How to parse. ...

CHAPTER VII.

IRREGULARITIES.
gI9 REGULARITY means that which is like a ruled line,
for " regular " means " ruled." Irregularity, therefore, means that which is not like a ruled line.
Language is said to be regular when it follows
straight fixed rules.1
Irregularity of Idioms.
192 For example, it is regular to say, " I have a score
of sheep." Here " score" is a Noun, and therefore
is regularly followed by "of." On the other hand,
it is irregular to say, "I have a dozen marbles,"
leaving out " of."
Now bear in mind
Whenever language is irregular, there is some
cause for the irregularity.
1 For a Summary of the Rules of Syntax, see "RULES AND
DEFINITIONS," p. xxviii.