A new inductive grammar of the English language : founded entirely on the principle of relations

Front matter

o V

NEW INDUCTIVE GRAMMAR

OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,

Introduction

The Black-board is a modern invention, and is found to be of great practical utility, by enabling the teacher to hold a direct communication with his class, and daguerreotypiirg, as it were, the principles of an art or science directly upon the mind or brain of the student. For let it be remembered, that at the very moment the delineations or demonstrations are being made on the board, they are, at the same time, indelibly written on the brain of each student, not to be forgotten or effaced like impressions made on the board ; but which are to remain as part and parcel of his education as long as he lives. As the largest fortune is only the accumulated savings of years of industry, so the finest education is the result of the hoardings and savings of thought — the remembered impressions made on the brain through the medium of the five common senses, as the cause, manner or instrument by which the communication is made. As impressions made on the mind by seeing, are more important and lasting than those made by any other of the senses, the instructor or educator should make a constant use of this faculty in communicating his instructions.

Now, as the black-board is used to demonstrate almost every science or study taught at schools, except, as a general thing, that of English grammar, the author of this work has sought to remedy this defect by preparing exercises especially for the black-board, and arranging them in such a way that the pages themselves represent the black-board, giving the exercises in blank, to be filled with pencil by the student, or transferred to

6 INTRODUCTION.

the black-board itself, and there demonstrated in fall. By this method the lesson is presented to the whole class at once, and the reason or relation on which the definitions and rules are founded becomes at once apparent, being a deduction from the relations themselves ; for every rule is reasonable if the reason on which it is founded is understood, and made the base on which the rule is to rest; for an arbitrary rule means nothingmore, in the mind of the novitiate, thai; a rule resting on unknown principles. Hence it comes to pass, that students have, for ages, been learning " Rules " and " Definitions," Jboth in arithmetic and grammar, without understanding the principles on which these Eules and Definitions are founded. The principle, origin, or foundation of a thing must be known before the rule or law of its nature can be understood. The relation is the substance : the rule or definition, the shadow of that substance.

The only method to render the study of grammar itiviting and interesting to children possessing^reasoning faculties, is to communicate to them a true knowledge of the principles , on which the science about to bo taught is founded ; for no person ever becomes interested in playing a gamfc of draughts, chess, cards, etc., until he understands the principles of the game; otherwise, he will be compelled to make all his moves, as it were, by chance, without any guide to direct him. No one becomes fond of fishing or gunning until he is expert in those sports.

On receiving a new book, a child first looks for the pictures, for the simple reason that he can understand them, by comparing them (mentally) with the real objects in nature which they represent. The comparing of any two objects, as a horse with the picture of a horse, etc., involves a process of reasoning, and forming conclusions.

INTRODUCTION. 7

The object of arranging the words in columns, in the Black-board exercises, is to analyze the sentence before the student commences to parse it; for the mere act of placing the words in this position is the simplest plan of analysis, especially for children, that could be given; and gives the student a better opportunity of exercising his judgment in uniting the words again, according to their synthetic relation.

Analysis is placing the ivords in a column. Synthesis is the reduplication of these words.

The student will be guided in doubling these words by the natural relation which they hold to each other; for each word in a sentence has some other word or words with which it naturally unites itself, independent of arbitrary rules or laws.

Let it be remembered that the separating of a sentence into words, constitutes analysis, (or etymology,) and the reunion of these words, so as to reproduce the original sentence, or to exhibit their grammatical relations, constitutes synthesis or syntax; and that a thorough knowledge of analysis and synthesis renders the scholar a finished grammarian.

It is not only desirable, but essentially necessary, that the teacher should pronounce each of these words separately, after the manner of spelling lessons, that the pupils may give it a relation by joining it to (speaking it with) some other word or words, to which it has a natural dependent relation: on the 29th page the teacher pronounces: and the pupil responds:

"The"— "The sun"

"sun" — "sun went"

"went"— "sun went"

"down." "went down."

"nor" "the sun went nor the carnage ceased."

In this way any teacher that can teach a class to spell, can teach it grammar.

THESES.

1. The Etymology of a word depends entirely on its Syntax, or relation to another word ; hence, a word that has no Syntax can have no Etymology : i. e., before any word becomes a part (of speech) of a sentence, it must be incorporated into that sentence of which it is a part.

2. The Case of nouns and pronouns is that relation or position which they have to another word; therefore, a word having no relation to any other word, is in no case or position whatever ; as, nominative, man ; possessive, man's ; objective, man. Now, the word man, as arranged above, is in no case, neither 'is it a " part of speech."

3. A word never becomes a noun or any other part of speech by being used technically, or independent of its meaning; but by having the syntax of a noun (or other part of speech), as John is a scholar: is is a verb, them is a pronoun, in which John, is and them become nouns by having the syntax of nouns.

4. Detached words, as arranged in the columns of spelling books and lexicons, are no parts (of speech or) of a sentence, until they are actually used in a sentence.

5. Every word, before it becomes a part of speech or sentence, and before it can be parsed, must be collected to not more than two 9 nor less than one other word, called the single and double relation.

Note. — The interjection being a virtual sentence, has no relation, except with the vocative or case independent.