he was interrupted by the appearance of Wandle Schoonhoven, a very important old burgher of New Amsterdam, who complained bitterly of one Barant Bleecker, inasmuch as he refused to come to a settlement of accounts, seeing that there was a heavy balance in favor of the said Wandle. Governor Van Twiller, as I have already observed, was a man of few words; he was likewise a mortal enemy to multiplying writings or being disturbed at his breakfast. The two parties being confronted before him, each produced a book of accounts, written in a language and character that would have puzzled any but a High Dutch commentator. The sage Wouter took them one after the other, and having poised them in his hands, and attentively counted over the number of leaves, fell straightway into a very great doubt, and smoked for half an hour without saying a word; at length laying his finger beside his nose, and shutting his eyes for a moment, with the air of a man who has just caught a subtle idea by the tail, he slowly took his pipe from his mouth, puffed forth a column of tobacco smoke and with marvelous gravity and solemnity pronouncedthat having carefully counted over the leaves and weighed the books, it was found, that one was just as thick and as heavy as the other - therefore it was the final opinion of the court that the accounts were equally balanced — therefore Wandle should give Barant a receipt, and Barant should give Wandle a receipt and the constable should pay the costs. WASHINGTON IRVING. LIX INFINITIVE PHRASES In the sentence, "I want John to go," the object of the verb want is not merely John. The statement is not I want John. What do I want? The object of want is the phrase, John to go. The words John to go are an infinitive phrase. The infinitive with its subject and modifiers is called an infinitive phrase. In the sentence, "To take such a little girl would hardly be safe," the phrase, to take such a little girl, is the subject. In the sentence, "It would hardly be fair for Henry to go," what is the subject? That is, what would be hardly fair? Turn the sentence around, thus, "For Henry to go (it) would hardly be fair." The subject of would not be fair is For Henry to go. An infinitive phrase is usually a noun phrase and may be either the subject or the object of a sentence. Make or copy five infinitive phrases used as subjects and five used as objects. LX CLAUSES-ADJECTIVE CLAUSES (1) "The good man is the man who doeth good, not the man who boasteth of his goodness." Does the group of words, who doeth good, taken apart from the rest of the sentence, make sense? Is the group a phrase? What is a phrase? Has this group a subject and a predicate? What are they? The group, who doeth good, is called a clause. A clause is a part of a sentence having a subject and a predicate of its own. Clauses, like phrases, are often used for single parts of speech. (2) Adjective Clauses It is a long road that has no turning. - PROVERB. What does the adjective long modify? What part of speech is it? What does the clause that has no turning modify? It is called an adjective clause. Clauses used to modify nouns or pronouns are called adjective clauses. Find the adjective clauses in the following sentences:Long is a mile to him who is tired. Long is the night to him who is awake. The fool who knows his foolishness is wise at least so far. But a fool who thinks himself wise is called a fool indeed. A man who has learned little grows old like an ox; his body grows but his knowledge does not grow. - From The Buddhist "Path to Virtue." He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small; He made and loveth all. - COLERIDGE. (He) Who steals my purse, steals trash. But he that filches from me my good name, robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.· SHAKESPEARE. A bad habit which cannot be conquered directly may be overcome by arranging circumstances to help us. -JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE. Heaven helps him who helps himself. PRoverb. LXI ADVERBIAL CLAUSES "When it rains, the wise seek shelter." "Where love is, there is happiness." What part of speech is used to answer the questions when and where? Clauses are sometimes used as adverbs. Such clauses are called adverbial clauses. What kind of clauses are When it rains and Where love is? Find the adverbial clauses in the following sentences:When we climb to heaven, 'tis on the rounds of love to WHITTIER. men. Where the bee sucks, there suck I. SHAKESPEARE. When you see the jackal, be sure that the tiger is near. When a liar tells the truth, no one will believe him. - PROVERBS. LXII NOUN CLAUSES "That might makes right is false." The subject of the sentence is the clause, that might makes right. I believe that truth is mightier than falsehood. That truth is mightier than falsehood is the object of believe. Clauses may be used either as the subjects or as the objects of verbs. Such clauses are called noun clauses. Name the noun clauses in the following: I know not where his islands lift Their fronded palms in air. Beyond his love and care. SHAKESPEARE. WHITTIER. What poisons one may heal another. - PROVERB. LXIII VARIED FORMS OF EXPRESSION (1) Nouns, adjectives, and adverbs are given their names because they express certain ideas in sentences. As we have seen, phrases and clauses are often used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Sometimes you can express the same idea by using a single word, a clause, or a phrase. Which is best is a question of taste and judgment. A good rule is to use the form that expresses the idea most clearly and simply. The limping horse plodded on painfully. The horse with a limp plodded on as if in pain. The horse that limped plodded on as if he were in pain. Which of the above sentences do you like best: the one using adjectives and adverbs, the one using phrases, or the one using clauses? Why? (2) Change the italicized words in the following sentences to phrases or clauses : |