Adjectives.

RULE VIII.—Adjectives modify the nouns or the nouns which they limit or qualify.

Remarks.

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1. The modified noun may consist of any word, phrase, or clause used as a noun.

2. Two adjectives taken together as one term may be called a complex adjective; as, "Dark blue ocean,” “One hundred and six dollars."

3. Numerals taken together without a conjunction are joined by a hyphen; as, sixty-two, forty-five, etc., meaning sixty and two, forty and five.

4. Adjectives denoting but one are joined to nouns in the singular, and those denoting more than one to nouns in the plural; as, one man, five men, this box, these boxes.

5. An adjective may modify a noun modified by another adjective; as, "A beautiful little flower." In this expression little modifies flower, and beautiful modifies little flower.

6. When an adjective precedes a noun used to limit another, it modifies the noun in the possessive, rather than the noun limited by the possessive. Thus, in the expression "The old pear-tree's leaves have fallen," the and old both modify peartree, instead of leaves.

7. When a comparison is expressed between two objects, the comparative degree is used; as, "The oak is taller than the cedar."

8. The highest as well as the lowest degree of comparison is expressed by the superlative; as, "This is the largest and that the smallest of the trees."

9. When the adjective follows a copulative verb, and is used as a part of the predicate, it is called the attribute. Thus, in the sentence "Snow is white," white is the attribute. In such cases it is parsed as limiting or qualifying the subject.

10. An adjective usually precedes the noun, but follows the

pronoun, which it modifies; as, "An eloquent orator," "He is eloquent."

To this rule there are, however, many exceptions, as the noun is often followed by the adjective which modifies it; as, "The orator is eloquent."

11. An adjective may be used abstractly after a verb in the infinitive mode or a participle; as, "To be successful requires diligence." In such cases it does not relate to any noun or pronoun.

Cautions.

1. When an adjective is necessarily plural, the noun by which it is limited is also plural. Thus, three miles, forty dollars.

2. Some nouns used collectively, as, head, sail, etc., retain the singular form, though limited by a plural adjective; as, "A fleet of thirty sail,” “Five hundred head of cattle."

3. When a compound adjective consists of a numeral and a noun, the noun part retains the singular form; as, A three-cent piece, A five-dollar bill, A sixteen-foot alley.

4. When the comparative degree is used, the latter term of comparison should exclude the former if the objects belong to the same class. Thus, instead of "New York is more populous than any State in the Union," say, "New York is more populous than any other State in the Union."

5. When the superlative degree is used the latter term of comparison should not exclude the former, if the objects compared belong to the same class. Thus, instead of "New York is the most populous of the other States of the Union," say, "New York is the most populous of the States of the Union."

6. Two signs of the comparative or the superlative should not be used in making a comparison. Thus, more wiser and most wisest should be wiser and wisest.

The word lesser is, however, sometimes used by writers of good repute; as, Lesser Asia. Of lesser note.-Goldsmith.

7. Avoid the vulgarisms this here and that there for this and that.

8. When quality is to be expressed, the adjective, and not the

adverb should follow the verb. Thus, "The trees grow tall," "We arrived safe." The three stood calm and silent.—Macaulay.

9. When a limiting and a qualifying adjective modify the same noun, the limiting adjective is placed first; as, "The greatest men," "The two greatest men," "This excellent advice."

10. When a cardinal and an ordinal adjective precede a plural noun, the ordinal usually precedes the cardinal; as, The first two stanzas," "The last four chapters."

If, however, the first stanza of each of two separate poems, or the last chapter of each of four books, were meant, it would be correct to say, "The two first stanzas" and " The four last chapters."

11. When several adjectives limiting the same noun follow one another and are separated by conjunctions, the simplest is usually placed first; as, "The first gentleman we met was older and more intelligent than the other."

12. When two adjectives limiting the same noun are joined without a conjunction, that which, joined with the noun, can be limited by the other is placed next the noun. Thus, instead of "She was a young intelligent lady," say, "She was an intelligent young lady."

13. Be careful in the use of adjectives to use the proper forms. Thus, instead of "He was further away than I was," say, “He was farther away," etc.

Exercise.

Correct the following sentences:

Model.-The farmer sold sixty bushel of wheat.

The sentence is incorrect, because sixty, which is an adjective of plural form, is connected with a noun in the singular. The noun therefore should be made plural in form, and the word bushels should be substituted for bushel, according to Rule VIII., Caution 1.

1. Buy me a new pair of gloves. 2. The boy ran six mile an hour. 3. I have bought an old span of horses and a new set of har ness. 4. We have ordered two ton of coal. 5. The lot is bounded on the south by a sixteen-feet alley. 6. Let us sing the two last verses,

7. The hunters have arrived safely. 8. Solomon was wiser than any of the ancient kings. 9. Rhode Island is the smallest of the other States of the Union. 10. Rhode Island is smaller than any State of the Union. 11. After the most strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 12. A herd of ninety heads of cattle are grazing on the meadow. 13. The child lay quietly on the floor. 14. A little rugged church stood near the village. 15. The most industrious and wisest of the three remained. 16. Here is the roundest, rosiest apple of the lot.

17. 'Tis for a thousand pound.-Cowper.

18. How much more are ye better than the fowls ?—Bible. 19. This was the most unkindest cut of all.-Shakespeare.

20. England had not such another king.-Goldsmith.

21. Shakespeare is more faithful to the true language of Nature than any writer.-Blair.

22. A close prisoner in a room twenty foot square.—Locke.

23. By silence, many a dunderpate, like the owl, the stupidest of birds, comes to be considered the very type of wisdom.-Irving.

24. The landlord was thought to see further and deeper into things than any man in the parish.-Fielding.

25. The solace arising from this consideration seems, indeed, the weakest of all others.-Dr. Johnson.

Exercise.

Analyze the following sentences, and parse the adjectives:

1. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy.—Franklin

2.

A pebble in the streamlet scant

Has turned the course of many a river;

A dewdrop on the infant plant

Has warped the giant oak for ever.-Anon.

3. Set a high price on your leisure moments. Properly expended, they will procure for you a stock of great thoughts.-H. Wise.

4. The true hero is the great wise man of duty.—Bushnell.

5. One of the illusions is, that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.-Emerson.

6.

A dainty plant is the ivy green,

That creepeth o'er ruins old;

Of right choice food are his meals, I ween,

In his cell so lone and cold.-Dickens.

7. Judges ought to be more learned than witty, more reverend than plausible, and more advised than confident.-Bacon.

Articles.

RULE IX. (Special).—An article modifies the noun which it limits.

Remarks.

1. Articles are sometimes used as adverbs to limit adjectives or adverbs; as, “A great many trees," "The older he grows the more feeble he becomes."

2. An article placed before a proper noun renders the proper noun common; as, "He was the Cicero of his age" = He was the orator of his age.

3. The noun which the article limits is sometimes omitted; "Turn neither to the right nor to the left." The article in such cases should be parsed as limiting a noun understood.

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4. The article usually precedes an adjective limiting the same noun, but it follows all, such, many, both, or what; also other adjectives if they are modified by too, so, as, or how; as, "How great a fire a little spark kindleth!" "Many a flower is born to blush unseen.'

5. When a is used as a substitute for at, in, on, or other prepositions, it should be parsed as a preposition; as in the sentence, "The boy has gone a-hunting."

6. When the indefinite article is used before nouns preceded by dozen, few, hundred, etc., it limits these words used as collective nouns, the preposition of being understood before the noun following. Thus, "A dozen (of) apples," "A hundred (of) men."

When millions and larger numbers are used the preposition is expressed; as, "A million of men."