Mrs. Harley. Quite right, a you perceive is used before a consonant and an before a vowel.
A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing. Nouns are divided into proper and common; proper nouns are the names of particular persons, places, or things, common nouns are the names that belong to all persons, places or things of the same kind. Give me some examples.
Anne. Anne, Clapham, Limetree, are proper nouns; girl, village, tree, are common nouns.
Mrs. Harley. Gender is the distinction of sex; there are three genders, the masculine which denotes the male kind as, a man: the feminine which denotes the female kind as, a woman: and the neuter which denotes things without animated life as, a cabbage.
Number is the distinction of one from many: there are two numbers, the singular which speaks of one; and the plural which speaks of more than one. Tell me some nouns with their genders and numbers.
Anne. I know that mamma is a noun of the feminine gender and singular number; men is a noun masculine and plural; table is neuter and singular.
Mrs. Harley. Very well. A Pronoun is used to avoid repeating the noun as, Frederic was good, and he went out. There are four kinds of pronouns. Personal pronouns, as, I, me; thou, thee; he, him; she, her; it: we, us; you; they, them. Possessive pronouns which denote property, as, my, mine; thy, thine; his; her, hers; its: our, ours; your, yours; their, theirs; whose, ones, and anothers. Relative pronouns which refer to a noun going before or coming after them; they are, who, whom, which, what, and whether. Demonstrative pronouns point out some particular object; they are, this, these; that, and those.
Anne. I don't think I can remember all these words without reading them over a great many times, but I quite understand the use of the pronoun, for it would be very awkward to say, Mary played, Mary laughed, and Mary danced; I ought to say, Mary played, she laughed, and she danced.
Mrs. Harley. I am pleased with your attention. The adjective explains the quality, colour, form, size, or any other property of the noun, as, good, blue, square, large. The signification of adjectives may be increased or diminished, and this is called comparison; there are two degrees of comparison, the comparative, which increases or diminishes the quality, is formed by adding er to the adjective in its positive state; the superlative increases or diminishes the comparative to its last degree, and is formed by adding est to the adjective in its positive or original state, as long, longer, longest; short, shorter, shortest. When the adjective consists of more than two syllables, the comparative and superlative are formed by prefixing the words more and most to the adjective; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. Some adjectives differ entirely from these rules in forming their comparison, as, good, better, best; bad, worse, worst. Now, some examples.
Anne. Fine is an adjective because it is a quality, black because it is a colour, coarse is an adjective in its positive state, brighter is the comparative degree, and youngest is the superlative.