Note 9.—All is an adjective either singular or plural, denoting the whole, whether quantity or number, as, “All men are mortal.” “Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work.”
Note 10.—Much is an adjective of quantity, and of the singular number, as, “much fruit.” Many an adjective of number, and therefore plural, as, “many men.” This word, however, is sometimes construed with a noun singular, as,
“Many a poor man’s son would have lain still.”—Shakspeare.
Note 11.—More, as the comparative of much, is singular, denoting a greater quantity; as the comparative of many, it is plural, and signifies a greater number, as more fruit, or, “a greater quantity;” more men, “or a greater number.”
Note 12.—Enough is an adjective singular, and denotes quantity, as, “bread enough:” enow denotes number, as “books enow.”
Note 13.—The correlative word to the adjective such, is as, and not who. There is an impropriety in saying, with Mr. Addison, “Such, who are lovers of mankind,” instead of “Such as,” or, “Those who.”
Note 14.—The superlative degree is followed by of, and also the comparative, when selection is implied, as, “Hector was the bravest of the Trojans.” “Africanus was the greater of the (two) Scipios.” When opposition is signified, the comparative is followed by than, as, “Wisdom is better than wealth.”
Note 15.—There is an ambiguity in the adjective no, against which it is necessary to guard, and which Priestley seems to think that it is impossible to avoid in any language. Thus, if we say, “No laws are better than the English,” it may mean either, that the absence of all law is better than the English laws, or that no code of jurisprudence is superior to the English. If the latter be the meaning intended, the ambiguity is removed by saying, “There are no laws better than the English.” If the former is the sentiment to be expressed, we might say, “The absence of all law is preferable to the English system.”