4. A clause of reason introduced by for. When such a clause is independent, it gives the reason not for any action expressed in the sentence nor for the whole statement, but rather the author’s reason for using a particular word or phrase; as, “The bitterest opponent of the poet (for like every strong personality he has many enemies) is thus no less his debtor than his warmest admirer.”—Boyesen. Such a clause is not always enclosed in a parenthesis; it is just as often set off by commas or dashes.
5. An independent proposition, declarative.—Many of these independent elements are stereotyped; such as, I dare say, it seems, it is said, it is true. The following sentences contain familiar instances.
(a) “Mr. Swinburne, Heaven knows, has been imitated enough.”—Saintsbury. The independent element here makes the sentence emphatic, even makes it mean that Mr. Swinburne has been imitated too much.
(b) “To equip so small a book with a preface is, I am half afraid, to sin against proportion.”—Stevenson. The independent words are here apologetic, revealing to the reader the author’s misgiving that the preface is uncalled for, but not his full conviction.
(c) “I want my ‘asides,’ you see, to whisper loud to you who read my notes.”—Holmes. The independent words, a familiar personal remark to the reader, indicate the author’s appreciation of the fact that the reader understands fully as well as the author the purpose of the “asides.”
Sentences like the last three quoted could be re-arranged so that the independent element would become the principal proposition and the rest of the sentence a noun clause; thus, “Heaven knows that Mr. Swinburne has been imitated enough.” This transposition is unjust, for it makes a different sentence from what the author intended. Oftentimes sentences read as if the independent element were not in the author’s mind when he began to write, but occurred to him during the writing and so was put in loosely, parenthetically—for a purpose, to be sure, but not as part of the structure of the sentence. If we transpose such sentences, we give the independent element an undue importance, not intended for it by the author.
Exercise 39
Select the independent elements in the following sentences. Tell the function of each.
1.
Keen son of trade, with eager brow,