Introductory lessons in English grammar

Preface

This little book is designed merely as an introduction to a larger work on the same subject by the same author. Its object is to make the young learner acquainted with the parts of speech and their inflections.

Much more reliance is placed on the exercises than on the definitions. It is recommended to the teacher that, in addition to the examples and illustrations, he should take some simple reading-book and give his pupils thorough practice in distinguishing the parts of speech, cases, moods, tenses, etc. The learner must, of course, thoroughly understand every sentence he undertakes to analyze. The First, Second, and Third School Headers, by Noble Butler, are well adapted to this purpose, all the lessons having been prepared with special reference to the capacity of very young children, and the words being easy and generally short.

Butler's Practical Grammar of the English Language forms a sequel to the present work.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1846, by

MORTON & GRISWOLD,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the District of Kentucky.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by

JOHN P. MORTON AND COMPANY,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

OETHOGEAPHT.

Letters are divided into two classes — vowels and consonants.

A, e, i, o, u, are vowels.

W and y are consonants when they are immediately followed by a vowel sound in the same syllable; as in youth, yellow <, want, twine.

In other cases w and y are vowels ; as in now, 1, sky, trying, holy.

EXERCISES.

1. Tell how many vowels and how many consonants there are in each of the following words:

Louisville, Cincinnati, Madison, Nashville, Boston, coming, violence, useful, star, senate, house, vowel, consonant.

2. Tell in which of the following words w and y are consonants, and in which they are vowels :

Fellow, carry, winter, young, silly, scythe, new, sowing, mow, mowing, glory, cow, swim, dye, sky.

Questions.— Into what two classes are letters divided? What letters are vowels ? What letters are consonants ?

GENERAL RULES FOR SPELLING. i.

Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable, ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double that consonant when an addition beginning with a vowel is made ; as, blot, blotting ; drop, dropped; allot, alotting.

The word blot is a monosyllable, or word of one syllable, ending with a single consonant (#), preceded by a single vowel (o) ; ing, a termination beginning with a vowel (T), is added.; consequently the consonant (t) must be doubled, and the word formed is blotting, not bloting.

Allot is a word of two syllables, accented on the last syllable.

Note. — X is a double consonant, equivalent to ks, and is, consequently, not doubled; thus, vex, vexing, not vexxing.

EXERCISES.

1. Add ed and ing to each of the following words, and spell the words that are formed :

2. Add er and est to each of the following words, and spell the words that are formed :

ORTHOGRAPHY. 5

Questions.— What is the first general rule for spelling? Is x doubled? Why not?

II

Final e is omitted before terminations beginning with a vowel; as, save, saving ; wise, wiser ; love, loved.

Save ends with e, and when ing is added the word formed is saving, not saveing. If we add er to wise, the word formed is wiser, not wiseer.

EXERCISES.

1. Add er and est, or ed and ing, to each of the following words, and spell the words that are formed:

Question.— What is the second general rule?