NOTE XV.—­Propositions that are as true now as they ever were or will be, should generally be expressed in the present tense:  as, “He seemed hardly to know, that two and two make four;” not, “made.”—­Blair’s Gram., p. 65.  “He will tell you, that whatever is, is right.”  Sometimes the present tense is improper with the conjunction that, though it would be quite proper without it; as, “Others said, That it is Elias.  And others said, That it is a prophet.”—­Mark, vi, 15.  Here That should be omitted, or else is should be was.  The capital T is also improper.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

FALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XVII.

UNDER THE RULE ITSELF.—­NOMINATIVES CONNECTED BY OR.

“We do not know in what either reason or instinct consist.”—­Rambler, No. 41.

[FORMULE.—­Not proper, because the verb consist is of the plural number, and does not correctly agree with its two nominatives, reason and instinct, which are connected by or, and taken disjunctively.  But, according to Rule 17th, “When a verb has two or more nominatives connected by or or nor, it must agree with them singly, and not as if taken together.”  Therefore, consist should be consists; thus, “We do not know in what either reason or instinct consists.”]

“A noun or a pronoun joined with a participle, constitute a nominative case absolute.”—­Bicknell’s Gram., Part ii, p. 50.  “The relative will be of that case, which the verb or noun following, or the preposition going before, use to govern.”—­Dr. Adam’s Gram., p. 203.  “Which the verb or noun following, or the preposition going before, usually govern.”—­Gould’s Adam’s Gram., p. 200.[401] “In the different modes of pronunciation which habit or caprice give rise to.”—­Knight, on the Greek Alphabet, p. 14.  “By which he, or his deputy, were authorized to cut down any trees in Whittlebury forest.”—­Junius, p. 251.  “Wherever objects were to be named, in which sound, noise, or motion were concerned, the imitation by words was abundantly obvious.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 55.  “The pleasure or pain resulting from a train of perceptions in different circumstances, are a beautiful contrivance of nature for valuable purposes.”—­Kames, El. of Crit., i, 262.  “Because their foolish vanity or their criminal ambition represent the principles by which they are influenced, as absolutely perfect.”—­Life of Madame De Stael, p. 2.  “Hence naturally arise indifference or aversion between the parties.”—­Brown’s Estimate, ii, 37.  “A penitent unbeliever, or an impenitent believer, are characters no where to be found.”—­Tract, No. 183.  “Copying whatever is peculiar in the talk of all those whose birth or fortune entitle them to imitation.”—­Rambler,