A grammar of the English language, with an analysis of the sentence

II

LATE PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC AND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITER- ATURE IN THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY.

REVISED EDITION,

By Edward Gideon, A. M., Supervising Principal of George G. Meade

School, Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA:

Eldredge & Brother,

No. 17 North Seventh Street.

A SERIES OF TEXT-BOOKS

ON

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

By JOHN S. HART, LL.D.

Language-Lessons for Beginners. U 4*

An Elementary English Grammar.

English Grammar and Analysis.

First Lessons in Composition.

Composition and Rhetoric.

W

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by ELDREDGE & BROTHER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ..o^o* *-

Revised Edition. Copyright, 1899.

87063

Two Copies Received DEC 11 1900

SECOND COPV

Oetivtred to ORDER DIVISION JAN 36 1901

PRESS OF FERGUSON BROS. & CO., PHILADA.

Preface to the Revised Edition

nrjST the present edition, the publishers have deemed it advisable, in deference to the prevailing method of teaching language, to make certain changes in the arrangement of the book.

Without altering the text in any appreciable degree, they have removed many of the notes scattered through the book. These notes, purely explanatory, while of great value to the teacher, are of little value to the learner.

They have deemed it advisable ^to accustom the pupil to the phraseology of Analysis at an early stage of the study of Grammar, and accordingly examples bearing upon that subject have been introduced where necessary. It is believed that the changes that have been made will enhance the value of a book which for many years has been an object of intelligent affection to many teachers.

iii

Preface to the Original Edition

-OO^Ofr rpHE author, having in great measure rewritten his English "*" Grammar, presents it once more to the consideration of the teachers of the country. The work, as now offered, is the result of long experience in the class-room, and of no little reading and study. The English language and its literature have been for many years the main subjects of the author's inquiry, and he has endeavored in this volume to give the results of his observations in the form which his experience as a teacher has convinced him to be the best adapted to the wants of the learner.

The points aimed at have been twofold :

First, to give some knowledge of grammar in general. This is the more necessary, as most of those who study English grammar study no other language, and have no other means of studying the laws of language as a means of expressing thought.

Secondly, to set forth the forms and laws peculiar to the English language. The English has indeed been called, somewhat irreverently, " the grammarless tongue." Its inflections, it must be confessed, are meagre, as compared with those of the Latin and Greek. Such is the condition of almost every modern tongue. Yet our English has its idioms, as every foreigner learns to his cost, and is not entirely without its inflections. An accurate knowledge of these idioms and inflections is of incalculable value to every one who would be at home in the use of the language.

There is an opinion widely prevalent among the teachers of classical vi PREFACE,

schools, that boys fitting for college have no need to study English grammar. From that opinion the author begs leave respectfully, but most earnestly, to dissent. If he mistakes not, a growing majority of those who are called upon to examine candidates for admission to college will bear him out in his position. The study of Latin and Greek gives indeed a knowledge of the grammar of those languages, and some knowledge of grammar in general, but it does not give a knowledge of English grammar. Does Latin grammar teach a boy our common rules for Spelling, which are a guide to the correct writing of not less than twenty thousand English words ? Does it teach him the origin, form, and uses of the English Possessive? Does it, to take one instance out of hundreds that might be named, teach him the syntax of the phrase " For David thy father's sake " ? Does it teach him the rules for the formation of the English Plural ? — the peculiarities of the Past Participle Active ? Does it not lead him into grave mistakes in regard to the forms and uses of the English verb ?

A word as to the method pursued. The author has endeavored to bear in mind that he was writing, not a treatise for the learned, but a text-book for learners. For such a book, —

The first and most imperative demand is clearness, — clearness of arrangement, and clearness of expression.

Next and hardly less imperative is the demand that the more and the less important should be carefully discriminated, and the difference plainly set forth to the eye.

A third imperative demand is that the rules, definitions, and other matter to be committed to memory, should be expressed with the utmost possible conciseness.

A fourth requisite is that every rule and definition should be supported and illustrated by a goodly array of apt practical examples. These are as necessary in teaching grammar as sums are in teaching arithmetic.

How far these things have been secured is for the reader to judge.

J. S. H.

PAGE

Preface m . iii

Introduction 11

Part I. ORTHOGRAPHY

Letters generally 12

Vowels 13

Consonants 14

Words and Syllables ' 15

Rules for Spelling 16

Part II. ETYMOLOGY

Classification of Words 22

I. Articles.

Classification of Articles 24

vii

Vin CONTENTS.

II. Nouns.

PAGE

Classification of Nouns 26

Attributes of Nouns 27

1. Gender 27

2. Number 30

3. Person 36

4. Case 36

III. Adjectives.

True Character of Adjectives 41

Comparison of Adjectives 42

IV. Pronouns.

True Character of Pronouns 46

1. Personal Pronouns 46

2. Relative Pronouns 49

3. Adjective Pronouns 53

V. Verbs.

Definition of the Verb 56

I. Attributes of Verbs 56

1. Voice 56

2. Mood 57

3. Tense 59

4. Participles 62

5. Number and Person 63

II. Classes of Verbs 63

1. Transitive and Intransitive 63

2. Regular and Irregular 65

3. Defective 70

4. Auxiliary 70

III. Conjugation of Verbs 71

The Verb To Be 72

The Verb To Love . 76

VI. Adverbs.

Comparison of Adverbs 86

Classes of Adverbs 86

VII. Conjunctions.

Character and Uses of Conjunctions 88

VIII. Prepositions.

Character and Uses of Prepositions 91

CONTENTS. ix

IX. Interjections.

PAGE

Definition and Use of Interjections 93

Words used as Different Parts of Speech 93

Derivation of Words.

1. Prefixes of Saxon Origin 96

2. Prefixes of Latin Origin 96

3. Prefixes of Greek Origin 98

4. Affixes 99

Part III. >XKo<^

SENTENCES.

I. Syntax.

Order of the Rules in Syntax 102

1. The Subject 104

3. The Objective Case and the Verb ". 115

4. The Objective Case and the Preposition 119

5. The Possessive Case 124

6. Apposition 128

7. Case after the Verb To Be 131

9. The Article 140

10. The Adjective 143

11. The Adjective Pronoun 147

12. The Participle 150

13. The Adverb . 154

14. The Infinitive Mood 157

15. The Conjunction 160

16. The Interjection 164

II. Analysis.

I. Parts of a Sentence 164

I. The Subject 165

1. Simple Subjects 166

2. Complex Subjects 166

3. Compound Subjects 171

II. The Predicate 172

1. Simple Predicates 172

2. Complex Predicates 172

3. Compound Predicates 176

X CONTENTS.

PAGE

II. Kinds of Sentences 177

I. Simple Sentences 178

II. Complex Sentences 178

III. Compound Sentences 179

III. Explanation of Terms 179

I. Phrases 180

II. Clauses 180

III. Members 181

General Exercises in Analysis 182