A Simple sentence has in it but one subject, and one finite verb ;* as, Life is short.

A Compound sentence contains two or more simple sentences, connected together by one or more connective words; as, Life is short, and art is long. Idleness produces want, and vice, and misery.

A Phrase is two or more words rightly put together, making sometimes part of a sentence, and sometimes a whole sentence.

The principal parts of a simple sentence are the subject, the attribute, and the object

The subject is the thing chiefly spoken of; the attribute is the thing or action affirmed or denied of it; and the object is the thing affected by such action. A wise man governs his passions. Here man is the subject; governs, the attribute; and passions, the object.

The nominative denotes the subject, and usually goes before the verb or attribute; and the word or phrase, denoting the object, generally follows the verb.

DIRECTIONS FOR PARSING.

Having attentively perused the preceding brief outline, the learner is here presented with a few Specimens of Parsing. They will serve to direct the student's researches in preparing his lesson, and to exemplify the method of instruction proposed to be pursued in this work. The instructer should be careful himself to parse and illustrate the first example in each successive lesson, before he calls upon his pupils to exercise either their judgment or their memory. He should preface each task with an easy, familiar lecture, like the following, with reference to the first lesson.

This lesson contains articles and nouns only, two of the nine parts of speech. -Now a noun is the name of any thing, and an article is a word placed be fore that noun or name to limit its signification. A noun, therefore, without any article before it, is taken in its widest sense. Thus, the noun, man, without any article before it, means and includes all mankind;-place the in definite article, a, before it, as in the first example, a man, and the significa tion of the noun, man, is limited by the article, a, to some one man, but to no particular one,for the phrase, a man, means any one man ;--but place the definite article, the, before the poun, man, and its signification is then limited to some particular man, referred to or spoken of before; as, "thou art the man," viz. "who hast done the very things, which thon condemnest in anoth

er."

Here observe, that articles are not used before proper nouns, because a proper noun, being the name of an individual, as George, Thomas, &c. is sufficiently definite of itself, and does not require any article to limit the ex tent of its signification; but a common noun, being a name common to a whole kind or sort of individuals, as animal, man, tree, &c. requires an article before it, when spoken or written, to show whether that common name is mean to be applied to the whole kind, to any single one, or to some particular one or more of that kiud. Observe, also, that as the indefinite article, is used to limit the noun to any single object, it means one, and cannot, therefore, with propriety, be placed before a noun, that signifies more than one; we can properly say, a horse, but not, a horses—and that, the definite article, being used to limit the noun to the particular thing or things spoken of or referred to, has much the same meaning as that or those, and may, with equal pro

* A verb not in the infinitive mood. Finite verbs are those to which number and person appertain. Verbs in the infinitive mood have no respect to number or person

priety, be placed before a noun, that signifies one, or that signifies more than one; and, therefore, we may properly say either the horse, or the horses.

Lesson 1.-A man.- -(See page 18.)

"A" is an article,--because it is a word placed before the noun, man, to limit the signification of that noun; it is an indefinite article,--because it merely limits the noun to any single object, but to no particular one; and it agrees with the noun, man, according to Rule 1. (which repeat.) "Man," is a noun,—because it is the name of a thing; and it is a common noun,-because it is a name common to a whole kind or sort of individuals.

Nole. Let the student parse, in the same manner, the second and each subsequent example in Lesson 1st, carefully giving the reason of every position, step by step, and referring constantly to the definitions.

Lesson 2.-A good man.-(See page 18.)

A is an indefinite article, agreeing with the noun, man, according to Rule I. (repeat the Rule.) Good is an adjective,-because it is a word added to a noun, to express some quality of the object signified by the noun; it is of the positive form,-because it simply expresses the quality of the object without increase or diminution; it is irregularly compared, as, positive good, comparative better, superlative best; and it agrees with the noun, man, according to Rule II. (Repeat the rule.) Man is a common noun.

Nole. To prevent any confusion or embarrassment of mind, in parsing Lessons 1st and 2nd, the student's attention should be called to nouns no farther than it may be necessary to enable him to understaud_the_definition of a noun, and the distinction between proper and common nouns. In Lessons 3rd and 4th, he may be made acquainted with the distinctions of Gender, Number, Person and Case; but, as the def nitions of the persons and cases of nouns cannot be fully explained and understood without the aid of the verb, the nouns, in these lessons, may all be considered as of the third person, and in the nominative or possessive case ;-deferring a full explana tion of the first and second persons, and of the objective case till the next following lesson.

Lesson 3d.-Cicero, the Roman oratør.

Cicero is a proper noun, because it is a name appropriated to an individual; it is of the masculine gender, because it denotes a male; of the singular number, because it expresses but one object; of the third person, and nominative case, and is thus declined,-Nom. Cicero, Poss. Cicero's, Obj. Cicero. The is the defioite article, agreeing with the noun, orator, according to Rule I. (which repeat.) Roman is an adjective, of the positive form, and agrees with orator, according to Rule II. (which repeat.) Orator is a common BOUD,-Nom. Orator, Poss. Orator's, Obj. Orator; it is of the masculine gender, singular number, third person, and uominative case, agreeing with Cicero, according to Rule III. (Repeat the rule.)

Lesson 4.-John's hat.

John's is a proper noun, of the masculine gender, singular number, third person, possessive case, and governed by the noun, hat, according to Rule IV. (which repeat.) Hat is a common noun, of the neuter gender, singular Jumber, third person, nominative case, and is thus declined. (Decline the Boun.)

Lesson 5.-I walk.

I is a pronoun, because it is a word used for a noun; it is a personal pronoun, because it is used to express the distinctions of person; and is thus declined, (decline the pronoun in the first person,) of the singular number, because it expresses but one object; of the first person, because it denotes the speaker; and in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the verb, walk, according to Rule V. (which repeat.) Walk is an active verb, because it is a word which expresses action; it is intransitive, because it denotes that kind of action, which is limited to the agent or subject; it is of the indicative mood, because it simply indicates or declares the action; of the present tense, because it denotes an event io present time; (decline it in the present tense ;) of the singular number and first person, agreeing with its nominative case, I, according to Rule VII. (Repeat the rule.)

Lesson 6.-Good Master, save us.

Good is an adjective; of the positive form; irregularly compared, as positive good, comparative better, superlative best; and agrees with master according to Rule II. (which repeat.) Master is a common noun; of the masculine gender, and singular number; of the second person, because it denotes the person spoken to; and in the nominative case independent, according to Rule VI. (Repeat the rule.) Save is an active-transitive verb, because it denotes an action as passing from the subject, thou, (understood,) to the object, us; it is of the imperative mood, because it commands, exhorts, or intreats; (decline it;) of the singular number, and second person, agreeing with its nominative case, thou, understood, according to Rule VII. (which repeat.) Us is a personal pronoun; (decline it ;) of the plural number, first person; and in the objective case, because it denotes the object of the activetransitive verb, save, which governs it according to Rule VIII. (Repeat the rulc.)

Lesson 9, —The righteous man, who feareth God, hateth iniquity.

The is the definite article, agreeing with the noun, man, according to Rule I. (which repeat.) Righteous is an adjective of the positive form, (compare it.) and agrees with man, according to Rule II. (which repeat.) Man is a common noun of the masculine gender, singular number, third person, and in the nominative case, subject of the verb, hateth, according to Rule V. (which repeat.) Who is a relative pronoun, because it relates or refers to the antecedent, man, with which it agrees in gender, number and person, according to Rule IX. (Repeat the rule.) Who is thus declined, Nom. Who, Poss. Whose, Obj. Whom, and is in the nominative case, subject of the verb, feareth, according to Rule V. (which repeat.) Feareth, is a regular, active-transitive verb, present I fear, imperfect Ifcared, perfect participle feared; in the indicative mood, present tense, singular number, and third person, agreeing with its nominative case, who, according to Rule VII. (which repeat.) God is a proper noun, of the masculine gender, singular number, third person and objective case, governed by the active-transitive verb, feareth, according to Rule VIII. (which repeat) Hateth is a regular, active-transitive verb, (conjugate it,) in the indicative mood, present tense, singular number, and third person, agreeing with its nominative case, man, according to Rule VII. (Repeat the rule.) Iniquity, is a common noun, of the neuter gender, singular number, third person, and objective case, governed by the active-transitive verb, hateth, according to Rule VIII. (Repeat the Rule.)

Lesson 10.—The dog pursuing the track, they overtook him.

The is the definite article, agreeing with the noun, dog, according to Rule. I. (which repeat.) Dog is a common noun, (decline it,) of the masculine gender, singular number, third person, and in the nominative case absolute, joined with the participle, pursuing, according to Rule X. (Repeat the Rule.) Pursuing is a present participle derived from the verb, pursue, present participle pursuing, perfect pursued, compound perfect having pursued, and refers to the noun, dog, with which it agrees according to rule XI. (Repeat the rule.) The is the definite article, agreeing with track according to rule I. (Repeat the rule.) Track is a common noun, (decline it) of the neuter gender, singular number, third person, and in the objective case, governed by the participle, pursuing, according to rule XII. (Which repeat.) They is a personal pronoun, of the plural number, third person, (decline it,) and in the nominative case subject of the verb, overtook, according to rule V. (which repeat.) Overtook is an irregular, active-transitive verb, present I overtake, imperfect I overtook, perfect participle overtaken, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense, because it denotes an event in past time, plural number and third person, agreeing with its nominative case, they, according to rule VII, (which repeat.) Him is a personal pronoum, of the masculine gender, singular number, third person, and in the objective case, governed by the active transitive verb, overtook, according to Rule VIII. (Repeat the Rule.)

Lesson 21.—We are often below our wishes, and above our deserts.

We is a personal pronoun of the plural number, first person, and nominative case, subject of the verb, are, according to Rule V. Are is an irregular, neuter verb; (conjugate it ;) it expresses neither action nor passion, but simply being or existence; and is in the indicative mood, present tense, plural number and first person, agreeing with its nominative case, we, according to rule VII. Often is an adverb, because it is a word, added to the verb, are, which it modifies according to Rule XVII. Below is a preposition, because it is a word put before the noun, wishes, to show a relation between that noun and the verb are. Our is a possessive adjective pronoun, because it is a pronoun, denoting possession and added, like an adjective, to the noun, wishes, with which it agrees according to Rule XIII. Wishes is acommon noun, of the Deuter geader, plural number, third person and in the objective case, because it denotes the object of the relation expressed by the preposition, below, which governs it according to Rule XXI- And is a conjunction, because it is a word used to connect the sentence, (we are often) above our deserts, to the seutence, we are often below our wishes; it is a copulative conjunction. because it connects the sentences and continues the sense by expressing an addition, and it connects the verb are, (understood) in the latter sentence, to the verb, are, in the former, according to Rule XIV. Above is a preposition, showing a relation between deserts and are understood; our is a possessive adjective pronouo, agreeing with deserts according to Rule XIII. Deserts is a common noun of the neuter gender, plural number, third person, and in the objective case, governed by the preposition, above, according to Rule XXI.

Note. The object of parsing in the manner exemplified in the preceding specimens is two-fold ;-1st, to make the learner understand the meaning of the Etymological definitions, and the application of the rules of Syntax; and 2nd, to impress them forcibly upon his memory. This mode of parsing should, therefore, be continued until these objects are fully attained; after that, the common method, being shorter, will he found more convenient.

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RULES.

1-Articles must agree with the nouns, which they limit or define.

II.- Adjectives mast agree with the nouns, which they qualify.

Exercises in Parsing.

Lesson 1-A man.* A book. A garden. A tree. A bird. A chair. A ta ble. An apple. An eagle. An orange. An hour. An honour. An herb. A hill. A hand. A house. The man. l'he book. The garden. The tree. The bird. The houses. The fields. The

river. The mountain.The meadows. The chairs, The able. The tables— The hills. The apples.London. Man. Book. Virtue. Boston. Albany. Animal. Fruit Paper. George.

OF THE ARTICLES.

An Article is a word, placed before nouns to limit their signification... There are two articles, a and the.

A is called the indefinite article,-because it merely limits the noun to any single object, but to no one in particular; as," Give me a book."

Note. A becomes an, when the following word begins with a vowel or a silent h; as, an acorn, an hour.

The is called the definite article, because it limits the noun to the particular object, or objects spoken of or referred to; as, “give me the book

Note. A noun, without any article to limit it, is generally taken in its widest sense; thus man means all mankind.

OF ADJECTIVES.

An Adjective is a word added to a noun, to express some quality or circumstance.

Adjectives have three degrees or forms of comparisoil, the Positive, Comparative and, Superlative.

The Positive form simply expresses the quality of an object, without increase or diminution, as wise.

The Comparative form increases or lessens the pos Thomas. itive in signification, as wiser, less wise.

Rachel. Vice. D.prv..

ty America. Europe. The Superlative form increases or lessens the posi Bird. Tree. Rebecca, tive to the highest or lowest degree; as, wisest, least wise Honesty. Benevolence.

Comparison of Adjectives.

Lesson 2-A good man. Adjectives of one syllable are generally compared A sweet apple. A bitter by adding r or er, and st or est to the Positive; as,

herb. A bad pen. A wise head. A great house. A small bird. A large horse. A fall tree. A happy parent. A fragrant flower. The verdant fields. Shady trees. Composed thoughts. The whistling Winds. An affable deportment. A diligent scholar. An obedient son. An historical fiction. Rapid streams. Delicious fruit. A better world.A more amiable girl. The most delightful prospect. The next town. The latest arrival. The least Boise, The most study. A cheerful good old man. A resolution, wise, noble, disinterested. A most wicked plot. The most

Adjectives of two or more syllables are generally compared by prefixing the adverbs, more and most, o less and least to the positive; as,

heinous crime. A tea either Proper or Common.

kettle. An ink stand.

A silver tankard. A mahogany book case.

A Proper noun is a name appropriated to an individ ual; as. George, Thomas.

A Common nono is a name common to a whole kind or sort of individuals; as, man, book, tree.