delphia. From and to are prepositions. You may readily distinguish this part of speech by the list. I will give you the list.

These are the principal prepositions, though they are not all in the list.

The Conjunction is a part of speech used to connect words and sentences; as Harriet and Charlotte study grammar, but they do not study rhetoric. In this sentence, and and but are conjunctions. And, connects Harriet and Charlotte: But, connects these two simple sentences, making a compound one. Permit me here to observe, that there are two kinds of conjunctions, namely, the copulative and disjunctive. You may readily distinguish conjunctions by the list. I will give you the list of conjunctions.

The Interjection is a part of speech which is used to express some sudden passion or emotion of the speaker; as, Oh! alas! etc. The words oh! and alas! are interjections. You may readily distinguish this part of speech by the list. I will give you the list.

These are some of the principal interjections, though they are not all in the list.

The Participle is the tenth, and last part of speech, and is derived from the verb; as, walking, writing, and introducing, are participles, derived from the verbs walk, write, and introduce. You may distinguish present participles by their ending in ing, and being derived from verbs; as, from the verb write, comes the participle writing.

In concluding this Lecture, allow me to observe, that, notwithstanding I have defined the ten parts of speech, and have given you

a rule by which you may in general distinguish each part, yet the same individual word may be even five parts of speech, depending on the manner in which it is used. Nouns may become verbs, and verbs nouns; adjectives may become nouns, and nouns adjectives; prepositions adverbs, and adverbs prepositions; conjunctions prepositions, and prepositions conjunctions, etc. For example, the word love may be a noun or a verb, depending on the manner in which it is used. If we say, "God is love," love is a noun; it makes sense of itself. But if we say, They love virtue, love is a verb, it expresses action. Providence rewards the good, and punishes the bad. In this sentence, good and bad, though adjectives, are used as nouns in the room of persons. A gold watch: here gold, though a noun, is used as an adjective, to express the quality of watch. "Now came still evening on." Here, on is an adverb, although it is in the list of prepositions. For, may be a conjunction or preposition, and will be found in the list of both. "For the Lord searcheth all hearts." Here, for is a conjunction, "For thee I gladly sacrificed whatever I loved before." Here, for is a preposition.

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With careful attention to this Lecture, you will be able to distinguish the parts of speech. The rules which you have received for distinguishing the parts of speech are general rules; there are exceptions to them, and after all that has been said, much will depend on the judgment of the student. As it is one of the first steps in acquiring a knowledge of grammar, to be able to distinguish the parts of speech, this Lecture must be repeated until you can answer every question upon it.

QUESTIONS

ON THE INTRODUCTORY LECTURE ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

What is English Grammar? How many sorts of grammar are there? Define universal grammar. Define particular grammar. Into how many parts is grammar divided? Name them. Define Orthography. Define Etymology. Define Syntax. Define Prosody. Why do we omit Orthography? How many parts of speech are there? Name them. What are the three principal difficulties which present themselves to your view in the acquisition of this science? The introductory Lecture is intended to obviate which of those difficulties? Define the article? How may we distinguish articles? Favour us with the list. Define a noun. Name some word which you think is a noun. How may you distinguish nouns? Would delightful be a noun by this rule? Define an adjective. Name some word that you think is an adjective. How may you distinguish adjectives? Would charity be an adjective by that rule? Define the pronouns. How may you distinguish the personal pronouns? Favour us with the list. Define a verb. Name any word that you think is a verb. Favour us, if you please, with the rules for distinguishing verbs. Is learn a verb by those rules? Try it and see. Would gratitude be a verb by those rules? Define the adverb. How may we distinguish this part of speech? Name any word that you think is an adverb. Most words ending in ly, are what? Name an adverb that does

not end in ly. Name one that does end in ly. Define a preposition. Name a sentence which contains a preposition. How may you distinguish the prepositions? Favour us with the list. Define a conjunction. Name a sentence which contains a conjunction. How may you distinguish this part of speech? Favour us with the list of copulative conjunctions. Favour us with the list of disjunctive conjunctions. Define an interjection. Name an interjection. How may we distinguish interjections? Favour us with the list. Define a participle. Name a present participle. From what is it derived? How may we distinguish present participles? Notwithstanding the rules which you have received, does the same word frequently become different parts of speech? What occasions this? So that much will finally depend on what?

C4440

LECTURE ON THE NOUN.

GRAMMARIANS-You have been taught in the Introductory Lecture what a noun is, and how to distinguish it. Permit me to give you the order of parsing a noun, which is, a noun and why, proper or common and why, gender, person, number, case and why. This order I will endeavour to explain to you in the most familiar manner. If you are called upon to parse a noun, you must say it is a noun, and tell why. You must say whether it is proper or common; you must give a gender, person, number and case to it. These are the qualities or properties of the noun. Therefore in parsing, never omit any of them. And first in order is a noun, and why. On this I need not descant. You already know what nouns are, and how to distinguish them; I shall therefore proceed to explain proper and common nouns. Proper nouns are names appropriated to individual persons, places, rivers, mountains, or lakes. Harriet is a proper noun, the name of an individual lady. Philadelphia is a proper noun, the name of an individual city. St. Lawrence is a proper noun, the name of an individual river. Mount Heckla is a proper noun, the name of an individual mountain. Lake Superior is a proper noun, the name of an individual lake. Any word becomes a proper noun when used as an individual name. Common nouns stand for kinds containing many sorts or species under them; as, lady, gentleman, field, house, etc. Thus, you perceive, you may readily distinguish proper from common nouns. New-York is a proper noun, the name appropriated to a particular city; but city is not a proper noun, because it is the name appropriated to all cities, and is common to all. Permit me here to observe, that there are nouns of multitude, or collective nouns; such as signify many in one; as, Army, Navy, Committee, Parliament, Congress, etc. There are likewise participial nouns, or nouns which partake of participles; as, by the believing of which, etc. In this sentence, believing is a participial noun. Gender is next in order, Gender is the distinction of nouns, with regard to sex,

Nouns are said to have three genders, namely, the masculine, feminine, and neuter, though strictly speaking they have but two, the masculine and feminine. The neuter being no gender at all. The masculine gender denotes objects of the male kind; as, Gentleman, boy, etc. The feminine gender denotes objects of the female kind; as, lady, girl, etc. The neuter gender does not express sex; as, a field, a house, etc. I would here observe that some nouns, naturally neuter, are by figure of speech called masculine, as when we speak of the sun, we say he; and so of death, we say he will soon come upon us. Some nouns naturally neuter, are by figure of speech, called feminine, as when we speak of a ship, we say she; and of virtue, we call it "Fairest and favourite maid." There are likewise some nouns of the common gender; as, the youth of this city, the parents of the young ladies. In these examples youth and parents embrace both sexes, therefore, we call them of the common gender. Person is next in order. Person is that property of the noun or pronoun which varies the verb. Allow me here to observe that nouns have only two persons, namely, the second and third. Nouns are all of the second person when spoken to; as, Gentlemen, your most obedient. Here we address the gentlemen, consequently the noun gentlemen must be in the second person: Harriet, I am happy to see you. We address Harriet, she must be in the second person. So that when ever we address a person or thing, that person or thing must be in the second person. Nouns are all of the third person when spoken of, as, the Gentlemen have arrived, the Ladies are present. Here we speak of the Gentlemen, and of the Ladies; consequently they must be in the third person. I will give you an example of a sentence in which there are two nouns, and one shall be in the second person, and the other in the third; as, "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?" Here King Agrippa is addressed, consequently in the second person. Prophets are spoken of, therefore in the third person. Nouns are never in the first person, except when put by apposition with the first person of the pronouns; as, I the teacher.

Number is next in order. Number is the consideration of an object, as one from many. Nouns have two numbers, namely, the singular and plural. The singular number expresses but one object, as, Lady, gentleman, etc. The plural number expresses more objects than one, as Ladies, gentlemen, etc. Thus you may readily distinguish the number of nouns. The plural number of nouns is generally formed by adding s to the singular; as, boy, boys, etc. But when singular nouns end in se, ch soft, sh, or s, we add es in the plural. Some nouns are always in the singular; as, pride, gold, silver. Some are always in the plural; as, scissors, lungs, riches. Some nouns are the same in both numbers; as, deer, sheep. It is agreeable to analogy, and the practice of the generality of correct writers, to consider the following nouns as plural:-Pains, riches, alms, mathematics, metaphysics, politics, ethics, optics, pneumatics, with other similar nouns of science. The word news is now almost universally considered as a singular noun.

Case is next in order. I would here beg leave to observe, that this Lecture is intended to obviate the second principal difficulty in becoming a grammarian. To give the case of a noun or pronoun

accurately in every situation, shows the correct and critical grammarian. It is the last thing to which we shall ever attain; but if you will attend carefully to the explanations which I am about to make, you will soon be able to give the cases of nouns and pronouns accurately in every situation. Case, then, is the different situation of a noun or pronoun in relation to other words in a sentence. And I would here beg leave to observe, that we never give case to any part of speech except nouns and pronouns. Nouns have three cases, namely, the nominative, possessive and objective. The nominative case denotes the agent or actor, and always does something; as Ladies walk; Harriet studies; Charlotte improves. Here Ladies, Harriet, and Charlotte are nouns in the nominative case to the verbs walk, studies and improves. If you suppose a noun to be in the nominative case, ask what is, does, or suffers? If it does any thing it must be in the nominative case. What do the ladies do? They walk, therefore the noun ladies must be in the nominative case to the verb walk. Thus you perceive you may readily distinguish the nominative case. In the examples which I have just given you, you perceive the verb is the next word; but this is not always the case. You will frequently read five or ten lines before you come to the verb; though you never pass a period. Passages of this description occur in almost every species of composition, and give learners considerable difficulty. I will give you an example of this kind. "This great Emperor, in the plenitude of his power, and in possession of all the honours which can flatter the heart of man, took the extraordinary resolution to resign his kingdom." Now if you wish to ascertain the case of the noun Emperor, ask this question-What did the Emperor do? If he did any thing, he must be in the nominative case. Read until you come to the verb. It may be the next word, or perhaps you may read a number of lines before you come to the verb. What did the Emperor do? He took; therefore Emperor must be in the nominative case, to the verb took. Allow me here to remark, that although the noun or pronoun generally goes before the verb, yet in poetry, and frequently in prose, the verb precedes the nominative case; as, "Is there a man can mark unmoved." Here the noun man is in the nominative case to the verb is, although it follows it. To ascertain with what the verb is agrees, ask yourself this question-Who or what is? You perceive it is the man; therefore man must be in the nominative case to the verb is.

The Possessive case denotes possession of property, and is known at sight. It has always an apostrophe, and generally the letters after it; as Harriet's book. Here the noun Harriet is in the possessive case, and governed by the next noun. Nouns or pronouns signifying possession, are governed by the nouns which they possess. When a plural noun in the possessive case ends in s, the apostrophe only is added, but no additional s; as Eagles' wings. When a singular noun ends in ss, the apostrophe only is added; as For goodness' sake. When a noun in the possessive case ends in ence, the apostrophe only is retained; as, For conscience' sake.

The objective case is next in order. The objective case expresses the object of an action, or of a relation. There are only three