REMARK 1.-The substantive verb, phrase, or proposition, is uniformly of the third person singular, and hence represented by the pronoun it. REMARK 2.-Instead of using the phrase or proposition, as the subject of a personal verb, it is often made the subject of the verb, and the phrase or proposition follows the verb, or some of its modifiers, as explanatory of it. EXAMPLE.S. It might be expected, that humanity itself would prevent them from breaking into the last retreat of the unfortunate. It would have been desirable, to have had his company. It has been strongly conjectured, that France murdered her King, the inoffensive and amiable Louis VI., because England once beheaded a King. It is strange, that even nations can not become imitators without copying that which is atrocious. It was a great boast among the plowmen, that they could plow a straight line across the furrows or ridges of the field. Let it be kept in constant remembrance, that to aim at keeping the law, is not keeping it. II. It is impossible to be happy, without holiness. It is thriftless management, to borrow of future time. It requires a steady hand, to carry a full cup. It is knowledge enough for some folks, to know how much mischief may be ventured upon with impunity. It is enough, to know that we are capacitated to meet the demands of the moral law. It must be exquisite pleasure, for a man of fine sensibilities, to stand for two whole hours, the gaze of the multitude. It is not a small part of education, to cultivate perseverance. They labor in vain, hoping to prove that it is right to choose between two evils. It is a sign of great modesty, to be willing to receive instruction. It is the care of a very great part of mankind, to conceal their indigence from the rest. It deserves our best skill, to inquire into those rules by which we may guide our judgment. § 78. CLASSIFICATION OF ADJECTIVES. SPECIFICATION.-Adjectives may be divided into five classes, according to the idea conveyed and their use: adjectives of quality or property, of origin, of state or condition, of direct allusion, and of number. DEFINITION 1.-Adjectives of quality or property, are those which express some characteristic, either essential or accidental. DEFINITION 2.-Adjectives of origin, are those which express the source from which, belonging to, &c. REMARK. This class includes all patrials and patronymics, as well as those denoting party or sect. American nation. Hudson river. French travelers. Biblical science. Chinese letters. Seneca lake. Presbyterian church. EXAMPLES. English commerce. Roman arrogance. DEFINITION 3.-Adjectives of state or condition, are such as denote all those conditions expressed by the verb. REMARK. The adjective character of the verb has been every where assumed in this work, as an incontrovertible fact. Hence every thing is made to surround the subject of a personal verb as the centre of discourse. It is not meant by this, that the adjective is a verb; but it is meant, that the verb is an adjective. When the verb has lost its character of expressing being or doing, it may still be an adjective or a noun, but not a verb. DEFINITION 4.-Adjectives of direct allusion, are those adjective words used to point out the precise object meant, the extent of the application, &c. They are as follows: (1.) DIRECTIVES-This, that, these, those, former, latter, which and what when used adjectively and not interrogatively, other, such, both, same, and the. (2.) OPTIONALS OR OPTATIVES-A or an, any, another, some, either (a distributive,) whichever, whichsoever, whatever, and whatsoever. (3.) EXTENSIVES-All, whole, every and each (distributives.) (4.) Denials—No, none, neither (distributive.) (5.) INTERROGATIVES-Which? what? whether? DEFINITION 5.-Adjectives of number, are those expressing the ideas and order of number. They are as follows: (1.) CARDINALS-One, two, three, four, &c. (2.) ORDINALS-First, second, third, fourth, &c. (3.) MULTIPLICATIVES-Single or alone, double or twofold, triple or threefold, quadruple or fourfold, &c. § 79. ADJECTIVES ARE VARIED BY COMPARISON. Defintion 1.-Comparison is expressing the quality in different degrees. SPECIFICATION.-There are three degrees of comparison, clearly distinguishable as such: the positive, comparative, and superlative. DEFINITION 2.-The positive degree is the simplest form of the adjective. DEFINITION 3.—The comparative degree is an increase or decrease of the positive. FORMATION. The comparative degree of monosyllables and dissyllables, ending in y or e silent, is formed according to the subsequent 3. When it ends in y, change y into i, and annex er. EXAMPLES. holy, holier; stormy, stormier; lovely, lovelier. EXERCISE. Write out each of the adjectives in the following list in the com DEFINITION 4.-The superlative degree is an increase or decrease of the positive to the highest or lowest degree. FORMATION. The superlative degree of monosyllables, and dissyllables ending in y or e silent, is formed by annexing st or est to the positive, in accordance with the rules for the formation of the comparative. Give the comparative and superlative degrees of each of the fol REMARK.—The relative degrees of increase may be expressed by the adverbs more and most, and the relative degrees of decrease by the adverbs less and least. Adjectives that admit of comparison, other than monosyllables and dissyllables, ending in y or e silent, are compared by means of the adverbs above named. EXAMPLES. famous, amiable, more or less famous, most or least famous; most or least amiable. EXERCISE. Compare the following adjectives by means of the adverbs: * |