More on Pronoun

ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS.

Function of adjective pronouns.

131. Most of the words how to be considered are capable of a double use,—they may be pure modifiers of nouns, or they may stand for nouns. In the first use they are adjectives; in the second they retain an adjective meaning, but have lost their adjective use. Primarily they are adjectives, but in this function, or use, they are properly classed as adjective pronouns.

The following are some examples of these:—

Some say that the place was bewitched.—Irving.

That mysterious realm where each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death. —Bryant.

How happy is he born or taught That serveth not another's will. —Wotton

That is more than any martyr can stand.—Emerson.

Caution.

Adjectives, not pronouns.

Hence these words are like adjectives used as nouns, which we have seen in such expressions as, "The dead are there;" that is, a word, in order to be an adjective pronoun, must not modify any word, expressed or understood. It must come under the requirement of pronouns, and stand for a noun. For instance, in the following sentences—"The cubes are of stainless ivory, and on each is written, in letters of gold, 'Truth;'" "You needs must play such pranks as these;" "They will always have one bank to sun themselves upon, and another to get cool under;" "Where two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind"—the words italicized modify nouns understood, necessarily thought of: thus, in the first, "each cube;" in the second, "these pranks," in the others, "another bank," "one man."

Classes of adjective pronouns.

132. Adjective pronouns are divided into three classes:—

(1) DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS, such as this, that, the former, etc.

(2) DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUNS, such as each, either, neither, etc.

(3) NUMERAL PRONOUNS, as some, any, few, many, none, all, etc.

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS

Definition and examples.

133. A DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUN is one that definitely points out what persons or things are alluded to in the sentence.

The person or thing alluded to by the demonstrative may be in another sentence, or may be the whole of a sentence. For example, "Be that as it may" could refer to a sentiment in a sentence, or an argument in a paragraph; but the demonstrative clearly points to that thing.

The following are examples of demonstratives:—

I did not say this in so many words.
All these he saw; but what he fain had seen He could not see.
Beyond that I seek not to penetrate the veil.
How much we forgive in those who yield us the rare spectacle of heroic manners!
The correspondence of Bonaparte with his brother Joseph, when the latter was the King of Spain.
Such are a few isolated instances, accidentally preserved.
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
They know that patriotism has its glorious opportunities and its sacred duties. They have not shunned the one, and they have well performed the other.

NOTE.—It will be noticed in the first four sentences that this and that are inflected for number.

Exercises.

(a) Find six sentences using demonstrative adjective pronouns.

(b) In which of the following is these a pronoun?—

1. Formerly the duty of a librarian was to keep people as much as possible from the books, and to hand these over to his successor as little worn as he could.—Lowell.
2. They had fewer books, but these were of the best.—Id.
3. A man inspires affection and honor, because he was not lying in wait for these.—Emerson
4. Souls such as these treat you as gods would.—Id.
5. These are the first mountains that broke the uniform level of the earth's surface.—Agassiz

DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUNS.

Definition and examples.

134. The DISTRIBUTIVE PRONOUNS are those which stand for the names of persons or things considered singly.

Simple.

Some of these are simple pronouns; for example,—

They stood, or sat, or reclined, as seemed good to each.
As two yoke devils sworn to other's purpose.
Their minds accorded into one strain, and made delightful music which neither could have claimed as all his own.

Compound.

Two are compound pronouns,—each other, one another. They may be separated into two adjective pronouns; as,

We violated our reverence each for the other's soul. —Hawthorne.

More frequently they are considered as one pronoun.

They led one another, as it were, into a high pavilion of their thoughts.—Hawthorne.
Men take each other's measure when they react.—Emerson.

Exercise.—Find sentences containing three distributive pronouns.

NUMERAL PRONOUNS.

Definition and examples.

135. The NUMERAL PRONOUNS are those which stand for an uncertain number or quantity of persons or things.

The following sentences contain numeral pronouns:—

Trusting too much to others' care is the ruin of many.
'Tis of no importance how large his house, you quickly come to the end of all.
Another opposes him with sound argument.
It is as if one should be so enthusiastic a lover of poetry as to care nothing for Homer or Milton.
There were plenty more for him to fall in company with, as some of the rangers had gone astray.
The Soldan, imbued, as most were, with the superstitions of his time, paused over a horoscope.
If those [taxes] were the only ones we had to pay, we might the more easily discharge them.
Much might be said on both sides.

If hand of mine another's task has lightened. It felt the guidance that it does not claim. So perish all whose breast ne'er learned to glow For others' good, or melt for others' woe.

None shall rule but the humble.

Some inflected.

It will be noticed that some of these are inflected for case and number; such as one other, another.

The word one has a reflexive form; for example,—

One reflexive.

The best way to punish oneself for doing ill seems to me to go and do good.—Kingsley.
The lines sound so prettily to one's self.—Holmes.

Exercise.—Find sentences containing ten numeral pronouns.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS.

Definition and examples.

136. Indefinite pronouns are words which stand for an indefinite number or quantity of persons or things; but, unlike adjective pronouns, they are never used as adjectives.

Most of them are compounds of two or more words:—

List.

Somebody, some one, something; anybody, any one (or anyone), anything; everybody, every one (or everyone), everything; nobody, no one, nothing; somebody else, anyone else, everybody else, every one else, etc.; also aught, naught; and somewhat, what, and they.

The following sentences contain indefinite pronouns:—

As he had them of all hues, he hoped to fit everybody's fancy.
Every one knows how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts and sciences.
Nothing sheds more honor on our early history than the impression which these measures everywhere produced in America.
Let us also perform something worthy to be remembered.
William of Orange was more than anything else a religious man.
Frederick was discerned to be a purchaser of everything that nobody else would buy.
These other souls draw me as nothing else can.
The genius that created it now creates somewhat else.
Every one else stood still at his post.
That is perfectly true: I did not want anybody else's authority to write as I did.

They indefinite means people in general; as,—

At lovers' perjuries, they say, Jove laughs.—Shakespeare.

What indefinite is used in the expression "I tell you what." It means something, and was indefinite in Old English.

Now, in building of chaises, I tell you what, There is always somewhere a weakest spot.

Exercise.—Find sentences with six indefinite pronouns.

137. Some indefinite pronouns are inflected for case, as shown in the words everybody's, anybody else's, etc.

See also "Syntax" (Sec. 426) as to the possessive case of the forms with else.

HOW TO PARSE PRONOUNS.

A reminder.

138. In parsing pronouns the student will need particularly to guard against the mistake of parsing words according to form instead of according to function or use.

Exercise.

Parse in full the pronouns in the following sentences:—

1. She could not help laughing at the vile English into which they were translated.

2. Our readers probably remember what Mrs. Hutchinson tells us of herself.

3. Whoever deals with M. de Witt must go the plain way that he pretends to, in his negotiations.

4. Some of them from whom nothing was to be got, were suffered to depart; but those from whom it was thought that anything could be extorted were treated with execrable cruelty.

5. All was now ready for action.

6. Scarcely had the mutiny broken up when he was himself again.

7. He came back determined to put everything to the hazard.

8. Nothing is more clear than that a general ought to be the servant of his government, and of no other.

9. Others did the same thing, but not to quite so enormous an extent.

10. On reaching the approach to this about sunset of a beautiful evening in June, I first found myself among the mountains,—a feature of natural scenery for which, from my earliest days, it was not extravagant to say that I hungered and thirsted.

11. I speak of that part which chiefly it is that I know.

12. A smaller sum I had given to my friend the attorney (who was connected with the money lenders as their lawyer), to which, indeed, he was entitled for his unfurnished lodgings.

13. Whatever power the law gave them would be enforced against me to the utmost.

14. O thou that rollest above, round as the shield of my fathers!

15. But there are more than you ever heard of who die of grief in this island of ours.

16. But amongst themselves is no voice nor sound.

17. For this did God send her a great reward.

18. The table was good; but that was exactly what Kate cared little about.

19. Who and what was Milton? That is to say, what is the place which he fills in his own vernacular literature?

20. These hopes are mine as much as theirs.

21. What else am I who laughed or wept yesterday, who slept last night like a corpse?

22. I who alone am, I who see nothing in nature whose existence I can affirm with equal evidence to my own, behold now the semblance of my being, in all its height, variety, and curiosity reiterated in a foreign form.

23.

What hand but would a garland cull For thee who art so beautiful?

24.

And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe.

25. Whatever he knows and thinks, whatever in his apprehension is worth doing, that let him communicate.

26. Rip Van Winkle was one of those foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble.

27.

And will your mother pity me, Who am a maiden most forlorn?

28.

They know not I knew thee, Who knew thee too well.

29.

I did remind thee of our own dear Lake, By the old Hall which may be mine no more.

30.

He sate him down, and seized a pen, and traced Words which I could not guess of.

31.

Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow: Such as creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now.

32.

Wild Spirit which art moving everywhere; Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh, hear!

33. A smile of hers was like an act of grace.

34. No man can learn what he has not preparation for learning.

35. What can we see or acquire but what we are?

36. He teaches who gives, and he learns who receives.

37. We are by nature observers; that is our permanent state.

38. He knew not what to do, and so he read.

39. Who hears me, who understands me, becomes mine.

40. The men who carry their points do not need to inquire of their constituents what they should say.

41. Higher natures overpower lower ones by affecting them with a certain sleep.

42. Those who live to the future must always appear selfish to those who live to the present.

43. I am sorry when my independence is invaded or when a gift comes from such as do not know my spirit.

44. Here I began to howl and scream abominably, which was no bad step towards my liberation.

45. The only aim of the war is to see which is the stronger of the two—which is the master.