Horrible discord, and the madding wheels

Ot brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict.

80. Improper Compound Sentences.-Untrained speakers and writers sometimes unite in one compound sentence thoughts that are not related: as,

Oliver Goldsmith was the son of a clergyman, and when he was young he had the smallpox.

Such a sentence offends the taste of a cultivated person. There is no connection at all between the two facts that are mentioned, and this independence should be indicated by putting them in separate sentences. Other examples are:

'Diggs belonged to the fifth form, and he was large for his age, and his clothes were always too small, and he used to run into debt."-From a school exercise.

"The Acadians were a French colony living in Acadia, in Canada, and in the war between France and England the latter sent some ships to Acadia to remove the inhabitants to other countries."From a school exercise.

EXERCISE 73.

1. Construct a simple sentence with compound subject; with compound predicate; with both subject and predicate compound.

2. Construct a complex sentence containing a modifying clause; a substantive clause used as subject; a substantive clause used as complement.

3. Construct a compound sentence in which the separate sayings are related by similarity of meaning; by contrast; by alternate choice; by cause and effect.

CHAPTER IX

OF ELLIPTICAL SENTENCES

81. Elliptical Sentences Defined.-Language is an intensely practical matter, designed only to express thought, and never employed for its own sake. In using it we very properly think far more of clearness and force than we do of grammatical completeness. It is, therefore, both natural and proper that we should from time to time omit from our sentences grammatical parts which it is unnecessary to use, our meaning being well understood without them. Such omissions are especially common in familiar conversation, where language has the aid of tone and gesture, and in lively or impassioned speech, where from haste or strength of feeling we express only the most important ideas.

Definition. The omission of part of a sentence necessary to grammatical completeness but not to the meaning is called Ellipsis (Greek, "a leaving out").

A sentence in which an omission occurs is called an Elliptical Sentence.

The following examples of ellipsis should be carefully studied. The words inclosed in brackets are usually omitted:

(1) This is important if [it is] true.

(2) He fell while [he was] bravely leading his men.
(3) Who did that? Jack [did it].

(4) I can't come. Why [can you] not [come]?

(5) He has gone, no one knows where [he has gone].

(6) She has a pink gown, I [have] a blue [gown].

(7) Do you promise? I do [promise].

(8) I have never seen her, but Blanche has [seen her].

(9) You may stay if you want to [stay].'

(10) The sun gives light by day, the moon [gives light] by night.

(11) He is not so tall as I [am tall].

(12) She put him off as long as [it was] possible [to put him off]. (13) You are wiser than I [am wise].

(14) He looks as [he would look] if he were tired.

(15) Speak so as [one speaks in order] to be understood.

(16) [They being as] poor as they are [poor], they will not beg.

(17) She is seventeen [years old].

(18) It is half past ten [o'clock].

(19) School closes on the twenty-second [day of the month]. (20) [I] thank you.

(21) Why [is] this noise [made]?

(22) [I wish you a] good morning, sir.

(23) O [I long] for a glass of water.

(24) If [it] you please.'

(25) [If it] please [you] lend me your book.

(26) Broadly speaking, [I should say that] the object of educa

tion is to train the faculties.

(27) You are the man [whom] I want to see.

This omission of the verb after "to" is not approved by careful writers.

2 In this sentence the subject is "it."

EXERCISE 74.

What words, necessary to grammatical completeness, but not to the meaning, are omitted in the following elliptical sentences?

I. I walk when I can. 2. He is witty but vulgar. 3. I treat him as a friend. 4. She is as pretty as ever. 5. She loves Fido as well as I. 6. She loves Fido as well as me. 7. Love thy neighbor as thyself. 8. I love my mother more than he. 9. I love my mother more than him. 10. Who steals my purse steals trash. II. You have known her longer than I. 12. She is more generous than prudent. 13. Father made and I painted the boat. 14. Are you dumb? If not, speak to me. 15. Either a knave or a fool has done this. 16. If the day be fine, and I can go, I will. 17. All seems as calm as an infant's dream. 18. A greyhound can run faster than a hare. 19. He has never seen the ocean, but I have. 20. You should not imitate such a girl as she. 21. John is at the door, David at the window.

22. He was seen before the battle, but not after it.

23. He said that he had found his book and lost it again.

24. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? 25. Pride goeth before destruction, and an1 haughty spirit before a fall.

1This is quoted from the translation of the Bible made in 1611. In modern English we say a haughty spirit."