is adopted to the capacities of students in general, and calculated for the use of schools, it will be found a short and easy Guide to the attainment of a correct style, as well as a useful Compendium for the Practice of Elocution. PART I. GRAMMA R. GRAMMAR is the art of speaking or writing any language with propriety. In the English Alphabet there are twenty-six letters; which are divided into vowels and conso nants. The Vowels are seven, namely, a, e, i, o, u, w, y, but w and y are consonants when they begin a word, or syllable. Consonants are divided into mutes and semi vowels. The Mutes cannot be sounded at all without a vowel, and they all begin their sound with a consonant; as b, d, g, k, p, q, t, &c. hard, which are expressed be, de, te, &c. The Semi-vowels have an imperfect sound of themselves, and all begin with a vowel; as l, m, n, r, f, s, &c. which are sounded ef, el, em, &c. B Four Four of the Semi-vowels, namely, l, m, n, r, are also called liquids, from their readily uniting with other consonants, and flowing as it were into their sounds. A Diphthong is the meeting of two vowels in the same syllable; as ea in season. A Tripthong is the meeting of three vowels in the same syllable; as cau in beauty. A Syllable is any letter, or number of letters which make a perfect sound. A Word of one Syllable is termed a Monosyllable; a word of two syllables, a Dissyllable; a word of three syllables, a Trisyllable; and a word of four or more syllables, a Polysyllable. All Words are either primitive or derivative. Primitive Words are those which cannot be reduced to any simpler words in the language; as, man, good, content. Derivative Words are those which may be reduced to other words of greater simplicity; as manful, goodness, contentment. PARTS OF SPEECH. IN the English Language there are these ten parts of Speech; Article, Noun, Adjective, Pronoun, Verb, Verb, Participle, Adverb, Conjunction, Preposition, and Interjection. ARTICLES. AN ARTICLE is a word which is placed before common names, to point out, or limit their signifi cation. There are two Articles a and the; a becomes an before a vowel, or a silent h; as, an acorn, an hour. But if the h be sounded, the a only is used; as, a hand, a heart. A or an is called the indefinite article, because it points out a thing indeterminately; as "Give me a book;" that is, any book. The is called the definite article, because it determines what particular thing is meant; as, "Give me the book;" meaning some particular book. NOUNS OR SUBSTANTIVES. A NOUN or SUBSTANTIVE, is the name of any person, place, or thing; as John, London, Honor, Goodness. Substantives are either proper or common. A proper name, is the name of any individual; as Mary, London, Tweed. A Common Name, is the name of a whole kind; as, Man, Tree, &c. Nouns are of two Numbers, the Singular and the Plural. The Singular Number speaks but of one object; as, a boy, a book; or a number of them collectively, as, a troop, an army. The Plural Number speaks of more objects than one; as, boys, books. Some Nouns have no singular number, as, ashes, bellows, bowels, &c. Others have no plural; as, wheat, barley, learning, &c. Some are alike in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, &c. The Cases of Nouns signify their different terminations. In English, Nouns have but two Cases, the Nominative and the Genitive. The Nominative Case simply expresses the name of a thing, as, man. The Genitive is formed by adding s with an Apostrophe (') to the nominative; as, man's, and denotes property or possession; hence it is frequently called the Possessive Case. To Nouns ending in s, and sometimes to Singular Nouns ending in ss, the Apostrophe is added without the others; as, on Eagles' wings; for righteousness" sake. : English Substantives are declined thus Singular. Nominative, man. Genitive, man's. Plural. Nominative, men. Genitive, men's. 6 Singular |