LENNIE'S

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

ENGLISH Grammar is the art of speaking and writing the English language with propriety. It is divided into four parts ORTHOGRAPHY, ETYMOLOGY, SYNTAX, and PROSODY.

ORTHOGRAPHY.

ORTHOGRAPHY teaches the nature of Letters and Syllables; and the correct method of spelling words.

LETTERS are characters representing the sounds of the human voice, from which syllables and words are formed. The letters of the English alphabet are twenty-six in number, namely: A, a; B, b; C, c; D, d; E, e; F, G, g; H, h; I, i; J, j; K, k; L, 1; M, m; N, n; Q, o; P, p; Q, q; R, r; S, s; T, t; U, u; V, v; W, w; X, x; Y, y; Z, Z.

f;

Letters are divided into Vowels and Consonants. A vowel can be enunciated by itself, as a simple vocal sound. A consonant cannot be distinctly sounded without the aid of a vowel.

The VOWELS are a, e, i, o, u; and w and y when they do not commence a word or syllable.

The CONSONANTS are b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, x, z, which are sometimes divided into mutes and semi-vowels. The mutes are b, d, h, p, t, c, and g hard. The semi-vowels

B

are f, l, m, n, r, s, v, x, z. Some grammarians also distinguish them into labials, dentals, gutterals, and nasals.

A Diphthong is the union of two vowels; as, ou in out.

A proper diphthong is one in which both the vowels are sounded; as, oy in boy.

An improper diphthong is one in which only one of the two vowels is sounded; as, o in boat. A Triphthong is the union of three vowels; as, eau in beauty.

A SYLLABLE is a part of a word, or as much as can be sounded at once; as, far in far-ther. A Monosyllable is a word of one syllable; as, fox.

A Dissyllable is a word of two syllables; as, Pe-ter.

A Trisyllable is a word of three syllables; as, butter-fly.

A Polysyllable is a word of many syllables.

WORDS are the due combination of letters and syllables, and form distinct and articulate sounds for conveying our ideas to one another. All words are either primitive or derivative. A primitive word is one which is not derived from any other; while a derivative word is one which is derived from some radical source; as goodness, which is the derivative of the primitive good. SPELLING is the art of representing words by their letters or syllables.

In the correct spelling of words some general rules may be useful, especially for such derivations as cannot be found in school dictionaries.

1. When words which end with the silent e