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IN

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

PART 1.

CONTAINING

THE PRINCIPLES OF ANALYSIS,

OR

ENGLISH PARSING.

BY

R. G. PARKER, A. M.

PRINCIPAL OF THE FRANKLIN GRAMMAR SCHOOL, AUTHOR OF
"6 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION,"

AND

CHARLES FOX, A. M.

PRINCIPAL OF THE BOYLSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

"Breve est iter per exempla."

Eighth Edition.

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY CROCKER & BREWSTER,
47 Washington Street.

1841.

COLLEGE
LIBRARY

Sachange
Mr 3,

40

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834.
BY CROCKER & BREWSTER,

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

This work is introduced into all the Public Grammar Schools of the City of Boston, by a vote of the School Com mittee, Dec. 16, 1834.

STEREOTYPED AT THE
BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

PREFACE.

THE object of Grammar is to furnish rules for the proper use of language. The authors of this treatise, keeping this object in mind, have rejected every thing which, in their view, is not strictly subservient to it. The formidable array of definitions and "fine print," which encumbers the pages of many of the treatises on the subject, perplexing the pupil, and arresting his progress in the acquisition of knowledge, forms no part of their plan. They have purposely neglected the elegances of diction, the ornaments of style, and other graces of writing, in order that, by descending to the level of the pupil, they may obtain an easy access to his understanding. For this reason, abbreviations of all kinds have been studiously avoided, repetitions have been purposely made, the colloquial style adopted, and those expressions selected which are most readily intelligible. It will be seen, that the authors have widely departed from the usual arrangement of the different parts of the subject. The pupil is first taught to analyze words and phrases, dependent on those principles of Syntax which are most easily understood; while the Etymology, as well as the Syntax, of the more difficult parts of speech are reserved for his attention when he shall have become familiar with the construction of the simpler parts of a sentence. The difficulties in the syntax of most languages, arise from Ellipsis. This is peculiarly the case with the English language. In furnishing a system of rules for the construction or the analysis of language, some writers have thought proper to introduce a variety of rules that will meet the apparent anomalies occasioned by this figure. This has caused much unnecessary expenditure of time and labour, in committing the rules to memory, and practising their application. The authors of this work have been convinced by experience, that a knowledge of the fundamental principles of construction, together with some practice in supplying the ellipses in sentences, is all that is needed to enable the pupil to analyze the most complicated and elliptical expressions. They have therefore rejected every thing unnecessary, and reduced the principles of analysis and construction to a few short rules.

In the several parts of the work, it is intended to present a comprehensive treatise on English Grammar, progressively adapted to the wants of teachers and pupils of every grade. The plan and the details of the work are based upon an experience of the wants of pupils pursuing the study of this important branch of education; an experience gained by the authors during several years, in their connection with two of the large institutions of this city. The course which they recommend in teaching the subject, may be plainly stated in the words of Mr. Locke "In learning any thing, as little should be proposed to the mind at once as is possible; and that being understood and fully mastered, to proceed to the next adjoining part."

Boston, August, 1834.

A NOUN.

1. Tell the PERSON. 2. NUMBER. 3. GENDER. 4. CASE. (If in the NOMINATIVE case, what verb does it govern, by Rule 9th? If in the POSSESSIVE case, by what noun is it governed, by Rule 4th? If in the OBJECTIVE case, tell whether it is governed by a PREPOSITION, by Rule 3d; or by an ACTIVE VERB, by Rule 12th.) 5. Repeat the Rule.

AN ARTICLE.

1. With what noun does it agree, by Rule 1st?

Rule.

AN ADJECTIVE.

2. Repeat the

1. If it can be compared, compare it. 2. Tell what degree of comparison. 3. To what noun or pronoun does it belong, by Rule 2d? 4. Repeat the Rule.

AN ADJECTIVE PRONOUN.

1. To what noun does it belong, by Rule 2d? 2. Repeat the Rule.

A PERSONAL PRONOUN.

Decline it, and then parse it like a noun. (See above.)

A RELATIVE PRONOUN.

Tell its antecedent, or subsequent; repeat the 24th Rule; and then parse it like a noun. (See above.)

A VERB.

1. Tell what kind. 2. Conjugate it. 3. Tell the Mood and Tense. 4. Decline it. 5. Tell the Person. 6. Number. 7. With what nominative case it agrees, by Rule 9th. 8. Repeat the Rule. (If it is in the infinitive mood, instead of telling with what nominative it agrees, tell by what verb, participle, noun, or adjective, it is governed, by Rule 17th; or whether the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22d, or 23d Rules are to be used, and repeat the Rule.)

A PARTICIPLE.

1. Tell what tense. 2. From what verb it is derived. 3. Conjugate the verb. 4. With what noun or pronoun does it agree, by Rule 13th? 5. Repeat the Rule.

AN ADVERB.

1. If it can be compared, compare it, and tell what degree of comparison. 2. What it qualifies, by Rule 16th. 3. Repeat the Rule.

A CONJUNCTION.

1. Tell what words, or sentences, it connects, by Rule 5to. 2. Repeat the Rule.

A PREPOSITION.

1. Tell what noun or pronoun, in the objective case, it governs, by Rule 3d. 2. Repeat the Rule.

AN INTERJECTION.

1. Tell what case it requires, by Rule 6th. 2. Repeat the Rule.

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