intended, it appeared that the utility of such a list would not be adequate to the labour of forming it.

Although the present work contains a great deal that must unavoidably be difficult for a beginner, it will be found that those parts of grammar that do fall within the comprehension of a young learner are expressed in a mode as simple as is consistent with accuracy. The Accidence, the Etymology, and the general principles and rules of Syntax will present no very great obstacles. It is hardly necessary to add, that the present work should be regarded as merely introductory to such treatises as those of Dr. Latham and Mr. Craik.

A brief set of exercises has been appended; in addition to which, Mr. Morell's "Graduated Exercises" (a very cheap and excellent collection) may be used with advantage.

C. P. MASON.

Denmark Hill, April, 1858.

Comparative Table of Tenses in different Languages

Irregular Verbs.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

WHEN we wish to express what is passing in our minds, we talk, or else write down certain marks or signs, which people have agreed shall stand for the sounds which we utter when we talk.

2 That which we speak with our voice, or write down to represent what we speak, is called speech or language.

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3 Grammar is the science which treats about speech or language. All people do not utter the same sounds, or write the same signs to express what they think. There are different languages or tongues made use of by different nations, as the English language, the French language, the Latin language, &c.; and since these differ widely from each other, it is necessary to have a separate grammar for each of them. These separate grammars, however, agree in many respects, and are all parts of the general science of grammar.

5 Speech or language is made up of words. A word is a significant combination of articulate sounds, the several parts of which are not significant. A collection of words arranged so as to convey some complete sense, is called a sentence: as, "The boy learns his lesson; ""The cat has caught a mouse." 6 The words of which a sentence is made up are of different sorts. Thus in the sentence: "The bird flies swiftly," bird is the name of an animal; the points out which bird is meant; flies expresses an action, which it is asserted that the bird performs; swiftly denotes the manner in which that action is performed. The different sorts of words which a language contains are called Parts of Speech.

7 Spoken words are made up of different sounds, and written words are made up of different signs, called letters, which are used to represent the different sounds of which spoken words are composed.

B

8 When, in writing a word, letters are used which are not sounded in speaking, those letters are said to be mute. Thus in the word knot, the k is mute; in the word awe, the e is mute. 9 That part of grammar which treats of the letters of which words are composed, and of the proper mode of writing and spelling words, is called Orthography.

10 That part of grammar which treats of separate words, or of the parts of speech separately, showing the mode in which they are formed and the changes which they undergo, is called Etymology.

11 That part of grammar which treats of the mode in which words are combined so as to form sentences, and sentences combined with one another, is called Syntax.

ORTHOGRAPHY.

12 The elementary sounds of the English language are represented by twenty-six letters, each of which is written in two forms, differing both in shape and in size. The large letters are called Capitals, or Capital Letters. These letters are the following:

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A, a: B, b: C, c: D, d: E, e: F, f: G, g: H,h: I, i: J,j: K, k: L, 1: M, m: N, n: O, o: P, p: Q, q: R, r: S, s: T, t: U, u: V, v: W, w: X, x: Y, y: Z, z.

The whole collection of letters is called the Alphabet. Alpha and Beta are the names of the first two letters of the Greek Alphabet.

The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called Vowels. They can be fully sounded by themselves.

The remaining letters are called Consonants. They cannot be fully sounded without having a vowel either before or after them.

A Diphthong is a single vowel sound, which in writing is expressed by two vowels, such as a (as in Cæsar); ai (as in Cain); au (as in haul); oi (as in oil); a (as in Phoebus); ou (as in house); ea (as in each); ee (as in feed); ei (as in neither); eu (as in sleuth); ie (as in field); ui (as in cruise).

17 A vowel sound which is expressed in writing by three vowels, is called a Triphthong; as uoy (in buoy); eau (in beauty); iou (as in anxious).

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The letters w and y are sometimes consonants, and sometimes vowels. When they are followed by a vowel sound in the same syllable they are consonants, as in win, twin, yon, yonder. When a vowel precedes them

Capital letters are used at the beginning of proper names, for the nominative case singular of the personal pronoun of the first person, and for any noun adjective or pronoun used for the name of the Divine Being. They may also be used at the beginning of a common noun, when it is mentioned as the principal subject of discourse. Adjectives derived from proper nouns are also written with capitals.

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in the same syllable, they are vowels, and combine with the preceding vowel to form a diphthong; as awe, how, dray, bey, buy. Y is a vowel whenever it is followed by a consonant, (as in Yttria).

The letters l, m, n, and r, are called Liquids or Semi-vowels. They can be partially sounded by themselves. The other consonants are called Mutes. When sounded after a vowel, they stop the passage of the breath more completely than the liquids do.

A syllable is a collection of letters pronounced together, and containing only one vowel sound.

A word which consists of a single syllable is called a Monosyllable, such as man, horse, hut.

A word which consists of two syllables is called a Dissyllable; as folly, learning.

A word that consists of three syllables is called a Trisyllable, as vanity, loveliness.

A word that consists of more than three syllables is called a Polysyllable, as singularity.

When a syllable beginning with a vowel is added to a monosyllable, or a word accented on the last syllable and ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is doubled. As sin, sinner; thin, thinner; rob, robber; sit, sitting; begin, beginning; expel, expelled; confer, conferred. But if, in a word of more than one syllable, the accent does not fall on the last syllable, the final consonant is not doubled; as offer, offered; differ, different; visit, visiting. The letter l, however, is generally doubled, as travel, traveller; revel, reveller; marvel, marvellous. There are also some other words in which the rule is violated, as worshipper.

When a syllable is added to a word ending in y, preceded by a consonant, the y is changed into i; as happy, happily, happier; pity, pitiless. When the final y is preceded by a vowel, it is not changed.

Mute e at the end of a word is generally omitted when a syllable that begins with a vowel is added; as force, forcible; love, loving: but the e is retained if it is required to preserve the pronunciation of the consonant, as change, changeable.

Mute e preceded by a consonant at the end of a word, is generally retained when a syllable that begins with a consonant is added, if the vowel sound of the last syllable of the word is long, as pale, paleness; but if the vowel sound of the last syllable is short, the e is commonly dropped, as in judgment, lodgment. It is retained, however, if necessary to preserve the pronunciation of the consonant that precedes it; as in infringement. Mute e at the end of a word, and preceded by a vowel, is sometimes omitted when a syllable is added, as true, truly; due, duly; sometimes it is retained, as eye, eyeless; true, trueness; blue, blueness.