Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-12-20
From the Christian Observer.
(iriticisr,1 Anolyxis of the Proposition.

Mr. 5. S. Greene, in his elaborate
Treatise on the Structure Of the English
language, lately published by Thomas,
Cowperthwait & Co., has attempted new
and philosophical analysis Of the sentence
or proposition.
As the proposition is the unit or CEN
trail point in language, and the value Of ev-
cry word and of every form depends on
its relation to the proposition, the prob
lem proposed becomes intensely interest
ing, and if rightly solved, cannot fail TO
have an important influence on our views
Of language, and through them on our con-
ceptions, thoughts, and reasonings.
According to Mr. Greene, there are in
a sentence or proposition, five elements or
component parts, viz: the subject and the
predicate, which are indispensable, and
cannot be repeated in a simple sentence,
and the adjectire element, the objective ele-
nen., and tho n,l,,.rbini element. which ere
incidental, and may be repeated in the
same sentence. These are said to be ali
the elements, which sentence or propo-
sition can contain within itself.
The following is given as model OF
simple sentence:
"Cons,ant Boosting always betrays in
capacity
Here "boas,ing'' is the subject; "be-
trays" is the predicate; constant" is the
adjective element; "incapacity' is the Oh
jectiy element; and "always" is the ad-
rerbial element.
But il we follow out our author in his
principle Of grouping words, and look
more 10 the thought than to the external
expression, these five element. may be re-
duced to three syntactical combinations or
groupings.
For, in the first place, the adverbial ele-
ment is merely species or variety OF the
objective element. The objective element
of the author embraces the Complementary
object, or what is necessary after an Oh
iec,ive verb to complete the idea of the
verb, and the adverbial element embraces
the supplementary object after vert
whether objective or subjective.
In the second place, the subject ane
predicate are merely factors Of the same
syntactical combination or grouping, e
wit, the predicative. 49,.
According to these views, sentence
may contain three syntactical combinations
or groupings, the predica,ive, the astr'bh
tive, and the objective, and the sentence
"constant Boosting always betrays inca
pacity," would be analysed thus:
"Boasting betrays" is a predicat're com
h;nation. in which "betrays" bears t.
..boasting the predicative relation.
constant Boosting" is an attribute
combination. in which constant" bear
to s.boastiug" the at,ributive relation.
"Betrays incapacity" is an oolecfr
combination, in which ''incapaci'y' bear
to "betrays," the objective relation.
"Betrays always is another objec''v
combination.
Every sentence, to whatever extent tn
relations which it comprehends may have
been multiplied. is composed Of only thes
three kinds of combinations.
But besides these elements which ente
into the proposition itself, we have in con
tinuous discourse the compe||atire or coca
the and the intersection or exclamation
which are thrown in between the parts
a sentence, and the Injunction. which ex
hibits the relation Of sentences to each OH
~ Nj.