Exercise.

First find the antecedents, then parse the relatives, in the following sentences:—­

1.  How superior it is in these respects to the pear, whose blossoms are neither colored nor fragrant!

2.  Some gnarly apple which I pick up in the road reminds me by its fragrance of all the wealth of Pomona.

3.  Perhaps I talk with one who is selecting some choice barrels for filling an order.

4.  Ill blows the wind that profits nobody.

5.  Alas! it is we ourselves that are getting buried alive under this avalanche of earthly impertinences.

6.  This method also forces upon us the necessity of thinking, which is, after all, the highest result of all education.

7.  I know that there are many excellent people who object to the reading of novels as a waste of time.

8.  I think they are trying to outwit nature, who is sure to be cunninger than they.

[Sidenote:  Parsing what, the simple relative.]

120.  The relative what is handled differently, because it has usually no antecedent, but is singular, neuter, third person.  Its case is determined exactly as that of other relatives.  In the sentence, “What can’t be cured must be endured,” the verb must be endured is the predicate of something.  What must be endured?  Answer, What can’t be cured.  The whole expression is its subject.  The word what, however, is subject of the verb can’t be cured, and hence is in the nominative case.

“What we call nature is a certain self-regulated motion or change.”  Here the subject of is, etc., is what we call nature; but of this, we is the subject, and what is the direct object of the verb call, so is in the objective case.

[Sidenote:  Another way.]

Some prefer another method of treatment.  As shown by the following sentences, what is equivalent to that which:—­

     It has been said that “common souls pay with what they do,
     nobler souls with that which they are.”—­EMERSON.

     That which is pleasant often appears under the name of evil;
     and what is disagreeable to nature is called good and
     virtuous.—­BURKE.

Hence some take what as a double relative, and parse that in the first clause, and which in the second clause; that is, “common souls pay with that [singular, object of with] which [singular, object of do] they do.”

INDEFINITE RELATIVES.

[Sidenote:  List and examples.]

121.  INDEFINITE RELATIVES are, by meaning and use, not as direct as the simple relatives.

They are whoever, whichever, whatever, whatsoever; less common are whoso, whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.  The simple relatives who, which, and what may also be used as indefinite relatives.  Examples of indefinite relatives (from Emerson):—­