LESSON I.—ARTICLES.
(1.) "An article is a part of speech placed before nouns."—Comly's Gram., p. 11.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the article an is here inconsistent with the term "part of speech;" for the text declares one thing of a kind to be the whole kind. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected in two ways, thus: "The article is a part of speech placed before nouns;"—or better, "An article is a word placed before nouns." [446]
(2.) "An article is a part of speech used to limit nouns."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 19. (3.) "An article is a part of speech set before nouns to fix their vague Signification."—Ash's Gram., p. 18. (4.) "An adjective is a part of speech used to describe a noun."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 19. (5.) "A pronoun is a part of speech used instead of a noun."—Ibid.; and Weld's Gram., pp. 30 and 50; Abridg., pp. 29 and 46. (6.) "A Pronoun is a Part of Speech which is often used instead of a Noun Substantive common, and supplies the Want of a Noun proper."—British Gram., p. 102; Buchanan's Gram., p. 29. (7.) "A verb is a part of speech, which signifies to be, to do, or to be acted upon"—Merchant's School Gram., p. 17. (8.) "A verb is a part of speech, which signifies to be, to act, or to receive an action."—Comly's Gram., p. 11. (9.) "A verb is a part of speech by which any thing is asserted."—Weld's Gram, p. 50; Abridg., 46 and 58. (10.) "A verb is a part of speech which expresses action, or existence, in a direct manner."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (11.) "A participle is a part of speech derived from a verb, and expresses action or existence in an indirect manner."—Ibid. (12.) "A Participle is a Part of Speech derived from a Verb, and denotes being, doing, or suffering, and implies Time, as a Verb does."—British Gram., p. 139; Buchanan's, p. 46. "An adverb is a part of speech used to add to the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and participles."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (14.) "An adverb is an indeclinable part of speech, added to a verb, adjective, or other adverb, to express some circumstance, quality, or manner of their signification."— Adam's Gram., p. 142; Gould's, 147. (15.) "An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a verb, an Adjective, a Participle, and sometimes to another Adverb, to express the quality or circumstance of it."—Ash's Gram., p. 47, (16.) "An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a Verb, Adjective, Participle, and sometimes to another Adverb, to express some circumstances respecting it."—Beck's Gram., p. 23. (17.) "An Adverb is a Part of Speech which is joined to a Verb, Adjective, Participle, or to another Adverb to express some Modification, or Circumstance, Quality, or Manner of their Signification."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 61. (18.) "An Adverb is a part of speech added to a Verb (whence the name), and sometimes even to another word."—Bucke's Gram., p. 76. (19.) "A conjunction is a part of speech used to connect words and sentences."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20; Weld's, 51. (20.) "A Conjunction is a part of speech that joins words or sentences together."—Ash's Gram., p. 43. (21.) "A Conjunction is that part of speech which connect sentences, or parts of sentences or single words."—Blair's Gram., p. 41. (22.) "A Conjunction is a part of speech, that is used principally to connect sentences, so as, out of two, three, or more, sentences, to make one."—Bucke's Gram., p. 28. (23.) "A Conjunction is a part of speech that is chiefly used to connect sentences, joining two or more simple sentences into one compound sentence: it sometimes connects only words."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 118. (24.) "A Conjunction is a Part of Speech which joins Sentences together, and shews the Manner of their Dependance upon one another."—British Gram., p. 163; Buchanan's, p. 64; E. Devis's. 103. (25.) "A preposition is a part of Speech used to show the relation between other words."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (26.) "A Preposition is a part of speech which serves to connect words and show the relation between them."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 42. (27.) "A preposition is a part of speech used to connect words and show their relation."—Weld's Gram., p. 51; Abridg. 47. (28.) "A preposition is that part of speech which shows the position of persons or things, or the relation that one noun or pronoun bears toward another."—Blair's Gram., p. 40. (29.) "A Preposition is a Part of Speech, which being added to any other Parts of Speech serves to shew their State, Relation or Reference to each other."—British Gram., p. 165; Buchanan's, p. 65. (30.) "An interjection is a part of speech used to express sudden passion or emotion."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (31.) "An interjection is a part of speech used in giving utterance to some sudden feeling or emotion."— Weld's Gram., pp. 49 and 51; Abridg., 44 and 47. (32.) "An Interjection is that part of speech which denotes any sudden affection or emotion of the mind."—Blair's Gram., p. 42. (33) "An Interjection is a Part of Speech thrown into discourse, and denotes some sudden Passion or Emotion of the Soul."—British Gram., p. 172; Buchanan's, p. 67.
(34.) "A scene might tempt some peaceful sage
To rear him a lone hermitage."
—Union Poems, p. 89.
(35.) "Not all the storms that shake the pole
Can e'er disturb thy halcyon soul,
And smooth th' unaltered brow."
—Day's Gram., p. 78; E. Reader, 230.
LESSON II.—NOUNS. "The thrones of every monarchy felt the shock."—Frelinghuysen.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the plural noun thrones has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected thus: "The throne of every monarchy felt the shock.">[
"These principles ought to be deeply impressed upon the minds of every American."—Webster's Essays, p. 44. "The word church and shire are radically the same."—Ib., p. 256. "They may not, in their present form, be readily accommodated to every circumstance belonging to the possessive cases of nouns."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 53. "Will, in the second and third person, only foretels."—Ib., p. 88. "Which seem to form the true distinction between the subjunctive and the indicative moods."—Ib., p. 208. "The very general approbation, which this performance of Walker has received from the public."—Ib., p. 241. "Lest she carry her improvements this way too far."—CAMPBELL: ib., p. 371. "Charles was extravagant, and by this means became poor and despicable."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 189. "We should entertain no prejudices against simple and rustic persons."—Ib., p. 205. "These are indeed the foundations of all solid merit."—Blair's Rhet., p. 175. "And his embellishment, by means of musical cadence, figures, or other parts of speech."—Ib., p. 175. "If he is at no pains to engage us by the employment of figures, musical arrangement, or any other art of writing."—Ib., p. 181. "The most eminent of the sacred poets are, the Author of the book of Job, David and Isaiah."—Ib., p. 418. "Nothing, in any poet, is more beautifully described than the death of old Priam."—Ib., p. 439. "When two vowels meet together, and are sounded at one breath, they are called diphthongs."—Infant School Gram., p. 10. "How many ss would goodness then end with? Three."—Ib., p. 33. "Birds is a noun, the name of a thing or creature."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 53. "Adam gave names to every living creature."—Bicknell's Gram., Part ii, p. 5. "The steps of a stair ought to be accommodated to the human figure."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 337. "Nor ought an emblem more than a simile to be founded on low or familiar objects."—Ib., Vol. ii. p. 357. "Whatever the Latin has not from the Greek, it has from the Goth."—Tooke's Diversions, Vol. ii, p. 450. "The mint and secretary of state's offices are neat buildings."—The Friend, Vol. iv, p. 266. "The scenes of dead and still life are apt to pall upon us."—Blair's Rhet., p. 407. "And Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus, the angelical and the subtle doctors, are the brightest stars in the scholastic constellation."—Literary Hist., p. 244. "The English language has three methods of distinguishing the sex."—Murray's Gram., p. 38; Ingersoll's, 27; Alger's, 16; Bacon's, 13; Fisk's, 58; Greenleaf's, 21. "The English language has three methods of distinguishing sex."—Smith's New Gram., p. 44. "In English there are the three following methods of distinguishing sex."—Jaudon's Gram., p. 26. "There are three ways of distinguishing the sex."—Lennie's Gram., p. 10; Picket's, 26; Bullions's, 10. "There are three ways of distinguishing sex."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 26. "Gender is distinguished in three ways."—Maunder's Gram., p. 2. "Neither discourse in general, nor poetry in particular, can be called altogether imitative arts."—Blair's Rhet., p. 51.
"Do we for this the gods and conscience brave,
That one may rule and make the rest a slave?"
—Rowe's Lucan, B. ii, l. 96.