LXXVIII. ORDER OF PARSING ADJECTIVES I. An adjective, and why? 2. Descriptive or definitive, and why? MODELS FOR PARSING Every diligent boy received merited praise. "Every" is an adjective, it is a word used to describe or define the meaning of a noun; definitive, it defines without expressing any quality; distributive pronominal, it represents objects taken separately; it cannot be compared, and belongs to "boy." Rule XII. — “An adjective belongs to some noun or pronoun." "Diligent" is an adjective; descriptive; it describes a noun by denoting some quality; compared, pos. diligent, comp. more diligent, sup. most diligent: positive degree, and belongs to "boy." (Rule XII.) "Merited" is an adjective; descriptive; compared, pos. merited, comp. more merited, sup. most merited: positive degree, and belongs to "praise." (Rule XII.) Many a fine intellect is buried in poverty. "Many a" is an adjective; definitive; indefinite pronominal, it refers to objects in a general way, it cannot be compared, and belongs to "intellect." (Rule XII.) "Fine" is an adjective; descriptive; compared, pos. fine, comp. finer, sup. finest; positive degree, and belongs to "intellect." (Rule XII.) The first two engravings are American harvest scenes. "The" is an adjective; definitive; definite article; it cannot be compared, and belongs to "engravings." (Rule XII.) "First" is an adjective; definitive; numeral, it denotes number; ordinal, it marks the position of an object in a series; it cannot be compared, and belongs to "engravings." (Rule XII.) "Two" is an adjective; definitive; numeral; cardinal, it denotes the number of objects; it cannot be compared, and belongs to "engravings." (Rule XII.) "American" an adjective; descriptive; it cannot be compared, and belongs to "scenes." (Rule XII.) "Harvest" is an adjective; descriptive; it cannot be compared, and belongs to "scenes." (Rule XII.) The weather is pleasant. "Pleasant" is an adjective; descriptive; compared, pos. pleasant, comp. more pleasant; sup. most pleasant; positive degree, and belongs to "weather." (Rule XII.) Parse the nouns and adjectives in the following sentences :· 1. A loud report was heard. 2. Fearful storms sweep over these beautiful islands. 3. Life is but a vapor. 4. These walks are quiet and secluded. 5. I feel sad and lonely. 6. The fields look green. 7. He took a twofold view of the subject. 8. Either road leads to town. 9. Each soldier was a host in himself. 10. Both horses are lame. 11. Such a law is a disgrace to any state. 12. Repeat the first four lines in concert. 13. One story is good until another is told. 14. The Australian gold fields are very extensive. formed of six-inch boards. 15. The floor was 16. None think the great unhappy but the great. YOUNG. 17. Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting.- WORDSWORTH. 18. To make a long story short, the company broke up and returned to the more important concerns of the election. - IRVING. 19. Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front. SHAKESPEARE. 20. For nine long years, session after session, we have been lashed round and round this miserable circle of occasional arguments and miserable expedients. BURKE. 21. Dim with the mist of years, gray flits the shade of power.- BYRON. 22. Can storied urn or animated bust, Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath? 23. With secret course, which no loud storms annoy, GRAY. Glides the smooth current of domestic joy. — GOLDSMITH. 24. My opening eyes with rapture see The dawn of this returning day. 25. With many a weary step, and many a groan, Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone. - POPE. CAUTION I. Do not use "a" before vocals, or "an " before subvocals and aspirates. Write correctly: 1. A or an hundred cents make one dollar. 2. Mr. Perry is a or an humorous person. 3. She is a or an heroine. 4. We traveled We are now a or an united people. (Use "an" before h when the follow through a or an open country. 5. 6. That is a or an historical fact. ing syllable is accented.) CAUTION II. — Omit the article before a word used as than servant. 2. He is better mechanic sailor. 3. They gave him the title of duke. 4. We shall vote for Mr. Webster as senator. 5. What kind of misgiving about it. man is he? CAUTION III. Observe that "the" denotes a particular one, or is used to distinguish one class or species from another, and that "a" denotes one, but not a particular one. CAUTION IV. - Do not use "them" for "those," "this here" for "this," or "that 'ere" for "that." Write, inserting a definite adjective correctly: — 1. He bought ten of rules on the 3. What have you done with umbrella? 4. Did you put books on table? 5. I wish you would write blackboard. CAUTION V. In most constructions, place ordinal adjectives before cardinals. Write correctly: — 1. Sing the two first or first two and the three last or last three verses. 2. I built the first five or five first houses on that street. 3. Repeat the three first or first three rules. 4. You may have cherries on the first two or two first trees in the three first-or first three rows. CAUTION VI. Do not use adverbs as adjectives. 1. We have arrived safely or safe. 2. I feel bad or badly this morning. 3. The country looks beautifully or beautiful in June. 4. Things now look more favorably or favorable. 5. This rose smells sweet or sweetly. 6. The relative should be placed as nearly or near as possible to its antecedent. 7. How are you? Nicely or well, thank you. 8. The wind blew cold or coldly over our home. 9. My father looked gravely or grave when he heard the news. 10. My eyelids felt heavy or heavily for sleep. THE PRONOUN DEFINED LXXXI. ORAL LESSON I write, you read, but he whispers. What are the words "I," "you," and "he"? Why? What person is "I"? What person is "you"? Why? What person is "he"? Why? Those words which show by their form the person of the nouns they represent are called personal pronouns. The man who was with me is a lawyer. What is " me"? What other pronoun is there in the sentence? What word does "who" stand for? But "who can be used to represent the first, second, or third person; as, "I who speak to you"; "You who listen"; "He who whispers." It does not change its form to denote person, but relates to some noun, and must be of the same person and number as the noun to which it relates. It is therefore called a relative pronoun. Who has lost a pencil? The word "who" is here used in asking a question. We will call it an interrogative pronoun. That book is mine. What two words can I use instead of "mine"? "Mine," then, stands for both the possessor and the thing possessed. We call it a possessive pronoun. LXXXII. DEFINITION OF PRONOUN A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun; as, his book, my house; "Whom did you see?" The antecedent of a pronoun is the noun, or equivalent expression, instead of which the pronoun is used. It usually precedes, but sometimes follows, the pronoun. |