment in an university, he must go to Germany to study. I spoke of such an one. "U" in "unicorn,” “unit," and "university" sounds exactly like "you" in "youth," and should therefore take "a" before it, as "youth" does. "One" sounds exactly like the first syllable of "wonder," and should therefore take "a" before it, as "wonder" does. An author who is guided by the eye only may write "an university” and "such an one," for to the eye "u" and "o" are vowels; an author who is guided by the ear as well as by the eye will write "a university" and "such a one. It cannot be 1 In many grammars, articles are placed among adjectives; but they are adjectives of a peculiar kind. For the purposes of this book, it is convenient to treat them by themselves. HILL'S RHET. AND COMP.-16 241 denied, however, that "an unit," "such an one," and the like are sometimes written, inadvertently or perversely, by good authors. I A house in town. A hotel by the sea. II An house in town. An hotel by the sea. We properly say "a house," "a hotel," but "an honorable," " an honest," in compliance with the rule that "a" is correct when the "h" before a vowel sound is aspirated, "an" when it is not. Early writers were not bound by this rule,1 and many modern authors prefer "an" to "a" before "habitual," "heretical," "heroic," "historical," hypnotic," and other words in which the "h" sound is weakened because the accent falls on the second syllable; in such cases, however, the best present usage seems to incline toward "a." 2 66 Use "a" before a consonant sound, "an" before a vowel sound. EXERCISE C Insert in each blank the proper form of the indefinite article. In which cases, if any, is either form allowable?- 1 An was often retained before w and y in [the] 15th century, as an wood, an woman, an yere, such an one, and was regular before h down to the 17th century, as an house, an happy, an hundred, an head (1665). Its history thus shows a gradual suppression of the n before consonants of all kinds, and in all positions. The Oxford English Dictionary. 2 On this point the Oxford English Dictionary says: "In unaccented syllables, many, perhaps most, writers still retain an before sounded h, some even before eu, u, as an historian, an euphonic vowel, an united appeal, though this is all but obsolete in speech, and in writing a becomes increasingly common in this position." 6. Such one-sided statement I never before heard. 7. His first speech will be eulogy on the late J. T. Sims. 8. The king of Würtemberg is the only knight of the garter who is also hotel-keeper. 9. He is heroic figure. 10. There goes - honest man. EXERCISE CI In which sentence (a or b) of each of the following pairs is the italicized article correct at the present time?— la. I am known to be a humorous patrician.-SHAKSPERE.1 16. He that would learn to pass a just sentence on persons and things, must take heed of a fanciful temper of mind, and an humorous conduct in his affairs. WATTS. 2a. I can tell why a snail has a house. SHAKSPERE.2 26. But Solomon built him an house. - ACTS vii. 47. 3a. Were they then to be awed by the supereminent authority and awful dignity of a handful of country clowns?— BURKE. 3b. I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse. — 1 KINGS xvii. 12. 4a. One of the officers who had an horse kindly took her behind him.-GOLDSMITH. 4b. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! - SHAKSPERE.8 "A" (or "An") or "The"?-The distinction between the indefinite article and the definite is familiar. In the lines A rose By any other name would smell as sweet,* "a" designates, not a specific rose or class of roses, but any flower called a rose. In the sentence "The rose in the vase is very fragrant," "the" designates one rose in particular. To the general rule as to the use of "a" and "the," sentences like the following contain apparent, but not real, exceptions: "The elephant is an intelligent ani 1 Coriolanus, ii. 1. mal," "The pen is mightier than the sword" (Lytton), "I like to go out on the water." In each of these sentences, "the" is used in a generic, or representative, sense: "the elephant" represents elephants as a class, "the pen" and "the sword" represent pens and swords in general, "the water" represents water as distinguished from land. Use "a or "an" to indicate any person or thing; use "the" to indicate a particular person or thing, or a person or thing as representative of a class. EXERCISE CII Give the meaning of each sentence in the two forms suggested, with the article in parenthesis and with that which precedes: - 1. Can the (a) fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? 2. The (A) sweet psalmist of Israel said, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me." 3. The (A) house is on fire. 4. The (An) elephant stood on a cask, and the (a) clown sat on the elephant's back. 5. He told us about the (an) accident. 6. He is the (an) editor of the "Gazette." 7. He sat in the council of the doges when Venice was the (a) powerful republic. EXERCISE CIII Insert in each blank the proper article, the definite or the indefinite: 3. story, but it had to do New York daily paper to centre of worst earthquake - reader finds it hard to believe that the characters in 4. Scarcity of provisions and want of transports will doubtless vigorous defence at a distance from prevent their offering main position. |