PART I. GRAMMAR. GRAMMAR is the art of speaking or writing any language with propriety. In the English Alphabet there are twenty-six letters; which are divided into vowels and conso nants. The Vowels are seven, namely, a, e, i, o, u, w, y, but w and y are consonants when they begin a word, or syllable. Consonants are divided into mutes and semi vowels. The Mutes cannot be sounded at all without a vowel, and they all begin their sound with a consonant; as b, d, g, k, p, q, t, &c. hard, which are expressed be, de, te, &c. The Semi-vowels have an imperfect sound of themselves, and all begin with a vowel; as l, m, n, r, f, s, &c. which are sounded ef, el, em, &c. B Four Four of the Semi-vowels, namely, l, m, n, r, are also called liquids, from their readily uniting with other consonants, and flowing as it were into their sounds. A Diphthong is the meeting of two vowels in the same syllable; as ea in season. A Tripthong is the meeting of three vowels in the same syllable; as eau in beauty. A Syllable is any letter, or number of letters which make a perfect sound. A Word of one Syllable is termed a Monosylla ble; a word of two syllables, a Dissyllable; a word of three syllables, a Trisyllable; and a word of four or more syllables, a Polysyllable. All Words are either primitive or derivative. Primitive Words are those which cannot be reduced to any simpler words in the language; as, man, good, content. Derivative Words are those which may be reduced to other words of greater simplicity; as manful, goodness, contentment. PARTS OF SPEECH. IN the English Language there are these ten parts of Speech; Article, Noun, Adjective, Pronoun, Verb, Verb, Participle, Adverb, Conjunction, Preposition, and Interjection. ARTICLES. AN ARTICLE is a word which is placed before common names, to point out, or limit their signification. There are two Articles a and the; a becomes an before a vowel, or a silent h; as, an acorn, an hour. But if the h be sounded, the a only is used; as, ɑ hand, a heart. A or an is called the indefinite article, because it points out a thing indeterminately; as "Give me a book;" that is, any book. The is called the definite article, because it determines what particular thing is meant; as, "Give me the book;" meaning some particular book. NOUNS OR SUBSTANTIVES. A NOUN or SUBSTANTIVE, is the name of any person, place, or thing; as John, London, Honor, Goodness. Substantives are either proper or common. A proper name, is the name of any individual; as Mary, London, Tweed, A Common Name, is the name of a whole kind; as, Man, Tree, &c. Nouns are of two Numbers, the Singular and the Plural. The Singular Number speaks but of one object; as, a boy, a book; or a number of them collectively, as, a troop, an army. The Plural Number speaks of more objects than one; as, boys, books. Some Nouns have no singular number, as, ashes, bellows, bowels, &c. Others have no plural; as, wheat, barley, learning, &c. Some are alike in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, &c. The Cases of Nouns signify their different terminations. In English, Nouns have but two Cases, the Nominative and the Genitive. The Nominative Case simply expresses the name of a thing, as, man. The Genitive is formed by adding s with an Apostrophe (') to the nominative; as, man's, and denotes property or possession; hence it is frequently called the Possessive Case. To Nouns ending in s, and sometimes to Singular Nouns ending in ss, the Apostrophe is added without the others; as, on Eagles' wings; for righteousness' sake. English Substantives are declined thus: Singular. Nominative, man. Genitive, man's. Plural. Nominative, men. Genitive, men's. 6 Singular Singular. Nominative, father. Genitive, father's. N. B. Two or more Nouns in the Genitive Case are frequently united by a single s and one Apostrophe joined to the last of them, and omitted, though understood, to the others; as, "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's posterity." But when any words come between them, the apostrophe and s must be joined to each noun; as, the king's and the queen's jewels were disposed of. Gender is the distinction of sex. There are three genders, the masculine, the feminine, and the neuter. The Masculine Gender denotes the male kind; as, a man, a horse. The Feminine Gender denotes the female kind; as, a woman, a princess. The Neuter Gender denotes things without life; as, a pen, a table. By a common figure in the English Language, the Sun, the Sky, Death, Time, &c. are masculine. On the other hand, the Moon, the Church, Ships, and frequently countries and virtues, as, France, Spain, Faith, Hope, &c. are of the feminine gender. N. B. Figuratively, in the English Language, we commonly give the masculine gender to noung which are conspicuous for the attributes of impartins or ? |