a. The compound personals are not used in the possessive case.

b. In the declension of the simple personal pronouns, two forms are given for the possessive case, according to common usage. Strictly, however, there should be but one form.

My, thy, his, her, our, your, and their, are in the possessive case, used adjectively, to limit the nouns to which they are joined; as, "This is her book."

c. Mine, thine, hers, ours, yours, and theirs, except in solemn style, are always used substantively, to represent nouns in the nom

inative and objective cases, which are omitted; as, "This is her book; that is mine."

REMARKS. In the above example the pronoun mine, and the pronominal adjectives this and that, all bear the same relation to the noun book, understood. This and that are used substantively to represent the noun, and adjectively to specify the particular book. In like manner mine represents the noun, and also adjectively specifies its ownership; as, "This book is her book; that book is my book."

As custom has sanctioned the practice of investing pronominal adjectives with all the properties and relations of the nouns which they represent, consistency and uniformity require that the same rule should govern this class of personals. Mine, therefore, in this example, should be placed in the nominative case after is, and not in the possessive.

d. You was originally plural, but is now also used to represent singular nouns, though still plural in its grammatical relations. Except in solemn style, it always takes the place of thou.

e. We is often employed in place of I, when the speaker includes others with himself, or desires to avoid the appearance of egotism.

f. In the first and second persons, there is but one form of the pronouns for all genders. The sex of the speaker and the person addressed are supposed to be known, from their being present.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS.

66. RELATIVE PRONOUNS are those that relate to their antecedents for their gender, person, and number.

They are distinguished as Definite and Indefinite.

67. The DEFINITE RELATIVES are who, which, and that. They always refer definitely to an antecedent to which they connect an adjective clause; as, "The man who is honest will be trusted."

a. In the above example, who refers directly to the noun man for its antecedent, and also connects to it the qualifying clause, “who is honest," denoting the kind of man that will be trusted.

68. The INDEFINITE RELATIVES are what, and those formed by adding ever and soever to who, which, and what; as, whoever, whatsoever, etc.

They are only used when the antecedent is omitted, and always serve to introduce a substantive clause; as,

"Whoever is honest will be trusted;" "He received what he wanted."

a. In the above example, the antecedents are omitted, and the relatives refer to them in an indefinite manner. Whoever may refer to a man or a woman, or to any number of either or both.

It also introduces the substantive clause "Whoever is honest," which is in the nominative case, the subject of the verb will be trusted. What may refer to money, honor, or any thing else. It introduces the substantive clause, what he wanted, which is in the objective case, the objective of the verb received.

b. What, whatever, whoever, etc., are sometimes called compound rolatives, equivalent to an antecedent and a relative. With the exception of what, they are compound words, but not compound relatives.

Although an antecedent may be supplied, and the relative changed, it is more correct to regard them simply as relatives, employed only when the antecedent is omitted.

DECLENSION OF THE RELATIVE PRONOUNS.

69. The relatives what, that, whatever, whichever, and whatsoever, are used only in the nominative and objective cases. The other relatives are thus declined:

70. Than and as, when they occur in certain elliptical expressions, are usually classed with the relative pronouns; as, "He sent me more money than I expected; " "I bought such books as I wanted."

C.

Than and as may, however, be treated as conjunctions, as will be seen by supplying the omitted words in the above exam.es; as, "He sent me more money than that was which I expected; I bought such books as those are which I wanted."

b. Who is applied to persons, which to the lower animals and inanimate objects, that to any object to which who or which may be applied.

C.

That is a relative only when who, which, or whom can be substituted for it. Otherwise it is either a limiting adjective or a conjunction.

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS.

71. Who, which, and what, when used in asking questions, are called INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS; as, "Who said that?" "Which book will you have?" "What do you want?"

a. Who, when used interrogatively, always inquires for persons, and refers to the nouns which answer the question for its antecedent.

b. When which and what represent nouns in interrogative sentences they are substantives; as in the example, "What do you want?"

When used with the noun they are adjectives; as in the example, "Which book will you have?"

c. The interrogatives who and which are declined like relatives.

REMARK.-Usual classification has been followed in calling who, which, and what interrogative pronouns. Such a classification, however, is useless, if not positively incorrect.

Who may be regarded simply as a relative, used interrogatively; what and which as pronominal or limiting adjectives, representing or limiting nouns, according to their use.

Parse all the nouns, adjectives, and pronouns in the fol lowing exercises:

MODELS.

72. I HAVE somewhere READ, that he who RIDICULES the little imperfections of his friends, WILL soon FIND all men united against him.

I.......

He............

His

A pronoun-it is a word used instead of a noun; personal-its form indicates its person and number; first person—it denotes the speaker; singular number-it denotes but one; Nom. I—nominative case— subject of the verb have read.-Rule I.

..A pronoun—it is a word used instead of a noun; personal-its form indicates its person and number; masculine gender-it denotes a male; third person— it denotes the person spoken of; singular numberit denotes but one; Nom. he-nominative case-subject of the verb will find.—Rule I.

A pronoun, etc.; Nom. he, Pos. his-possessive case -it denotes possession, and limits the noun friends -Rule V.