RULE 2.

(3) Singular nouns or pronouns separated by or or nor, require a singular verb.

I. Singular and plural nouns or pronouns separated by or or nor, require a plural verb.*

(4) II. When nouns and pronouns of the same number, but of different persons, are separated by or or nor, the verb agrees in person with its nearest nominative.t

* In all such forms of expression, the plural noun or pronoun should be placed next to the verb. In parsing such sentences, the ellipses must be supplied, and the singular form of the verb made to agree with the singular noun or pronoun; as,-Either the master is in fault or the scholars are in fault.

The ellipses must also be supplied in these forms of expression; as,-You are to give instructions, or I am to give them.

RULE 3.

When the nominative case includes more objects than one, the verb must be in the plural number.

EXAMPLES.

Worldlings and sinners some- The wicked think they act with times pray for conversion, and are afraid of being heard.

In the lower jaw, the muscles act with mechanical advantage, or lever-power.

impunity, when they are punished with the very blindness by which they sin.

Nor fields with gleaming steel be covered o'er;
The brazen trumpets k-

e rage no more;

But useless lances into scythes shall bend,
And the broad falchion in a ploughshare end.

RULE 4.

(1) Singular nouns and pronouns connected by and, require a plural verb.

I. Nominatives in the singular number, coupled by and, and which refer to the same object,—or when preceded by a distributive adjective, require a singular verb.

(2) II. When several nominatives of different per

sons are joined by and, the plural pronoun agrees in person with the first in preference to the second, and with the second in preference to the third.

The candour and openness of whale is the largest of all ani

He hung his head, each nobler aim

And hope and feeling which had

From boyhood's hour, that instant

Fresh o'er him, and he wept, he wept!

RULE 5.

When a singular noun or pronoun is connected with any form of words by the preposition with, the verb must be in the singular number, and being the only word which combines the agency of two or more into

* Grammarians differ in opinion as to whether the verb should be singular or plural in sentences of this nature. We are of opinion that in all such expressions, the verb should be in the singular number. In the sentence," James with Anne goes to school," James is the subject of discourse; and though the fact of Anne's going to school is also expressed, yet, Anne is not the subject of the verb, but the object of the preposition with. The drift of the sentence is to show that James, in company with Anne, goes to school; not that James and Anne go to school. In the next example, uncle, not sons, is the subject of the verb; and though the sons were in town as well as the uncle, our object is not to state anything of the sons than simply to say, that the uncle, accompanied by his sons, was in town. In the sentence," Prosperity with humility," &c., prosperity is the subject, and humility the object, of the preposition with. The ellipsis being supplied, the sentence would be, "Prosperity renders its possessor truly amiable, when accompanied with humility." In the next example it is objected to the singular form of the verb, that the side A could not compose the triangle, and consequently could not be the sole nominative case :-true, the side A could not form a triangle, neither could the sides B and C without the side A: but supply the ellipsis thus: "The side A (united) with B and C, composes the triangle," and any difficulty in adopting the singular form will disappear. Lennie remarks, that "wherever the noun or pronoun after with, exists, acts, or suffers jointly with the singular nominative before it, the verb should be plural;" as-The general with his men were taken prisoners; but he leaves unno

RULE 6.

(3) Collective nouns, or nouns of multitude, may be in the singular or plural number, and must have verbs to agree with them accordingly.

I. When any word or circumstance conveys the idea of division or separation, the noun is to be considered as plural.

ticed the difficulties which attend the adoption of this form of the verb. For if the verb must be plural, then the words general and men should be the nominative case; and if so, the word men could not be the objective case governed by the preposition with; and in such a case with would exist very anomalously as a preposition. If for men, or for any other form of words which may follow with, we substitute the pronoun, the propriety of adopting the singular form of the verb will be still more obvious. For then, making with a preposition, the sentence would be, "The general with them (his men) was taken prisoner." But should the plural form of the verb be adopted, the sentence should be, "The general with they (his men) were taken prisoners;" as in this case, with should be considered a conjunction, and they or men as part of the nominative case to the plural verb. The impropriety of making with a conjunction, and placing the nominative case of the pronoun immediately after it, is too evident to need any further comment, as such a form of expression is harsh and disagreeable, and should be avoided.

In such ambiguous forms of expression as, "She with her sisters are well," in which we are at a loss to know whether the sisters are included, or whether she alone is well when in company with her sisters, we would recommend the use of the conjunction and, to avoid the doubts and difficulties which unavoidably arise by using with.