A grammar of the English language : with exercises in compositions

Book Two

A GRAMMAR OF THE h\< }L1SH I \NG! V,l

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Book. , M7#

Copyright^

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

Wqz School Course in GFngltefj Book II

A GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

WITH EXERCISES IN COMPOSITION

BY

EDWARD A. ALLEN

PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

AND

WILLIAM J. HAWKINS

PRINCIPAL OF COLUMBIA SCHOOL, ST. LOUIS

REVISED EDITION

BOSTON, U.S.A.

D. C HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS po

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Copyright, 1903 and 1905, By D. C. Heath & Co.

Preface

This book is an attempt to present the essentials of English grammar in a form suitable for instruction in the schools as they are to-day. Much of the usual rubbish has been omitted, but no vital principle of grammar has been intentionally slighted. No attempt is made to* tell everything ; the class is supposed to have a teacher, and in the exercises will be found abundant material for elaboration. In the matter of definitions, it is hoped that much has been simplified, nothing overdone. The best pedagogy is coming more and more into accord with Matthew Arnold's doctrine, that, if you wish the pupils to know what an apple is, the best way is to show them an apple rather than try to give a definition of it after the manner of the books : " An apple has a stalk, peel, pulp, core, pips, and juice; it is odorous and opaque, and is used for making a pleasant'drink called cider." ' The illustrations of analysis are designed to be suggestive rather than to serve as models. The teacher will doubtless prefer to begin with simpler examples, and wftl use the method that seems best adapted to the needs of the class. As an intellectual exercise, oral analysis, it is believed, will yield the best results ; for written exercises

IV

Preface in analysis, if required at all, only the simplest devices should be employed, such as underlining.

In this revised edition, in accordance with the suggestions of many teachers, constructive exercises have been added. All Exercises have been made as simple as possible, but under Reviews the examples, for the sake of variety, range from the simple to the complex, from the easy to the more difficult. The expert teacher will select such as are adapted to the attainments of the pupils.

To meet the requirements for composition work, a Part on Composition also has been added. It provides exercises in invention, oral and written, accompanied with drill in sentence and paragraph formation, punctuation, and letter-writing.

There is no need to call attention to special features of the book. Whatever good points it may have, teachers who examine it will discover for themselves. Intelligent criticism will always be welcome.

Part I Sentences Chapter Page

I. Sentences. . . . . ■ 1-3

II. Simple Sentences 4-15

III. Complex Sentences ........ 16-23

IV. Compound Sentences 24-25

V. Sentence Analysis 26-32

Part II Parts Of Speech

VI. Parts of Speech 33~34

VII. Inflection 35

VIII. Nouns 36-50

Classification, 36-38 ; Gender, 38-40 ; Number, 40-44 ; Case, 45-49 ; Review, 50.

IX. Pronouns 51-63

Personal Pronouns, 51-53 ; Compound Personal Pronouns, 53-54; Interrogative Pronouns, 55-56; Relative Pronouns, 56-60 ; Demonstrative Pronouns, 61 ; Indefinite and Reciprocal Pronouns, 61-62 ; Review, 63.

X. Adjectives 64-70

Classification, 64; Numeral Adjectives, 64; Pronominal Adjectives, 64-65 ; Articles, 66 ; Comparison, 67-69 ; Review, 69-70.

XL Verbs 71-100

Transitive and Intransitive, 71-75 ; Mood, 76-77; Tense, 77-80 ; Person and Number, 80-81 ; Infinitive, 81 ; Participles, 82 ; Conjugation, 83-89 ; Strong and Weak Verbs, 90-96 ; Defective Verbs, 96-97 ; Impersonal Verbs, 97 ; Auxiliaries, 97-98 ; Review, 99-100. v vi Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

XII. Adverbs 101-105

Classification, 101 ; Pronominal Adverbs, 102 ; Comparison, 103-104; Review, 104-105.

XIII. Prepositions 106-108

XIV. Conjunctions 109-111

XV. Interjections 112

Part III Syntax

XVI. Syntax 1 13-154

Case Relations: Nominative, 114-116; Possessive, 116- 117; Objective, 1 17-120; Review, 120-122 — Syntax of Adjectives, 122-124 — Concord: Of Pronoun with Antecedent, 125-126; Of Subject with Predicate, 126-129 — Present and Present Perfect Tenses, 129 — Subjunctive Mood: In Principal Sentences, 1 30-13 1 ; In Clauses, 131- 132 — Modal Auxiliaries, 134-137 ; Conditional Propositions, 137-138; Shall and Will, 139 — Infinitive, 140-145 — Verbal Nouns, 145-146; Participles, 146-150 — General Review, 1 51-154.

Part IV

I. Sentences 155-172

II. Letters 173-201

Business Letters, 1 73-1 85 ; Familiar Letters, 186-188 Shall and Will, 188-189 ; Formal Invitations, 189-192 Rules for Punctuation at the End of the Sentence, 192-194 Rules for Quotation, 194-197; Words often Misused, 197— 198.

III. Paragraphs 202-233

Use of Punctuation Marks, 224-233 ; Comma, 225-227 ; Semicolon, 228-229 ; Period, 229 ; Question Mark, 229 ; Exclamation Mark, 229 ; Colon, 229-230 ; Dash, 230-231 ; Marks of Parenthesis, 231 ; Brackets, 231 ; Quotation Marks, 231 ; Italics, 232 ; Hyphen, 232 ; Apostrophe, 232-233 ; Capital Letters, 233.

APPENDIX Cautions . . 234-236

A GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Part I Chapter I Sentences

1. Whenever we say anything, or ask a question, or give an order, or express a wish or a feeling, the words by means of which we do so make a sentence. "John has learned his lesson," " When will he return ? " " Send me three loaves of bread," "Long live the king!" "How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank ! " are sentences.

A group of words expressing a complete thought is a sentence.

2. According as a sentence makes a statement, asks a question, gives a command, or expresses emotion, it is called Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, or Exclamatory : —

Declarative : John has learned his lesson.

Interrogative : When will he return ?

Imperative : Send me three loaves of bread.

Exclamatory : How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!

i

Tell of what kind is each of the following sentences : —

i. There are three books on the desk.

2. The bottle is full of ink.

3. Hang your hat in the hall.

4. Have you found your pencil ?

5. George Washington was our first President.

6. Who is President now ?

7. Dewey captured Manila.

8. O mists, make room for me !

9. Whom did the man ask for ?

10. Cease, traitor ! God's temple is the house of peace !

1 1 . How much is thy gain in a day ?

12. Piper, sit thee down and write in a book, that all may read.

Tell the kinds of sentences in each of the following selections : —

1 . Then he ran to her and laid

His head upon her arm, As if he said, " I'm not afraid, You'll keep me from all harm."

2. Lift your leafy roof for me,

Part your yielding walls ; Let me wander lingeringly Through your scented halls.

3. You think my questions are trifling, dear ?

Let me ask you another one :

Can a hasty word be ever unsaid

4. When can their glory fade ?

O the wild charge they made !

All the world wondered.

Honor the charge they made !

Honor the Light Brigade,

Noble Six Hundred !

Sentences 3

5. My father lived at Blenheim then,

Yon little stream hard by ; They burnt his dwelling to the ground,

And he was forced to fly ; So with his wife and child he fled, Nor had he where to rest his head.

1. Write two declarative sentences about important events.

2. Write two interrogative sentences about noted men.

3. Write two imperative sentences that command the discharge of duty.

4. Write two exclamatory sentences, the first to indicate very great pleasure, and the second, great surprise.

3. Sentences are also classified according to their construction, as Simple, Complex, and Compound.

Chapter II

4. Every sentence is made up of two parts, called the Subject and the Predicate.

In " John has learned his lessson," _/<?^;z is the subject — that of which something is said ; and has learned his lesson is the predicate — that which is said of John.

In " When will he return ? 11 he is the subject and when will . . . return the predicate.

In " Long live the king !" the king is the subject, and long live the predicate.

In the sentence, " How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank ! " the moonlight is the subject, and how sweet . . . sleeps upon this bank the predicate.

In the sentence, " Send me three loaves of bread," — and regularly in imperative sentences, — the subject is not expressed, being sufficiently understood. It is always the person we are speaking to. The predicate is send me three loaves of bread — that which we ask the person addressed to do.

5. Position of the Subject. — The subject does not always come first. In interrogative sentences the predicate usually comes before the subject, and in many other sentences the subject is placed at, or near, the close of the sentence.

The following sentences are examples of the different positions of the subject. The subject of each sentence is printed in italics.

Has the bell rung ?

There came a man on horseback.

Up went all the hats.

One boy he praised, another he blamed.

Into the valley of death rode the Six Hundred. 4

6. Sentences that have but one subject and one predicate are called Simple Sentences.

Write two original simple declarative sentences, and indicate the subject and predicate of each by underscoring the subject with two lines and the predicate with one line ; two interrogative sentences, and indicate subject and predicate in the same way ; two imperative sentences, and two exclamatory sentences.

Point out the subject and the predicate in each of the following sentences : — ■

1. Brutus stabbed Csesar.

2. Alaska is a cold country.

3. Have you seen Alice to-day?

4. Slowly and sadly we laid him down.

5. Gray hairs are honorable.

6. Each horseman drew his battle blade.

7. Down went the trusted leader.

8. Great is your reward in heaven.

9. One good turn deserves another.

10. Play that tune again.

1 1 . Why does he loiter here ?

12. How calmly the midnight moon ascends!

13. Ill weeds grow apace.

14. No harm come nigh thee!

15. What reason did he give for his absence?

16. The spirits of your fathers shall start from every wave.

17. Three years she grew in sun and shower.

18. Raise the flag at sunrise.

19. May the thought of those happier days cheer you in your lonely home!

20. The birds have gone to sleep.

21. The way was long, the wind was cold, > The minstrel was infirm and old.

22. The sun now rose upon the right, Out of the sea came he.

23. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea, The ploughman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

24. Beneath the spreading chestnut tree

The village smithy stands ; The smith, a mighty man is he

With large and sinewy hands ; And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

7. Compound Subjects. — Very often, in simple sentences, two or more connected subjects are used with one predicate, as : —

John and James were absent yesterday.

My brother and sister have gone to the country.

Two or more connected subjects that have the same predicate form a Compound Subject.

8. Compound Predicates. — Very often, in simple sentences, one subject has two or more connected predicates, as : —

The speaker then bowed and took his seat.

The lad hung his head and wept bitterly.

I awoke early 1 dressed hastily, and went down to breakfast.

Two or more connected predicates that have the same subject form a Compound Predicate.

9. The same sentence may have both a compound subject and a compound predicate, as : —

The husband and wife stood near the door and received their guests.

Write two original sentences that have compound subjects ; two that have compound predicates; and two that have both compound subjects and compound predicates.

Copy the following sentences into four groups : —

(i) Simple subjects and simple predicates.

(2) Compound subjects and simple predicates.

(3) Simple subjects and compound predicates.

(4) Compound subjects and compound predicates.

1. The sun shines.

2. Two cows were killed.

3. Jack and Jill went up the hill.

4. The children came and gathered the berries.

5. I am not acquainted with him.

6. He and I saw him and ran.

7. They were not there.

8. Old and young were satisfied.

9. Charity suffereth long and is kind.

10. James and John left their nets and followed Him.

11. Rain, snow, and hail fell that day.

12. Her steps were not heard.

13. Which of the men came first ?

14. Were Mary and Lucy there. ?

15. I will go and return with him.

16. They came and went.

17. Several boys did not go.

18. The calves were not all sold.

19. John, the oldest son, was not there.

20. Who will come and go ?

21. But the old three-cornered hat, And the breeches, and all that,

Are so queer.

22. Tell me, sunny goldenrod,

Growing everywhere.

Did fairies come from fairyland And make the dress you wear ?

23. Can you put the lily cup back on the stem,

And cause it again to grow ?

Can you mend the butterfly's broken wing That you crushed with a hasty blow ?

24. Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,

And cannot tell where to find them ; Leave them alone, and they'll come home.

And bring their tails behind them.

10. A Phrase is a group of words without subject or predicate that does the work of a single part of speech. Thus, in the sentence, " He is a man of honor," of honor is a phrase, for it does the work of the adjective honorable. In the sentence, " The man acted in haste," in haste is a phrase, and does the work of the adverb hastily. In the sentence, "To be with him was a pleasure," to be with him is a phrase that does the work of a noun and is the subject of was a pleasure.

11. According as they do the work of adjectives, adverbs, or nouns, phrases are classified as Adjective Phrases, Adverb Phrases, or Noun Phrases.

In the following sentences, point out the phrases and tell whether they are adjective phrases, adverb phrases, or noun phrases : —

1. He had a coat of many colors.

2. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

3. The capture of Manila was unexpected.

4. The house of the seven gables stands in a large yard.

5. To hear him weep cuts me to the heart.

6. The sun set behind a hill.

7. George has written a letter of five pages to his sister.

8. I met him coming from school.

9. Washington was the father of his country. 10. Giving others advice is easy.

n. The men of Athens were idle at noontime.

12. The bird was perched on the limb of a tree.

13. Playing with books is not studying.

14. The railroad runs through our farm.

15. She dwelt among the untrodden ways

Beside the Springs of Dove.

16. And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

17. I stood on the bridge at midnight,

The clocks were striking the hour, And the moon rose o'er the city, Behind the dark church tower.

EXERCISE 9 Construct sentences containing phrases as follows : —

1. Three declarative sentences that contain adjective phrases.

2. Three interrogative sentences that contain both adjective and adverb phrases.

3. Three imperative sentences that contain adverb phrases.

4. Three sentences that have noun phrases used as subjects.

5. Copy from a reader, or from literature, two of each kind of sentences.

12. Simple and Complete Subjects. — The subject is sometimes a single word, as in " Clouds arose." But it may contain several words, as in "Black, threatening clouds io English Grammar

arose." In such cases the principal word, generally a noun or pronoun, is called the Simple Subject; the other words, modifying a simple subject, are called Adjuncts of the subject, and the whole made up of the simple subject and its adjuncts is called the Complete Subject of the sentence.

The adjuncts of the subject may be : —

(a) Adjectives.

(b) Nouns used as explanatory (in apposition) or in the possessive case.

(c) Adjective phrases.

Point out the complete subjects, the simple subjects, and the adjuncts of the simple subjects. Classify the adjuncts as adjectives, nouns, or adjective phrases : —

i. Good citizens prefer the welfare of their country to the success of their party.

2. A fearful storm arose.

3. John, the gardener, is sick.

4. The rules of the game are strictly observed.

5. Tom's father has returned.

6. Captain Parker, a tall, lean man, commanded the second company.

7. This old air, sung by a hundred fresh young voices, was well worth hearing.

8. The time for action is at hand.

9. Washington, our first President, was a surveyor in his early life.

10. Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.

1 1 . The slowly waning moon appears.

12. The victory of our team is now assured.

13. Captain Kidd, the famous pirate, was the terror of all merchantmen.

14. Water fit to drink was not to be had.

15. A march of twenty days through dense forests and poisonous swamps brought us at last to the sea-coast.

Simple Sentences II

13. Under noun subjects are included : —

(i) Phrases: —

(a) Out of sight is out of mind.

(b) To live dishonored is a fearful fate.

(f) Digging for hidden gold makes few men rich.

(2) Adjectives used as nouns: —

The richest are not always the happiest.

(3) Adverbs of time and place: —

To-morrow will be Sunday.

(4) Any part of speech, when made the subject of discourse : —

/is a personal pronoun. Light is an adjective in that sentence.

Write three sentences with phrases used as subjects ; three having for subjects adjectives used as nouns; four in which the subjects are adverbs of time and place, used as nouns.

Point out the subjects in the following sentences, and tell whether they are words or phrases : —

1. I am on my way to school.

2. Where are you going?

3. The coming of the men was not observed.

4. There were few scholars present.

5. To-day is your birthday.

6. To see is to believe.

7. Seeing is believing.

8. Your coming has made me happy.

9. When is a relative adverb.

10. To give money is not enough.

1 1 . Let him come in.

12. To err is human.

14. It and There. — The pronoun it and the adverb there are often used at the beginning of a sentence as introductory words when it is desired to place the subject after the verb.

In the sentence, " It is easy to answer that question," the subject is to answer that question, and the predicate is is easy. In the sentence, "It was settled that James should go," the subject is that James shotild go and the predicate is was settled. In these sentences it is used as an introductory word, and may be said to represent the subject.

The subject of any sentence is the answer to the question formed by placing who or what before the predicate. In the first sentence, to the question, "what is easy?" the answer is not it, but to answer that question. Likewise, in the second sentence the answer to " what was settled?" is that James should go. In such sentences the term expletive is commonly applied to it.

The adverb there is also used as an introductory word, and in such sentences it is an expletive, as : " There are three men here." " There was no hope for him."

Point out the subjects and predicates in the following sentences : —

i. It is sure to rain.

2. It is not good to be alone.

3. It was his intention to come.

4. It is a crime to receive stolen goods.

5 . It was easy to establish the truth of the proposition.

6. There were three boys there.

7. There was no one else there.

8. There is now no room for hope.

9. There is one mightier than he.

10. There is come a burst of thunder sound.

1 1 . There will be a day of reckoning.

Point out the complete subject, the simple subject, and the adjuncts of the simple subject in the following sentences : —

1 . To be weak is to be miserable.

2. Seeing is believing.

3. To see is to believe.

4. Your coming has made us happy.

5. Making hay is hard work.

6. To hear him weep cuts me to the heart.

7. The richest are not always the most generous.

8. Yesterday was my birthday.

9. The king's refusal to grant the petition caused a revolution.

10. There came a man on horseback to the gate.

11. It is hard work rowing against the stream.

12. It is my duty to remind him.

13. There was heard a noise of weeping in the house.

14. The house on the hill belongs to Mr. Miller.

15. Men of great wealth may not be men of great usefulness.

15. Simple and Complete Predicates. — The predicate is that which is said of the subject. It is, therefore, an essential part of any sentence. There can be no sentence without a predicate. Cartilage is not a sentence, for though it names a city, it tells us nothing about that city. Nor is the destruction of Carthage a sentence. It is only a noun with modifiers, of which nothing is yet said. But Carthage was destroyed is a sentence, and so is The destruction of Carthage removed the last great rival of Rome, for in the first something is said of "Carthage," and in the second something is said of " the destruction of Carthage."

16. To any complete predication a Finite Verb is essential. The finite verb is called the Simple Predicate. The

Complete Predicate includes all that is said of the subject ; it may be identical with the simple predicate, it may be an enlargement of the simple predicate. Thus, in the sentence, " Ice melts," melts is the predicate ; in " Ice melts rapidly in the sun," melts is the simple predicate, the adverb rapidly and the adverbial phrase in the sun are adjuncts of the simple predicate, and melts rapidly in the sun is the complete predicate — all that is said of ice in the sentence.

17. The simple predicate may be enlarged by : —

1. Direct Object : The frost killed the flowers.

2. Indirect Object : He gave each man his share.

3. Predicate Noun or Pronoun : Longfellow was a poet. This is he.

4. Predicate Adjective : Cherries are ripe.

5. Objective Complement (noun or adjective): They made Tom captain. He sawed the sticks too short.

6. Adverb : Mary sews well.

7. Nouns denoting time, space, measure, and other adverbial relations : It weighs ten pounds. He left Saturday. The famine lasted ten years. They walked five miles.

8. Complementary Phrase : They were obliged to return.

9. Adverb Phrase : I met him at the post-office.

10. Phrases used as Predicate Adjectives : He was in excellent health. He was well off.

Note. — The various parts of speech that may be used as subjects (see 13), may also be used as objects, and with the same modifiers.

Point out the complete predicate, the simple predicate, and the adjuncts of the simple predicate : —

1. George has given Alfred six of his marbles.

2. What reason did he give for being late ?

3. It is I.

4. Open the door.

5. The children will soon be ready.

6. It was a famous victory.

7. Alfred the Great defended his kingdom against the Danes.

8. The child was called John.

9. The washerwoman wrung the clothes dry.

10. Lucy plays tolerably well.

1 1 . The armies of Rome made Carthage a ruin.

12. Thompson was elected captain of the team.

13. The snake measured five feet.

14. The class was told to take the lesson over again.

15. I met the sheriff on my way home.

16. They were in a great hurry.

17. The highwayman became the terror of the countryside.

18. Learn to eat slowly.

19. He is coming to take tea here Thursday evening.

20. I have no time to do your sums for you.

21. After trying in vain to make a living in business, he became a tramp.

23. Be on your guard.

24. He got strong in a few weeks.

25. My brother was twelve years old last month.

26. Some books help us to understand ourselves.

27. Duncan is in his grave.

28. After life's fitful fever he sleeps well.

29. Tom stood at the door, with a broad-brimmed hat perched on the back of his head.

30. I have lived here thirty years.

EXERCISE 16 Construct sentences with complete predicates as follows : —

1 . Two with predicate nouns.

2. Two with indirect objects.

3. Two with compiemeiitary phrases.

4. Two with adverb phrases.

5. Two with phrases used as predicate adjectives.

6. Copy from a reader, or from literature, one sentence of each kind.