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AN ATTEMPT

TO

SIMPLIFY ENGLISH GRAMMAR

WITH OBSERVATIONS ON

THE METHOD OF TEACHING IT.

BY

ROBERT SULLIVAN, LL.D., T.U.D.

Forty-fourth Edition Enlarged and Improved.

DUBLIN:

MARCUS AND JOHN SULLIVAN,
27, MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

LONGMAN, Green, LongMANS, AND ROBERTS, LONDON.
JOHN MENZIES, EDINBURGH.

1861.

ENTERED IN STATIONERS' HALL, ACCORDING TO THE LATE ACT.

Printed by ALEX. THOM & SONS, 87, Abbey-street, Dublin.

L

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

Ir persons interested in the subject of this little work will take the trouble of reading it over, they will find that the author has attempted, throughout, to simplify and abridge the study of English Grammar-or, in other words, to divest it of the difficulties with which it has been encumbered by the grammatists.

The necessity for such a work must be obvious to every intelligent instructor of youth; particularly as our grammars, notwithstanding the proverbial simplicity of the structure or framework of the English language, are getting every year more complicated, and consequently more difficult.

As it is only in the use of words that admit of inflection or change, that grammatical mistakes can be made, surely it ought to be the first care of the teacher to make his pupils perfectly familiar with these changes; and this he may easily do, for they are less in number than the words in a column of a spelling-book. The declension of nouns, the comparison of adjectives, and the conjugation of verbs, are the changes referred to: and if the teacher follows the simplicity of the English language, and the

recommendations of our oldest and ablest grammarian, DR. WALLIS," he will be able to make his pupils perfectly acquainted with them all in a few. lessons. The more difficult parts of grammar can be taken up afterwards.

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.

THE sale of three large editions of this little work in a comparatively short space of time, is a gratifying proof to the author that his. "Attempt to Simplify English Grammar" has not been made in vain. To add to its utility, and to render it more worthy of the approbation with which it has been received, the PRESENT EDITION has been greatly enlarged, and, it is hoped, considerably improved. Nor has the Simple Method originally recommended been departed from. On the contrary, the writer is more than ever convinced of its great superiority, and perfect practicability. The ADDITIONS, which have been printed in smaller type, are intended, not for BEGINNERS, but for the use of TEACHERS and their MORE ADVANCED PUPILS. In the "Questions for Examination," this distinction has not apparently been attended to; but, in practice, it will be easy for the instructor to name the questions which the pupils should be prepared to answer. The instructor need not, of course, confine himself to these questions; nor should he, except

a Dr. Wallis's views have been ably carried out by Dr. Crombie in his excellent and truly philosophic Grammar. See also Grant's Grammar, a work less known than its merits entitle it to.

in the case of definitions, require his pupils to answer them in the words of the book. A satisfactory answer in suitable language, is all that the teacher should require; and if the pupil answers in his own language, so much the better.

PREFACE TO THE FOURTEENTH EDITION.

THOUGH it is perhaps injudicious to make alterations, or even improvements, in a work which is used with approbation in so many schools, not only in this country, but also in Great Britain and the Colonies, yet the writer feels himself called upon by the very success of this little work to make another attempt to improve it. With this view he has had the whole reset in new and, in general, larger type. This alone is a great improvement. He has also added a great number of PRACTICAL EXERCISES, and a considerable quantity of new and useful matter connected with the general subject; such as the "Connexion between Grammar and Logic," "Analysis of Sentences," "History of the English Language," &c., &c.

It is gratifying to the writer to know that the Simple Method of Parsing recommended by him for BEGINNERS is now generally followed in the schools in this country. And from the large circulation of this little work in England he infers, that it has been extensively adopted in the schools there. He is confirmed in this inference by the fact, that in almost

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