ments of which it is composed. Even young pupils will perform such exercises with surprising interest and facility, and will unconsciously gain, in a little time, more knowledge of the structure of Language, than he can acquire by a drilling of several years in the usual routine of parsing. In Part II. the parts of speech are again taken up in the same order, and their variations and forms are explained, and exercises in PARSING are introduced, in addition to those in Analysis and Composition, which were commenced in Part I. A few Rules of construction are employed in this Part, to guide in the ex ercise of parsing. Part III. is devoted to Syntax and Composition; in this part, the rules and principles of construction established by usage, are illustrated by examples drawn from the best authorities, and arranged in exercises under the rules, respectively, for analyzing and parsing; and to these are subjoined other exercises for Composition, having reference to the same principles of construction. Special attention is given in this part to the use of connectives, and to the explanation of difficult phrases and combinations. The Exercises in Composition throughout the wook bring into immediate practice each principle explained; and besides their practical advantage, they are a useful means of mental discipline. From the plan thus briefly explained, it will be perceived that the main design of this work is to exhibit a method of instruction which may relieve the monotony and mechanical drudgery usually attending the study of Grammar, not by innovations and novelties, but by a simple and natural course of exercises, which, if properly attended to, will not only ensure thorough progress in the knowledge of the subject, but will teach the method by which language may be studied with the greatest pleasure and advantage, and by which it can be employed with the most strength and propriety. The space allotted for this preface does not admit of a particular enumeration of the works consulted and referred to. It may be sufficient to say that the work has been a long time in contemplation, and that the best authorities from Horne Tooke, Murray, Crombie, &c., down to the present time, have been consulted. The acknowledgments of the author are due to Rev. Solomon Adams, of Boston, for many valuable hints and criticisms during the progress of the present edition through the press. A. H. W. FAMILIAR INSTRUCTION FOR YOUNG BEGINNERS. THE following introductory pages are prefixed to the work, mainly for the purpose of suggesting to the teacher a familiar and intelligible method of explaining to the learner the formation of words and sentences; the terms employed in Grammar; and the classi fication of words into what is called the Parts of Speech. Each lesson presents a subject for a familiar lecture, with a few illustrations which can be varied or extended at the discretion of the teacher. LESSON I. (Letters.) NOTE.-Let the class stand at the Blackboard, or be furnished with slates while practising these lessons; or the teacher can do the writing on the Board for the class. Write the marks or letters a, e, i, o, u. Sound or utter each separately.* Write the letters b, c, d, f, g, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v. Endeavor to sound each by itself, not using a, e, or u before or after them. Try to sound b and d in the word bird, c in the word cat, f in faith, g in go, k in kind, s in sail, jin judge, t in toil. Sound a in the words bate, bat, bar, ball. Sound e in mete, met. Sound i in pine, pin. Sound o in note, not, move. Sound u in tube, tub, full. What is the difference between the letters a, e, i, o, u, and the letters b, c, d, f, g, and h? Ans. The letters a, e, i, o, u, can be sounded easily alone, and are called vocals or vowels. The other letters are with difficulty sounded without the aid of the vowels, and are called consonants. LESSON II. (Words.) Put the letters b, d, r, i, together in such a way that they will call to mind something which you have seen. In like manner place the letters h, s,r, e, o ; d, g,o; w, i, d,n; r, n, i, a. *Let the class practise, simultaneously, on the different sounds of these letters, with a full and distinct utterance. When letters are put together so as to mean something, they form words Before letters were invented certain pictures or signs were used in writing instead of words. REMARK.-The whole number of words, consisting of about 40,000, is divided into eight different classes or sorts. LESSON III. (Classification of words.) Nouns, PRONOUNS. One class of words consists of the names of things which we can see or think of. Write the names of the objects which you can see or think of. Does every object have a name? Ans. A large number of objects of the same kind have a common name. There is a great number of horses, and but one common name for all, viz: horse. The name "tree" is given to a great number of objects. Do any objects have a particular name which is applicable to no other object? Ans. Some objects are so important that we wish to speak of them separately, and for convenience, we give them a particular name; as, Washington, Boston, Amazon, James, Charles, &c. Will you give particular names to some mountains? cities persons? rivers? towns ? Do trees, birds, fish, stones, have particular names? Why not? Words which denote the names of objects and things are called NOUNS. 1 Write the words 1, thou, he, she, it, we, you, they, him, he, them, who, which. Are these words names of things? Ans. They are not names or nouns, but they stand in place of nouns and are called pronouns. EXAMPLE. I heard from my brother yesterday; he was well. The word he is used to avoid repeating brother. LESSON IV. (Classification of words.) VERBS. Write the words sings, runs, neighs. Do these words denote the names of objects? What do they denote? Ans. What runs? What neighs? They denote what something does. What sings? What is the difference between the words for and runs? horse and neighs? dog and barks? sun and shines? wind and blows? Words which denote what any thing does, has done, or will do, are called VERBS. REMARK.-The two classes of words explained, viz: the noun and the verb, comprise a large part of all the words in the English language. LESSON V. (Classification of words.) ADJECTIVES. Write the words good, great, wise, prudent. Are these words nouns ? Why not? Write each before the noun man. What do these words denote, when used before man? Ans. They denote what kind of a man, or the quality of a man. Write words which will show what kind of a house you live in- what kind of a book you hold in your hand what kind of a day it is. These words which denote what kind or quality, are called AD JECTIVES. NOTE. The words an or a and the are generally called articles, but as they resemble in their office the words one, this, that. &c., they are sometimes classed with adjectives which limit or restrict the meaning of nouns, and are called Definitive adjectives. What is the difference between the words horse and gray? Ans. The word horse is the name of an animal, the word gray denotes the kind, or quality of something. What is the difference between the words light and pleasant? boy and good? tree and high? house and large? Apply three adjectives to man; three to child; three to day; three to night; four to horse. The adjective is a part of speech next in importance to the noun and verb. It comprises a large number of words which are used to express the qualities or to limit the meaning of nouns or pronouns. LESSON VI. (Classification of words.) ADVERBS. Write the words pleasantly, sweetly, cheerfully. Can these words be joined to a noun ? In the expression, the sun shines, to which word can pleasantly be joined to make sense? What kind of a word is shines? "The bird sings sweetly." "The night was very dark." What kind of a word is dark? Which word shows how the bird sings? Which word shows how dark the night was? "He came yesterday." Which word denotes the time? With which word is yesterday connected? Words which denote manner, time, quantity, &c., are called AD VERBS. There are three other classes of words, termed PREPOSITIONS, see § 105; CONJUNCTIONS, see § 107; INTERJECTIONS, see § 41; which comprise but few words compared with the classes which have been explained above. SUMMARY. What is the number of words estimated to be in the English language? Into what sorts or classes are these words divided, as explained in preceding lessons. Name the Parts of Speech. Ans. THE NOUN, the pronoun, THE ADJECTIVE, THE VERB, THE ADVERB, THE PREPOSITION, THE CONJUNCTION, and THE INTERJECTION. LESSON VII. (The sentence.) Write on the board or slate, in separate columns, the following nouns and verbs. Place the nouns and the verbs together in such a way that they will make sense. How many things can be said with the six words above? Words put together in such a manner as to express an idea, form a SENTENCE; as, The wind blows, the stars shine. Write sentences, using the following words. Water, ice, trees, sun, horse, grow, melts, freezes, shines, dogs, children, bark, play, walk, men, boys, ride, rolls, ball. What parts of speech have you used in each sentence? NOTE.-Every sentence contains at least one verb, and one noun, or something standing for a noun. Write six sentences using such nouns and verbs as you can recollect. LESSON VIII. (Modifications.) Join some adjectives to each of the nouns in the following sentences to denote some quality; as, The oak falls-join an adjective to the noun oak, and the sentence will read, "the sturdy oak falls." Join an adverb to each of the verbs in the sentences above; as, The youth learns readily; readily is an adverb joined to the verb learns. Point out the adjectives, nouns, verbs and adverbs in the following senten ces. Pine trees grow rapidly. The gentle wind blows softly. The angry waves dash violently. |