NOTE. This lesson is referred to on page 22, and should be studied in connection with the "Number of the Subject."

Number is that property of a noun or pronoun which distinguishes one object from more than one.

The noun or pronoun has two numbers, the singular and plural.

The singular number denotes but one object; as, horse, river, nation.

The plural denotes more than one object; as, horses, rivers, nations.

The plural of nouns is regularly formed,

(1.) By adding s when the singular ends with a sound that can unite with s; as, book, books; tree, trees;

(2.) By adding es when the singular ends with a sound that cannot unite with s; as, box, boxes. church, churches. Many nouns form their plurals more or less irregularly, Many nouns ending with y preceded by a consonant, or with f or fe, follow the general rule for the addition, but undergo a

change in their termination; as, duty, duties; fly, flies, knife knives.

When y is preceded by a vowel, the plural is formed regularly; as, day, days; play, plays.

The following nouns form the plural irregularly : -- - child, chil. dren; man, men; woman, women: brother, brothers or brethren; louse, lice; mouse, mice; die, dice, (dies, when it means a stamp ;; tooth, teeth; foot, fect; goose, geese; penny, pence or pennies.

Proper nouns, most abstract nouns, and nouns denoting substance, have no plural, as, Boston, Philadelphia, iron, gold, ice, patience, idleness.

Proper nouns, however, may take the plural form when two or more persons are classed together; as, "the Cæsars," "the Scipios."

When a title is prefixed to a proper name so as to form one complex noun, the name is generally varied to form the plural; as, "the Miss Browns."

Some nouns are used only in the plural; as, riches, scissors, shears, lungs.

Some are alike in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, swine.

Many nouns from foreign languages retain their original plu rals; as, datum, data; stratum, strata; axis, axes seraph, sera. phim; beau, beaux.

The plural of the pronouns is formed irregularly; as, I, we; thou, ye.

LESSON IV.

GENDER OF THE NOUN OR PRONOUN,

NOTE. This lessor is referred to on page 23

Gender is a distinction o nouns or pronouns in regard

tc sex.

There are three genders the masculine, feminine, and

neuler.

Nouns or pronouns which denote males are of the mas tuline gender; as, man, heroes, they.

Nouns or pronouns which denote females are of the feminine gender; as, girl, she; women, they.

Nouns or pronouns which denote objects without life, are of the neuter gender; as, tree, it; flowers, they.

Nouns which are equally applicable to a male or female, are sometimes said to be of the common gender; as, parent, teacher But such nouns must be either masculine or feminine, and the true gender may generally be determined by the connection.

By a figure of speech, (personification,) inanimate objects are spoken of as male or female. Thus, in speaking of a ship, we say, "She sails."

There are three methods of distinguishing the sexes; (1.) By using different words; as, man, woman; ram, ewe; king, queen ;

(2.) By a difference of termination; as, abbot, abbess ; actor, actress; poet, poetess;

(3.) By prefixes and suffixes; as, man-servant, maid servant; he-goat, she-goat; land-lord, land-lady.

Personal pronouns of the first and second person have no form to indicate gender.

Those of the third person have a distinct form for each gender; as, he, masculine; she, feminine; it. neuter,

LESSON V.

PERSON OF THE NOUN OR PRONOUN.

NOTE.

This lesson is to be studied in connection with the person of the subject.

Person is that property of a noun or pronoun which shows its relation to the seaker.

A noun or pronoun must represent either the speaker, the per son svoken to, or the person or thing spoken of.

There are three persons, the first, second, and third. The first person denotes the speaker; as, "I, John,

The second person denotes the person spoken o; as, Children, obey your parents."

The third person denotes the person or thing spoken of; as, "Thomas did not come; "The harvest is abun

dant."

Nouns in the first and second persons are never used as the subject or object of a verb, but may be in apposition with either. It is the appropriate office of the personal pronouns to denote person.

LESSON VI.

THE CASE OF THE NOUN OR PRONOUN.

NOTE. This lesson should be studied in connection with the case of the subject. See "Case of the Subject," page 25. Case denotes the relation of a noun or pronoun to other words.

There are three cases, the nominative, possessive, and objective.

The nominative case is the simplest form of the noun or pronoun, and is commonly used as the subject of a proposition; as, "George speaks; ""The door was shut."

Besides being the subject of a proposition, the nominative case nay be used, 1st, as the attribute of a proposition, (60;) 2d, i: may be used to identify the subject, (104;) 3d, it may be independent of any other word, (139;) 4th, it may be used with participle in an abridged propositin, (351.)

The possessive case de notes the relation of property or possession; as, "David's harp."

The possessive case of nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe () and the letters to the nominative; as, man's, men's.

When the plural ends in s, the apostrophe only is added; as, boys'.

The possessive case of the personal pronouns is formed irregularly; as, I, my or mine; THOU, thy or thine; HE, his; SHE, her or hers.

The possessives mine, thine, hers, ours, yours, and theirs, are used when the object possessed is understood. Hence they have the construction of the noun; as, “Mine is a pleasant task = "My task is pleasant;""I gave him yours

When a noun or pronoun follows a transitive verb or a preposition, it is in the objective case; as, "Thomas opened his knife; ""The bird sat on the tree."

The objective case of the noun is the same in form as the nominative; but the objective case of a personal pronoun, except it, is unlike the nominative; as, I, me; thou, thee; he, him ; she, her

DECLENSION OF NOUNS AND PRONOUNS.

The declension of a noun or pronoun is its variation to denote number and ease.