Note. The pupil having learned the definitions of articles and nouns, may here be usefully exercised upon them, in the following manner. A, Boy, An A BOY. is an article, [repeat No. 15] is a noun, [repeat No. 18] Masculine gender, [repeat 35] Declined like river, [see 38] and decline Boy. is an article, [repeat No. 15] Oxange is a noun common, [repeat 20] The Man Singular number, [repeat 23] THE MAN. is an article, [repeat 15] is a noun common, [repeat 20] Declined like child, [see 39] and decline Man. London is a noun proper, [repeat 21]. Singular number, (repeat 23] In the singular number and has no plural. The servant A grove The field George An ax John's horse The moon's orbit A ship The sun The gentleman A house A woman Jane Gray Temperance Beauty The elements OF PRONOUNS. ARTICLE 40. A PRONOUN is a word used instead of a noun; as I for my name; he for his name. Pronouns may be considered with respect to Person, Gender, Case and Number. 41. There are three persons answering to the different subjects of discourse. 42. The first person is, when the speaker speaks of himself, as I; or of himself jointly with others, as we. The first person belongs exclusively to pronouns ; but the second and third persons are common to pronouns and nouns. 43. The second person is put for the person or persons spoken to; as thou, ye. 44. The third person is, when we speak concerning any other person or thing; as he, she, it. 45. Every noun and pronoun is of the third person, except I, plural we, and thou, plural you, or ye. 46. But if an address be made to any particular person or thing, it becomes of the second per son. As, O sun! O moon !—Angels and ministers of grace defend us. We naturally supply the pronoun thou or ye. O thou sun! O thou moon!-Ye angels and ministers of grace defend us. 47. The first and second persons have no distinction of gender. But 48. In the third person the pronouns he, she and it, are respectively masculine, feminine and neuter. 49.Pronouns like unto nouns, are inflected with number and case. 50. Inflection of Pronouns. First. Second. Third person. Sing. Noin. I Poss. Mine Objec. Me. Nom. Thou Poss. Thine Nom. She (FEM.) Poss. Hers Objec. Her. LObjec. It. The plural number of the pronoun thou, is generally applied to a single person by way of courtesy or respect. Thou, in the singular number, is an appellation seldom given but to persons of inferior rank. Yet it is still retained in the sublime and solemn style, and al-、 ways in the adoration of the Supreme Being. Some will have mine and thine to be adjectives. The neuter pronoun it is often used with reference to a noun of the masculine or feminine gender, and even of the plural number in such phrases, as It is I; It is he; It is they. Sing. Nom. One Plur. Nom. Ones Objec. One's 51. Who, which, and that, are termed relatives, because they relate to a preceding noun. Who, is thus declined: The Relative partakes of the nature of the pronoun and the conjunction. Which is frequently a pronominal adjective, and may be united with a substantive. That, when a relative, cannot be joined with a substantive. Note. The words myself, thyself, &c. which are sometimes styled pronouns, are rather the pronominal adjectives my, thy, &c. joined to the substantive self. Ourself is only used in royal proclamations. Himself and themselves seem to be a corruption of hisself, their selves. OF ADJECTIVES. AN adjective expresses some quality or property of a noun, to which it requires to be united: as great, wise, good. 53. Every adjective refers to a substantive expressed or understood. 54. Adjectives change their termination only on account of comparison. Except this, plural, these; that, plural, those; enough, plural, enow. Enough seems applied to quantity, and enow to numDer; as money enough; books enow. Direction. An adjective will admit the word thing after it, as a good thing. Most adjectives also may be compared; as fair, fairer, fairest. Note. It will greatly assist the young scholar if he be required to find adjectives to a given substantive; as for example GOLD; yellow gold, precious gold, fine gold. On the other hand he may find substantives to a given adjective; as for example, to the word high; high tree, high mountain, bigh tower, &c. Afterwards let him compare the adjectives, and inflect the substantives, by which he will learn to distinguish their grammatical properties. 55. There are three degrees of comparison; the POSITIVE, the COMPARATIVE, and the SU PERLATIVE. 56. The positive expresses the simple quality; as hard. 57. The comparative somewhat increases the signification of the positive, as harder. 58. The superlative expresses the quality in the highest degree; as hardest. Double comparatives and superlatives are improper: as more wiser, most handsomest. Yet the phrase most highest, has been supposed to acquire a peculiar propriety from the subject to which it is applied. 59. Examples of the comparison of adjectives. Positive. Hard, Wise, Lovely, Comparative. harder, wiser, lovelier, Superlative. wisest. loveliest. For the sake of continuing the accent, it sometimes becomes necessary to double the final consonant ; as fit, fitter, fittest. 60. The following adjectives are compared irgularly, viz. |