RULE III.

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The conjunction disjunctive has an effect contrary to that of the conjunction copulative; for as the verb, noun, or pronoun is referred to the preceding terms taken separately, it must be in the fingular number; as, Ignorance or negligence has caused this mistake;" " John, or James, or Jofeph, intends to accompany me ;" There is in many minds, neither knowledge nor understanding."

RULE IV.

A noun of multitude, or fignifying many, may have a verb or pronoun agreeing with it, either of the fingular or plural number; yet not without regard to the import of the word, as conveying unity or plurality of idea; as, "The meeting was large ;"" The parliament is diffolved;""The nation is powerful;" " My people do not confider; they have not known me;""The multitude eagerly purfue pleasure, as their chief good ;""The council were divided in their fentiments."

RULE V.

Pronouns must always agree with their antecedents, and the nouns for which they ftand, in gender and number; as, “This is the trie id whom I love ;” “That is the vice which I hate." "The king and the queen had put on their robes;" "The moon appears, and he fhines, but the light is not her own."

The relative is of the fame perfon as the antecedent, and the verb agrees with it accordingly; as, "Thou who lovest wisdom," " I, who speak from experience."

RULE VI.

The relative is the nominative cafe to the verb, when no nominative comes between it and the verb; as, “ The master who taught us ;" "The trees which are planted."

When a nominative comes between the relative and the verb, the relative is governed by fome word in its own member of the sentence; as, " He who preferves me, to whom I owe my being, whofe I am, and whom I ferve, is eternal."

RULE VII.

When the relative is preceded by two nominatives of different perfons, the relative and verb may agree in perfon with either, according to the fenie; as, "I am the man who command you;" or, " I am the man who commands you.”

RULE VIII.

Every adjective, and every adjective pronoun, belongs to a fubftantive, expreffed or underftood; as, "He is a good as well as a wife man ;" "Few are happy ;" that is "perfons ;” “This is a pleafant walk;" that is, "This walk is," &c.

Adjective pronouns must agree, in number, with their fubftantives; as, "This book, thefe books; that fort, those forts; another road, other roads."

RULE IX.

The article a or an agrees with nouns in the fingular number only, individually or collectively; as, "A Chriftian, an Infidel, a score, a thoufand."

The definite article the may agree with nouns in the fingular or plural number; as, "the garden, the houses, the stars."

The articles are often properly omitted; when ufed they fhould be justly applied, according to their diftinct nature; as, "Gold is corrupting; The fea is green; A lion is bold.”

RULE X.

One fubftantive governs another fignifying a different thing, in the poffeffive or genitive cafe ; as, "My father's houfe;" " Man's happiness ;" "Virtue's reward."

RULE XI.

Active verbs govern the objective case ; as, "Truth ennobles her ;"" She comforts me;" "They fupport us ;""Virtue rewards her fol lowers."

RULE XII.

One verb governs another that follows it, or depends upon it, in the infinitive mood; as, "Ceafe to do evil; learn to do well ;" "We fhould be prepared to render an account of our actions."

The prepofition to, though generally used before the latter verb,is fometimes properly omitted; "as, I heard him fay it ;" inftead of, "to fay it."

RULE XIII.

In the use of words and phrases which, in point of time, relate to each other, a due regard to that relation fhould be obferved. Inftead of faying, "The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away;" we fhould fay; " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away." Inftead of " I remember the family more than twenty years;" it fhould be, "I have remembered the family more than twenty years."

RULE XIV.

Participles have the fame government as the verbs have from which they are derived ; as, “I am weary with hearing him ;"" She is inftruding us;" "The tutor is admonishing Charles."

RULE XV.

Adverbs, though they have no government of cafe, tenfe, &c. require an appropriate fituation in the fentence, viz. for the most part before adjectives, after verbs active or neuter, and frequently between the auxiliary and the verb; as, "He made a very fenfible discourse; he spoke unaffectedly and forcibly; and was attentively heard by the whole affembly."

RULE XVI.

Two negatives, in English, destroy one another, or are equivalent to an affirmative; as, "Nor did they not perceive him ;" that is, "they did perceive him." "His language, though inelegant, is not ungrammatical;" that is, "it is grammatical."

RULE XVII.

Prepofitions govern the objective cafe; as, " I have heard a good character of her ;" " From him that is needy, turn not away ;""A word to the wife is fufficient for them ;" "We may be good and happy without riches."

RULE XVIII.

Conjunctions connect the fame moods and tenfes of verbs, and cafes of nouns and pronouns; as, "Candour is to be approved and practifed;"" If thou fincerely defire, and earnestly purfue virtue, fhe will affuredly be found by thee, and prove a rich reward;" "The master taught her and me to write ;"" He and she were schoolfellows."

RULE XIX.

Some conjunctions require the indicative, fome the fubjunctive mood, after them. It is a general rule, that when fomething contingent or doubtful is implied, the fubjunctive ought to be ufed; as, 66 If I were to write, he would not regard it ;"" He will not be pardoned, unless he repent."

Conjunctions that are of a positive and absolute nature require the indicative mood. "As virtue advances fo vice recedes ;"" He is healthy because he is temperate."

RULE XX.

When the qualities of different things are