OBS. 25.—In multiplying one only, it is evidently best to use a singular verb: as, "Twice naught is naught;"—"Three times one is three." And, in multiplying any number above one, I judge a plural verb to be necessary: as, "Twice two are four;"—"Three times two are six;" because this number must be just so many in order to give the product. Dr. Bullions says, "We should say, 'Three times two is six,' because the meaning is, 'Two taken three times is six.'" This is neither reasoning, nor explanation, nor good grammar. The relation between "two" and "three," or the syntax of the word "times," or the propriety of the singular verb, is no more apparent in the latter expression than in the former. It would be better logic to affirm, "We should say, 'Three times two are six;' because the meaning is, 'Two (units), taken for, to, or till three times, are six.'" The preposition till, or until, is sometimes found in use before an expression of times numbered; as, "How oft shall I forgive? till seven times? I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven."—Matt., xviii, 21. But here is still a difficulty with repect to the multiplying term, or the word "times." For, unless, by an unallowable ellipsis, "seventy times seven," is presumed to mean, "seventy times of seven," the preposition Until must govern, not this noun "times." expressed, but an other, understood after "seven;" and the meaning must be, "Thou shalt forgive him until seventy-times seven times;" or—"until seven times taken for, to, or till, seventy times."
OBS. 26.—With too little regard to consistency. Dr. Bullions suggests that when "we make 'times' the subject of the verb," it is not "really" such, but "is in the objective of number." He is, doubtless, right in preferring to parse this word as an objective case, rather than as a nominative, in the construction to which he alludes; but to call it an "objective of number," is an uncouth error, a very strange mistake for so great a grammarian to utter: there being in grammar no such thing as "the objective of number:" nothing of the sort, even under his own "Special Rule," to which he refers us for it! And, if such a thing there were, so that a number could be "put in the objective case without a governing word," (see his §828,) the plural word times, since it denotes no particular aggregate of units, could never be an example of it. It is true that times, like days, weeks, and other nouns of time, may be, and often is, in the objective case without a governing word expressed; and, in such instances, it may be called the objective of repetition, or of time repeated. But the construction of the word appears to be such as is common to many nouns of time, of value, or of measure; which, in their relation to other words, seem to resemble adverbs, but which are usually said to be governed by prepositions understood: as, "Three days later;" i.e., "Later by three days."—"Three shillings cheaper;" i.e., "Cheaper by three shillings."—"Seven times hotter;" i.e., "Hotter by seven times."—"Four feet high;" i.e., "High to four feet."—"Ten years old;" i.e., "Old to ten years."—"Five times ten;" i.e., "Ten by five times;" or, perhaps, "Ten taken till five times."
NOTE TO RULE XV.
A collective noun conveying the idea of unity, requires a verb in the third person, singular; and generally admits also the regular plural construction: as, "His army was defeated."—"His armies were defeated."
IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.
FALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XV.
UNDER THE RULE ITSELF.—THE IDEA OF PLURALITY.
"The gentry is punctilious in their etiquette."
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the verb is is of the singular number, and does not correctly agree with its nominative gentry, which is a collective noun conveying rather the idea of plurality. But, according to Rule 15th, "When the nominative is a collective noun conveying the idea of plurality, the verb must agree with it in the plural number." Therefore, is should be are; thus, "The gentry are punctilious in their etiquette.">[
"In France the peasantry goes barefoot, and the middle sort makes use of wooden shoes."—HARVEY: Priestley's Gram., p. 188. "The people rejoices in that which should cause sorrow."—See Murray's Exercises, p. 49. "My people is foolish, they have not known me."—Jer., iv, 22; Lowth's Gram., p. 75. "For the people speaks, but does not write."—Philological Museum, i, 646. "So that all the people that was in the camp, trembled."—Exodus, xix, 16. "No company likes to confess that they are ignorant."—Student's Manual, p. 217. "Far the greater part of their captives was anciently sacrificed."—Robertson's America, i, 339. "Above one half of them was cut off before the return of spring."—Ib., ii, 419. "The other class, termed Figures of Thought, supposes the words to be used in their proper and literal meaning."—Blair's Rhet., p. 133; Murray's Gram., 337. "A multitude of words in their dialect approaches to the Teutonic form, and therefore afford excellent assistance."—Dr. Murray's Hist of Lang., i, 148. "A great majority of our authors is defective in manner."—James Brown's Crit. "The greater part of these new-coined words has been rejected."—Tooke's Diversions, ii, 445. "The greater part of the words it contains is subject to certain modifications and inflections."—The Friend, ii, 123. "While all our youth prefers her to the rest."—Waller's Poems, p. 17. "Mankind is appointed to live in a future state."—Butler's Analogy, p. 57. "The greater part of human kind speaks and acts wholly by imitation."—Wright's Gram., p. 169. "The greatest part of human gratifications approaches so nearly to vice."—Ibid.