REM. 1.-Some adjectives form the superlative by adding most; as, Hindmost, uttermost, innermost, uppermost, &c. REM. 2.-A degree below the positive is sometimes formed by adding ish; as, Saltish, blackish, sickish, whitish, &c. REM. 3. Some adjectives, from their meaning, do not admit of comparison; as, all, some, the, a, such, round, square, infinite, supreme, &c. If any thing is round, or square, or infinite, it can not be more so. REM. 4.-Some words, which, in their literal signification, admit of no increase or decrease of quality, are still compared by the best writers and speakers; as, complete, perfect, just, honest, accurate, &c. EXERCISE 50. Compare the following adjectives, both so as to increase and to diminish the quality, and point out those which can not be compared. Lovely, (lovelier, loveliest; or, more lovely, most lovely; or, less lovely, least lovely.) 1. God is the greatest, wisest, and most glorious of all God. Is. beings. is a noun, &c., &c., &c., nom. to is. is a verb, &c., has God for its nominative, QUESTIONS. Mention some superlatives formed by adding most. How is a degree below the positive sometimes formed? What adjectives are not compared? What is said of such words as complete, &c.? Recite Exercises 50, 51, 52. The ..... Greatest. Wisest. And Most. • ... is an adjective, qualifies being, understood. is an adjective, &c., sup. degree, (great, greater, greatest,) and qualifies being, understood, (the greatest being.) is an adjective, &c., sup. degree, (wise, wiser, wisest,) qualifies being, understood, (wisest being.) is a conjunction, connects wisest and most glorioůs. is an adverb, qualifying the adjective glorious. Most glorious. is an adjective, sup. degree, (glorious, more glorious, most glorious,) qualifying being, understood. Of Beings. is a preposition, showing the relation of beings to being. is an adjective, qualifying beings. is a noun, &c., &c., the objective after of. 2. Milton and Cowper are poets of the highest rank. 3. The greatest men are not always the best men. 4. It is more desirable to make men good, than to make them rich. 5. The sable hearse moved slowly on, 6. As if reluctantly it bore 7. The young, unwearied form to that cold couch 8. Which age and sorrow render sweet to man. In Ex. 2, Milton and Cowper are nom. to are. Poets is nom. after are. In Ex. 4, more desirable is an adj., comp. degree, qualifying it. To make, a verb, with no nom. Than is a conjunction. In Ex. 5, slowly and on are adverbs. In Ex. 6, as is a conjunctive adverb, qualifying moved and bore. If is a conjunction. In Ex. 8, which stands for couch, is the object of render, and qualified by sweet. EXERCISE 52. Form sentences with the following nouns and adjectives, and parse. River, and adjective in superlative. (The Mississippi is the longest river in the United States.) City, and an adjective in the superlative. For the relations of adjectives, see Rule VII, page 181. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW. What is that part of speech which is used to qualify a noun or pronoun? Why so called? In what two ways do adjectives qualify? What kind of adjectives are called Numerals? What is said of such adjectives as some, other, any, one, &c.? How are adjectives often used? When used alone, how may they be parsed? When used as nouns, by what are they generally preceded? What is meant by the word understood, as used in grammar? (Page 53, Rem. 3.) Decline other. One. What adjectives have plurals? COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.-For what purpose do adjectives admit a change of form? Why are these forms called degrees of comparison? How many, and what are the degrees? Define each. How are adjectives of one syllable compared, to denote increase? Adjectives of two syllables? How are they compared, to denote decrease? Give some irregular comparisons. Mention some that are not compared, and state why. Compare great, both so as to increase and diminish the quality attributed. Compare good, in both ways. Humble. Small. Significant. Laborious. Lovely. Cheap. Dear. Gratuitous. Each. (See Rem. 3, Art. 142.) All. One. Correct. Honest. Suitable. Troublesome. THE VERB, AND ITS PROPERTIES. ART. 143. A VERB is a word which denotes action or being; as, to run, to think, to be. ART. 144. Verbs are of two kinds, Transitive and Intransitive. (See page 15, Art. 41, &c.) NOTE. The only division of verbs which seems to be correct and sufficiently comprehensive, is into transitive and intransitive.'-WEBSTER. ART. 145. A transitive verb may be known by its taking an object after it, when it is used in its active sense; as, God made the world. Cities contain houses. QUESTIONS.-What is a verb? Why so called? (Page 14.) How are verbs divided? What is a transitive verb? (Page 15.) Why so called? What is an intransitive verb? (Page 15.) Why so called? How may a transitive verb be known. ART. 146. In the use of the transitive verb in the active voice, there must be a subject, a verb, and an object, as in the ART. 147. In the use of the intransitive verb, there are, generally, only a subject and a verb, as in the following examples: ART. 148. To verbs belong person, number, mode, tense, and voice. PERSON AND NUMBER. ART. 149. Verbs have not properly either person or number, as we can not say that they denote the person speaking, or spoken to, or spoken of, nor that they mean one, or more than one. ART. 150. In order to show the connection of verbs with their nominatives, they are said to have the same number and person that the latter have. Of the sentences, 'I love,' 'You love,' or 'Thou lovest,' 'He loves,' 'We love ;' in the first, love is in the 1st per. sing., because its nominative I is; in the second, it is in the 2d per. sing., because its nom. you or QUESTIONS. In the use of the transitive verb actively, what must there be? State in the examples the subject, the verb, and the object. In the use of the intransitive verb, what are there only? which is the subject, and which the verb. examples under Arts. 146 and 147, or let the board, and the learner should point out each part.) Do person and number properly belong to verbs? said to have them? State in each of the examples, (The teacher should read the pupil write them on the blackWhat belong to verbs? Why not? Why are they thou is; in the third, it is in the 3d per. sing., because its nom. he is; and in the fourth, it is in the 1st per. plur., because its nom. we is. REM. Those parts of the verb which have no nominative, or subject, have, of course, no number nor person. ART. 151. The following are examples of the number and person of verbs: 1st person. Sing. I love, 2d person. 3d person. You love, or Thou lovest, {He, she, or it loves, Plur. We love, You love, or Ye love, or loveth. REM. 1.—In many languages the person and number of the verb are always known by the termination; as in the Latin, thus: But in English this is not the case, except in the 2d person with thou, (thou lovest), sometimes in the 3d person, (he loves or loveth), and in a few irregular verbs, as to be, to have, &c. (See page 99.) REM. 2.—Eth, in the 3d person, (loveth), is used only in ancient writings. REM. 3. In the 3d per. sing. and plur., any noun, of the same number, may be substituted for he and they; as, Give the person and number of each verb, according to the model. Move, (Sing., 1st per., I move, 2d per., You move, or Thou turn, per., per., We move, 2d movest, 3d per., He moves; Plur., 1st You move, 3d per., They move), laugh, talk, eat, walk, ride, hope, taste, expect, refuse, return, prevail, secure, vanish, repent, comfort, command, require, direct, conquer, finish. EXERCISE 54. Form sentences with the following verbs, and parse. Read, in the 3d per. plur. (The boys read.) ... Read.. is a verb, denotes action; transitive, it may have an object after it, though here it has none, (or it may here be called intransitive, because it has no object after it); 3d per. plur., because its nom. boys, is 3d per. plur. (Parse the rest as usual.) QUESTIONS. What parts of the verb have no person nor number? the persons and numbers of the verb love. Give |