EXERCISES TO BE WRITTEN.*

349. Will you write down two sentences, each containing a proper noun, as for example, "William learns grammar"? One, containing a common noun? One, containing a noun of the third person singular? One, of the third person plural, and in the nominative case? One, having a noun of the second person singular and of the feminine gender? One, having a noun the name of some article of food? One, having a noun the name of some quality? One, having a noun of multitude? One, having your own name associated with book; as, "John Griscom's book"?

XXIX. OF ARTICLES.

350. ARTICLES are words put before nouns, to point thers. out, or to limit their meaning.

351. There are two articles, a or an, and the.

352. A or AN is called the indefinite article.

353. THE is called the definite article.

354. The article a is called indefinite, because it means no particular-person or thing; as, "a house," "a man," that is, any house, any man. The article the is called definite, because it means some particular person or thing; as, "the house," "the man," meaning some particular house, some particular man. 355. A becomes an before a vowel, and before a silent h; as, 66 an acorn,' an hour." But if the h be sounded, the a only is used; as, 77 68 a hand," a heart:" except when the word before which the article is placed, has its accent on the second syllable; as, "an heroic action," "an historical account." 356. Before words beginning with a long, a is used instead of an; as, union," "a university," "a useful thing."

357. A is also used for an before the word one, because, in pronouncing one, we sound it as if written wun.

358. The article a or an means one; as,

one ounce, one pound.

an ounce,"
," "a pound," that is

Either on a slate or in a small manuscript book kept for the purpost

RULE II.

The indefinite article a or AN belongs to nouns of the singular number.

RULE III.

The definite article THE belongs to nouns of the singular or plural number.

359. Exception. When the adjectives few, great many, dozen, hundred, thousand, &c. come between the noun and article, the noun to which the indefinite article belongs, is plural; as, "a few men," 27.66 a great ma

ny men."

EXERCISES IN SYNTAX.

"The bird flies swiftly."

360. The is a DEFINITE ARTICLE, and belongs to bird, according to RULE III.

Bird is a COMMON NOUN, of the COMMON GENDER, the THIRD PERSON, SINGULAR NUMBER, and in the NOMINATIVE CASE to flies, by RULE VI.

Flies is an ACTIVE-INTRANSITIVE VERB, INDICATIVE MOOD, PRESENT TENSE-"1. I fly; 2. You fly; 3. He flies, or bird flies"-made in the THIRD PERSON, SINGULAR, and agrees with bird, by RULE VII.

Swiftly is an ADVERB, qualifying flies, by RULE IX.

EXERCISES IN SYNTAX CONTINUED.

"The boys have arrived seasona-
bly."
"Galileo invented the telescope."
"The boy had an ulcer."
"William gave an historical ac-

count (1.) of the transaction." "Columbus discovered the continent of America."

"Children attend the school."
"William founded a university."
"The grass is green.'
"Farmers carry hay into the
barn."

"The good scholar obeys his in-
structer."

SENTENCES TO BE PARSED AND CORRECTED.
"He had a ulcer."

361. Incorrect, because we use an before a vowel, except u long a should, therefore, be an; thus, "an ulcer."

SENTENCES TO BE WRITTEN.

362. Will you write down two sentences, using in one the definite, and in the other the indefinite article? One, containing a correctly used before u long? One, having a definite article correctly used before the consonant h?

Will you write two nouns, the names of different things in the school-room? Two, the names of different cities? One sentence, having a proper noun used as a common noun ?

XXX. OF ADJECTIVES.

363. AN ADJECTIVE is a word joined to a noun, to describe or define it; as, "An obedient son."

364. In English, an adjective is varied only to express the degrees of comparison. There are three degrees of comparison-the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. 365. The positive degree simply describes an object; as, “John is good.”.

366. The comparative degree increases or lessens the positive in meaning; as, "William is better than John." It implies a comparison between two.

367. The superlative degree increases or lessens the positive to the highest or lowest degree; as, "Thomas is the best;" "Walter is the worst,'

368 It implies a comparison between three or more.

369. The simple word, or positive, if a monosyllable, (1.) becomes the comparative by adding r or er, and the superlative by adding st or est, to the end of it; as, wise, wiser, wisest; great, greater, greatest.

370. In words of more than one syllable, the comparison is usually made by placing the adverbs more and most before the positive; as, benevolent, more benevolent, most benevolent.

371. The comparison is sometimes formed by the adverbs less and least ; as, wise, less wise, least wise.

372. Dissyllables (2.) ending in y, as, happy, lovely, and in le, after a mute, (3.) as, able, ample, or accented on the last syllable, as, discreet, polite, easily

XXX. What is the meaning of the word adjective? 95.

What is an adjective? 363. Give an example.

How many degrees of comparison are there? 364.

Will you name them?

What does the positive degree do? 365. Give an example.

What does the comparative degree do? 366. Give an example.

What does it imply? 366.

What does superlative mean? 103. What does the superlative degree do? 267. Give an example.

14.) A word of one syllable.

What does it imply? 368.

What is a monosyllable? 369.

How are monosyllables compared? 369. Give an example.

How are dissyllables compared? 372. What effect do less and least have o adjectives 371.

What is a dissyllable? 372.

Will you spell the comparative and au perlative degrees of able? lovely? ample? discreet? polite? 372.

Which are the mutes? 372.

How do words of more than two syllables almost invariably form their comparison? 372.

(2.) A word of two syllabise (3.) b, k, p, t, and e and a hard, are mutes.

adinit of er and est; as, happier, happiest; abler, ablest, &c. Words of more than two syllables hardly ever admit of these terminations.

373. In some words, the superlative is formed by adding the adverb most to the end of them; as, nethermost, uttermost, uppermost.

374. Some adjectives, having in themselves a superlative signification, do not admit of comparison; as, extreme, perfect, right, wrong, infinite, ceaseless, supreme, omnipoten eternal.

375. By adding ish to adjectives, we have a slight degree of comparison below the positive; as, black, blackish; salt, saltish."

376. Very expresses a degree of quality, but not the highest; as, “good,” ~ " very good."

377. Words used in counting and numbering are called numeral adjectives; as, one, two, three; first, second, third. These adjectives are not compared. 378. An adjective put without a noun, with the definite article before it, becomes a noun in sense and meaning, and may be considered as such in pars ing; as, Providence rewards the good, and punishes the bad.”

66

RULE IV.

Adjectives belong to the nouns which they describe.

EXERCISES IN SYNTAX:

"John is sincere.”

379. John is a PROPER NOUN, of the THIRD PERSON, SINGU LAR NUMBER, MASCULINE GENDER, and in the NOMINATIVE CASE to is, by RULE VI.

Is is a NEUTER VERB, in the INDICATIVE MOOD, PRESENT TENSE—“1. I am; 2. You are; 3. He or John is,”—made in the THIRD PERSON SINGULAR, and agrees with John, according to RULE VII.

Sincere is an ADJECTIVE,-" sincere, more sincere, most sincere,"-made in the POSITIVE DEGREE, and belongs to John, by RULE IV.

XXXI.

380. Double comparatives and superlatives, since they add nothing to the sense, should be avoided; as, worser, more wiser, &c.; also, lesser, supremest, most infinite, &c.

SENTENCES TO BE WRITTEN.

Q. Will you write down two sentences, each containing a different adjective in the positive degree? Two, with adjectives in the comparative degree? Two, with adjectives in the superlative degree?

"A man.

boy Merscholars."

Q. Will you supply such adjectives in the following sentences as will make sense? A boy studies his lesson." deserves punishment." "A man helps the chants own ships." "The instructer loves "William is a scholar, Rufus is a

one, but Thomas is the

XXXII. OF PRONOUNS.

381. A PRONOUN is a word used instead of a noun, to avoid a disagreeable repetition of the noun.

382. A PERSONAL PRONOUN is so called, because it invariably represents the same person. There are five personal pronouns-I, THOU OF YOU, HE, SHE, IT. They have person, number and case, like nouns; and those of the third person have gender also.

383. I is the first person, thou the second, he, she or it, the third. He is masculine, she is feminine, and it is neuter. 384. Pronouns, like nouns, have three cases-the nominative, the possessive and the objective; and two numbers— the singular and plural.

385. Mine and thine, instead of my and thy, were formerly used in the solemn style, before nouns and adjectives beginning with a vowel or silent h; as, "Blot out all mine iniquities."

XXXI. Is it correct to say, "A lesser evil?" Why not? 380.

Will you correct the following inaccuracies in comparison as I read them to you

"He is intelligenter."

"She is the most wisest." "A worser evil."

"William is a bad boy; Joseph is a worser one."

"He gave a more stronger proof of the fact than the other."

"The pleasures of the mind are more (1.) preferable than those of the body." "That table is round, but this is a rounder one, and that is the roundest of the three."

"This is more square."

"A more greater concern."

"The most fairest of all the daughters of Eve."

"His mother's extremest joy."

XXXII. What does the word prenoun signify? 120.

What is a pronoun ? 381.

Why is a personal pronoun so called? 382.

How many personal pronouns are there, and what are they? 382.

Why is this number said to include all the pronouns? 134.

Which is the first person? the second the third? 383.

To which of the pronouns do we apply gender? 383.

Why is not gender applied to the first and second persons? 136.

Which is masculine? 383. which feminine? 383. which reuter? 383.

How many cases have pronouns, and what are they? 384.

How many numbers? 384.

Will you decline I? thou? he? she? it? 127.

(1.) For more preferable than, read preferable to.