ENGLISH GRAMMAR. 1. OF THE NOUN. Q. What is your name? Q. What is the name of the town in which you live 1 Ans: The word noun means name. Q. What, then, may your name be called? 1. A NOUN. Q. What may all names be called? 2. Nouns. Q. Boston is the name of a place is Boston a noun ? and if so, why f 3. Boston is a noun, because it is a name. Q. Hudson is the name of a river is Hudson a noun, and why? Q. Book is the name of something to read in is book a noun, and why 1 Q. Will you now inform me what a noun is? 4. A noun is the name of any person, place, or thing Q. Will you mention two nouns the names of persons? two, the names at things? two, the names of different places? Q. Will you tell me which words are the nouns in the following sentences as I read them to you? "Thomas and Joseph are in the house." "The horse and cow are in the lot." "The hawk and the eagle have flown to the mountain.' "Trees, corn, potatoes and apples grow in the fields." Q. What is the meaning of the word umber; as, "The number of bat oas on your coat"? 5. Number means a sum that may be counted. Q. What does the word singular mean? 6. It means one. Q. When, then, I speak of one thing only, as chair, what number is it? 7. Singular number. Q. What, then, does the singular number of nouns denote ? 8. The singular number denotes but one thing. QOf what number is book, and why? 9. Book is of the singular number, because it means but one. Q. Of what number is chair, and why? 11. Lamps is of the plural number, because it means. more than one. Q. Of what number is inkstand, and why? Q. By adding s to dove, we have doves, and es to box, we have boxes How, then, is the plural number of nouns usually formed? 12. By adding s or es to the singular. Q. Will you spell the plural of ounce? glass? window? theatre? antecedent? church? labyrinth? Q. How many numbers do nouns appear to have, and what are they? 13. Two, the singular and plural Q. Will you name a noun of the singular number one of the plura number? III. GENDER. Q. What does the word gender mean? 14. Gender signifies sex. Q. What does the word masculine mean? 15. It means male. Q. John is the name of a male: of what gender or sex, then, is John 16. Of the masculine or male gender. Q. What nouns, then, are said to be of the masculine gender? 17. The names of males. Q. What gender, then, is man, and why? 18. Man is of the masculine gender, because it is the name of a male. Q. Of what gender is uncle, and why? father? why? Q. What does feminine mean? 19. It means female. Q. Susan is the name of a female of what gender, then, is Susan 1 20. Of the feminine gender. Q. What nouns, then, are said to be of the feminine gender? 21 The names of females Q. What gender is woman, and why? 22. Woman is of the feminue gender, because it is ne name of a female. Q. Of what gender is aunt, and why? daughter? why ? Q. What does the word neuter mean? 23. It means neither. Q. Chair is the name neither of a male nor a female what gender, then may it properly be called? 24. Neuter gender. Q. What nouns, then, may be said to be of the neuter gender 1 25. The names of objects that are neither males no! females. Q. Of what gender is inkstand, and why? 26. Neuter gender, because it is the name neithe. of a male nor female. Q. Of what gender is bench? why? chair? why? Q. Parent, you know, is the name either of father or motner, that is, it a name common to both of what gender, then, shall we call such nouns pa ent, bird, &c.? 27. Common gender. Q. What nouns, then, may be said to be of the common gender? 28. The names of such animals as may be either males or females. Q. Of what gender is sheep, and why? 29. Sheep is of the common gender, because it is the name either of a male or female. Q. Of what gender is robin, and why? Q. How many genders do nouns appear to have, and what are they? 30. Four-the masculine, the feminine, the neuter, and the common. Q. Will you name a noun of the masculine gender? one of the feminine? one of the neuter? one of the common? Q. Will you name the gender and number of each noun in the following sentences, as I read them to you? "Slate and pencil." "Women and birds. " IV. PROPER AND COMMON NOUNS. Q. What is the meaning of the word common; as, "A common comolaint"? 31. Common means general. Q. Although there are a vast many male children in the world, each one may be called by the general name of boy: what kind of a noun, then, would you call boy? 32. A common noun. Q. When, then, is a noun called common? 33. When it is a general name Q. What does the word proper mean? 34. It means fit or particular. Q. John, you know, is the particular name of a Doy what kind of a noun then, may it be called? 35. A proper noun. Q. When, then, may a noun be called proper ? 36. When it is a particular name. 2. What kind of a noun is Susan, and why? 37. Susan is a proper noun, because it is a perticu lar name. What kind of a noun is John, and why? 10 Q What kind of a noun is river, and why? 38. River is a common noun, because it is a gene ral name. Q. How many kinds of nouns do there appear to be, and what are they? Q. What kind of a noun is girls? Mary? town? New York? London Jout? chain? Q. Will you now tell me which words are the nouns in the following sen texces; which are proper, and which common; also their gender and number! "Thomas and John." "King and queen. "Susan and Mary." "House and barn." Q. When a person, in speaking, says, “I, John, will do it," what person grammarians call John? 39. The first person. Q. When, then, is a noun of the first person? 40. When it is the name of the person speaking. Q. When I say, "James, mind your studies," what call James? person do grammarians 41. The second person, being the person spoken to. Q. When, then, is a noun of the second person? 42. When it is the name of the person spoken to, or addressed. to. Q. "William, James has coine." What person is William, and why? 43. Of the second person, because William is spoken Q. When I say, "William, James has come," I am speaking to William about James of what person, then, is James, and why? 44. Of the third person, because James was spoken of; that is, I was talking about James. Q. When, then, is a noun of the third person? 45. When it is spoken of. Q. "Thomas, Rufus is in the garden." What person is Thomas? why I Is Rufus? why ? Q. How many persons do nouns appear to have, and what are they? 46. Three persons-the first, second, and third. Q. Will you inform me which of the following nouns are proper, which common; also their gender, number, and person? "I, James, of Boston." "Henry, study your book." "Boy and girl." "William and his sister.' VI. CASE. Q. We say of an animal, for instance a horse, when he is fat, that "He is in a good case"; and, when he is lean, that "He is in a bad case" what therefore, does the word case mean? 47. Case means condition, state, &c. Q. When I say, "Charles strikes William," "William strikes Charles, you may perceive that the state or condition of Charles in the former example is quite different from his state or condition in the latter: in the one, Charles strikes; in the other, he is struck: what, then, is meant by the different cases of nouns ? 48. The different condition or position they have in relation to other words in the same sentence. Q. What does the word nominative mean? 49. Nominative means naming. Q. When I say, "John strikes," he evidently does something: what, then, may John be called? 50. An actor or doer. Q. Well, then, as the actor or doer is considered the naming or leading noun, in what case is John, when I say, "John strikes" ? 51. In the nominative case. Q. What, then, is the nominative case of nouns ? 52. The nominative case is the agent or doer Q. When I say, "The dog runs," in what case is dog, and why? 53. Dog is in the nominative case, because it is the agent, actor, or doer. Q. "The cat catches mice." In what case is cat, and why? Q. When I say, "Thomas is pursuing the thief," what is the object here which Thomas is pursuing ? 54. Thief. Q. What does the word objective mean? 55. It means belonging to the object. Q. In what case, then, may thief be reckoned, in the phrase, Thomas Jursues the thief"? 56. In the objective case. Q. What, then, does the objective case denote? 57. The objective case denotes the object. Q. When I say, "William whips John," in what case is John, and why? 58. In the objective case, because John is the object. Q. What does the word possessive imply? 59. Possession, ownership, property, &c. Q. When I say, "It is John's slate," I mean to say that John owns the slate in what case, then, shall we reckon John's? 60. In the possessive case. Q. What, then, does the possessive case of nouns denote ? 61. The possessive case denotes possession, property, &c. Q. When I say, "Peter's knife," who owns or possesses the knife? 62. In the possessive case, because Peter possesses the knife. Q. In the example "John's slate," you perceive that John's ends in 8, with a comma before it: what is the comma, and what is the s, called in grammar ! 63. The comma is called an apostrophe, and the s, an apostrophic s. Q. You also perceive that John's is singular: how, then, do nouns in the singular number usually form their possessive case? |