is understood. Thus, if I say " John is a tall man, but William is a taller," the hearer at once adds man to taller. 270. In other cases we do not seem to feel any need for adding the Noun. If I say "The rich do not know how the poor live," the sentence sounds complete; indeed, if we add the Noun we must leave out the the and say, "Rich people do not know how poor people live." In parsing it is best to call these words "Adjectives used as Nouns." 271. There are some Adjectives which are so far used as Nouns that it is perhaps well to call them simply Nouns. These are Adjectives which may have other Adjectives joined to them, and which may form Plurals and Possessives. Savage, Italian, and Christian are Adjectives in a savage country, an Italian city, a Christian act, but they may be treated simply as Nouns in a noble savage, the Italian's home. true Christians. Exercise 128. Pick out the Adjectives used as Nouns. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful. None but the brave deserve the fair. The good alone deserve to be happy. Thy songs were made for the pure and free. We should honor the wise and great. Mr. Scott was always kind to the old and feeble. The blind and the deaf should have our pity and our help. The strong should aid the weak. How are the mighty fallen! The wisdom of the prudent is to understand His way. The simple believeth every word. The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud. Toll for the brave, the brave that are no more. Read again par. 253. Exercise 129. Pick out the Adjectives. This apple is to be given to that little girl. Those oranges are riper than these lemons. Please bring me one piece of paper; any piece will At do. What time will you leave to-morrow? What picture do you like best? Other Romans will arise. The workman has found another place. Several birds were killed by eating some poisoned corn. sundry times and in divers manners. The truth of that story is certain. We have heard certain strange rumors. tain place. Many men have many minds. All men are mortal. The poet speaks thus in a cer There was no snow on the ground. Give the book to either sister but to neither brother. Each horseman drew his battle-blade, And furious every charger neighed. And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day, for food or play, Came to the mariner's hollo. Read again par. 50. ARTICLES. 272. The article a or an is called the Indefinite Article, since it does not point out any particular member of the class designated by its Noun; thus, "a man" means any man, not some particular man. The article the is called the Definite Article. It may precede either Singular or Plural Nouns. 273. An is used (1) Before a Vowel; as, "An acorn," "an umpire." A, the shortened form of an, is used 99.66 (1) Before a Consonant; as, A tree, a wood, a yelling crowd. (2) Before any word beginning with a u SOUND; as "A European country," "a university." Exercise 130. Put a or an before the following words: Apple. Nut. Orange. Pear. Union. European. Universal. Useful. Hand. Hour. Honest. Heir. Humble. Ax. House. Home. Univer sity. Umpire. Uniform. Umbrella. Yew. Hue. Cry. Hope. Unique. Unit. Unitarian. Unjust. Upas tree. Usurper. Utilitarian. Book. Ewer. Ewe. Eve. Invalid. Irishman. Ox. Ass. Donkey. Ear. Year. Oak. Yoke. Awl. Yawl. Yeast-cake. *274. The following special uses of an and a may be noted: (a) In such expressions as "Twenty cents a pound," "Allowing ten acres to a man, 99 a has the force of each or every. (b) The expressions many a, such a, what a, may be parsed as Adjectives; as in "Many a man keeps young as he advances in years." (See par. 268.) (c) A few and a little mean some; few without the a means not many, little without the a means not much. I got a few pears. There are few peaches this year. There was a little rain last night. We have had little rain this summer. Compare: *275. Either the or a may be placed before a verbal word to show that it is used as a Noun ; as, Of the making of many books there is no end,” “It is not the catching, but the curing of the fish, that takes the time," "We heard a laughing." 276. Both the Definite and the Indefinite Article are used to show that Nouns or Adjectives are to be taken separately. The proper repetition of the Article for this purpose it is very important to learn. Thus, "We saw a black and white horse" should not be said when we mean, "We saw a black and a white horse" (two horses). "I lost a grammar and composition book" (meaning one book); "I lost a grammar and a composition book " (two books). So with the Definite Article: "The secretary and treasurer" means one officer; "the secretary and the treasurer" means two. 66 NOTE. What is said here of the repeating of the Article applies also to other words, as Adjectives, Pronouns, and Prepositions; thus I should not say "I found my camp-chair and easei," I mean "I found my camp-chair and my easel" (two pieces of furniture). “I will fasten it with mucilage or paste," should be "I will fasten it with mucilage or with paste." 277. CAUTION.—The word the is not always an Article, but is sometimes an Adverb, limiting an Adjective or an Adverb; as in the sentences," The more time the better, "You will be the stronger for. having exercised," We walked the faster." (See pars. 412, and 416, 417.) 66 COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES. 278. If we were comparing three little girls, Emily, Alice, and Mary, we might say that Emily was young, Alice was young-er, and Mary was the young-est; or that Emily was fair, Alice was fair-er, and Mary was the fair-est; or Emily was short, Alice was short-er, and Mary was the short-est. 279. The three forms which Adjectives thus take when we are comparing are called the three Degrees of Comparison. 280. The simple form of the Adjective is called the Positive Degree. The Comparative Degree is used when we are speaking of two things. It is contrary to this to say "The bravest boy" or "The bravest regiment" when we are speaking of two boys or two regiments. 281. The Superlative Degree is used when we are speaking of three or more than three things. Exercise 131. Compare the following Adjectives :— a. Cold. Warm. High. Grand. Bold. Brief. b. Large. White. Nice. Blue. Wise. Hoarse. c. Holy. Merry. Busy. Giddy. Greedy. Lovely. Stately. Lonely. Deadly. Brawny. Silly. Sprightly. 282. An examination of the exercise just worked will show (1) That the Comparative Degree is formed by adding -er and the Superlative Degree by adding -est to the Positive. (2) That sometimes the spelling of the Adjective is changed: (a) When the Adjective ends in e, the e is dropped; as, fine, fin-er, fin-est. (b) When the Adjective ends in y after a consonant the y is changed into i; as, pretty, pretti-er, pretti-est. (c) When the Adjective ends in a single consonant after a single vowel the consonant is doubled; as, big, bigg-er, bigg-est. 283. The rule given for the comparison of Adjectives is true concerning words of one syllable and some words of two syllables. In other cases the idea of comparison is expressed by putting the Adverb more before the Adjective for the Comparative, and most for the Superlative. Thus we do not |