You understand from this that we have been discussing and describing two kinds of work, and that the first in point of time was unpleasant and the second pleasant.

The demonstrative adjective same refers to something of which we have just spoken, as for example, He has gone to work, I must do the same thing. These demonstrative adjectives answer the question which, so when you wish to discover a demonstrative in a sentence, ask the question which, and the answer will be the demonstrative adjective.

Exercise 2

  1. This study is very interesting.
  2. These comrades will stand by us.
  3. That solution will never deceive the people.
  4. Those books have opened our eyes.
  5. Yonder battle appals the world.
  6. Former investigations have had no results.
  7. This latter decision has reversed the former.
  8. The class struggle has persisted through the centuries; we are engaged in the same struggle.

Make sentences of your own containing these demonstrative adjectives.

ARTICLES

252. We have three adjectives which are used so commonly that we have put them in a class by themselves. These three little words are a, an and the, and we call them articles. The word article literally means a little joint or limb, and these three little words are so closely connected with the nouns with which they are used that they seem to be a part or joint or limb of the noun itself, and so we have called them articles.

A and an are called the indefinite articles because they point out an object in a very indefinite manner. The is called the definite article for it points out in a more definite way.

We use a before words beginning with a consonant sound, as a man, a tree, a book; and we use an before words beginning with a vowel sound, as an apple, an editor, an orange, an heir. In heir the h is silent, and we say an because the word begins with a vowel sound. A is used before words beginning with u because long u is equivalent in sound to a consonant, for the blending of the sounds of which long u is composed produces the initial sound of y, which is a consonant sound. For example, we say, a university, a useful work, etc., and not an university. Before words beginning with short u, use an, as, an upstart, etc.

In deciding whether to use a or an, watch the initial sound of the word, not the initial letter. If it is a vowel sound use an, if a consonant sound, use a.