Abridgment of English Grammar

A primitive word is that which cannot be reduced to any simpler word in the language, as, man, good, content.

A derivative word is that which may be reduced to other words in English of greater simplicity; as, manful, goodness, contentment, Yorkshire.

EXERCISES IN ORTHOGRAPHY.

A sprigg of mirtle.
The lilly of the valley.
A border of daysies.
A bed of vilets.
The Affrican marygold.
The varigated jeranium.
Newington peeches.
Italian nectarins.
Turky apricocks.
The Orleans plumb.
A plate of sallet.
A dish of pees.

A bunch of sparragrass.
A mess of spinnage.
The Portgal mellon.
Duch currans.

Red and white rasberries.
The prickley coucumber.
Red and purple redishes.
Meally potatos.
Early Dutch turneps.
Late colliflowers.
Dwarf cabages.
A hauthorn hedge.
A fine spredding oak.
A weepping willow.
The gras is green.
A pidgeon pie.
A plumb pudding.
A rich cheasecake.
A beefstake.

A mutton chop.

A shoulder of lam,
A fillet of veel.
A harch of veneson.
A cup of choccolate.
A bason of soop.
Coalchester oisters.
Phessants and pattriges.
A red herrin.
A large lobster.

Sammon is a finer fish than

turbot, pertch, or haddick Lisbon oranges.

Spannish chessnuts.

A beach tree.

A burch tree.
A flour gardin.
A field of rie.
The wheat harvist.
A bleu sky.
A lovly day.
A beautiful sene.
A splendid pallace.
A chearful countenance. -
An antient castel.
Saffron is yallow.
Vinigar is sowr.
Shugar is sweet.
A pair of scizzars.
A silver bodken.
A small pennknife.

Black-lead pensils.
Ravens' quiis.
A box of waifers.
Seeling wax.

The pint of a sword.
Edge of a razer.
Tail of a plow.
Gras of the fields.
A clean flore.
An arm chare.
The front dore.
The back kitchin.

The littel parlor.

A freindly gift.

An affectionnatc parent.

A dutyful child.

Obliging behaivour.
Wellcome messenger.
Improveing conversation.
Importunate begger.
Occasional visitier.
Encourageing look.
A straight gate.
A strait line.
A disagreable journy.
Willful errour.
Blameable conduct.
Sincere repentence.

Laudible pursuits.
Good behaivour.
Reguler vissit.
Artifitial flowers.
Chrystal streams.
Marmering winds.
Tranquil retreet.
Noizy school.
Surprizing story.
Spritely discourse.
Prophane tales.
Severe headake.

Intermittent feaver.

Skillfull horsemen.
Favorable reception.

Every season has its peculier
beautys.

Avoid extreams.

Never deceive.

Knowledge inlarges the mind.
To acquire it is a great privi-
ledge.

The school encreases.
We must be studeous.
Enquire before you resolve.
Be not affraid to do what is
right.

Preserve your honer.

II. ETYMOLOGY.

The second part of Grammar is ETYMOLOGY; which treats of the different sorts of words, their various modifications, and their derivation.

There are in English nine sorts of words, or, as they are commonly called, parts of speech namely, 1. Article, 2. Substantive

or Noun, 3. Adjective, 4. Pronoun, 5. Verb, 6. Adverb, 7. Preposition, 8. Conjunc tion, and 9. Interjection.

I. ARTICLE.

An Article is a word prefixed to substantives, to point them out, and to show how far their signification extends; as, a garden, an eagle, the woman.

In English, there are but two articles, a and the; a becomes an before a vowel, and before a silent h; as, an acorn, an hour. But if the h be sounded, the a only is to be used; as, a hand, a heart, a highway.

A or an is styled the indefinite article: it is used in a vague sense, to point out one single thing of the kind, in other respects intermediate; as, "Give me a book; "Bring me an apple."

The is called the definite article, because it ascertains what particular thing or things are meant: as, "Give me the book ;" "Bring me the apples ;" meaning some book, or apples, referred to.

A substantive, without any article to limit it,is generally taken in its widest sense; as, "A candid temper is proper for man ;" that is, for all mankind.

REMARKS. No difficulty can be experienced by the pupil in distinguishing the article from the oth er parts of speech In passing the article a, in the

sentence, "Give me a book," the following may serve as a specimen. A is an indefinite article. -It is an article, because it is a word placed before the noun, book, to limit the signification of that noun ;- it is an indefinite article, because it merely limits the noun to any single object, but to no particular one.

2. SUBSTANTIVE.

A Substantive or Noun is the name of any thing that exists, or of which we have any notion; as, London, man, virtue.

A substantive may, in general,be distinguished by its taking an article before it, or by its making sense of itself; as, a book, the sun, an apple: temperance, industry, chastity.

Substantives are either proper or common. Proper names or substantives, are the names appropriated to individuals; as, George, London, Thames.

Common names or substantives, stand for kinds containing many sorts, or for sorts containing many individuals under them ; as, animal, man, tree.

To substantives belong gender, number, and case; and they are all of the third person when spoken of, and of the second, when spoken to as, "Blessings attend us on every side: Be grateful, children of men;" that is, ye children of men.

GENDER.

Gender is the distinction of nouns, with regard to sex: There are three genders,

the Masculine, the Feminine, and the Neu

ter.

The masculine gender denotes animals of the male kind; as, a man, a horse, a bull.

The feminine gender signifies animals of the female kind; as, a woman, a duck, a hen.

The neuter gender denotes objects which are neither males nor females; as, a field, a house, a garden.

Some substantives, naturally neuter, are, by a figure of speech, converted into the masculine or feminine gender; as, when we say of the sun, he is setting, and of a ship, she sails well, &c.

The English language has three methods. of distinguishing the sex, viz.

1. By different words:

Female.
maid

as,

Male.