Noun is in the vocative case when it is the name of the person or thing addressed. In English this case is like the nominative in form. 22. Thus we see that the different relations in which nouns and pronouns stand to other words, are indicated in three ways:-1, by position and relation,* as in the nominative and accusative; 2, by inflection, as in the ordinary form of the possessive; 3, by prepositions, as sometimes in the possessive, and in the forms equivalent to the dative and ablative cases. * Position alone does not indicate case, for sometimes the nominative follows the verb, as in interrogations, and sometimes the accusative precedes it, as in relative sentences; such as, THE BOY WHOM I SENT. CHAPTER IV. ADJECTIVES. 1 In English, Adjectives are inflected only for the Degrees of Comparison. 2 The Degrees of Comparison are the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative. 3 General Rule. Exceptions. The Comparative is formed by adding ER to the Positive, as GREAT, GREATER. The Superlative is formed by adding EST to the Positive, as GREAT, GREATEST. Adjectives of three or more syllables and those of two syllables ending in a consonant, are compared by the adverbs MORE and MOST; as BEAUTIFUL, MORE BEAUTIFUL, MOST BEAUTIFUL. 5 Adjectives ending in Y IMPURE, change the y into I before the syllables ER and EST, as PRETTY, PRETTIER, PRETTIEST. Adjectives ending in a single consonant, preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant before ER and EST; as BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST. 1 To Pronouns belong Person, Number, Gender, Case; but only the 3rd pers. Sing. has different forms for the three genders, (See Table.) Person, 2 There are three persons, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd. The 1st is the person speaking. 2nd spoken to. 5 What is sometimes a compound relative pronoun equivalent to THAT WHICH. |