b. Give the names of 1. Ten things which are used in school. 2. Ten things which are used at home. 3. Ten flowers. 4. Ten vegetables. 5. Ten articles of dress. 6. Ten things which are sold by a grocer. 2. In Grammar all words used as names are called Nouns. 3. Snow is white or has the quality of whiteness; a stone has the quality of hardness; a just man shows the quality of justice, and an honest man shows the quality of honesty. Whiteness, hardness, honesty are the names of certain qualities, and are therefore Nouns. Exercise 7. a. In the following sentences pick out all names of quali ties. The brightness of the sun dazzles the eyes. The fire gives out warmth. The smoothness of the ice made the child slip. Honesty and justice are virtues; dishonesty and injustice are vices. The rose is admired for its beauty and sweetness. The driver was punished for his cruelty. Solomon chose wisdom. His kindness made friends for him everywhere. That knife cuts with the keenness of a razor. Will you have the goodness to help me? His friendship must be kept. You can trust to their honor. The tiger is noted for courage, strength, and ferocity. b. Give the names of ten qualities not named in the sentences just given. 4. Walking, riding, and shooting are the names of actions. Seizure, capture, nod, wink, burglary, and motion are also names of actions. Exercise 8. a. In the following sentences pick out all names of actions. Tom is fond of walking. That man teaches writing. Running is healthful. Next summer we shall learn swimming. My brother will 1 The word Noun comes from the Latin nomen, a name, through the old French noun or non (modern French nom). teach me rowing. Sailing is not always safe. Reading is interesting. She likes dancing. Forgetting is easier than learning. Hearing and obeying are different. We took a brisk walk. I am sorry for the loss of the knife. He was found guilty of murder. You have done me a great service. His accusation caused her much uneasiness. b. Give ten other names of actions. 5. We have now seen that Nouns may be 1. The names of particular persons or places. 2. The names of kinds of persons, places, or things. 3. The names of qualities. 4. The names of actions. Learn' 6. A Noun is a word used as the name of something. NOTE. It is the name of the thing (or person, place, quality, or action) and not the thing itself that is a Noun. Thus a desk is not a Noun, but the word desk is. Exercise 9. Pick out all the Nouns in the following sentences. a. Little Tom Tucker Sings for his supper. What shall he have to eat? White bread and butter. The lion and the unicorn Were fighting for the crown. The dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink ; Then all through merry Islington These gambols he did play, Until he came unto the Wash Of Edmonton so gay; And there he threw the Wash about On both sides of the way. Just like unto a trundling mop, Or a wild goose at play. 1 See "Notes for Teachers," p. 23, Note 22. There was a little man, And he had a little gun, And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead; And he saw a little duck, And he shot it right through the head, head, head. b. The singing of the bird is sweet. The grief of the parents at the loss of their children was without bounds. Painting can be mastered only by long study. Art is long, but life is short. Pride goeth before destruction. He always told the truth. A little weeping would ease my heart. The quality of mercy is not strained. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. Silence is golden. His speech at the dinner was a great success. The thickness of this ink makes writing very difficult. The fellow supposed his theft was too clever for detection. There was a sound of revelry by night, And Belgium's capital had gathered then John Gilpin was a citizen Of credit and renown. VERBS. Exercise 10. In the following sentences pick out first the Noun and then the word that tells what the person or thing named1 does. Jack stops. Horses neigh. Sheep bleat. scratches. Mice nibble. Birds fly. Fishes swim. Exercise 11. After each of the following Nouns place a word that tells what the person or thing named does. Baby. Lightning. Flowers. William. Swallows. Soldiers. Lions. Percy. Bees. Rivers. Gas. Clerks. Singers. Asses. The sun. 1 See "Notes for Teachers," p. 319, Note 1. 2 The word the is no part of the Noun. The wind. The eagle. The ship. The master. The scholars. The bell. The dog. The moon. The child. The cat. The mouse. The baker. The tailor. The thief. The carpenter. The mower. The sower. The plowman. The parrot. Exercise 12. The following words may be used to say what persons or things do; place a Noun before each. Blows. Howls. Walks. Plays. Fell. Low. Whistled. Shrieked. Sings. Sing. Sang. Sleeps. Slept. Rang. Flow. Fight. Sail. Grows. Bark. Barks. Cried. Bloom. Runs. Mews. Laughed. Soar. Swim. Shines. Dawns. Sew. Scratch. Boils. Gallops. Flashed. Cackle. Came. Roar. 7. Some words that tell what persons or things do may make complete sense when joined to Nouns, as, "The fire burns;"The wind roars." (See Exercise 10.) Other words that tell of doing do not make complete sense when joined to Nouns. Thus, if some one says, "Arthur loves,' "Walter threw," we ask, "Loves whom?" Threw what?" Exercise 13. a. In the following sentences pick out the words that tell of doing. Arthur loves his sister. Walter threw a stone. Tom broke a window. The servant sweeps the room. Masons build walls. The girl milks the COW. The dog bit the beggar. Artists paint pictures. A poet writes poems. The smith hammered the iron. Horses draw carts. Cows eat grass. Cats catch mice. The sexton tolled the bell. The horse kicked the groom. The grocer sells sugar. The baby heard the parrot. The hounds caught the fox. The bird forsook the nest. The gardener watered the flowers. Miss Wilson sang a ballad. Children love flowers. The clerk wrote letters. b. Fill in each blank in the following incomplete sentences with a word that tells of doing. hay. The dog the ball. The boy . . . the lesson. Masters 1 The Noun may have the before it. 8. A Verb' is a word used to tell something to or about a person or thing. In the sen 9. Some Verbs do not tell of doing or acting. tences "Be quiet," ," "Grass is green," be and is do not express doing; but they are Verbs, for they are used to tell something to or about a person or thing. 10. The different forms belonging to a Verb are called its "parts." These are some parts of the Verb be:-is, are, was, were, been. Thus we say, The soldiers are ready, The children were absent. 11. In Exercise 13 examples were given of Verbs that did not make complete sense when joined to Nouns. The parts of the Verb be rarely make complete sense when so joined. If I say "The boy is," "Jennie was," "The strangers are," you naturally ask, "Is, was, are, what? The sense is complete if I say, "The boy is happy," "Jennie was afraid," "The strangers are sailors." NOTE. When, however, the Verb be is used with the meaning exist it makes complete sense after a Noun. Thus when we hear the words "God is" (meaning "God exists or has being "), we do not expect any word to be added to finish the sentence. Exercise 14. a. In the following sentences pick out the parts of the Verb be. George is a blacksmith. The prisoners are guilty. soldier. Those birds were starlings. Grass is green. The man was a Homer was a poet. 1 Verb from the Latin verbum, a word. The Verb gets its name from being the most important word-the word-in a sentence. See Note 2, p. 319. |