at no loss to know which words are the verbs. They are those that express the actions, viz. runs-rolls—barks—flies -play-falls. The nouns, boy, ball, dog, bird, children, rain, are actors, or persons and things that act or move, and, therefore, in the nominative case to the verbs that express their several actions.

You may perceive, then, how intimate the connexion is, between the nominative case and the verb: one denotes the actor, and the other the action. And you will readily see that, if only one animal or thing acts, there can be only one action. Or, in other words, when the word, denoting the actor, signifies only one thing, the word denoting the action will signify only one action Thus, when I say, The box rollsbox is in the singular number, because it denotes but one thing, and rolls denotes but one action, which the box does; therefore the verb rolls is of the singular number, just like the nominative box. If the nominative case, or the actor, is of the singular number, the verb must also be of the singular number. And the verb must also be of the same person that the nominative case is. If the nominative is of the second person, the verb must be the same-if the nominative is of the third person, then the verb must be of the third person. On this account I will give you a rule.

RULE I.

A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person.

I shall now give you some sentences to parse. Parsing a noun is telling its person, number, gender, and case; and also telling all its grammatical relations in a sentence with respect to other words. Parsing any part of speech is telling all its properties and relations. These relations then, must be perfectly understood before the scholar can parse. You cannot yet parse a verb completely, as you are not yet informed of all its distinctions and properties; but you can explain such as you have already learned.

When you parse verbs, you will only tell their persons and numbers, which are the same as those of their nominatives ;) and you will tell with what nominative the verb agrees, according to the rule which I have just given you. You will not give to the verb gender and case. I will parse for you one sentence, containing a nominative/case and a verb; the only sort of sentences which you are prepared to parse.

When you know the person and number of the nominative, you know of what person and number the verb must be.

Smoke ascends.

EXAMPLE.

Smoke is a noun of the third person, singular number, of neuter gender, in the nominative case to the verb ascends. Ascends is a verb of the third person, singular number, and agrees with its nominative case smoke. A verb must agree, &c.

Now, parse this sentence several times, till the manner of parsing it is quite familiar to you, and then parse the following

Number is the consideration of an object, as one or more. Some nouns, from the nature of the things which they express, are used only in the singular form: as, wheat, pitch, gold, sloth, pride, &c.; others, only in the plural form: as, bellows, scissors, ashes, riches, &c.

Some words are the same in both numbers: as, deer, sheep, swine, &c.

The plural number of nouns is generally formed by adding s to the singular: as, dove, doves; face, faces; thought, thoughts. But when the substantive singular ends in x, ch soft, sh, ss, or s, we add es in the plural: as, box, boxes; church, churches; lash, lashes; kiss, kisses; rebus, rebuses. If the singular ends in ch hard, the plural is formed by adding the s as, monarch, monarchs: distich, distichs.

Nouns which end in o, have sometimes es added, to form the plural as, cargo, echo, hero, negro, manifesto, potato, volcano, wo: and sometimes only s: as, folio, nuncio, puuctilio, seraglio. When the o is immediately preceded by a vowel, we add only s.

Nouns ending in f, or fe, are rendered plural by the change of those terminations into ves: as, loaf, loaves; half, halves; wife, wives; except grief, relief, reproof, and several others, which form the plural by the addition of 8. Those which end

in ff, have the regular plural: as, ruff, ruffs; except staff,

staves.

Nouns which have y in the singular, with no other vowel in the same syllable, change it into ies in the plural: as, beauty, beauties; fly, flies. But the y is not changed, where there is another vowel in the syllable: as, key, keys; delay, delays; attorney, attorneys.

Some nouns become plural by changing the a of the singular into e: as, man, men; woman, women; alderman, aldermen. The words, ox and child, form oxen and children; brother, makes either brothers or brethren. Sometimes the diphthong oo is changed into ee in the plural: as, foot, feet; goose, geese; tooth, teeth. Louse and mouse, make lice and mice. Penny, makes pence; or pennies, when the coin is meant; die, dice (for play); die, dies (for coining).

It is a general rule, that all names of things measured or weighed, have no plural; for in them not number, but quantity is regarded: as, wool, wine, oil. When we speak, however, of different kinds, we use the plural: as the coarser wools, the richer wines, the finer oils.

It is agreeable to analogy, and the practice of the generality of correct writers, to construe the following words as plural nouns pains, riches, alms; and also, mathematics, metaphysics, politics, ethics, optics, pneumatics, with other similar names of sciences.

Dr. Johnson says, that the adjective much is sometimes a term of number, as well as of quantity. This may account for the instances we meet with of its associating with pains as a plural noun: as, "much pains." The connexion, however,

is not to be recommended.

The word news is now almost universally considered as belonging to the singular number.

The noun means is used both in the singular and the plural number..

As a general rule for the use of the word means, as either singular or plural, it would render the construction less vague, and the expression therefore less ambiguous, were we to employ it as singular when the mediation or instrumentality of one thing is implied; and, as plural, when two or more mediating causes are referred to. "He was careful to observe what means were employed by his adversaries, to counteract his schemes." Here means is properly joined with the plural verb, several methods of counteraction being signified. king consented; and, by this means, all hope of success was lost." Here but one mediating circumstance is implied; and the noun is, therefore, used as singular.

The

The following words, which have been adopted from the

Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages, are thus distinguished

with respect to number.

Magus.

Magi.

Some words derived from the learned languages, are confined to the plural number: as, antipodes, credenda, literati, minutiæ.

The following nouns being, in Latin, both singular and plural, are used in the same manner, when adopted into our tongue : hiatus, apparatus, series, species.

By studying this Conversation thoroughly, you will find the next quite easy to be understood; and will be able, at another time, to answer the following questions, which I shall ask you before I give you further instruction.

What is grammar?

QUESTIONS.

Into how many parts is grammar divided?
How many parts of speech are there in English?

What is a noun ?

How many persons has it?

How do you distinguish the persons?

* Genii, when it signifies aerial spirits; Geniuses, when signifying persons of genius.

t Indexes, when it signifies pointers, or tables of contents: Indices, when referring to algebraic quantities.

How many numbers have nouns ?
What are they?

How do you distinguish them?
How many genders have nouns?
What are they?

How do you know them?

How many cases have nouns?

When is a noun in the nominative case?

What is a verb?

What belong to verbs?

Have they genders and cases?

How do you know the person and number of verbs?
Are verbs of the singular and plural number spelled alike?
What rule do you give when you parse a verb?

What is the use or necessity of this rule ?

What nouns are used only in the singular form?
What are used only in the plural form ?
What are the same in both numbers?

How is the plural number of nouns generally formed? When the noun singular ends in x, ch soft, sh, ss, or ́s, is the plural formed?

how

But if the singular ends in ch hard, how is the plural formed? How do nouns ending in o form their plural ?

How those ending in f, or fe? what exceptions?

How those in y? what exception ?

What is the general rule respecting the names of things weighed and measured?

Is there any exception to this?

What nouns change a into e, and oo into ee, to form the plural ?

What is the plural of brother ?

Of what number are pains, riches, alms, ethics, optics, &c. ? Of what number is news?

How is the noun means used?

How are hiatus, apparatus, series, species, used? Why?

CONVERSATION IV.

OF NOUNS AND VERBS.

CASES OF NOUNS.

Tutor. I find by the correctness with which you have answered the questions relating to our last conversation, that you will find no difficulty in understanding what I shall say