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OBS. 2.-The personal pronouns of the first and second persons, are equally applicable to both sexes; and should be considered masculine or feminine, according to the known application of them. The speaker and the hearer, being present to each other, of course know the sex to which they respectively belong; and, whenever they appear in narrative, we are told who they are.

Obs. 3k—Many grammarians deny the first person of nouns, and the gender of pronouns of the first and second persons; and at the same time teach, that "Pronouns must always agree with their antecedents, and the nouns for which they stand, in gender, number, and person." Now, no two words can agree in any property which belongs not to both!

DECLENSION OF PRONOUNS.

The declension of a pronoun is a regular arrangement of its numbers and cases.

SIMPLE PERSONALS.

The simple personal pronouns are thus declined:

I, of the FIRST PERSON, any* gender.

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THOU, of the SECOND PERSON, any gender.

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Plur. Nom. ye,† or you,

Poss. your, or yours,

Obj. you.

HE, of the THIRD PERSON, masculine gender.

Sing. Nom. he,

Plur. Nom. they,

Poss. his,
Obj. him;

Poss. their or theirs,

Obj. them.

What is the declension of a pronoun? How do you decline the pronouns I, thou, and he?

*That the pronouns of the first and second persons are sometimes masculine and sometimes feminine, is perfectly certain; but whether they can or cannot be neuter, is a question difficult to be decided. To things inanimate they are only applied figuratively; and the question is, whether the figure always necessarily changes the gender of the antecedent noun. Pronouns are of the same gender as the nouns for which they stand; and if, in the following example, gold and diamond are neuter, so is the pronoun me. And, if not neuter, of what gender are they?

"Where thy true treasure? Gold says, 'Not in me;'

And, 'Not in me,' the diamond. Gold is poor."--- Young.

The use of the pronoun ye is confined to the solemn style, and to the burlesque.

SHE, of the THird person, feminine gender.

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IT, of the THIRD PERSON, neuter gender.

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OBS. 1.-Most of the personal pronouns have two forms of the possessive case, in each number: as, my or mine, our or ours; thy or thine, your or yours; her or hers, their or theirs. The former is used before a noun expressed; the latter, when the governing noun is understood, or so placed as not immediately to follow the pronoun: as, "My powers are thine."—Montgomery.

Obs. 2.—Mine and thine were formerly used before all words beginning with a vowel sound; my and thy, before others: as, "It was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance."—Psalm. But this usage is now obsolete, or peculiar to the poets: as,

"Time writes no wrinkles on thine azure brow."—Byron.

COMPOUND PERSONALS.

The word self added to the simple personal pronouns, forms the class of compound personal pronouns; which are used when an action reverts upon the agent, and also when some persons are to be emphatically distinguished: as, sing, myself, plur. ourselves; sing, thyself, plur. yourselves; sing, himself,‡ plur. themselves; sing, herself, plur themselves; sing, itself, plur. themselves. They all want the possessive case, and are alike in the nominative and objective.

In ancient times, he, his, and him, were applied to things neuter. In our translation of the Bible, the pronoun it is employed in the nominative and the objective, but his is retained in the possessive, neuter; as, "Look not thou upon the wine, when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."--Prov. xxiii. 31. Its is not found in the Bible, except by misprint.

The word self was originally an adjective; but when used alone, it is now generally a noun. This may have occasioned the diversity in the formation of the compound personal pronouns. Dr. Johnson calls self a pronoun; but he explains it as being both adjective and substantive.

Hisself, itsself, and theirselves, are more analogical than himself, itself, themselves; but custom has rejected the former, and established the latter. When an adjective is prefixed to self, the pronouns are written separately in the possessive case; as, My single self---My own self---His own self---Their own selves.

What is said of the compound personal pronouns ?

RELATIVES AND INTERROGATIVES.

The relative and the interrogative pronouns are thus declined:

WHо, applied only to persons.

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THAT, applied to persons, animals, and things.

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The compound relative pronouns, whoever, or whosoever, whichever or whichsoever, and whatever, or whatsoever, are declined in the same manner as the simple pronouns, who, which, what.

EXAMPLES FOR PARSING.

CHAP. IV. ETYMOLOGICAL.

In the Fourth Chapter, it is required of the pupil—to distinguish and define the different parts of speech, and the classes and modifications of the articles, nouns, adjectives, and pro

nouns.

Whose is sometimes used as the possessive case of which; as, "A religion whose origin is divine."--- Blair.

How do you decline who, which, what, and that? How do you decline the compound relative pronouns ?

The definitions to be given in the Fourth Chapter are, two for an article, six for a noun, three for an adjective, six for a pronoun- and one for a verb, a participle, an adverb, a conjunction, a preposition, or an interjection. Thus :

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He is a personal pronoun, of the third person, singular number, masculine gender, and nominative case.

1. A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, to repeat the idea. 2. A personal pronoun is one which invariably represents the same person.

3. The third person is that which denotes the person or thing merely spoken of.

4. The singular number denotes but one.

5. The masculine gender is that which denotes animals of the male kind.

6. The nominative case is that form of a noun or pronoun which denotes the subject of a verb.

Sought is a verb.

1. A verb is a word which affirms what is said of persons and things.

Them is a personal pronoun, of the third person, plural number, masculine gender, and objective case.

1. A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, to repeat the idea. 2. A personal pronoun is one which invariably represents the same person.

3. The third person is that which denotes the person or thing merely spoken of.

4. The plural number denotes more than one.

5. The masculine gender is that which denotes animals of the male kind.

6. The objective case is that form of a noun or pronoun, which denotes the object of a verb, participle, or preposition.

LESSON I.

I, who saw the deed, will convict them.

"I never saw

Sight more detestable than him and thee."—Milton. The miser is cruel to himself, as well as to others.

How many

What is required of the pupil in the Fourth chapter for parsing? definitions are here to be given for each part of speech? How is the following example parsed? "He sought them." [Now parse, in like manner, the three lessons of the Fourth Chapter.]

LESSON II.

"Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves."

Shakspeare. Those who pry into the faults of others, should first examine

their own.

"She will outstrip all praise,

And make it halt behind her."—Shakspeare. Let us love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

LESSON III.

"Mine honour is my life; both grow in one;

Take honour from me, and my life is done."—Shakspeare. "It is thou, Liberty! thrice sweet and gracious goddess, whom all in public or in private worship, whose taste is grateful, and ever will be so, till Nature herself shall change." Sterne.

"If I give thee honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,

To live with her, and five with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free."—Milton.

LESSON IV.

"Her was indignant, and blamed I severely."

Her is incorrect, because "the nominative case is that form of a noun or pronoun which denotes the subject of a verb." I is incorrect, because "the objective case is that form of a noun or pronoun which denotes the object of a verb, participle, or preposition."

TO BE CORRECTED AND PASSED.

I would not injure she for all the world.
Her was sought by many, but in vain.
He whom thee lovest receive and cherish.

I welcomed the traveller which came at midnight, and gave him the couch whom he sought.

While blaming others he never examined hisself.

I know not of who he speaks.

Receive whosoever comes.

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