A comprehensive English grammar

Front matter

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Preface

again : that this treatise will increase tenfold each student's advantages and possibilities in obtaining a complete knowledge of English; because, after he has mastered the language Definitions in answer to the questions, the facts and principles are tenfold more firmly and indelibly riveted upon his mind by four rapid and happy drills called Word-analysis, Parsing, Sentence-analysis and Scanning.

In these Four Charming Drills, the learner exercises himself; until he becomes perfectly familiar with the Orthography, Etymology, Syntax and Prosody of the language and until this familiarity exists not only in his mind but extends also to his eye in reading, his tongue in speaking and his fingers in writing the Mother-tongue. A class of ten persons of thirteen years of age : who have been carefully instructed for ten months in this system; which, as a pure science evolved out of nature, is so well adapted to the laws of mind; will write on a blackboard a stanza of poetry or ten lines of Milton, which they have had two hours to look over. They will then, not like a parrot but fully understanding the principles involved, go over the entire piece of language; first in Word-analysis, second in Parsing, third in Sentence-analysis and fourth in Scanning. When they have finished the Four Drills, an examining board, in whose presence they were performed, can ask them no question upon this piece of language, which they have not already answered in the mere course of The Drills. ■ A youth of natural intelligence cannot be so rustic and so destitute of early culture; that he cannot, by mastering this system, burst the fetters of habit and free himself from this galling slavery. He soon reaches such a degree of progress: that mistakes of either Orthography, Etymology, Syntax or Prosody ; made in writing, conversation or public speaking ; jar and grate so painfully upon his practiced ear and eye, that the chains of his own early bad habits naturally drop off. One, who has learned this system, will soon acquire such readiness in English ; that, rapid and pleasing as the vocal Drills are, he will not even have to stop to perform them but

VI PREFACE.

can, merely by the eye in reading Milton or other language, solve every difficulty that lies on the page before him. He can then also learn Latin and Greek more than twice as rapidly as before ; because, when he can analyze merely at sight the sublime sentences of Milton, all, he will have to do, will be to learn the Latin and Greek forms and vocabulary and then the sentences of Caesar and Xenophon will tumble to pieces into their elements before his practiced eye.

As Chemistry has to be learned, before its applications Agriculture and Medicine, and Mathematics, before its applications Astronomy and Engineering: so this system; being, in the first part though incidentally, a good treatise upon Voice Culture and, in the third part, a good system of instruction upon the Writing or Composing of sentences and their elements; gives the pupil a very high preparation for the advanced study of Grammar's great applications Composition, Elocution and the Great English Poets.

In reference to punctuation, the authors desire the reader to withhold his judgment ; until he has studied the system set forth in this book, which is based upon and used to make manifest to the eye the analysis of the sentence. This system, while exceedingly simple and easy to master, will be found to be as exact as a demonstration in mathematics. They also claim, as a new and good feature, the Syntax Tree ; which follows and, as an illustration, explains Sentence-analysis in Part Third.

This treatise is concise in its entire style but this will, if the plan is followed, be an advantage rather than a disadvantage ; because a book is oftenvaluable as much on account of, what is left out of it, as on account of, what it contains.

The world is now tired of that extreme, which excludes memorizing from systems of education. The analysis and application of knowledge is a matter, of thought and pupils cannot analyze and apply knowledge; which they do not possess but which lies only, if anywhere, in the mind of the teacher. The motto of the authors is ; first memorize, then analyze and then apply the knowledge. The answers to the

PREFACE. Vll

questions are language definitions and must be carefully committed to memory, before the Drills are reached, and each of the Four Parts must be finished, before the next is taken up. Persons however, wishing so to do, can reverse the order of the first and second parts and commence with the Etymology. Each part is a separate and complete treatise in itself and each can be used without the others, if necessary.

In the conclusion of the book, the selections there given must have the Four Drills applied to them separately and each in its order, as laid down in the body of the work. If the system is not used in accordance with the directions given, the authors should not be held responsible; if such results are not attained, as may be reasonably expected from a proper use of the book. The truth, of what is claimed for this book, will, if necessary, be demonstrated ; by testing it in the instruction of classes according to the system and submitting the result to the inspection of disinterested, competent persons.

Being comprehensive, it is adapted to the instruction and mental training of even young children. No child can learn grammar in any text-look, until he can read, and that is the only qualification needed for commencing in this work. If a child cannot learn an entire lesson for one recitation, he should have only a part of it. If not the half, the fourth. If not the fourth, then the eighth. If not so much as this, he should have but one question and answer. If he cannot learn this for one recitation, he should be drilled on the same question and answer for several days. As soon as he has learned one, he will wish of his own accord to go on, without being pushed by the teacher. By this careful method children ten years old have even mastered the forms of the Latin and Greek grammars.

A cadet has to practice his drills over and over, before his education is complete ; so any repetitions, which may appear in this work, will be explained by its plan as a Drill-book.

PART FIEST consists of catechetical instructions in Orthography; followed by selections of poetry for Word-analysis, every word of which is to be carefully analyzed

Vlll PREFACE.

according to the concise Schemes or Charts given and the explanations or Models following them.

PART SECOND consists of catechetical instructions in Etymology with a few lessons in Syntax, followed by the same selections of poetry for Parsing, every word of which is to be carefully Parsed according to the concise Schemes or Charts given and the explanations or Models following them.

PART THIRD consists of catechetical instructions in Syntax pure ; followed by the same selections of poetry for Sentence-analysis, every word of which is to be carefully Analyzed according to the concise Schemes or Charts given and the explanations or Models following them.

PART FOURTH consists of catechetical instructions in Prosody ; followed by the same selections of poetry for Scanning, every verse of which is to be carefully Scanned according to the concise Schemes or Charts given and the explanations or Models following them.

The authors have deemed it best for those, who will use this work as a preparation for the more advanced study of philology in other text-books, to preserve intact, so far as consistent with their plan, the time-honored definitions, the phraseology and the general nomenclature of English ; which have passed through and constituted the framework of all the Grammars, that have appeared since the days of Murray. So to their predecessors, who have produced good Grammars of the English Language, the authors acknowledge indebtedness but they have adopted such an original plan of presentation and application : as has been found and can be demonstrated to produce ; with the minimum time, labor, discouragement and expense; the very maximum results in the mastery of our Mother-tongue. The mechanical execution of the work will commend it to every lover of excellence in the typographical art. With the assurance; that the treatise, if properly used, will produce even greater results, than have been promised ; it is respectfully submitted to the public by

The Authors.

Table of Letters, Letter Groups and Marks..

IV V

VII VII

8 21

Vowels «

VII VIII

Classes of Consonants, Diphthongs

Digraphs, Triphthongs and Trigraphs

IX

Classes and Sounds of Letters, A and B

X

CandD

X

B, Fand G....

XII

G, Hand I....

XIII

J, K and L

XIV

M, NandO....

XV

XVI

TandU

XVII

..

XVIII

U U It It

ZandTh

XIX

PhandWh ...

XX

Gh,NgandSh,

XXI

..

" " Diphthongs and Digraphs

XXII

..

" " " Triphthongs and Trigraphs

XXIII

XXIV

Table of Letters and Sounds .

XXV

Table of Substitutes

XXVI XXIX

Irregular Letters and Groups Names of Letters

XXX

XXX XXXII

Fourth and Fifth Divisions.

XXXVII

Spelling

XXXVIII

..

Syllabification

XXXIX

XL

XL VII

Scheme for Spelling

XLVII

Phonetic Spelling

XLVII1

CONTENTS.

Analysis of Syllables.

Scheme for the Analysis of a Syllable

Analysis of " Fringe "

" "Veil"

" "Seal"

Syllables to be Analyzed

Word-analysis.

Scheme for Analyzing a Word

Analysis of " Transfigure "

" " "Unbroken"

Words to be Analyzed

Selections for Drilling in Word-analysis

Lesson.

XLIX

L

L

L

LVII

LV1I

LVI1I

LIX

LXV

Question.

Page.

PART SECOND.— PARSING OR ETYMOLOGY AND SYNTAX. First and Second Divisions. Definitions, Parts of Speech

Substance, Qualities, the Noun

The Noun.— Gender, Person and Number —

" " Rules for Plurals, Case

" " Case, Declensions

" Pronoun. — Diagram of Pronouns

" Adjective.— Classes, Comparison

" Verb

" " Voice and Mood

" " Tense

" " Person and Number, Conjugation,

" " List of Irregular Verbs

" Adverb

" Participle

" Preposition

List of Prepositions

The Conjunction

Connectives

The Interjection

Third Division.

Home Derivation

Prefixes

Suffixes

Derivatives.

Separate Radicals or Roots Inseparable Radicals or Roots .

The word " Press "

Compounds

Temporary Compounds

Permanent "

Fourth Division.

Foreign Derivation , Lessons in Syntax.

Syntax

Relation in Syntax. .

Government

Limitation

Connection

Rules of Syntax ....

I

II

III

IV

V

VIII

XIX

112 120

XXV

XXVI

XXVIII

LII

LXI

LXIII

LXIV

LXVIII

LXIX

LXX

LXXI

LXXIII

LXXI1I

LXXIV

LXXIV

LXXIV

LXXIV

LXXV

LXXVI

LXXVT

LXXVI

LXXVI

LXXVI LXXXIX

184 197

CONTENTS.

XI

Supplement to Part Second, so-called Subjunctive Mood

Schemes for Parsing

Parsing

Selections for Parsing-

Lesson.

XCII

XCIV

CVII

CXXIV

Question. Page.

209 230

PART THIRD -SENTENCE-ANALYSIS OR SYNTAX. General Definitions — Government I

Relation I

Government I

Limitation Ill

Connection V

Rules of Syntax VII

Punctuation VIII

The Sentence XII

The Element XIII

The Absolute Element XIV

The Subject Element XV

The Predicate Element XVI

The Adjective Element XVII

The Adverbial Element XVIII

The Objective Element XIX

The Elements Combined XX

The Proposition— Kinds of Elements XXX

The Phrase XXXI

TheClause XXXIII

The Complex Sentence XXXIV

Kinds of Clauses XXXV

The Subordinate Clause XXXVII

Limitation of Elements ,

The Application of Punctuation

Order of Elements

Scheme for Analyzing the Sentence .

Scheme for Analyzing the Element .

How to Apply the Schemes

Drilling in Sentence-analysis

The Syntax Tree

Selections for Sentence-analysis

XLII

XLITI

XLVII

XLIX

L

LII

LIII

LX

PART FOURTH.— SCANNING OR PROSODY. First Division

Quantity and Accent , Poetry

Prosody

Emphasis Accent, feet .

Second Division.

Rhythm

Kinds of Feet...

Kinds of Metre The Iambus.

Monometer.

Dimeter

231 232 234

I

I

I

I

II

III

IV

IV

IV

V

V

Xll

CONTENTS.

Lesson.

Trimeter V

Tetrameter V

Pentameter . . V

Hexameter V

Heptameter V

Octameter V

Heroic Verse V

TheTrochee VI

The Dactyl VI

The Anapest VII

The Amphibrach IX

Iambic and Trochaic Poems X

Catalectic Verse X

H y permeter or Hyper catalectic Verse X

Anapestic Poems XI

Amphibrach Poems XI

Dactylic Poems XI

Epic Poems XI

Dramatic Poems XI

Tragedy XI

Comedy ;... XI

Satire XI

Opera XI

Elegy XI

Third Division.

Rhyme XII

Perfect Ehyme XII

Imperfect Rhyme XIII

Single Rhyme XIII

DoubleRhyme XIII

Triple Rhyme XIII

Pauses XIV

Pinal Pause . . . XIV

Caesural Pause XIV

Couplet XIV

Triplet... XIV

Selection of Words XIV

Inspiration XIV

Pourth Division.

Transposition of Prose XV

Prose XV

Poetry.. XV

Rhyme XV

BlankVerse XV

The Mind, Transposition XVI

Prose Transposed XVI

Transposition of Poetry XVIII

Poetry Transposed XVIII

Scanning XVIII

Scheme for Scanning XVIII

Specimens of Scanning XIX

Selections for Scanning.