36. Parsing.

Parsing consists (1) in naming the part of speech; (2) In telling its properties; (3) In pointing out its relation to other words; (4) In giving the rule for its construction.

37. Order of Parsing.

1. A Noun, and why?

2. Common or Proper, and why?

3. If Common, whether a Class Noun, &c., and why?

4. Gender, and why?

5. Person, and why?

6. Number, and why?

7. Case, and why?

8. Rule for construction.

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38. Models for Parsing.

I. "Mary sings."

Mary is a noun; it is a name: proper; it is the name of a particular person: feminine gender; it denotes a female: third person; it denotes the person spoken of: singular number; it denotes but one: nominative case; it is used as the subject of the proposition "Mary sings." Rule I. "The subject of a proposition is in the nominative case."

II. "Horses are animals."

is a noun; (why?): common; it can be applied to any one of a class or kind: common gender; it denotes either males or females: third person; (why?): plural number; it denotes more than one: nominative case; it is used as the predicate of the proposition "Horses are animals." Rule II. "A noun or pronoun, used as the predicate of a proposition, is in the nominative case."

III. "The poet Milton was blind."

is a noun; (why): proper; (why?): masculine gender; it denotes a male: third person; (why?): singular number;

(why?): nominative case, in apposition with "poet." Rule IV. "A noun or pronoun, used to limit the meaning of a noun or pronoun, by denoting the same person, place, or thing, is in the same case."

IV. "Henry's lesson is learned."

Henry's. is a noun; (why?): proper; (why?): masouline gender; (why?): third person; (why?): singular number; (why?): possessive case; it denotes possession, and modifies "lesson." Rule III. "A noun or pronoun, used to limit the meaning of a noun denoting a different thing, is in the possessive case."

V. "John studies grammar."

Grammar is a noun; (why?): common; (why?): neuter gender; (why?): third person; (why?): singular number; (why?): objective case; it is used as the object of the transitive verb "studies." Rule VI. "The object of a transitive verb in the active voice, or its participles, is in the objective case."

VI. "The book lies on the table."

Table . . . is a noun; (why?): common; (why?): neuter gender; (why?): third person; (why?): singular number; (why?): objective case; it is used as the object of the preposition "on." Rule VII. "The object of a preposition is in the objective case."

VII. "William, open the door."

William is a noun; (why?): proper; (why?): masculine gender; (why?): second person; (why?): singular number; (why?): absolute case; it is the name of a person addressed. Rule V. “A noun or pronoun used independently, is in the absolute case."

39. Exercises.

1. Nominative Case. 1. The wind blows. 2. The sun shines, 3. Horses run. 4. Rain descends. 5. The vessel sails. 6. Scholars study. 7. Grass grows. 8. Fire burns. 9. Liberty is sweet. 10. St. Helena is an island. 11. Lead is a metal. 12. Water is a liquid. 13. Cicero was an orator. 14. Webster was a statesman. 15. Grammar is a science. 16. Birds are animals.

2. Possessive Case. 1. The storm's fury is past. 2. Henry's health is good. 3. The king's palace is on fire. 4. Mary's task is done. 5. Byron's poems are published. 6. Jane borrowed Sarah's book. 7. Mr. Johnson sells boys' hats. 8. The defeat of Xerxes' army was the downfall of Persia.

3. Objective Case. 1. John struck James. 2. Joseph bought the book. 3. The widow lost her son. 4. Peter studies algebra. 5. The horse kicked the boy. 6. The man wrote a letter. 7. A dog bit a man. 8. Samuel lives over the river. 9. Martha went with Susan. 10. The house stands on the hill. 11. James is going to Cincinnati. 12. The boy ran by the mill.

4. Absolute Case. 1. The rebellion being ended, the army disbanded. 2. Henry being away, the work was not done. 3. Friends, Romans, Countrymen! lend me your ears!" 4. "To arms! they come! the Greek! the Greek!" 5. "My daughter! oh, my daughter!" 6. "Your fathers, where are they?" 7. "My son, have you seen him?”

Parse all the nouns in the following sentences:

1. Boys like to play. 2. The Atlantic Ocean is three thousand miles wide. 3. Johnson the doctor is a brother of Johnson the lawyer. 4. Shakspeare lived in Queen Elizabeth's reign. 5. “Ah, Warwick! Warwick! wert thou as we are!"

6. Temperance is a virtue. 7. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? 8. The inferior animals are divided into five classes: quadrupeds, fowls, fishes, reptiles, and insects. 9. The little army fought bravely on that day. 10. Where are the Platos and Aristotles of modern times? 11. I have seen Mr. Squires, the bookseller and stationer.

Correct all errors in the following sentences:

1. I have two brother-in-laws. 2. There were three knighttemplars in the procession. 3. Nebulas are sometimes called stardust. 4. I saw the two Mrs. Jackson. 5. The Friends' are holding a meeting: some people call them Quaker's. 6. He called at Steele's the banker's. 7. The Jones' were all there.

8. The boys slate was broken. 9. The mens' wages should be paid promptly. 10. The colonel's of the 7th regiment's horse ran away. 11. She is reading in her sister's Susan's book. 12. He studied O. B. Pierce' Grammar. 13. The fellows impudence was intolerable. 14. He has octavoes, quartoes, and folioes, among his books.

THE ADJECTIVE.

40. Oral Lesson.

Here are some apples, nice for eating: what shall we call them? Ans.-Ripe apples. I have just eaten one, and it tasted sweet: what else can we call them? Ans.-Sweet apples. They are quite soft: what else can we call them? Ans.-Mellow apples. Write on your slates, "Ripe, sweet, mellow apples." All these words denote some quality of the apples: what shall we call them? Ans.Quality-words. A very good name.

Let us count the apples: one apple, two apples, three apples, four apples. Let us also number them: the first apple, the second apple, the third apple, the fourth apple. Write these numbers on your slates, as I write them on the blackboard-one, two, three, four: first, second, third, fourth. What shall we call these words? Ans.Number-words.

When I speak of the apple nearest me, I say, "This apple;" when of one farther from me, "That apple." Do the words this and that denote any quality of the apples? Ans.-They do not. What do they do, then? Ans.-They point them out. Very well: what shall we call them? Ans.-Pointing-out-words.

You see that all the words we have used, in some manner describe "apples." Some denote quality: some, number: some merely point out. What is the word "apple?" Ans.—A noun. Then they all describe a noun. We will call those words which describe or limit the meaning of nouns, Adjectives. What are all of these words? Ans.-Adjectives.

The "quality-words" we will call Descriptive Adjectives, because they describe by denoting some quality. The "number-words" and "pointing-out-words" do not denote quality. We will call them Definitive Adjectives.

Write "This is a good book." What is "good?" Ans.-An adjective. Why? Ans.-It describes the word "book." What kind? Ans.-Descriptive. Why? Ans.-It denotes a quality belonging to the book. Write "These two books are mine." What are these" and "two?" Ans.-Adjectives. Why? Ans.-They describe "books." What kind? Ans.-Definitive. Why? Ans.— They define without denoting any quality.

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Write "Every man can do some good." What are “every” and "some?" Ans.-Adjectives. Why? Ans.-They limit nouns. What kind? Ans.-Definitive. Why? Ans.-They define without denoting any quality.

41. Definition.

An Adjective is a word used to describe or define the meaning of a noun; as, wise men, that book, three steamships, the fourth stanza.

Rem. The English language has about 7,000 adjectives.

42. Classes.

Adjectives may be divided into two general classes: Descriptive and Definitive.

43. Descriptive Adjectives.

1. A Descriptive Adjective describes the meaning of a noun by denoting some quality belonging to it.

Ex.-A round table, a square table, a sour apple, a sweet apple, a good boy, a bad boy, an Italian sunset, twinkling stars, thickwarbled songs.

2. There are three kinds of Descriptive Adjectives: Common, Proper, and Participial.

3. A Common Adjective is any ordinary epithet; as, good, hard, broad, flexible.

4. A Proper Adjective is an adjective derived from a proper noun; as, French, American, Websterian.

5. A Participial Adjective is a participle placed be fore the noun which it describes; as, a shining light, echoing shouts, a written agreement.

Rem. 1.-Words commonly used as other parts of speech, sometimes perform the office of descriptive adjectives, and should be parsed as such.

Ex. A gold ring, a silver cord, the California pine, a make-believe patriot, double-distilled nonsense. "The West is as truly American, as genuinely Jonathan, as any other part of our country."