DISTRICT OF NEW-JERSEY, SS.

[L. S.] BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-eighth day of February, in the fifty-first year of the Independence of the United States of America, Joseph Hervey Hull, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to wit:

"English Grammar, by Lectures; comprehending the Principles and Rules of Syntactical Parsing, on a new and highly improved system; intended as a Text Book for Students, contaming Exercises in Syntax, Rules for Parsing by Transposition, Critical Notes, and a Lecture on Rhetoric. By J. H. Hull.”

In conformity to an act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to the act, entitled, "An Act supplementary to the act entitled an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." WILLIAM PENNINGTON,

Clerk of the District of New-Jersey.

THE Author of these Lectures believes that, in presenting this volume to the public, he has introduced a new method of teaching English Grammar, as well as of parsing, which will meet the approbation of the candid and impartial grammarian. He would observe that he has taught the science of English Grammar, agreeably to this system, for eight years past, in some of the principal cities and towns in the United States, as well as in the British Provinces, with signal success. During this period he has received the approbation, to his system and method of instruction, of many of the first classical gentlemen, educated in different sections of this country, as well as in Europe. In order to receive the approbation of those so well qualified to judge, he has endeavoured to have his definitions and rules correspond with those which are received as grammatical truth in the highest seminaries of learning. He has not attempted this edition without having carefully perused the works of modern writers on this science, especially the "Essay on Language," and the "True English Grammar;" yet he must confess he can discover no specious reasons for calling things by different names, as long as their meaning and use are obviously the same. He still continues to make use of active, passive, and neuter verbs, as well as regular, irregular, and defective; and has introduced the usual number of moods and tenses. He believes the time has not yet arrived, when the publick will be willing to consider am, "a regular, active, transitive verb!" Neither does he believe the state of society sufficiently refined to admit into genteel, fashionable company such expressions as "I knowed him." "He seed me." "He beated me." "She goed with him," &c. The publick unquestionably know, that in some of the principal cities and towns in this country, Grammars are introduced into many respectable schools from which, if youth receive their grammatical education, they cannot be admitted into many of the Colleges, without studying the science anew. This certainly must be very discouraging to the student, as well as disagreeable to the parent or guardian. A Grammar, intended as a text Book for Students, and worthy of the patronage of an enlightened publick, must necessarily correspond with those principles and rules which are received as grammatical truth in our principal Colleges and Academies. "It is not the business of the grammarian," says an excellent modern writer on this science, "to give law to language, but to teach it agreeably to the best usage." As the fundamental principles and rules of the English language have, by common consent, long since been established, it is order and method that render one system superior to another.

It is believed that the systematic order for parsing the different parts of speech, and the rules for parsing by transposition, which have been introduced into this work, will prove a valuable acquisition to the learner. This order, and these rules, have been copied by some writers on English Grammar, and presented as original. But a reference to the date of the Author's copy-right, as recorded by PHILIP MOORE, "Clerk of the District of Maryland, twentieth of November, in the forty-sixth year of the Independence of the United States of America," will prove it to be plagiary.

From a perusal of these Lectures, it will appear obvious to every grammarian, that the principal object of the writer has been to teach the syntactical agreement and government of the English language. He has suppressed Orthography entirely, knowing that in every well regulated school every child is immediately taught the "nature and powers of letters, and the just method of spelling words," from the spelling-book. He has also endeavoured to suppress every rule and observation not absolutely necessary; and to compress the rules and definitions as much as the subject would admit. He concurs with the American Encyclopedia, that, strictly speaking, there are but two parts in Grammar, namely, Etymology and Syntax. Although these Lectures are not intended to prevent the pupil from perusing more voluminous works on this science, yet it is confidently believed by the Author, that they will be found to answer the purpose for which they are intended.

Pupils are requested to read the different Lectures in the order in which they occur, until they can answer all questions on each. This certainly will not be considered an unreasonable task by those who are anxious to become acquainted with the agreement and government of the English language.

If pupils will pursue this method, the Compiler is confident that these Lectures, though brief, will give them a good knowledge of the principles of the English language, and prove a complete selfinstructer to those who are entirely unacquainted with the science. The Author, during eight years' experience in teaching this science, has witnessed the great and decided advantage of considering it a distinct and separate study.

The difficulty attendant on teaching English Grammar in the ordinary mode, where the different branches are taught, is experienced and acknowledged by all who instruct. Why do we frequently see young ladies leaving school, distinguished for their progress, not only in the useful, but ornamental branches of education, who cannot tell an active from a passive verb; or the imperative, from the indicative mood? Much less can they take false language and make good English of it. Why are young gentlemen frequently distinguished for their progress in the dead languages, before they can speak or write their own with elegance or accuracy? I answer, Not for the want of ability on the part of their instructers, but because little can be done for the pupil where this science is taught in conjunction with other branches, among which it is ranked the most dry, difficult, and uninteresting. The Author of these Lectures has no hesitation in giving it as his opinion, that until schools or lectures are instituted to teach this science exclusively, where it can be presented under some pleasing and attractive form, and in such a manner as to arrest and secure the attention of the pupil, English Grammar will continue to be an uninteresting and much neglected study.

Boston, Oct. 1828.

INTRODUCTORY LECTURE,

ON

English Grammar.

GRAMMARIANS-Permit me to give you the introductory lecture on English Grammar. English Grammar is the art of speaking and writing the English Language correctly. Grammar may be divided into two sorts or species; namely, Universal, and Particular. Universal Grammar explains those principles which are common to every language. Particular Grammar applies those principles to a particular language, modifying them according to the genius of that language, and the established practice of the best speakers and writers by whom it is used. Grammar is divided into four parts, namely; Orthography, Etymology, Syntax and Prosody. Orthography, the first part of Grammar, teaches the nature and powers of letters, and the just method of spelling words. Etymology treats of the different sorts of words, with their various modifications and derivations. Syntax teaches the agreement and government of language. Prosody teaches the true pronunciation of words comprising accent, quantity, emphasis, pause and tone, and the laws of versification.

We omit Orthography, because we believe you are already acquainted with it. We embrace Etymology, the second part of Grammar. Permit me here to observe, that in the whole vocabulary or list of words, there are only ten parts of speech; namely, the article, noun, adjective, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection, and participle.

Every word we speak must be one of these ten.

In becoming Grammarians, there are three principal difficulties which present themselves to your view. The first is to distinguish the parts of speech. The second is to give the true cases of nouns and pronouns. The third is to give the moods and tenses, persons and numbers of verbs. This lecture is intended to obviate the first of these difficulties. I will proceed to define the ten parts of speech, and give you a rule for distinguishing each part. The article is first in order. An article is a word prefixed to a noun, to limit its signification, as a lady, the gentleman, an orange. The words,

a, an and the are articles. You may distinguish them by the list. I will give you the list; a, an and the. A noun is next in order. The part of speech which we call a noun, is the name of any person, place, or thing. You may readily distinguish this part of speech by its making sense of itself, as man, virtue; or, by its taking an article before it, as the lady, a gentleman. Is charity a noun? It is. It will make sense of itself; it will take an article before it. But would delightful be a noun by these rules? It would not. It will not make sense of itself, neither will it take an article before it. An Adjective is a word added to a noun, to express its quality; as, A beautiful lady, a delightful situation, an elegant prospect. The words beautiful, delightful, and elegant are adjectives. Permit me to observe, that any thing which you can say, expressing the quality of a noun is an adjective; as, A beautiful lady, an amiable lady, a well educated lady, an agreeable lady. All those words which immediately precede lady are adjectives. You may instantly distinguish this part of speech; it will make sense with the addition of the word thing; as, a good thing, a bad thing; or with any particular noun; as, a good man, etc. But would book be an adjective? Try it by the rule: Book thing. It would not.

A Pronoun is a word used for a noun; as, Harriet learns, because she studies. She is a pronoun, a word used in the place of Harriet. I saw a man. I is a pronoun, personifying the person speaking. You may distinguish the personal pronouns by the list. I will give you the list. I, thou, he, she, and it; with their plurals, we, ye, you, and they.

If

A Verb is a word that expresses action or being; as, Learn, walk, sleep, etc. It is a word used to express the different actions of all creatures and things, and no sentence is complete without it. From the definition of the verb, it would appear as if we could readily distinguish it; but this is not the case, learners forget to reason; I will therefore give you a rule for distinguishing the verb. you can prefix to, to a word, or any of the personal pronouns, it is a verb. Is learn a verb by these rules? Place to before it and see; to learn. It is. Place the personal pronouns before it. I learn, thou learnest, he learns, we learn, ye or you learn, they learn. Learn is a verb. But would gratitude be a verb by these rules? It would not.

An Adverb is a part of speech joined to verbs, participles, adjectives, and other adverbs, to limit or qualify their sense; as, the lady walks gracefully, the gentleman writes very correctly. Here the words gracefully, very, and correctly are adverbs. You may readily distinguish the adverb by its answering to the question, how, when, or where; as, how does the lady walk? The answer is gracefully; therefore gracefully is an adverb. How does the lady play on the instrument? Answer, inimitably fine; inimitably is an adverb. I would observe, that almost all words ending in ly, are adverbs; as, delightfully, preciously, exquisitely, etc.

The Preposition is a part of speech which is used to express the relation of different things to each other; and is generally placed before a noun or pronoun; as, he went from New-York to Phila