Page:The king's English (IA kingsenglish00fowlrich).pdf/121
of ambiguity; for the relative clause now supplies us with the question (not 'whose hat...?' but) 'what did you borrow?' leaving us theoretically in doubt whether Jones's hat is distinguished from his other property, from other people's hats, or from things in general.
On the other hand, the two blunders that are most frequently made almost invariably have the relative 'who' or 'which'.
And it is to me, the original promoter of the whole scheme, to whom they would deny my fair share in the profits!
'To me' implies a conjunction clause: 'to whom...' is a relative clause. 'It is to me that...'
It was to Mrs. Brent, the beetle-browed wife of Mr. Commissary Brent, to whom the General transferred his attentions now.—Thackeray.
It is to you whom I address a history which may perhaps fall into very different hands.—Scott.
'To you that', or 'you to whom'.
It is not taste that is plentiful, but courage that is rare.—Stevenson.
Again a common blunder; not, however, a confusion between the two constructions above, but between one of them (the relative) and a third. The sentence explains why every one seems to prefer Shakespeare to Ouida (they are afraid to say that they like Ouida best). 'What is the explanation of this?' 'It is not the plentifulness of taste, but the rarity of courage, that explains it.' Or, less clumsily, using the construction that Stevenson doubtless intended: 'It (the inference to be drawn) is not that taste is plentiful, but that courage is rare.'
Participle and Gerund
It is advisable to make a few remarks on the participle and gerund together before taking them separately. As the word gerund is variously used, we first define it. A gerund is the verbal noun identical in form with any participle, simple or compound, that contains the termination -ing. Thus the verb write has the participles writing, having written, going to write, being about to write, about to write, written, having been written, going to be written, about to be written, being about to