A Grammar of the English Tongue | Page 9

they, when they is the plural of it, and are therefore applied to things.
Pronouns relative are, who, which, what, whether, whosoever, whatsoever.
Nom. Who.
Gen. Whose.
Other oblique cases. Whom.
Nom. Which.
Gen. Of which, or whose.
Other oblique cases. Which.
Who is now used in relation to persons, and which in relation to things; but they were anciently confounded. At least it was common to say, the man which, though I remember no example of the thing who.
Whose is rather the poetical than regular genitive of which.
The fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world. Milton.
Whether is only used in the nominative and accusative cases; and has no plural, being applied only to one of a number, commonly to one of two, as Whether of these is left I know not. Whether shall I choose? It is now almost obsolete.
What, whether relative or interrogative, is without variation.
Whosoever, whatsoever, being compounded of who or what, and soever, follow the rule of their primitives.
Singular. Plural.
This These
In all cases. That Those.
Other, Others.
Whether.
The plural others is not used but when it is referred to a substantive preceding, as I have sent other horses. I have not sent the same horses, but others.
Another, being only an other, has no plural.
Here, there, and where, joined with certain particles, have a relative and pronominal use. Hereof, herein, hereby, hereafter, herewith, thereof, therein, thereby, thereupon, therewith, whereof, wherein, whereby, whereupon, wherewith, which signify, of this, in this, &c. of that, in that, &c. of which, in which, &c.
Therefore and wherefore, which are properly there for and where for, for that, for which, are now reckoned conjunctions, and continued in use. The rest seem to be passing by degrees into neglect, though proper, useful, and analogous. They are referred both to singular and plural antecedents.
There are two more words used only in conjunction with pronouns, own and self.
Own is added to possessives, both singular and plural, as my own hand, our own house. It is emphatical, and implies a silent contrariety, or opposition; as, I live in my own house, that is, not in a hired house. This I did with my own hand, that is, without help or not by proxy.
Self is added to possessives, as myself, yourselves; and sometimes to personal pronouns, as himself, itself, themselves. It then, like own, expresses emphasis and opposition, as I did this myself, that is, not another; or it forms a reciprocal pronoun, as We hurt ourselves by vain rage.
Himself, itself, themselves, are supposed by Wallis to be put by corruption, for his self, it self, their selves; so that self is always a substantive. This seems justly observed, for we say, He came himself; Himself shall do this; where himself cannot be an accusative.
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Of the VERB.
English verbs are active, as I love; or neuter, as I languish. The neuters are formed like the actives.
Most verbs signifying action may likewise signify condition or habit, and become neuters; as I love, I am in love; I strike, I am now striking.
Verbs have only two tenses inflected in their terminations, the present, and simple preterit; the other tenses are compounded of the auxiliary verbs, have, shall, will, let, may, can, and the infinitive of the active or neuter verb.
The passive voice is formed by joining the participle preterit to the substantive verb, as I am loved.
To have. Indicative Mood.
Present Tense.
Sing. I have, thou hast, he hath or has, Plur. We have, ye have, they have.
Has is a termination connoted from hath, but now more frequently used both in verse and prose.
Simple Preterit.
Sing. I had, thou hadst, he had Plur. We had, ye had, they had.
Compound Preterit.
Sing. I have had, thou hast had, he has or hath had; Plur. We have had, ye have had, they have had.
Preterpluperfect.
Sing. I had had, thou hadst had, he had had. Plur. We had had, ye had had, they had had.
Future.
Sing. I shall have, thou shalt have, he shall have; Plur. We shall have, ye shall have, they shall have.
Second Future.
Sing. I will have, thou wilt have, he will have; Plur. We will have, ye wilt have, they will have.
By reading these future tenses may be observed the variations of shall and will.
Imperative Mood.
Sing. Have, or have thou, let him have; Plur. Let us have, have or have ye, let them have.
Conjunctive Mood.
Present.
Sing. I have, thou have, he have; Plur. We have, ye have, they have.
Preterit simple as in the Indicative.
Preterit compound.
Sing. I have had, thou have had, he have had; Plur. We have had, ye have had, they have had.
Future.
Sing. I shall have, as in the Indicative.
Second Future.
Sing. I shall have had, thou shalt have had, he shall have had; Plur. We shall have had, ye shall have had, they shall have had.
Potential.
The potential form of speaking is expressed by may, can, in the