III. ELLIPSIS in ADVERBIAL CLAUSE.

Ellipsis in Adverbial Clause of Place, and of Cause. 479. The river is smooth where deep': 'where (it is) deep.'

He did not exert himself, because in weak health': - because (he was) in weak health.'

EXERCISE 405.

1. The wood-work, where still sound, was left untouched. 2. The report, where erroneous, may now be corrected. 3. He could not come because otherwise engaged. 4. You shall have our will because our king. 5. These specimens, wherever found, are exceedingly good. 6. He worked very hard, because determined to succeed. 7. Changes have been made where required. 8. These passages were expunged because out of date. 9. We shall introduce improvements where possible. 10. The attempt was not persisted in, because hopeless.

Ellipsis in Adverbial Clause of Time.

480. 'I was better when a boy'='I was better when (I was) a boy?'

He was fully occupied while in town':—or, 'while he was in town.'

The picture has been much praised since (it was) first exhibited.

Elliptical Time Clauses introduced by compound expressions involving adverbs of degree, ('as-soon-as,' 'no-sooner-than,' &c.) are filled out as elliptical clauses of Degree. (§ 481-9).

EXERCISE 406.

2. The

3. Ere

1. The furniture was very handsome when new. witness contradicted himself while under examination. yet in being, was mankind in guilt? 4. He is ill-tempered when in difficulties. 5. I lose most of my fortune if I marry without my aunt's consent till of age. 6. The scheme, when proposed, was considered too complicated. 7. He read the books ten times over till sick of them. 8. While abroad, he wrote regularly home. 9. O remember your Sheelah, when far, far away.

10. Since he, miscalled the Morning Star,

Nor man nor fiend hath fallen so far.

Ellipsis in Adverbial Clause of Degree.

481. The king fled as fast as a fleet horse could carry him.' In full: The king fied as fast as a fleet horse could carry him (fast).'

'I get as much work as I want'=' I get as much work as I want (much work).'

The first 'as' is demonstrative, the second as' is relative. The second modifies the understood words 'fast' and 'much.' Thus: The king fled as (= in that degree) fast as (= in which degree) fast a fleet horse could carry him'; 'I get as (= in that degree) much work as (— in which degree) much work I want.'

EXERCISE 407.

1. I shall see him as soon as he lands. 2. Give him as much money as he may require. 3. We shall come as often as you wish us to come. 4. They have as many books as they can read. 5. The boys have played the game as well as they expected to play it. 6. One class has as good right to the field as another class has. 7. I can walk as fast as you can run. 8. He tells as marvellous stories as you ever read. 9. She spoke with as great freedom as she thought. 10. The enemy retreated as soon as our army came in sight.

482. 'Speak as distinctly as you can'=' Speak as distinctly as you can (speak distinctly).'

'He is as tall as you'='He is as tall as you (are tall).'

'You write as well as your cousin (writes well).

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You have written as plainly as your cousin has (written plainly).

In the first example, there is also the usual ellipsis of 'to' after 'can': can (to) speak.'

When the construction 'You are as tall as HIM' occurs, the object form of course gives way to the usual subject form : 'You are as tall as HE (is tall).' 'You are as tall as ME' is in full: You are as tall as I (am tall).'

EXERCISE 408.

1. I will maintain this position as long as I can. 2. No country suffered so much from these invaders as England. 3. Literature seemed at this moment to have died as utterly as

freedom itself. 4. I may not go so freely as you may. 5. You would no doubt go as readily as anybody would. 6. In rage they are as deaf as the sea, as hasty as fire. 7. He fought as bravely as the best of them. 8. We do not understand the subject so well as you (do). 9. Nothing, no worldly thing under the sun, is so dear to me as the love and good-will of my subjects.

10. Come one, come all, this rock shall fly

From its firm base as soon as I.

483. They are as cunning as (they are) fierce. 'I would as soon die as consent to that'='I would as soon die as (I would) consent to that (soon)'; 'I would as soon die as (soon I would) consent to that.'

=

'He is not so foolish as to believe this report' 'He is not so foolish as (he would be foolish) to believe this report. So: 'He is not such a fool as (he would be a fool) to believe this report.

'He is doing as well as could be expected'=' He is doing as well as (that he should do well) could be expected'; he is doing as well as (it) could be expected (that he should do well).'

EXERCISE 409.

1. Discontent did not now so readily as in an earlier age take the form of rebellion. 2. Be so kind as to lower the drawbridge. 3. The triumphant cry of Latimer could reach only hearts as bold as his own. 4. William of Orange's external appearance is almost as well known to us as to his own captains and counsellors. 5. He conducted the war as energetically as was anticipated. 6. The boy is as poor as clever. 7. The physical aspects of society were as attentively cared for as its moral. 8. No shire was so far distant from the sea as to be secure from attack. 9. Surely you are not so injudicious as to make the attempt. 10. His activity was as boundless as ever.

484. He works as diligently as if he had to earn his bread'='He works as diligently as (he would work diligently) if he had to earn his bread.'

'He spoke as carelessly as though he had had no interest in the matter' He spoke as carelessly as

(he might, or would, have spoken carelessly) though (if) he had had no interest in the matter.'

'I never saw him so sorry as when he found out his mistake'=' I never saw him so sorry as (he was sorry, or I saw him sorry) when he found out his mistake.'

The whole clause is omitted, except the introducing conjunc tion. The second conjunction introduces a clause modifying the elliptical clause preceding. So common and uniform is the ellipsis that as if,' as though,' as when,' &c., tend to be regarded as compound conjunctions.

EXERCISE 410.

1. They acted as energetically as if all depended upon them. 2. She wept as though her heart would break. 3. Are they in as good spirits as when they were here? 4. You pronounce judgment as decisively as if you were infallible. 5. Never perhaps was English liberty in such deadly peril as when Wolsey resolved on the practical suppression of the two Houses. 6. He was never so happy as where he was brought up. 7. He was angry, not so much because he was not present, as because he had not the opportunity of refusing to go. 8. There is not so much credit given to the rumour now as when it was first spread. 9. Here is our bay, now, as smooth as if it were shut in with twenty dykes, and the voyage will be as safe as if it were made on a canal. 10. He fought as desperately as though his life were at stake.

485. The first of the two comparative adverbs is seldom left out. Examples are: (as) deaf as a post,' (as or so) brave as a lion.'

The heroine is cool as snow, and as pure.' Here'as' is omitted before 'cool.' But 'as' could not be omitted before pure,' else the comparison with snow would not necessarily be extended from the point of coolness' to the point of 'purity.'

486. 'He came back more slowly than he had gone away'' He came back more slowly than he had gone away (slowly).'

The firm have undertaken more work than they can easily accomplish''The firm have

undertaken more work than they can easily accomplish (much work).'

'Than' modifies the understood words-'slowly,' 'much.' It is the same word as 'then.' 'He came back more (= in a higher degree) slowly than (=then, after that, in the next degree, in an inferior degree) slowly he had gone away.' "The firm have undertaken more (=much-er- in a greater degree much) work than (=then, in a less degree) much work they can easily accomplish.'

EXERCISE 411.

1. The captain would sooner (rather) perish than he would desert his post. 2. He received higher pay than he had reason to expect. 3. They have sent us less help than they promised us. 4. She plays more brilliantly than she sings. 5. No sooner did she encounter the royal army than treachery decided the day. 6. We rose earlier that morning than we usually did. 7. The farmers have better crops this year than they had last year. 8. To see these things required less quick eyes than my lady's little page was naturally endowed with. 9. It has cost us more trouble than it is worth, 10. There is more water here than we bargained for.

487. 'He jumped higher than you could'='He jumped higher than you could (jump high).'

There are poets older than Chaucer (is old). 'Famine did its work better than the sword (did its work well).'

You have written more distinctly than your cousin has (written distinctly).'

In the filling out of the construction 'You are taller than ME,' the regular subject form is restored: You are taller than I (am tall)'; 'you are more accurate than HIM-than HE (is accurate).'

EXERCISE 412.

1. The Tudors were more arbitrary than the Plantagenets. 2. Who is more worthy of respect than a brave man in misfortune. 3. No class was more ready for tumult and revolt than the veterans of Sulla. 4. A certain training in speech became not less essential than a certain training in arms. 5. Advance no farther than your instructions require you. 6. Blood is thicker than water. 7. In truth there is no sadder spot on earth than that little cemetery. 8. I have been longer under guardianship than any ward in my realm. 9. Such calamities galled the national pride less than the peace tendency of the court. 10. Higher benefits