IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.
FALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XI.
UNDER THE RULE ITSELF.—THE IDEA OF PLURALITY.
"The jury will be confined till it agrees on a verdict."—Brown's Inst., p. 145.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the pronoun it is of the singular number, and does not correctly represent its antecedent jury, which is a collective noun conveying rather the idea of plurality. But, according to Rule 11th, "When the antecedent is a collective noun conveying the idea of plurality, the pronoun must agree with it in the plural number." Therefore, it should be they; thus, "The jury will be confined till they agree on a verdict.">[
"And mankind directed its first cares towards the needful."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 114. "It is difficult to deceive a free people respecting its true interest."—Life of Charles XII, p. 67. "All the virtues of mankind are to be counted upon a few fingers, but his follies and vices are innumerable."—Swift. "Every sect saith, 'Give me liberty:' but give it him, and to his power, he will not yield it to any body else."—Oliver Cromwell. "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion."—Numbers, xxiii, 24. "For all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."—Gen., vi, 12. "There happened to the army a very strange accident, which put it in great consternation."—Goldsmith.