A practical and critical grammar of the English language

Front matter

S LIBRARY OF "CONGRESS.- J

I Jf/ic/J fip , J

| UNITED STATES OP' AMERICA. J !

Preface

the paradigms of the verb. The principles governing the use of shall and will, should and would are presented so clearly and illustrated with so great a variety of exercises that the subject will be mastered with the greatest ease.

Attention is invited to the manner of treating prepositions, adverbs, and conjunctions.

In the treatment of the Analysis of Sentences all the principles are fully presented, with abundant exercises in analysis and synthesis. The subject consists of —

1. Definition of sentence, proposition, subject, predicate.

2. Subject and predicate as logical or grammatical.

3. Subject and predicate as simple or compound.

4. The different kinds of sentences.

5. The modifications of the component parts of sentences.

6. Sentences as composed of one or of more than one proposition. This is all. The subject is beautifully simple when freed from

impertinent technicalities. Simplicity is greatly promoted by representing the grammatical predicate as always a verb alone, the verb be taking its place with other verbs. {See Note £T, p. 310.) The analysis by diagrams shows at once to the eye the relation of the different parts of the sentence to each other, including the relative rank of the different propositions.*

Under the heads of " Elliptical Propositions" and "Substitutes and Transformations" many difficulties are explained, and in these and other places are mentioned constructions which seem not to have been mentioned in any other grammar.

An attempt has been made to bring order into the chaos of punctuation and to establish a system on sound general principles.

* Mr. W. A. Boles suggests the following method of presenting syntax and etymology together. The abbreviations will be readily understood :

SENTENTIAL ANALYSIS.

Sentence.

fG. S.

.p.j

SYNTAX.

angels

White-winged

I n. e. p. adj. q.

meet child the on vestibule the of life.

ETYMOLOGY.

v. i. t. a. ind. pres. s. 3. V.

adj. I. . . . II.

prep. XIV. n. c. s. n. 3. o. X.

adj. I. . . . II.

prep. XIV. n. c. s. n. 3. o. X.

Numerals refer to rules of Butler's Practical Grammar. Write modifying words under the words they modify. Write words understood as parentheses.

6 PREFACE.

The subject of prosody is presented free from unnecessary technicalities, so that its principles may, it is believed,, be mastered in a few hours.

This work is intended to be eminently practical. Every principle is abundantly illustrated with exercises. The subjects are so presented in the exercises that the pupil can not fail to have the principles fixed in his mind. See, for instance, the exercises on shall and will. The work contains critical discussions of various grammatical points. These discussions are intended for the teacher, whose use of them with his pupils must be governed by his opinion of their capacity. The " Questions for Review" present all the points to which it is thought necessary to call the attention of pupils in general. It is recommended that those who are just entering upon the study begin with Etymology.