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the positive in signification; as, wiser, greater, less wise.

The superlative degree increases or lessens the positive to the highest or lowest degree; as, wisest, greatest, least wise.

The simple word, or positive, becomes the comparative, by addi-g r or er; and the superlative, by adding st or est, to the end of it; as, wise, wiser, wisest; great, greater, greatest. And the adverbs more and most, placed before the adjective, have the same effect; as, wise, more wise, most wise.

Monosyllables, for the most part, are compared by er and est; and dissyllables by more and most; as, mild, milder, mildest; frugal, more frugal, most frugal.

Some words of very common use are irregularly formed; as, "good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; little, less, least; much or many, more, most ;" and a few others.

PRONOUNS.

A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition of the same word; as, "The man is happy ;" "he is benevolent;"" he is useful."

There are three kinds of pronouns, viz. the Personal, the Relative, and the Adjective Pronouns.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS.

There are five Personal Pronou

The persons of pronouns are three in each of the numbers, viz.

I, is the first person

Thou, is the second person

He, she, or it, is the third person

We, is the first person

Ye or you, is the second person

They, is the third person

Singular.

Plural.

The numbers of pronouns, like those of substantives, are two, the singular and the plural; as, I, thou, he; we, ye, they.

Gender has respect only to the third person singular of the pronouns, he, she, it. He is masshe is feminine; it is neuter. Pronouns have three cases; the nominative, the possessive, and the objective.

culine;

The objective case of a pronoun has, in general, a form different from that of the nominative or the possessive case.

The personal pronouns are thus declined.

Relative pronouns are such as relate, in general, to some word or phrase going before, which is thence called the antecedent: they are who, which, and that; as, "The man is happy who lives virtuously."*

What is a kind of compound relative, including both the antecedent and the relative, and is mostly equivalent to that which; as, "This is what I wanted;"that is to say, "the thing which I wanted."

Who is applied to persons, which to animals and inanimate things; as, "He is a friend, who is faithful in adversity;" "The bird, which sung so sweetly, is flown;""This is the tree, which produces no fruit.”

It is

That, as a relative, is often used to prevent the too frequent repetition of who and which. applied to both persons and things; as, "He that acts wisely deserves praise ;"" Modesty is a quality that highly adorns a woman."

Who is of both numbers, and is thus declined:

SINGULAR AND PLURAL.

Who, which, what, are called Interrogatives, when they are used in asking questions: as, "Who is he?" "Which is the book?" "What are you doing?"

ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS

Adjective Pronouns are of a mixed nature, participating the properties both of pronouns and adjectives.

The adjective pronouns may be subdivided into four sorts, namely, the possessive, the distributive, the demonstrative, and the indefinite.

1. The possessive are those which relate to possession or property.

There are seven of them; viz. my, thy, his, her, our, your, their.

Mine and thine, instead of my and thy, were formerly used before a substantive or adjective beginning with a vowel, or a silent h; as, " Blot out all mine iniquities."

2. The distributive are those which denote the persons or things that make up a number, as taken separately and singly. They are cach, every, either; as, "Each of his brothers is in a favourable situation;""Every man must account for himself;" "I have not seen either of them."

3. The demonstrative are those which precisely point out the subiects to which they re

that to the more distant; as, "This man is more intelligent than that." This indicates the latter, or last mentioned; that, the former, or first mentioned; as, "Wealth and poverty are both temptations; that tends to excite pride, this, discontent."

4. The indefinite are those which express their subjects in an indefinite or general manner. The following are of this kind: some, other, any, one, all, such, &c.

Other is declined in the following manner:

A Verb is a word which signifies to BE, to DO, or to SUFFER; as, "I am, I rule, I am ruled."

Verbs are of three kinds; ACTIVE, PASSIVE, and NEUTER. They are also divided into REGU LAR, IRREGULAR, and DEFECTIVE.

A Verb Active expresses an action, and necessarily implies an agent, and an object acted upon; as, to love; "I love Penelope."

A Verb Passive expresses a passion or a suffering, or the receiving of an action; and necessarily implies an object acted upon, and an agent bu

which it is acted.