Text-Book of English Grammar

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAP. IX. NOMINATIVES INDEPENDENT, AND INTERJECTIONS. Rule 16. A Noun or pronoun related to an imperfect participle, but having its case independent of any concord or regimen, is in the nominative absolute; as, "He being sick, his sister would not leave the house;" "The ships coming in sight, all fear was dismissed." Rule 17. Interjections are generally abrupt expressions independent of syntax; as, "Nay, I will not permit you;" "Ah ! when shall I return!" Rule 18. The nominative (of the name of a person or thing) directly addressed is preceded by the interjection 0, expressed or understood; as, "We will not serve thy gods, 0 king;" "O my country, how art thou degraded;" " Children, obey your parents." Rule 19. A noun used abruptly, in exclamation, is in the nominative case; as, " The friends of my youth -- where are they?" "Your land -- strangers devour it." 1. What is called the nominative case absolute, in English grammar, is attributed to a noun or pronoun that has no other word syntactically relating to it, except an imperfect participle describing it. Thus, in the first example given with Eule 16th, the pronoun he is not the subject of any personal verb in the sentence, nor is it the object of any preposition or transitive verb, or in any syntactical relation but with the descriptive participle being, which cannot affect its case; and therefore in such circumstances our established practice is to employ the nominative or independent case.* * The Latins employed an Ablative, and the Greeks a Genitive case. 90 NOMINATIVES INDEPENDENT, ETC. 2. The nominative addressed is another independent use of the nominative case; it serves to excite attention, to indicate respect, &c. 3. The nominative exclamatory is allowable only in poetry or...