Three wise men of Gotham If the bowl had been stronger My story would have been longer. WORDS USED BOTH AS NOUNS AND AS VERBS. 27. Some words may be both Nouns and Verbs. To decide what one of these words is in any given case consider how it is used. (1) If it is the name of anything it is a Noun. (2) If it says something about or to any person or thing it is a Verb. Say whether each of the words printed in italics is a Noun or a Verb, and give the reason. There was some talk about the business. Some people talk too much. Dogs bite. The thief had a bad bite. The bark of some dogs is worse than their bite. Dogs bark. The girls had a pleasant ride. The girls ride well. The walk was very enjoyable. Old men walk slowly. The laundress irons the shirt. The sailor was put in irons. Mr. Smith has too many irons in the fire. Birds fly. A fly is on the window. Good boys like work. Good boys work hard. Names are nouns. Harry names the nouns. Cruel drivers whip horses. The driver has a new whip. Tom rose early. Tom plucked a rose. The teacher set the exercises. The pupil worked a set of exercises. Children honor their parents. Children give their parents honor. They scale high cliffs in search of eggs. Put the butter in the scale. That plan is drawn to scale. There is a sign above the door. Sign your names. Exercise 27. Put each of the following words into two sentences, using it as a Noun in the first sentence and as a Verb in the second. Harm. Wrong. Right. Salt. Blind. Steel. Steep. Fast. Hit. Pinch. Run. Love. Milk. Crowd. Shoe. Cover. Drink. Sleep. Guide. Call. Judge. Beat. Doubt. Dream. End. Report. Part. Leave. Stroke. Hate. Guard. Change. Stone. Act. Tread. Retreat. Look. Sup. Murder. Mark. Place. Plant. Hurt. Wish. Fear. Hope. Spy. Dance. Fire. Ruin. Sail. Paper. Butter. Prey. Wound. Manure. Blame. Pardon. Cheat. Watch. Knock. Silence. Smack. Pain. Welcome. Praise. SUBJECT AND PREDICATE. 28. A sentence is the statement of a thought in words. 29. The sentence "Mary writes" consists of two parts:— 1. The name of the person of whom we are speaking—Mary, and 2. What we say about Mary-writes. 30. Every sentence, however long, has two such parts. The part denoting the person or thing spoken about is called the Subject. What we say about the person or thing denoted by the Subject is called the Predicate. 31. As the Verb is the Part of Speech by means of which we can say something about a person or thing, it follows that there must always be a Verb in the Predicate. In many sentences the Predicate is a Verb alone; but usually there are other words in the Predicate besides the Verb. 32. When you wish to find the Subject of a sentence, always look first for the Verb; that will be the whole or a part of the Predicate. Then ask, "Who?" or "What?" before the Verb; the answer will be the Subject. Thus, John runs. Which is the Verb ?-Runs. The Predicate is runs. Who runs ?-John. Therefore the Subject is John. Fire burns. Which is the Verb ?-Burns. The Predicate is burns. What burus ?-Fire. Therefore the Subject is fire. Exercise 28. a. Pick out thus the Subjects and the Predicates of the sentences given in Exercise 10. b. Treat similarly the following sentences: Rain is falling. Rain has fallen. Stars are shining. Letters have been posted. Lions were killed. Cattle are grazing. Soldiers were watching. School is closed. Traps were set. Donkeys are braying. Exercise 29. Place Subjects before the following Predicates: Mew. Chatter. Grunt. Ran. Hum. Fly. Crow. Was writing. IIas been digging. Are bleating. Is falling. Is coming. Additional Predicates:-Exercise 12. Exercise 30. Pick out thus the Subjects and the Predicates of the sen tences given in Exercises 13, 14, 19, and 20: 33. A sentence that makes a statement or assertion is called a declarative sentence. The sentence "John is coming," makes a statement. 34. The sentence "Is John coming?" asks a question. It is called, therefore, a questioning or interrogative sentence. Notice the difference between the two sentences in each of the following pairs : Stating or Declarative Sentence. Questioning or Interrogative Sen a. Turn into interrogative sentences the declarative sentences given in Exercise 28, b, and the following: Baby woke. Uncle has come. School has begun. Monkeys climb. Cocks crow. Cats fight. Charlie grows. Fishes swim. Adders sting. Richard came. b. Turn the following interrogative sentences into declarative sentences: Is Harry sliding? Has aunt called? Did Mrs. Brown send? Will father wait? Is day breaking? Did snow fall? Do horses neigh? Do oxen low? Did Jane hear? Should scholars learn? 35. In order to find the Subject and the Predicate of an interrogative sentence, turn it into a declarative sentence; thus: Question.-Is Fred expected? Verb-is expected. Who is expected ?—Fred. Subject-Fred. Exercise 32. Pick out the Subjects and the Predicates of the sentences in Exercise 31, b, and the following: Are you attending? Did you hear? Was he sleeping? Is she pleased? Had night begun? Has spring come? Is mother returning? Was Susan knitting? Will Mr. Robinson sing? Has Frank started ? 66 36. In telling or asking a person to do a thing, we do not often mention his name; we say, for instance, Come," or We mean, "You come," "Do you come," "Do come. but the you is left out, or understood. Sometimes in poetry and in old English the understood word is thou, or ye. 37. A sentence expressing a command or a request is called an imperative' sentence. We state the Subject and the Predicate of an imperative sentence thus :— Predicate. Sentence. Come. Subject. You is put in brackets to show that it is understood. Exercise 33. come. State the Subjects and the Predicates of the following imperative sentences: Go. Listen. Attend. Obey me. Run quickly. Stop. Halt at once. Remember this. Be ready. Do help. Do come. Come ye to the waters. Do thou likewise. Come all. Come thou Fount of every blessing. Exercise 34. Write out the Subjects and the Predicates of the sentences found in Exercises 23, 25, and 26. From the Latin imperare (p.p. imperatus), to command. |