Words in -ing.

XI. Verbal nouns in -ing are not always carefully distinguished from participles and other verbal forms of the same termination. The noun should be treated like any other noun, the verb like a verb.

We can say, "Much depends on the faithful observing of this

rule," 1 or, on faithfully observing this rule," but not, "Much depends on the faithfully observing the rule;" for, in the last sentence, the indicates that "observing " is used as a noun; but, if it is so used, an adverb cannot precede it, and an of should follow it. The following are, therefore, wrong:

"But that did him no more good than his afterward1a trying to pacify the Barons with lies." 2

"Ostentation is the great evil occasioned by riches -the prevention of simplicity of living—the raising the standard of show." 8

XII. An adverb should not be placed between to, the sign of the infinitive mood, and its verb.

"He's not the man to tamely acquiesce." 4

66

to an active mind it may be easier to bear along all the qualifications of an idea, and at once rightly form it Adverb with when named, than to first imperfectly conceive such idea." 5

infinitive.

XIII. Whom is sometimes used for who, who for whom, whom for whose.

"Seated on an upright tombstone, close to him, was a strange unearthly figure, whom, Gabriel felt at once, was no Who, whom, being of this world. "

whose.

"Those whom he feels would gain most advantage by being his guests, should have the first place in his invitations.” 7

1 Not inaccurate, but awkward; "observance" would be better; see p. 101.

1a See XX. p. 47.

2 Dickens: A Child's History of England, chap xiv.

8 Helps: Social Pressure, chap. xv.

4 Robert Browning: Colombe's Birthday, act v.

5 Herbert Spencer: Philosophy of Style.

6 Dickens: Pickwick Papers, vol. ii. chap. i.

7 Helps: Social Pressure, chap. x.

"He found two French ladies in their bonnets, who he soon discovered to be actresses." 1

"At least I am resolved that the country shall see who it has to thank for whatever may happen." 2

"Saladin, than whom no greater name is recorded in Eastern history." 8

XIV. Which is incorrectly used with a clause as its antecedent.

“The captain saluted the quarter-deck, and all the officers saluted him, which he returned. "' 4

Antecedents

of which.

"But he made another enemy of the Pope, which he did in this way." 5

Who and

XV. Who, whom, and whose are incorrectly used to refer to impersonal objects; which and, as a which; whose rule, of which are the proper pronouns. Whose may, however, be used for of which where the latter would be peculiarly harsh or awkward.

and of which.

“... frequented by every fowl whom Nature has taught to dip the wing in water.” 6

"He was regarded as the determined and active enemy of a nation whom, after all, he only disliked, and in some sort despised.” 7

"Her hair is deeply drawn backwards from the sweet low brows and rounded cheeks, heaped and hidden away under a knotted veil, whose flaps fall on either side of her bright round throat." 9 XVI. A conjunction is sometimes placed before a relative pronoun in such a position as to interfere with the construction. "This fault," says

"And which," &c.

1 Disraeli: Coningsby, book viii. chap. vii.

2 Lord Brougham: quoted in Memoir of Viscount Althorp, p. 510.

8 Scott: The Talisman, chap. vi.

4 Charles Reade: Very Hard Cash, chap. x. See also IV., p. 35.

5 Dickens: A Child's History of England, chap. xiv. See also p. 115.

6 Johnson: Rasselas, chap. i.

7 Scott: The Talisman, chap. vii.

8 Query as to the noun for these participles.

9 Swinburne: Essays and Studies (Notes on Designs of the Old Masters), p. 324.

Dean Alford, "is one of the commonest in the writing of careless or half-educated persons." 1

"H. R. H. the Princess of Wales acknowledges &c., and for which she is profoundly recognizant.” 2

"We think of the road-side life seen by Parson Adams or Humphry Clinker, and of which Mr. Borrow caught the last glimpse when dwelling in the tents of the Romany."

6

"A letter has appeared this day in the Shrewsbury Chronicle,' to which some one has ventured to sign his name, adopting the statement of the placard, and which statement thus signed I unequivocally declare to be utterly false." 4

"He begged him at the same time carefully to preserve for him his Highland garb and accoutrements, particularly the arms, curious in themselves, and to which the friendship of the donors gave additional value." 5

"The approach of a party, sent for the purpose of compelling the country people to bury their dead, and who had already assembled several peasants for that purpose, now obliged Edward to rejoin his guide."

XVII. The object is sometimes written as if it were the subject of a verb; as,

"Let he who made thee answer that." 7

"Let they who raise the spell beware the Fiend." 8 "Thou, Nature, partial Nature, I arraign! " 9

Nominative for objective

case.

XVIII. The conjunctions as and than go with the subject or the object, according to the sense.

"I esteem you more than or as much as they [do]," and "I esteem you more than or as much as [I do] them,” are both right. Not so the use, as in the following exam

The Queen's English, Section 445 (edition of 1870).

2 Quoted in The Queen's English, Section 447.

As and than.

3 Leslie Stephen: Life of Pope (English Men of Letters), chap. iv.
4 Disraeli: Address to the Electors of Shrewsbury.

5 Scott: Waverley, vol. ii. chap. xxvi.

6 Ibid., chap. xxiv. See also p. 55.

8 Bulwer: Richelieu, act ii. scene i.

9 Burns: vol. i. p. 226, Aldine edition.

7 Byron: Cain.

ples, of as or than as a preposition affecting the case of the following

noun:

"You know as well as me that he never swerves from his resolutions." 1

6

"What would be the feelings of such a woman as her, were the world to greet her some fine morning as Duchess of Omnium?" 2 "On the other side, we have in the second part, On the Social Condition of France,' a specimen of the style and manner of Louis Blanc, a style which belongs to no other than he.” 8

"With a freedom more like the milk-maid of the town than she of the plains, she accosted him." 4

"Now I hope I shall demonstrate, if not, it will be by some one abler than me demonstrated, in the course of this business, that there hever was a bribe," &c.5

6

Usage has, however, established than as a preposition in the awkward phrase than whom, a phrase which is to be regarded as an exception.

"Which when Beelzebub perceived, than whom,

Satan except, none higher sat." 7

"I am highly gratified by your commendation of Cowper, than whom there never was a more virtuous or more amiable man. 978

XIX. Or is sometimes wrongly used with neither. "Natural language neither bookish nor vulgar, neither redolent Or and of the lamp or of the kennel."9

neither.

"A constable will neither act cheerfully or wisely." 10 "He neither 11 knew the manner in which, or the place where,

1 Disraeli: Coningsby, book viii. chap. vi.

2 Anthony Trollope: Phineas Finn, vol. ii. chap. liv.

8 The [London] Spectator.

4 Scott: The Abbot, vol. i. chap. xix.

5 Burke: Works, vol. vii. p. 420. (Edition 1839, Boston.)

6 Prof. Conington, in his translation of Virgil, has, however, than who.

7 Milton: Paradise Lost, book ii. line 299.

8 Landor: Works, vol. iv. p. 72.

9 S. T. Coleridge.

10 Swift.

11 Attention is called to the position of neither in this and the preceding examples; see p. 136.

his journey might be next interrupted by his invisible attendant." 1

XX. An adverb is sometimes put for an adjective, or an adjective for an adverb.

"The returns [of an election], official and otherwise, are all in." Adverb or

"Her almost childhood." "Most everybody is some better." "She [Queen Anne] was as near a legitimate sovereign as it was then possible for a Protestant to be." зa "Our hitherto reforms." 3b The question whether to use an adjective or an adverb with a verb is, in every case, to be determined by the rules of thought, rather than by those of gramThe principle is, that the adverb should be used where the intention is to qualify the verb, the adjective where the intention is to qualify the noun. It is safe to join the adjective with a verb for which the corresponding form of to be or to seem can be substituted. The following are right:

mar.

The sea looks rough, and the winds treat him roughly; his voice sounds soft, and he speaks softly; how sweet the moonlight sleeps, and how sweetly she sings; he looks fierce, and he looks fiercely at his rival.

XXI. The wrong preposition is sometimes used. "The independence of the Irish on the English parliament." 4 "Most bodies when powdered have a different hue

than when uncrystallized and compact." 5

"I was averse from a catastrophe so feeble.” 6

The wrong preposition.

"Her nature was altogether different to that of Alice.” 7 "Well,' said Miss Polly, 'he's grown quite another creature to what he was.' 9998

"The greatest masters of critical learning differ among one another."9

1 Scott: Monastery, vol. i. chap. ix. 2 Thackeray: Vanity Fair, vol. i. chap. xiii. A recent English novel. 3a Wm. E. H. Lecky: Hist. of the XVIIIth Century, vol. i. chap. i. p. 31. (Longman, 1878.)

4

3b W. R. Greg in The XIXth Cen7 6 Shelley. Anthony Trollope: Can You 9 Addison: The Spectator, No. 321.

tury. Lingard. 5 J. D. Forbes. Forgive Her? 8 Miss Burney: Evelina.