OBS. 2.-Most plural nouns ending in s, add the apostrophe

only.

EXAMPLES.

Nom.-Hoies,

eagles, foxes,

Pos.-Horses'. eagles'. foxes'.

OBS. 3.-Many nouns ending in the singular in s, or ce, add the apostrophe only.

NOTE.-A noun or pronoun in the Possessive case is used adjectively. [For illustration, see Appendix, Note E.]

posses

OBS. The Possessive case does not always indicate " sion or ownership." Children's shoes. Here the word "chilaren's" does not imply ownership. It simply specifies "shoes" as to size. Small shoes. Here "small" specifies "shoes" in a similar manner-"small" and "children's," performing similar offices, are similar in their etymology; "small" is an adjective" children's" is an Adjective.

NOTE.-Nouns and Pronouns become Adjectives whenever their principal office is to specify or describe other names: and they may have the form of the Nominative, Possessive, or Objective case.

EXAMPLES.

Sleel pens.-Silver steel.-A he goat.-Our national resources.- -New England customs.-Wood engravings.-Upland cotton.-A she goat.Their enemies.-Paris fashions.

"O, my offence is rank-it smells to heaven;

It hath the primal, cldest curse upon it,

A brother's murder."

Def. 55. A noun or pronoun which is the Object of a sentence or a phrase, is in the

Objective Case.

EXAMPLES-John saws wood-Science promotes happiness. "The king of shadows loves a shining mark."

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." "Scaling yonder peak, I saw an eagle wheeling near its brow."

Def. 56. A noun or pronoun not dependent on any other word in construction, is in the

2. Names used to specify or define other names, previously

'mentioned.

EXAMPLES-Paul the Apostle wrote to Timothy. Here "Paul" is the subject of "wrote," hence in the Nominative case (See Def. 53). Apostle" designates which "Paul" is intended; hence, in the Independent case.

3. Nouns used to introduce independent phrases.

EXAMPLES-The hour having arrived, we commenced the exercises. 4. Nouns and pronouns used in predication with verbs. EXAMPLES " God is love"—" It is r'" The wages of sin is death." 5. Nouns and pronouns used for euphony, titles of books, cards, signs, &c.

EXAMPLES.

"The moon herself is lost in heaven."
"Webster's Dictionary”—“ Munson and Bradley."

OBS.-In the English language, nouns are not varied in form to distinguish the cases (except for the Possessive). Commonly, the case of a noun is determined by its position in a sentence the Subject (nominative) taking the first place, the Object (objective) the last.

But this natural order of position is often reversed by the

poets and public speakers.

EXAMPLES.

"Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds."

"Him, from my childhood, I have known."

"Thee we adore."

Exercises.

Let the class turn to pages 25 and 28, and point out the nouns-naming the cases of each, and the reason for each modification, after the following

MODEL.
I.

"The Lord uplifts his awful hand,

And chains you to the shore."

Lord.. is a name; hence a Noun-for "the name of a being, place, or thing, is a Noun."

66 Name, in this instance appropriated to an individual Being; hence Proper-for "a name appropriated to an individual person," is a Proper Noun."

33

Name appropriated to males; hence Masculine Gender-for "names of males are in the Masculine Gender."

Spoken of; hence Third Person-for "the name of the person or thing spoken of is of the Third Person."

Denotes but one; hence Singular Number-for "nouns denoting but one are of the Singular Number."

Subject of the sentence; hence Nominative Case-for "the subject of a sentence is in the Nominative Case."

Hand.. is a name; hence à Noun-for "the name of a being, place, or thing, is a Noun."

"

Name of a class of things; hence Common-for "a name used to designate a class of things is a Common Noun."

Not distinguished by sex; hence Neuter Gender-for "names of things without sex are of the Neuter Gender."

Spoken of; hence Third Person-for "the name of the person or thing spoken of is of the Third Person."

Denotes but one; hence Singular Number-for "nouns denoting but one are of the Singular Number."

Object of the sentence; hence Objective Case-for "the object of a sentence or phrase is in the Objective Case."

Shore.. is a name; hence a Noun-for "the name of a being, place, or thing, is a Noun."

Name of a class of things; hence Common-for "a name used to designate a class of things is a Common Noun."

Not distinguished by sex; hence Neuter Gender-for " names of things without sex are of the Neuter Gender."

Spoken of; hence Third Person-for "the name of the person or thing spoken of, is of the Third Person."

Denotes but one; hence Singular Number-for "nouns denoting but one, arc of the Singular Number."

Object of a Phrase; hence Objective Case-for "the object of a sentence or phrase is in the Objective Case."

PRONOUNS.

Rem. To avoid an unpleasant repetition of the same word in a senience, a class of words is introduced as substitutes for names. Hence, Def. 57. A word used instead of a Noun, is called a Pronoun.

ОBS.-As pronouns are of general application, the noun for which any given pronoun is substituted is commonly determined by the context and, because it generally precedes the Pronoun. it is called its antecedent.

CLASSIFICATION OF PRONOUNS.

Rem.-Some Pronouns, by their forms, denote their modification of Gender, Person, Number, and Case.

Others relate directly to the nouns for which they are used.

Others, in addition to their ordinary office, are used in asking questions. Others describe the names for which they are substituted. Hence, Prin. Pronouns are distinguished as

Personal,
Relative,

Interrogative, and
Adjective.

PERSONAL PRONOUN.

Def. 58. A Pronoun whose form determines its Person and Number, is a

Personal Pronoun.

LIST. The simple Personal Pronouns are, I, thou or you, he, she, it. Their corresponding Compounds are, myself, thyself, yourself, himself, herself, itself.

MODIFICATION.

Rem.-Whenever one word is used in the place of another, it is properly subjected to the same laws as the other: this is true of Pronouns. Hence,

Prin.

Pronouns have the same modifications of

Gender, Person, Number, and Case, as Nouns.

NOTE--Pronouns of the First and Second Persons are not varied to denote the sex.

Rem. To denote these several Modifications, some Pronouns are varied in form. This variation of form is called

OBS. 1.-Mine, thine, his, hers, ours, yours, and theirs, are

used-in common with other definitives-substantively, i. e., as

the representatives of nouns which it is their primary office to specify. They are then properly called Adjective Pronouns. EXAMPLES "He is a friend of mine." "Thine is the kingdom." "Theirs had been the vigor of his youth."

My, thy, his, her, our, your, their, its, mine, and thine, when used to specify or otherwise describe nouns and pronouns (and they commonly are so used), are to be classed as Adjectives. They are placed here to denote their origin, and to accommodate those Teachers who prefer to call them Pronouns. [For an exposition of their true etymology, see Appendix, Note E.-See, also, Webster's Grammar.]

† Pronouns in the Independent Case, commonly take the form of the Nominative, as "O happy they!" "Ah luckless he!" "It is I!"

But they sometimes take the form of the Objective, as "Him excepted." "I found it to be him." "It was not me that you saw." "Ah me!"