In some instances we use both the possessive termination and the preposition of likewise; as, "He is a friend of Richard's;" i. e. one of Richard's friends. In other cases we use the preposition of only, and never the possessive; as, "The command of the army," not, "The army's command."

The ancient ending of the possessive case was is: thus we find in old authors, "The birdis song;" "The knightis sword."

The objective case is in form the same as the nominative; it expresses the object of an action, or of a relation; and generally follows a verb active, or a preposition; as, "John assists Charles ;""They live in London."

English substantives are declined in the follow

ADJECTIVES.

An Adjective is a word added to a substantive, to express quality, quantity, number, or distinc"An industrious man;""little comfort;"" ten shillings;" "this soldier."

tion; as,

In English the adjective is not varied on account of gender, number, or case. Thus we say,

"A careless boy; careless girls."

The only variation which it admits, is that of the degrees of comparison.

There are commonly reckoned three degrees of comparison; the positive, comparative, and superlative.

The positive state expresses the quality of an object, without any increase or diminution; as, good, wise, great.

The comparative degree increases or lessens 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 adding r or er; and the superlative, by adding st or est to the end of it: as, wise, wiser, wisest; great, greater, greatest. The

adverbs more and most, placed before the adjective, have the same effect; as, wise, more wise, most wise.

Monosyllables, for the most part, form their comparatives and superlatives by adding er and est to the positive; as, mild, milder, mildest; rich, richer, richest.

Dissyllables form their degrees of comparison, some in er and est, others in more and most; as, happy, happier, happiest; wretched, more wretched, most wretched.

Words of three or more syllables almost always form their degrees of comparison in more and most; as, sorrowful, more sorrowful, most sorrowful.

Adjectives, ending in y, change y into i before er and est; as, happy, happier, happiest; heavy, heavier, heaviest. If a vowel precede, y is not changed; as, gay, gayer, gayest; gray, grayer, grayest.

Adjectives, ending in e, add r and st only; as, polite, politer, politest.

An adjective, ending with a single consonant, doubles that consonant before er and est; as, big, bigger, biggest; wet, wetter, wettest; red, redder, reddest.

Some adjectives form their superlatives by adding most to the end of the word; as, upper, uppermost; nether, nethermost.

Some adjectives are defective in some of the degrees of comparison; as, comp. exterior, sup. extreme; comp. upper, sup. uppermost.

Some adjectives, denoting positive qualities, which cannot be varied, do not admit of comparison; as, green, black, chief, universal.

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 Pro

noun.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS.

There are five personal pronouns ; viz. I, thou, he, she, it; with their plurals, we, ye or you, they.

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.

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Plural.

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

Gender has respect only to the third person singular of the pronouns, he, she, it. He is mas

culine; she is feminine; it is neuter.

Pronouns have three cases; the nominative, the possessive, and the objective.

*

its, ours, yours, theirs, as The truth is, that they are

* It is a general error with English Grammarians to consider mine, thine, his, hers, cases of the personal pronouns. independent adjectives, and may be used in any case whatever, according to the substantive with which they are in connection. It has not, however, been thought expedient in this edition to deviate from the received opinion.