Adjectives are sometimes improperly used as adverbs: as, “He behaved very _bad_.” “He insulted me most _gross_.” “He eat and drank _uncommon_.” “He wur beat very _severe_.” “It hailed _tremendous_,” or, more commonly, “_tremenjus_.”
The article _a_ or _an_ agrees with nouns in the singular number only: as, “A fool, an ass, a simpleton, a ninny, a lout--I would not give a farthing for a thousand such.”
The definite article _the_ may agree with nouns in the singular and plural number: as, “The toast, the ladies, the ducks.”
The articles are often properly omitted; when used, they serve to determine or limit the thing spoken of: as, “Variety is charming.” “Familiarity doth breed contempt.” “_A_ stitch in time saves nine.” “_The_ heart that has truly loved never forgets.”
The article _a_ or _an_ is sometimes (we grieve to say it) applied to nouns in the plural number: as, “A wine-vaults.” “An oyster-rooms.” But this misapplication of the article is positively shocking.
One substantive, in the possessive or genitive case, is governed by another, of a different meaning: as, “A fiddle-stick’s end.” “Monkey’s allowance.” “Virtue’s reward.”
Pronouns, as well as nouns, are thus governed by substantives: as, “The woes of a kitten (like those of a Poet) are expressed by _its_ mews.”
Active verbs govern the objective case: as, “I kissed _her_.” “She scratched _me_.” “Virtue rewards _her followers_.”
Verbs neuter do not govern an objective case. Observe, therefore, that such phrases: as, “She _cried a good one_,” “He _came the old soldier_ over me,” and so forth, are highly improper in a grammatical point of view, to say nothing of other objections to them.
These verbs, however, are capable of governing words of a meaning similar to their own: as, in the affecting ballad of Giles Scroggins--
“I wont, she cried, and _screamed a scream_.”
The verb To Be has the same case after it as that which goes before it: as, “_It_ was _I_,” not “_It_ was _me_.” “The _Grubbs_ were _they_ who eat so much trifle at our last party;” not “The _Grubbses_ were _them_.”
One verb governs another that depends upon it, in the infinitive mood: as, “Cease _to smoke_ pipes.” “Begin _to wear_ collars.” “I advise you _to shave_.” “I recommend you _to go_ to church.” “I resolved _to visit_ the United States.