"Nation shall rise "Jerusalem encom whole species, unless all fish have wings. up against nation." When ye shall see passed with armies." In these two examples, nation cannot comprehend all nations; nor armies, all armies. REM. 3. Proper names are sufficiently definite without defining terms. But when individuals possess some prominent traits of character, so that there is a similitude between them, this sameness of character becomes in the mental view a species; and the name of an individual possessing such a character admits the articles and the plural number; as, a cruel man may be called a Nero; a very eloquent man may be called a Cicero; a very philanthropic man, a Howard; a' distinguished general is called a Caesar; and a distinguished band of conspirators, the Catalines. EXERCISES IN DISTINGUISHING ARTICLES. The man, An hour, Which of the preceding articles are definite? Which, in definite? EXERCISES IN PARSING. REMARK. Parsing is explaining a sentence according to the definitions and principles of Grammar. What does it be What part of speech is the $30. Why? § 30. kind of an article? § 33. Why? $33. To what d long? Ans. Nation. "A house." What part of speech is a? § 30. Why? § 30. What kind of an article? § 32. With what does it agree? Ans. House. "An oak.' What part of speech is an? § 30. Why? 30. What kind of an article? § 32. Why? 32. With what does it agree? Ans. Oak. The definite article plural number. RULE 1. belongs to nouns in the singular or SECOND COURSE. Give the substance of the third remark. What is parsing 7 RULE 2. The indefinite article belongs to nouns in the singular number only. NOUNS. § 34. A noun is the name of any object of thought, material or immaterial; as, man, virtue, thought, Eden, space, nothing, abstraction, tree. REMARK. Sentences or parts of sentences are often used as nouns; as, "That scholars should obey their teachers, is indispensable." § 35. Nouns are of two kinds, proper and common. § 36. A proper noun distinguishes one object from others of the same class; as, Cicero, Augustine, Rome, Thomas. REM. 1. Names denoting two or more objects taken collectively, and distinguishing one class of objects from others of the same class, may be called proper nouns; as, when the term Andes is used to distinguish those mountains from others, the term the Smiths, to distinguish them from other families, or the terms Jews and Americans, to distinguish those nations from others. But when the plural nouns denote only parts of families and nations, they are common nouns, because the same terms apply to any other portion of the same class, as, the Russians in London, the Americans in Paris, the English in Italy. "Two Roberts there the pagan force defied." REM. 2. The names of persons, countries, places, rivers, streets, vessels, etc., are proper nouns; as, Howard, Europe, Boston, Hudson, ship Albion, Nassau-street. REM. 3. The names of the days of the week, of festal days, of the months of the year, are proper nouns. FIRST COURSE. What is a noun? How many kinds of nouns are there? What is a proper noun ? SECOND COURSE. Are sentences ever used as nouns ? Give the substance of remark 1, under proper nouns. Give examples of proper nouns. § 37. A common noun is a name applicable to any one of a class of objects; as, bird, tree, river, mountain. 66 REMARK. The names of distinguished individuals with an article prefixed, become common nouns, when used to denote others possessing similar traits of character; as, a Howard," denoting a distinguished philanthropist; "the Cicero of his age," a distinguished orator; "a Bacon," a distinguished philosopher. § 38. Common nouns embrace the classes called abstract, collective, participial, compound, sentential, and verbal. § 39. An abstract noun denotes a quality or a mode of being or action, considered apart from the subject or agent; as, virtue, goodness, haste. § 40. A collective noun denotes a collection of objects; as, council, assembly, flock, congregation. REMARK. Collective nouns in the singular form are plural in the meaning when they may be resolved into the individual parts of which they are composed; as, "The council did not give their decision upon the question under consideration." The pronoun their refers to the noun council, and represents the members of which the council was composed. § 41. A participial noun partakes of the nature of a participle and noun; as, "The mind is improved by exercising vigorously its several powers." § 42. A verbal noun is a verb in the infinitive mode used as a noun; as, "To err is human;""To die is the destiny of all men." 43. A compound noun is composed of two or more words united by a hyphen; as, "In reading, every appearance of sing-song should be avoided." FIRST COURSE. What is a common noun? What classes of nouns do common nouns embrace? What is an abstract noun? What, a collective? What, a participial noun? What, a verbal noun? What, a compound? SECOND COURSE. When do the names of distinguished individuals become common? When are collective nouns in the singular form, plural ? § 44. A sentential noun is a sentence used as a noun; as, "That human nature is the same in all ages, is undeniably true." EXERCISES IN DISTINGUISHING DIFFERENT KINDS OF NOUNS. In writing I The mind is strengthened by exercising it. To err is human. To see the sun is pleas- made a mistake. nouns are proper? Which collective? Which comWhich parti Which sen cipial? Which verbal? Which compound? tential? MODIFICATIONS OF NOUNS. 45. Nouns have four kinds of modifications, Person, Number, Gender and Case. PERSON. 46. Person in grammar, denotes the speaker, the person or thing addressed, or the person or thing which is the subject of discourse. REMARK 1. The distinction of person is based upon the different relations which the subjects considered have to the discourse itself. REM. 2. This distinction refers only to nouns, pronouns, and finite verbs. § 47. There are three persons; the first, the second, and the third. FIRST COURSE. What is a sentential noun ? How many modifications have nouns ? What are they? What is person? How many persons are there? SECOND COURSE. Upon what is the distinction of person based? To what does this distinction refer? § 48. The first person denotes the speaker; as, I John write. § 49. The second person denotes the person or thing addressed; as, Romans, countrymen. 50. The third person denotes the person or thing which is the subject of the discourse; as, Romans, fathers. REM. 1. In composition, the author is the first person, and the reader the second person; except when he represents in his own language some one else addressing another person. REM. 2. If the speaker or writer do not wish to present himself in the first person, or the reader in the second person, he speaks of both or either in the third person; as, "Moses relates what Moses did ;" and "Cæsar records the achievements of Cæsar." So, "Judah humbly beseeches Joseph, Let thy servant abide instead of the lad, a bondman to my lord." Gen. xliv. 33. “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak." Gen. xviii. 30. REM. 3. Frequently inanimate objects are personified and addressed as animate, and therefore their names take the form of the second person. Thus by a figure of speech they are represented as capable of hearing, feeling, and seeing; as, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!" Isa. i. 2. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord." Ps. xcvii. 5. "The lightnings enlightened the world; the earth saw and trembled." Ps. xcvii. 4. EXERCISES IN DISTINGUISHING DIFFERENT PERSONS. I John saw these things. Hear, O heavens, and give ear O earth! O virtue! The winds and the waves encompass me. Which of the preceding nouns are of the first person? Which of the second? Which of the third? NUMBER. 51: Number distinguishes one object from more than one. FIRST COURSE. What is the first person? What, the second? What, the third ? What is number? SECOND COURSE. In composition who is the first person? Who the second? Give the substance of the second and third remark under sec. 50. |