When the superlative degree of an adjective is used, the latter term of comparison should never exclude the former. Therefore, instead of saying "profane swearing is, of all other vices the most inexcusable; we should say, "of all vices," &c.

Farther applies to place and distance; and further to quantity or addition. Later and latter cannot be used indifferently with propriety; latter refers to place; later respects time only.

The phrase "seldom or ever," is improper; we should either say, dom if ever"-or "seldom or never."

"sel

"I had rather," is often improperly used, instead of "I would rather."

To lay (to place something) in the present tense, is properly written lay, in the imperfect laid; the perfect participle is also laid. To lie (down) is lie in the present tense, lay in the imperfect, and lain in the perfect participle. Lie is conjugated regularly when it means to tell a falsehood; as "he lied"-" he has lied."

Set is an intransitive verb in some senses, which makes it proper to say, "To set out on a journey; to set up in business; the sun sets, and fair weather has set in."

The following are examples of mistakes in the use of the transitive verbs lay and set; and of the intransitive verbs lie and sit, with the correction after each.

"He lays in bed too long"-(lies.)— "I have a work laying by me"(lieing.) "Go and lay down”—(lie.)- "I laid and slept an hour"(lay.) "I was laying on the grass" (lieing.)- "He has laid there a long time"-lain.)- "He has lain himself down to rest"-(laid.)"Let me set down"-(sit.)- "I afterwards went and set down"—(sat.) "He sat himself down"-(set.)- "The hen is setting on her eggs"(sitting.) "The wind sits in the east"-(sets.)

The verb to learn, is never used transitively, except when it has for its subject the person who obtains the knowledge, or information, and for its only object the knowledge, or information obtained. It is proper to say, "I am learning grammar;" but improper to say, "the master learns me grammar," instead of teaches me; or "learn me to do that," instead of teach

me.

Tautology, which means the repeating of a word, or an idea that has been fully expressed before, is a frequent error in composition.

The verb to return, signifies to go, or come back; go, or come again; yet, we sometimes hear, and read the phrases, return back-and return again— and even return back again.

To converse means to talk together, therefore it is wrong to say "they are conversing together.

To fall includes the idea of down, as to rise does that of up; for we cannot say to fall up, or to rise down. It is therefore improper, because it is unnecessary, to say fall down, or rise up.

The adjective mutual, includes the meaning of the words, each other, or one another; therefore it is wrong to say, "They bear a mutual likeness to each other."

"To enter" means to go (or come) in; therefore we should not say, ter in."

Restore means to give back; therefore it is wrong to say of a thing, “I restore it back, or again," &c.

The phrases, first of all, last of all, are improper; one of the things mentioned,or attended to, cannot be first, if any of the others are before it; and certainly, if a thing is not last of all, it cannot be the last.

66

My

It is wrong to use both, when the two things under consideration, have been expressly named; as, "I took some wine, and some water, and mixed them both together.” "I saw two chairs fastened both together." brother called on me, and we both took a walk." Throughout expresses the idea of through all, or through every part; we should not say, therefore, "I searched all the country throughout," or, "We found these sentiments throughout the whole book."

"In the expression I have just now written," the adverb now is redundant, and ought to be expunged.

UNGRAMMATICAL WORDS AND PHRASES CORRECTED.

They never will believe but what I They never will believe but that I

ETYMOLOGY.

[In case any teacher who may use this work, should not have sufficient leisure verbally to illustrate to his pupils, the rules and definitions given in the preceding exercises in Etymology and Syntax; or, in case his pupils should be too young fully to understand such illustration when given, the compiler would recommend, that they be required to commence the subject by getting, in distinct and successive portions, the answers to the questions on Etymology, at the bottom of the following pages. This will enable them understandingly to enter upon the exercises in Etymology and Syntax, and with a little aid from their teacher, to make rapid improvement in the business of parsing, &c.

The number prefixed to each question corresponds to the number given in the portion of matter designed for the answer.]

Etymology (1) treats of the different sorts of words, their various modifications, and their derivations.

Etymology is compounded of two Greek words, which signify origin and word. It means literally the derivation of a word from its original.

There (2) are, in English, ten sorts of words, or, as they are commonly called, parts of speech; namely, the Noun, the Adjective, the Article, the Verb, the Participle, the Adverb, the Pronoun, the Conjunction, the Preposition, and the Interjection.

OF NOUNS.

A Noun (3) is the name of any thing that we can see, taste, hear, smell, feel, or conceive of; as, man, wine, virtue.

The word Noun, is derived from the Latin word nomen, which signifies a name.

Nouns are (4) divided into proper and common.

Proper (5) nouns are the names appropriated to individuals; as, George, London, Thames.

Common (6) nouns stand for kinds containing many sorts, or for sorts containing many individuals under them; as, animal, man, tree, &c.

When (7) proper nouns or names, have an article prefixed to them, they are used as common names; as, "He is the Cicero of his age;" "He is reading the lives of the Twelve Cæsars."

QUESTIONS.

(1) What does Etymology treat of?-(2) How many sorts of words are there?-(3) What is a noun?-(4) How are nouns divided?-(5) What is a proper noun?-(6) What do common nouns stand for?(7) When proper nouns have an article prefixed, how are they used?

Common (1) names may also be used to signify individuals, by the addition of articles or pronouns; as, "The boy is studious; that girl is discreet. ""*

Nouns (2) have four properties; namely, Person, Number, Gender, and Case.

OF PERSON.

Person (3) is that quality of the noun, (or pronoun) which modifies the verb.

There are (4) three persons; namely, the First, Second, and Third. The (5) first person denotes the speaker-the second, the person spoken to and the third, the person, or the thing spoken of.

OF NUMBER.

Number (6) is the consideration of an object, as one or more
Nouns (7) are of two numbers, the singular and the plural.

The (8) singular number expresses but one object; as, a chair, a table.

The (9) plural number signifies more objects than one; as, chairs, tables.

Some (10) nouns, from the nature of the things which they express, are used only in the singular form; as, wheat, pitch, gold, sloth, pride, &c.; others, only in the plural form; as, (11) bellows, scissors, lungs, riches,

&c.

Some (12) words are the same in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, swine, &c.

The (13) plural number of nouns is generally formed by adding s to the singular; as, dove, doves; face, faces; thought, thoughts. But (14) when the noun singular ends in x, ch soft, sh, ss, or s, we add es in the plural; as, box, boxes; church, churches; lash, lashes; kiss, kisses; rebus, rebusses. If the singular (15) ends in ch hard, the plural is formed by adding s; as, monarch, monarchs; distich, distichs.

Nouns (16) which end in o, have sometimes, es, added to the plural; as, cargo, echo, hero, negro, manifesto, potato, volcano, wo; and sometimes only s; as, folio, nuncio, punctilio, seraglio.

QUESTIONS.

(1) Can common names be used to signify individuals?—(2) How many properties have nouns? -(3) What is person?-(4) How many persons are there?-(5) What does each person denote?-(6) What is number?-(7) How many numbers are there?-(8) What does the singular number express?-(9) What does the plural number signify?-(10) Give examples of nouns used only in the singular form?-(11) Give examples of nouns, used only in the plural form ?—(12) Give examples of words having the same form in both numbers?-(13) How is the plural number of nouns generally formed?-(14) How is the plural number formed of such nouns as end in x, ch soft, ss, or s, in the singular?-(15) If the singular ends in ch hard, how is the plural formed?--(16) How do nouns ending in o, form their plurals?

*Nouns may also be divided into the following classes; Collective nouns, or nouns of multitude; as, the people, the parliament, the army; Abstract nouns, or the names of qualities abstracted from their substances; as, knowledge, goodness, whiteness; Verbal or participial nouns; as, beginning, reading, writing.

The English language contains in all about forty thousand words.