An English Grammar Part 88

He doubted whether _his_ signature whose expectations were so much more bounded would avail.--DE QUINCEY.

For boys with hearts as bold As _his_ who kept the bridge so well.

--MACAULAY.

[Sidenote: _Preceding a gerund,--possessive, or objective?_]

408. Another point on which there is some variance in usage is such a construction as this: "We heard of _Brown_ studying law," or "We heard of _Brown's_ studying law."

That is, should the possessive case of a noun or p.r.o.noun always be used with the gerund to indicate the active agent? Closely scrutinizing these two sentences quoted, we might find a difference between them: saying that in the first one _studying_ is a participle, and the meaning is, _We heard of Brown_, [who was] _studying law_; and that in the second, _studying_ is a gerund, object of _heard of_, and modified by the possessive case as any other substantive would be.

[Sidenote: _Why both are found._]

But in common use there is no such distinction. Both types of sentences are found; both are gerunds; sometimes the gerund has the possessive form before it, sometimes it has the objective. The use of the objective is older, and in keeping with the old way of regarding the _person_ as the chief object before the mind: the possessive use is more modern, in keeping with the disposition to proceed from the material thing to the _abstract idea_, and to make the action substantive the chief idea before the mind.

In the examples quoted, it will be noticed that the possessive of the p.r.o.noun is more common than that of the noun.

[Sidenote: _Objective_.]

The last incident which I recollect, was my learned and worthy _patron_ falling from a chair.--SCOTT.

He spoke of _some one_ coming to drink tea with him, and asked why it was not made.--THACKERAY.

The old s.e.xton even expressed a doubt as to _Shakespeare_ having been born in her house.--IRVING.

The fact of the _Romans_ not burying their dead within the city walls proper is a strong reason, etc.--BREWER.

I remember _Wordsworth_ once laughingly reporting to me a little personal anecdote.--DE QUINCEY.

Here I state them only in brief, to prevent the _reader_ casting about in alarm for my ultimate meaning.--RUSKIN.

We think with far less pleasure of _Cato_ tearing out his entrails than of _Russell_ saying, as he turned away from his wife, that the bitterness of death was past.--MACAULAY.

There is actually a kind of sacredness in the fact of such a _man_ being sent into this earth.--CARLYLE.

[Sidenote: _Possessive_.]

There is no use for any _man's_ taking up his abode in a house built of gla.s.s.--CARLYLE.

As to _his_ having good grounds on which to rest an action for life.--d.i.c.kENS.

The case was made known to me by a _man's_ holding out the little creature dead.--DE QUINCEY.

There may be reason for a _savage's_ preferring many kinds of food which the civilized man rejects.--Th.o.r.eAU.

It informs me of the previous circ.u.mstances of _my_ laying aside my clothes.--C. BROCKDEN BROWN.

The two strangers gave me an account of _their_ once having been themselves in a somewhat similar condition.--AUDUBON.

There was a chance of _their_ being sent to a new school, where there were examinations.--RUSKIN

This can only be by _his_ preferring truth to his past apprehension of truth.--EMERSON

III. PERSONAL p.r.o.nOUNS AND THEIR ANTECEDENTS.

409. The p.r.o.nouns of the third person usually refer back to some preceding noun or p.r.o.noun, and ought to agree with them in person, number, and gender.

[Sidenote: _Watch for the real antecedent._]

There are two constructions in which the student will need to watch the p.r.o.noun,--when the antecedent, in one person, is followed by a phrase containing a p.r.o.noun of a different person; and when the antecedent is of such a form that the p.r.o.noun following cannot indicate exactly the gender. Examples of these constructions are,--

_Those_ of us who can only maintain _themselves_ by continuing in some business or salaried office.--RUSKIN.

Suppose the life and fortune of _every one_ of us would depend on _his_ winning or losing a game of chess.--HUXLEY.

If _any one_ did not know it, it was _his_ own fault.--CABLE.

_Everybody_ had _his_ own life to think of.--DEFOE.

410. In such a case as the last three sentences,--when the antecedent includes both masculine and feminine, or is a distributive word, taking in each of many persons,--the preferred method is to put the p.r.o.noun following in the masculine singular; if the antecedent is neuter, preceded by a distributive, the p.r.o.noun will be neuter singular.

The following are additional examples:--

The next _correspondent_ wants you to mark out a whole course of life for _him_.--HOLMES.

Every _city_ threw open _its_ gates.--DE QUINCEY.

Every _person_ who turns this page has _his_ own little diary.--THACKERAY.

The pale realms of shade, where _each_ shall take _His_ chamber in the silent halls of death.

--BRYANT.

[Sidenote: _Avoided: By using both p.r.o.nouns._]

Sometimes this is avoided by using both the masculine and the feminine p.r.o.noun; for example,--

Not the feeblest _grandame_, not a mowing _idiot_, but uses what spark of perception and faculty is left, to chuckle and triumph in _his or her_ opinion.--EMERSON.

It is a game which has been played for untold ages, every _man_ and _woman_ of us being one of the two players in a game of _his or her_ own.--HUXLEY.

_By using the plural p.r.o.noun._

411. Another way of referring to an antecedent which is a distributive p.r.o.noun or a noun modified by a distributive adjective, is to use the plural of the p.r.o.noun following. This is not considered the best usage, the logical a.n.a.lysis requiring the singular p.r.o.noun in each case; but the construction is frequently found _when the antecedent includes or implies both genders_. The masculine does not really represent a feminine antecedent, and the expression _his or her_ is avoided as being c.u.mbrous.

Notice the following examples of the plural:--

_Neither_ of the sisters _were_ very much deceived.--THACKERAY.