Practical lessons in English grammar and composition

Front matter

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1109 # £ 9 1 g PRACTICAL. LESSONS

Preface

The general character of this little work is correctly described in the tide page. It is a series of " Practical Lessons on English Grammar and Composition, for Young Beginners." It owes its origin to a wish strongly expressed,, from various quarters, which the author is bound to respect, to have a small work on Grammar, suited by its simplicity to the capacity of children at an earlier age than that at which the study of Grammar is usually commenced, and answering in its practical character, to the improved methods of teaching Grammar, as well as other branches in the more juvenile departments of Academies and Common Schools.

The work is divided into Lessons, each of which is devoted to some one topic. The arrangement in each Lesson 'is the same throughout except that the Questions on each Rule of Syntax are left to be framed by the teacher. That order is the following : First, the Definitions and Rules belonging to the Lesson, and intended to be committed to memory, are placed first in large type. Next to these, any subordinate matter regarded as proper for so brief a compend, is subjoined in a smaller type, to be carefully read and studied with the Lesson. Then, a series of Questions so framed that correct answers will bring out all the leading facts contained in the preceding text. And lastly, practical Exercises are subjoined, for the purpose of reducing immediately to practice the knowledge acquired, and fixing it in the easiest and most effectual manner in the understanding.

The Exercises, in most of the Lessons, are capable of being used in a variety of ways ; and ample directions are given in small but clear type, as to the manner in which they are intended to be used ; so that even inexperienced teachers and others may be at no loss to conduct a class of very young pupils through a profitable initiatory course of English Grammar.

In Etymology, "Illustrations" are occasionally thrown in, to shew in what manner important principles in Grammar may be simplified to the young learner ; and in Syntax, a plain and familiar " Explanation' is subjoined to each Rule, for the same purpose.

I? PREFACE.

It is of great importance to keep the acquisitions of pupils already made always at hand, and to impress them indelibly on their minds by repeated reviews of previous Lessons ; and it will be seen that directions are given at the beginning of each Lesson, for carrying this useful practice into effect.

Another feature in this work,— and I may say peculiar to it,— is, that with the principles of Grammar, at every step are combined instructions and exercises in the elementary principles of Composition. Analysis and Composition are carried on together. Directions for parsing each part of speech, with accompanying examples for practice, are given as soon as it has been treated of: And in like manner the proper method of cdmbining words for the purpose of expressing our ideas, is pointed out, and Exercises devised, as soon as the pupil has been made acquainted with the classes of words capable of being combined. One Exercise of this kind, sometimes more, is connected with almost every Rule of Syntax, as at once an exercise on the Rule and a praxis on Composition.

As Orthography belongs more strictly to the Spelling Book, and Prosody is u study for more advanced pupils than those for whom this work is intended, they are introduced here only for the sake of form, and of course little is said respecting them.

Preface To The Revised Edition

This edition has been revised and corrected to correspond with the new edition of u The Principles of English Grammar/ 7 and with the " Analytical and Practical Grammar of the English Language" recently published. Though this work is not intended to be a complete treatise on English Grammar, no pains have been spared to render it useful as far as it goes. It contains as much as any work of its size, presented in a neat and perspicuous manner ; and moreover, possesses some new and peculiar features, which claim the candid attention and examination, of all who feel an interest in simplifying .the process of education to the youthful mind, and doing the most good in the shortest time, in the simplest and most pleasing manner, at the earliest period, and at the least expense.

Those who commence the study of Grammar after the age of twelve or fourteen, stand in no need of this work. They should commence at once with the other, w T hich contains a complete course of English Grammar, without any other book, and is sufficiently simple for pupils of tha age. But young pupils, by going through this will enter, even at an earlier period, on the study of the larger Grammar with great advantage.

Contents

Lesson Page.

1 Definition and Division, 7

PART SECOND. — ETYMOLOGY. 3 Division of "Words, 9

4 Of Nouns, 10

5 Of Person 11

6 Of Gender, '. 12

7 Of Number, , . 15

8 Of the Cases of Nouns, 18

9 Of the Article, 20

10 Of the Adjective, 21

11 Comparison of Adjectives, 23

12 Of the Pronoun, 26

13 Of Relative Pronouns, 29

14 Of Adjective Pronouns, 32

15 Exercises on Articles, Nouns, Adjectives, and Pronouns, 35

16 Of Verbs, . 35

17 Division of Verbs, 38

18 Inflection of Verbs, 41

19 Of the Moods 43

20 Of Tenses, or Distinctions of Time, 44

21 Of Number and Person, 47

22 Of the Participles, 49

23 Of the Conjugation of Verbs, 51

24 Negative form of the Verb, 57

25 Interrogative form of the Verb, ...... 59

26 The Verb " to be," 60

27 Progressive Form of the Active Voice, 64

28 Passive Voice, . .* 65

29 Of Irregular Verbs, 69

30 Defective and Impersonal Verbs, 75

3 1 Of Adverbs, 76

32 Of Prepositions, 79

33 Of Interjections, 81

34 Of Conjunctions, 82

35 How to distinguish the Parts of Speech, 83

36 Parsing, 85

37 Model of Etymological Parsing, 87

38 Exercises in Parsing, 88

CONTENTS.

PART THIRD—SYNTAX. 39 General Principles of Syntax, 91

40 Parts of Syntax, 92

41 Rule I. A Verb and its Nominative, 92

42 II. A Transitive Verb and its Object, 94

43 III. A Preposition and its Object, 95

44 IV. Two or more Nouns taken in connexion, 96

45 V. Two or more Nouns taken separately, 97

46 VI." Two Nominatives of different Persons, 97

47 VII. A collective Noun, 98

48 VIII. Adjective and Substantive, 99

49 IX. When two Persons or things are contrasted,.. 100 5e X. Pronouns, 101

51 XL Relative and Antecedent, 102

52 XII. Substantives in Apposition, 103

53 XIII. The same Case after a Verb as before it, 103

54 XIV. The Possessive Case, 104

55 XV. The Present Participle used as a Noun, 106

56 XVI. The Present Participle with the Article before it, 106

57 XVII. The Perfect Participle after have and be, 107

58 XVIII. The Infinitive Mood, 108

59 XIX. The Subjunctive Mood, 109

60 XX. Conjunctions, 110

61 XXI. Corresponding Conjunctions, . . . Ill

62 XXII. The Comparative Degree, 1 12

63 XXIII. Double Comparatives and Superlatives, 113

64 XXIV. Adverbs, 114

65 XXV. Position of Adverbs, 115

66 XXVI. Negatives, 116

67 XXVII. Prepositions before names of places, 117

68 XXVIII. " after certain words and phrases, » . 118

69 XXIX. Syntax of the Tenses, 119

70 XXX. A member of a sentence referring to two clauses 120

71 • XXXI. The Nominative absolute and independent,.. 121

72 XXXII. TheArticle, 122

73 XXXIII. An Ellipsis admissible, 123

74 XXXIV. An Ellipsis not admissible, 124

75 Model of Syntactical Parsing, 125

76 Promiscuous Exercises on the Rules of Syntax,. 126

77 Of Punctuation, 127

73 Of the use of Capital Letters, 128

Part Fourth.— Prosody

79 Prosody. Elocution, Versification, 129

80 Of Composition. 130

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

LESSOiU.

Definition and Division.

[Commit Definitions and Rules accurately to memory.]

English Grammar is the art of speaking and writing the English Language with propriety.

It is divided into four parts ; namely. Orthography , Etymology, Syntax, and Prosody.

Part First.— Orthography. Lesson II

Concerning Letters and Syllables.

[Review the preceding Lesson.]

Orthography treats of letters, and the mode of combining them into syllables and words.

A Letter is a character representing a particular sound of the human voice.

There are Twenty-six letters in the English Alphabet.

Letters are either Vowels or Consonants.

A Vowel is a letter which represents a simple inarticulate sound; and in a word or syllable may be sounded alone. The vowels are, a, e, i, o, u, and w and y, not before another vowel sounded in the same syllable.

A Consonant is a letter which represents an articulate sound ; and in a word or syllable is never sounded alone, but always in connexion with a vowel. The consonants are, b, c, d, f, g, h,j, k, I, m, n, p> q, r, s, t, v, x, z, and w and y before a vowel sounded in the same syllable.

A Diphthong is the union of two vowels in one sound; as, ou in out .

A proper Diphthong is one in which both the vowels are sound ed; as oy in boy, ou in round, oi in oil.

An improper Diphthong is one in which only one of the vowels is sounded; as, oa in boat.

A Triphthong is the union of three vowels in one sound; as, eau in beauty.

A Syllable is a distinct sound forming the whole of a word; sls, far; or so much of it as can be sounded at once; as,/ar in farmer.

A Monosyllable is a word of one syllable; as, fox, dog.

A Dissyllable is a word of two syllables; as, far-mer.

A Trisyllable is a word of three syllables; as, but-ter-fly.

A Polysyllable is a word of many syllables.

Spelling is the art of expressing a word by its proper letters.

QUESTIONS.

What is English Grammar ? Into how many parts is it divided? Mention them. What is orthography? What is a letter? How many letters are there in English ? How are they divided ? What is a vowel? — a consonant? Name the vowels. When are w and y vowels? When consonants ? What is a diphthong ? — a proper diphthong? — an improper diphthong? — a triphthong? — What is a syllable ? What is a word of one syllable termed ? — of two ? — of. three ? — of four or more ? What is spelling ?

ENGLISH GRAMMAR. V