How many elementary sounds has our language, and how many letters to represent them? About forty elementary sounds, and twenty-six letters to represent them. Into what two classes are the letters divided? Into vowels and consonants. What is a vowel? and what is a consonant? A vowel is a letter that denotes pure sound only; a consonant is a letter that generally denotes a contact of some of the organs of speech. Which are the vowels? A, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y. W or y is a consonant, only when it is followed by a vowel sound in the same syllable; as in water, young, away, Bunyan. What is a syllable? A syllable is a letter, or two or more combined, pronounced as one unbroken sound. Ex.—A, I, on, no, not, stretched, barb’dst, a-e-ri-al, pro-fu-sion. What is a word? A word is a syllable, or two or more combined, used as the sign of some idea. Ex.-Man, tree, sky, pink, beauty, strikes, well, fair, alas, because. How are words classified according to their syllables? Into monosyllables, dissyllables, trisyllables, and polysyllables. Exercises. Tell which of the following letters are vowels, and which are consonants :— A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z; bar, bed, kind, fond, turn, Baltimore. Con' Words Explained.-Rep-re-sent', to stand in the place of, to show. Class; things put together because alike, or because alike in certain respects. so-nant, sounding with, sounded with a vowel; a consonant can be sounded only with a vowel. Organs of speech; the glottis, palate, tongue, teeth, and lips. Combined', put together. Con'tact, a touching, junction Classified, put into classes. Monos, alone, one; dis, double; tri, three; polys, many. Pronunciation treats of sounds; Orthography, of letters; Etymology, of words; Syntax, of sentences; and Prosody, of the finish and ornaments of sentences. Define these classes. A monosyllable is a word of one syllable; a dissyllable, of two; a trisyllable, of three; and a polysyllable, of four or more. Ex.—I, song; baker; ornament; customary, incomprehensibility. How are words classified according to their formation ? Into primitive, derivative, and compound. Define these classes. A primitive word is not formed from another word; a derivative word is formed from another word; and a compound word is composed of two or more other words. Ex-Primitive: Breeze, build. Derivative: Breezy, builder, rebuild. Compound: Sea-breeze, newspaper. How are words divided according to their meaning? Into nine classes, called PARTS OF SPEECH. Name them. Nouns, Pronouns, Articles, Adjectives, Verbs, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections. FAMILIAR EXPLANATION.—I might present to your mind, by words alone, all that I have ever seen or experienced. To do this, I should have to use nouns and pronouns, to denote objects; articles, to aid the nouns; adjectives, to express the Exercises. Tell which are monosyllables, dissyllables, trisyllables, polysyllables, and why :Pink, lily, daffodil, ordinary, gold, silver, golden, silvery, book, grammar, grammatical, grammatically, arithmetic, behavior, punishment, home, mother, relative, relatives, unassisted. Whether primitive, derivative, or compound, and why :— Play, playing, play-day, snow, snowy, ball, balls, snowball, snowballs, noble, nobly, noble-minded, plant, transplant, planter, plantation, tea-plant, water-melon, he, hero, heroic, nothing, nevertheless. Words Explained.—Prim'-i-tive, first, simple. De-riv'-a-tive, drawn from. Com'pound, made up of others. Denote', to stand as the sign of. Object, any thing that can be thought of as being something. Express', make known. Exercise, a drilling to give us a better or practical knowledge of something. Pronunciation treats of the sounds of letters and syllables, and of accent. The word is derived from the Latin words pro, forth, and nuncius, a messenger; uttering forth aloud. Orthography treats of the forms of letters, and of spelling. From the Greek orthos, correct, and graphè, writing; correct writing or spelling. qualities, conditions, or circumstances of objects; verbs, to express their actions, or states of existence; adverbs, to describe their actions, or to show the nature or degree of their qualities; prepositions, to express their positions or relations to one another; conjunctions, to continue the discourse, or to connect its parts; and interjections, to give vent to any feeling or emotion springing up suddenly within me. Ex.-Nouns: In spring, the sun shines pleasantly upon the earth, leaves and flowers come forth, and birds sing in the woods. the roses adorn the window. they adorn it. Pronouns: Roses encircle my window, and SUGGESTION TO THE TEACHER.-Take a walk with your class, during some leis are interval, and teach them the parts of speech, from the surrounding scenery. Of what, at least, must every thought or saying consist? Of a SUBJECT and a PRED'ICATE. What is meant by the subject? The subject denotes that of which something is affirmed. Ex.-The cannons were fired. The leaves and flowers in the garden have been killed by the frost. What is meant by the predicate? The predicate denotes what is affirmed. Ex.-The cannons have been killed by the frost. were fired. The leaves and flowers in the garden Exercises. The dew re Tell which is the subject, and which is the predicate, and why :Birds sing. Flowers bloom. Cats catch mice. freshes the flowers. The stars gem the sky. The Indians' tents Words Explained.-Subject, from subjectus, thrown under, because viewed as being the foundation on which the proposition or sentence is based. Predicate, from prædico, I speak or say. To affirm, in grammar, means to assert positively or negatively, to ask, or to command. Etymology treats of the true roots and meanings of words, and of the true or right forms of words to be put into sentences according to Syntax. From the Greek etymos, true, and logos, a word or discourse; the right words or forms. How are subjects and predicates classified? Into simple and compound. Define simple subjects and compound subjects. A simple subject has but one nominative to which the predicate refers; a compound subject has more than one. Ex-Simple: "The boy Compound: "The boy and his sister Define simple predicates and compound predicates. A simple predicate has but one finite verb referring to the subject; a compound predicate has more than one. Ex-Simple: "Boys study;" "Boys study the lessons which are given to them." Compound: "Boys study, recite, and play;" study and recite the lessons which are given to them." Boys What is a phrase? A phrase is two or more words rightly put together, but not making a proposition. Ex. In the next place. they bloom. Riding on horseback. To gather roses while Exercises. stood along the river. John caught a fish. The fish was caught by John. no accuser. The grass is growing. William studies his lesson. A guilty conscience needs In a few years, these tribes will have disappeared. The subject and the predicate, and why; whether simple or compound, and why: The stars twinkle. The sun and moon shine. The sun rises and sets. Emma was gathering roses. Trees and flowers grow, flourish, and decay. The troubled ocean roars. Honeysuckles and roses overspread our portico. Laura brought a fresh rose, and gave it to me. A dark cloud hides the sun. The sun is hidden by a dark cloud. You and he may go and recite. The soldiers' horses were in the pasture. The cannons which the soldiers brought, were captured in the battle. Do well, but boast not. (Supply thou.) Words Explained.—Nom'inative, naming, chief word in meaning. Refers, hangs to in sense. Finite, not free, drawn to some particular thing; a finite verb has a particular form (called its person and number), which confines it to a particular kind of subject. Phrase, from a Greek word that signifies to speak or say. Syntax treats of the relations and arrangement of words in the formation of sentences. From the Greek syn, together, and taxis, a placing; placing together. What is a proposition? A proposition is a subject combined with its predicate. Ex.-Stars shine. And if my hopes must perish. A proposition is an expression viewed as having a subject and a predicate; a clause is a proposition viewed as making but a part of a sentence. What is a clause? A clause is any one of two or more propositions which together make a sentence. Ex. The morning was pure and sunny, the fields were white with daisies, the hawthorn was covered with its fragrant blossoms, the bee hummed about every bank, and the swallow played high in air about the village steeple.-Irving. This sentence has five clauses, separated by the comma. What is a sentence? A sentence is a thought expressed by words, and comprised between two full pauses. Ex.-Every man is the architect of his own fortune. Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? A sentence is simple, when it consists of but one simple proposition; it is compound or complex, when it can be resolved into two or more propositions. Exercises. Whether a phrase or a sentence, and why Far away. Many The dark storm approaches. John's slate. small pieces. Hope gilds the future. True praise takes root and spreads. The rain is pouring down heavily, and the river is rapidly rising. The sun illuminates the distant hills. Billows are murmuring on the hollow shore. Gold can not purchase life, nor can diamonds bring back the moments we have lost. God has robed the world with beauty. From flower and shrub arose a sweet perfume. Prosperity produces wealth; and wealth, corruption. Words Explained.—Proposition, from the Latin pro, before, and positio, placing something placed before a person's mind to be thought upon. Clause, Something that fills up or closes the sense. Sentence is derived from the Latin word sententia, a thought or an opinion. Com'plex, knit together, tangled; consisting of parts closely connected. Prosody treats of punctuation, figures, and versification. From the Greek pros, to, and ode, tone added; and thence, whatever is added to unadorned language to make it clearer or more expressive. |