A 25. The names of objects that are neither males nor females. Q Of what gender is inkstand, and why ? 26. Neuter gender, because it is the name neither of a male nor female. Q. Of what gender is bench? why? chair? why? Q. Parent, you know, is the name either of father or mother, that is, it is a name common to both: of what gender, then, shail we call such nouns as parent, bird. &c.! 27. Cominon gender. Q. What nouns, then, may be said to be of the common gender? 28. The names of such animals as may be either males or females. Q. Of what gender is sheep, and why? 29. Sheep is of the common gender, because it is the name either of a male or female. Q. Of what gender is robin, and why? Q. How many genders do nouns appear to have, and what are they? 30. Four-the masculine, the feminine, the neuter, and the common. Q. Will you name a noun of the masculine gender? one of the feminine? one of the neuter? one of the common? Q. Will you name the gender and number of each noun in the following sentences, as I read them to you? "James and William." "John and the girls." "Slate and pencil." "Women and birds." IV. PROPER AND COMMON NOUNS. Q. What is the meaning of the word common; as, "A common complaint"? 31. Common means general. Q. Although there are a vast many male children in the world, each one nay be called by the general name of boy: what kind of a noun, then, would you call boy? 32. A common noun. Q. When, then, is a noun called common? 33. When it is a general name. 34. It means fit or particular. Q. John, you know, is the particular name of a boy: what kind of a noun then, may it be called? 35. A proper noun. Q. When, then, may a noun be called proper? 36. When it is a particular name. Q. What kind of a noun is Susan, and why? 37. Susan is a proper noun, because it is a particu lar rame. Q What kind of a noun is John, and why? 64. By taking after them an apostrophe with the letter s following it. Q. "On eagles' wings. Here eagles' is plural, and in the possessive case: how, then, do nouns in the plural usually form their possessive case? 65. Simply by taking the apostrophe without the addition of s. Q. But if the plural noun does not end in 8, as, “mea's concerns," how is the possessive case formed? 66. As the same case in the singular number is formed. Q. From the foregoing remarks, how many cases do nouns appear to have, and what are they? 67. Three-the nominative, possessive and objec tive. Q. Decline sometimes means to vary the endings of a word: what, then, do I mean when I ask you to decline a noun ? 68. To tell its different cases or endings. Q. Will you decline John? Q. When I say "William's coat," yon perceive that the noun coat follows William's by what is William's said to be governed, and why? 71. By coat, because it follows William's. Q. What, then, may be considered a rule for governing the possessive case? RULE I. The possessive case is governed by the following noun. Q. "William's hat." Is William's a proper or common noun? Why? (36.)* Q. What is its person? why? (45.)* Its_number? why? (8.)* Its gen der? why? (17.)* Its case? why? (61.) What noun follows William's ? What word, then, governs William's? What is the rule? Q. When we mention the several properties of the different words in sentences, in the same manner as we have those of William's, above, what is the exercise called? 72. PARSING. EXERCISES IN PARSING. "John's knife.” 73. John's is a NOUN, because it is a name-PROPER, because it is a particular name-MASCULINE GENDER; it is the name of a male--THIRD PERSON; it is spoken of—SINGULAR * Refer back to this number. NUMBER; it means but one-POSSESSIVE CASE; it implies possession-and it is governed by the noun knife, according to RULE I. The possessive case is governed by the following noun. Knife is a NOUN; it is a name-COMMON; it is a general name-NEUTER GENDER; it is neither male nor femaleTHIRD PERSON; it is spoken of SINGULAR NUMBER; it means but one. Let the learner parse the foregoing, till the mode of parsing the noun is so familiar to him, that he can do it readily, without looking in the book. He may then take the following exercises, which are to be parsed in a similar manner. EXERCISES IN PARSING CONTINUED. Q. When I say, "Give me a book," I evidently mean no particular book, but when I say, "Give me the book," what do I mean? 74. Some particular book. Q. Which are the words that make this difference in meaning? 75. A and the. Q. What are these little words called? 76. ARTICLES. Q. What, then, are articles? 77. Articles are words placed before nouns to limit their meaning. Q. What is the meaning of the word definite? 78. Definite means particular. Q. "Give me the book." Here a particular book is referred to: what kind of an article, then, shall we call the? 79. Definite article. Q. What, then, is a definite article? 80. It points out what particular thing or things are meant. Q. The word in, when placed before words, frequently signifies not: what then, will indefinite mean? 81. Not definite. Q. When I say, "Give me a knife," no particular knife is meant: what kind of an article, then, may a be called? 82. Indefinite article. Q. Why is it so called? 83. Because it is not used before the name of any particular person or thing. Q. We say an apple," "an inkstand," &c. in preference to "a apple,' 'a inkstand," &c.: why is this? 84. Because it is easier to speak, and also more pleasant to the ear. Q. What kind of letters do apple and inkstand begin with? 85. Vowels. Q. In what cases do we use an instead of a? 86. Before words beginning with- the vowels a, e, t, o, u. Q. In speaking, we say, a man," not "an man": when, then, do we use a? 87. Before words beginning with consonants. Q. Which letters are consonants? 88. All the letters of the alphabet, except the vowels, which are a, e, i, o, u; and also w and y, except at the beginning of words, when they are consonants. Q. How, then, do a and an differ? 89. Only in their use; a being used before consonants, and an before vowels: both are called by the same name. Q. How many articles do there appear to be, and what are they? 90. Two-a or an, and the. Q. It is customary to say, "a boy," not "a boys"; also, "an inkstand, not "an inkstands" of what number, then, must the noun be, before which the indefinite article is placed? 91. The singular number. Q. What, then, is the rule for the indefinite article? RULE II. The indefinite article A or AN belongs to nouns of the singular number. Q. We can say, "the boy," and "the boys"; using a noun either of the singular or plural number after the: what, then, is the rule for the definite article? RULE III. The definite article THE belongs to nouns in the singular or plural number. EXERCISES IN PARSING. "The boy." 92. The is an ARTICLE, a word placed before nouns to timit their meaning-EFINITE; it means a particular boy— and belongs to boy, according to RULE III. The definite article the belongs to nouns of the singular or plural number. Boy is a NOUN; it is a name-COMMON; it is a general name-MASCULINE GENDER; it is the name of a male-THIRD PERSON; it is spoken of and singular numBER; it meanS but one. "An acorn.' "The boys." "A month." "An ounce." "The mice." "The girls' room.' "The lady's box.' VIII. OF ADJECTIVES. Q. When I say, "John is an obedient, industrious, and good boy," I use certain words to describe boy which are they? 93. Industrious, obedient, and good. Q. When I say, joined or added? "a good man," to what word is the describing word good. 94. To the noun man. Q. What does the word adjective mean ? 95. Joined or added to. Q. What, then, shall we call such describing words as good, obedient, industrious, &c.? 96. ADJECTIVES. Q. What, then, are adjectives? 97. Adjectives are words joined to nouns to describe or qualify them. Q. "A wise man." Which word is the adjective here, and why? Q. "Rufus is a good boy, but James is a better one." How are Rufus and James spoken of here? 98. In comparison with each other. Q. The adjectives in the last example are good and better can you tel me which of these words denotes a higher degree of excellence than the other? 1 99. The word better. Q. What degree of comparison, then, shall we call better? 100. Comparative degree. Q. What, then, does the comparative degree imply? 101. A comparison between two. Q. "William is tal!, Thomas is taller, but Rufus is the tallest boy in school." What is meant here by tallest? 102. Exceeding all in height. Q. What does the word superlative mean? 103. Exceeding all; the highest or lowest degree. Q. What degree of comparison, then, shall we call tallest? 104. Superlative degree. Q. What, then, does the superlative degree do? 105. It increases or lessens the positive to the high est or lowest degree. Q. When I say, "James is a good boy," I make no comparison between him and any other; but simply assert in a positive manner, that James is a good boy. What kind of a sentence, then, would you call this? 106. A positive sentence. Q. Of what degree of comparison, then, shall we call good? 107. The positive degree. |