Page images
PDF
EPUB

:

vision;' but we can with no propriety say, "retaining them into all the varieties ;" and yet, according to the manner in which the words are ranged, this construction is unavoidable for "retaining, altering, and compounding," are participles, each of which equally refers to, and gov erns the 'subsequent noun, those images; and that noun again is necessarily connected with the following preposition, into. The construction might easily have been rectified, by disjoining the participle retaining from the other two participles, in this way: "We have the power of retaining those images which we have once received, and of altering and compounding them into all the varieties of picture and vision;" or, perhaps, better thus: "We have the power of retaining, altering, and compounding those images which we have once received, and of forming them into all the varieties of picture and vision."

INTERJECTION.

For the syntax of the Interjection, see Rule v. Note 11. page 138, and Note 9, of Rule xxi.

DIRECTIONS FOR PARSING.

As we have finished the explanation of the different parts of speech, and the rules for forming them into sentences, it is now proper to give some examples of the manner in which the learners should be exercised, in order to prove their knowledge, and to render it familiar to them. This is called parsing. The nature of the subject, as well as the adaptation of it to learners, requires that it should be divided into two parts; viz. parsing, as it respects etymology alone; and parsing, as it respects both etymology and syntax.*

SECTION 1. Specimens of etymological parsing.
"Virtue ennobles us."

Virtue is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative case. (Decline the noun.), Ennobles is a regular verb

See the "General Directions for using the English Exercises," prefixed to the Eighth and every subsequent edition of that book.

actiye, indicative mood, present tense, and the third per son singular. (Repeat the present tense, the imperfect tense. and the perfect participle.t) Us is a porovnal pronoun, of the first person plural, and in the objective case. (Decline it.)

"Goodness will be rewarded.”

Goodness is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative case. (Decline it.) Will be rewarded is a regular verb, in the passive voice, the indicative mood, the first future tense, and the third person singular. (Repeat the present tense, the imperfect tense, and the perfect participle.)

"Strive to improve."

Strive is an irregular verb neuter, in the imperative mood, and of the second person singular. (Repeat the present tense, &c.) To improve is a regular vero neuter, and in the infinitive mood. (Repeat the present tense, &c.)

"Time flies, O! how swiftly."

Time is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative case. (Decline the noun.) Flies is an irregular verb neuter, the indicative mood, present tense, and the third n singular." (Repeat the present tense, &c.) O! is an interjection. How and swiftly are adverbs.

person

"Gratitude is a delightful emotion."

Gratitude is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative case. (Decline it.) Is is an irregular verb nenter, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person singular. (Repeat the present tense, &c.) A is the indefinite article. Delightful is an adjective in the positive state. (Repeat the degrees of comparison.) Emotion is a common substantive of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative case. (Decline it.)

The learner should occasionally repeat all the moods and tenses of the verb

"They who forgive, act nobly."

They is a personal pronoun, of the third person, the plural number, and in the nominative case. (Decline it.) Who is a relative pronoun, and the nominative case. (Deeline it.) Forgive is an irregular verb active, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person plural. (Repeat the present tense, &c.) Act is a regular verb active, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person plural. (Repeat, &c.) Nobly is an adverb of quality. (Repeat·· the degrees of comparison.).

"By living temperately, our health is promoted."

By is a preposition. Living is the present participle of the regular neuter verb "to live." (Repeat the participles.) Temperately is an adverb of quality. Our is an adjective pronoun of the possessive kind. (Decline it.) "Health is a common substantive, of the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative.case. (Decline it.) Is promoted is a regular verb passive, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person singular. (Repeat, &c.) "We should be kind to them, who are unkind to us."

We is a personal pronoun, of the first person, the plural number, and in the nominative case. (Decline it.) Should be is an irregular verb neuter, in the potential mood, the imperfect tense, and the first person plural. (Repeat the present tense, &c.) Kind is an adjective, in the positive state. (Repeat the degrees of comparison.) To is a preposition. Them is a personal pronoun, of the third person, the plural number, and in the objective case. (Decline at.) Who is a relative pronoun, and in the nominative case. (Decline it.). Are is an irregular verb neuter, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person plural. (Repeat, &c.) Unkind is an adjective in the positive state. (Repeat te degrees of comparison.) To is a preposition. Us is a personal pronoun, of the first person, the plural number, and in the objective case. (Decline it.)

SECTION 2. Specimens of syntactical parsing.
"Vice produces misery."

Vice is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nomi

R

native case. Produces is a regular verb active, indicative mood, present tense, the third person singular, agreeing with its nominative "vice," according to RULE I. which says; (here repeat the rule.) Misery is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and the objective case, governed by the active verb "produces," according to Rule x1. which says, &c.

"Peace and joy are virtue's crown."

66

Peace is a common substantive. (Repeat the gender, person, number, and case.) And is a copulative conjunction. Joy is a common substantive. (Repeat the person, number, and case.) Are is an irregular verb neuter, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person plural, agreeing with the nominative case peace and joy," ac cording to RULE II. which says; (here repeat the rule. Virtue's is a common substantive, of the third person, the singular number, and in the possessive case, governed by the substantive " crown, agreeably to Rule x, which says, &c. Crown is a common substantive, of the neuter gender, the third person, the singular number, and in the nominative case, agreeably to the fourth note of RULE XI.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Wisdom is a common substantive. (Repeat the gender, person, number, and case.) Or is a disjunctive conjunction. Folly is a common substantive. (Repeat the person, number, and case.) Governs is a regular verb active, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person singular, agreeing with its nominative case "wisdom" or "folly," according to RULE III. which says, &c. Us is a personal pronoun, of the first person, plural number, and in the objective case, governed by the active verb "governs," agreeably to RULE XI. which says, &c.

[ocr errors]

Every heart knows its sorrows.”

Every is an adjective pronoun of the distributive kind, agreeing with its substantive "heart," according to Note 2 under RULE VIII. which says, &c. Heart is a common substantive. (Repeat the gender, person, number, and case.) Knows is an irregular verb active, indicative mood, pre sent tense, third person singular, agreeing with its nom

66

[ocr errors]

native case "heart," according to RULE 1. which says &c. Its is a personal pronoun, of the third person singular, and of the neuter gender, to agree with its substantive 66 heart," according to RULE V. which says, &c. it is in the possessive case, governed by the noun sorrows,' according to RULE X. which says, &c. Sorrows is a common substantive, of the third person, the plural number, and the objective case governed by the active verb "knows," according to Rule xI. which says, &c.

66

"The man is happy who lives wisely."

[ocr errors]

The is the definite article. Man is a common substantive. (Repeat the person, number, and case.) Is is an irregular verb neuter, indicative mood, present tense, and the third person singular, agreeing with the nominative case man," according to RULE I. which says, &c. Happy is an adjective in the positive state. Who is a relative pronoun, which has for its antecedent, man," with which it agrees in gender and number, according to RULE v. which says, &c. Lives is a regular verb neuter, indicative mood, present tense, third person singular, agreeing with its nominative " who," according to RULE VI. which says, &c. Wisely is an adverb of quality, placed after the verb, according to RULE XV.

"Who preserves us ?”

Who is a relative pronoun of the interrogative kind, and in the nominative case singular. The word to which it relates, (its subsequent,) is the noun or pronoun containing the answer to the question; agreeably to a note under RULE VI. Preserves is a regular verb active, indicative mood, present tense, third person singular, agreeing with its nominative " who," according to RULE VI. which says, &c. Us is a personal pronoun. (Repeat the person, number, case, and rule.)

"Whose house is that? My brother's and mine. Who inhabit? We."

Whose is a relative pronoun of the interrogative kind, and relates to the following words, "Brother's" and mine," agreeably to a note under RULE VI. It is in the possessive case, governed by "house," according to RULE X. which says, &c. House is a common substantive

« PreviousContinue »