" It would be better sense, and more agreeable to the
idiom of our language, to say, "A large _sum_ was offered _to
Pitticus_;" "_They_ were promised _(to) her_;" "A _question_ was put
_to me_."
3. Some passive verbs are formed by using the participles of
compound active verbs. To _smile_, to _wonder_, to _dream_, are
intransitive verbs, for which reason they have no passive voice;
but, to _smile on_, to _wonder at_, to _dream of_, are compound
active-transitive verbs, and, therefore, admit of a passive voice;
as, "He _was smiled on_ by fortune; The accident is not _to be
wondered at_;"
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
"Than _are dreamed of_ in your philosophy."
RULE XXIII.
A verb in the infinitive mood may be governed by a verb, noun,
adjective, participle, or pronoun; as, "_Cease_ to do evil;" "We all
have our _talent_ to be improved;" "She is _eager_ to learn;" "They are
_preparing_ to go;" "Let _him_ do it."
ILLUSTRATION. The supposed principle of _government_ referred to in this
rule, may be thus illustrated. In the sentence, "Cease to do evil," the
peculiar manner in which _cease_ is introduced, _requires_ or _compels_
us to put the verb _do_ in the infinitive mood; and, according to the
genius of our language, we cannot express this act of doing, when thus
connected with _cease_, in any other mood, unless we change the
construction of the sentence.
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