Rule XI. Of the Verb with Joint Nominatives; Rule XII.-Of the Verb with Rule XIII.- Of Verbs Con- 88 Rule XXVI.-Of Subjunctives; 89 Chapter III.-Examples of False Rule XVIII.—Of Interjections; 85 Chapter IV.-Analysis and Pars- THE FIRST LINES OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR. ENGLISH GRAMMAR is the art of speaking, read. ing, and writing the English language correctly. It is divided into four parts; namely, Orthog raphy, Etymology, Syntax, and Prosody. Orthography treats of letters, syllables, separ ate words, and spelling. Etymology treats of the different parts of speech, with their classes and modifications. Syntax treats of the relation, agreement, gov ernment, and arrangement, of words in sentences. Prosody treats of punctuation, utterance, figures, and versification. PART I. ORTHOGRAPHY. Orthography treats of letters, syllables, separ ate words, and spelling. CHAPTER I.-OF LETTERS A Letter is an alphabetic mark, or character, commonly representing some elementary sound of a word. An elementary sound of a word, is a simple or primary sound of the human voice, used in speak ing. The letters in the English alphabet are twentysix; A a, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, G 9, Hh, Ii, JjKk, LI, M'm, Nn, Oo, PP, Q, R r, Ss, Tt, Uu, V U u, V v, Ww, Xx, Y y, Z z. Observation 1.-The names of the letters, as now commonly spoken and written in English, are A, Bee, Cee, Dee, E, Eff, Gee, Aitch, I, Jay, Kay, Ell, Em, En, O, Pee, Kue, Ar, Ess, Tee, U, Vee, Double-u, Ex, Wy, Zee. Obs. 2.-These names, like those of the days of the week, though they partake the nature of nouns proper, may form regular plurals; thus, Aes, Bees, Cees, Dees, Ees, Effs, Gees, Aitches, Tes, Jays, Kays, Ells, Ems, Ens, Oes, Pees, Kues, Ars, Esses, Tees, Ues, Vees, Double ues, Exes, Wies, Zees. Obs. 3.-Unlike the other letters, all the principal vowelswhether capitals, as A, E, I, O, U, or small forms, as a, e, i, o, uname themselves; each of them, as the name of itself, having the long, primary sound with which it usually forms an accented syllable; as in Abel, Enoch, Isaac, Obed, Urim. The other letters, though they never actually or fully form their own names, are often used in lieu of them, and are read as the words for which they are assumed; as, C, for Cee; F, for Eff; J, for Jay; H, for Aitch. CLASSES OF THE LETTERS. The letters are divided into two general classes, vowels and consonants. A vowel is a letter which forms a perfect sound, when uttered alone; as, a, e, o. A consonant is a letter which cannot be perfectly uttered till joined to a vowel; as, b, c, d. The vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w, and y. All the other letters are consonants. W or y is called a consonant when it precedes a vowel heard in the same syllable; as in wine, twine, whine, ye, yet, youth: in all other cases, these letters are vowels; as in newly, dewy, eyebrow. Obs. 1.-The consonants are divided into mutes and semivowels. Obs. 2.-A mute is a consonant which cannot be sounded at all without a vowel. The mutes are b, d, k, p, q, t, and c and g hard. Obs. 3.-A semivowel is a consonant which can be imperfectly sounded without a vowel. The semivowels are f, h, j, l, m, n, r, s, v, w, x, y, z, and c and g soft. Of these, l, m, n, and r, are termed liquids, on account of the fluency of their sounds. FORMS OF THE LETTERS. In the English language, the Roman characters are generally employed; sometimes the Italic; and occasionally the Old English. In writing, we use the Script. The letters have severally two forms, by which they are distinguished as capitals and small let ters. Small letters constitute the body of every work; and capitals are used for the sake of eminence and distinction. RULES FOR THE USE OF CAPITALS. RULE I.-TITLES OF BOOKS. The titles of books, and the heads of their principal divisions, should be printed in capitals. When books are merely mentioned, the principal words in their titles begin with capitals, and the other letters are small; as, "Pope's Essay on Man.” RULE II.-FIRST WORDS. The first word of every distinct sentence, or of any clause separately numbered or paragraphed, should begin with a capital. RULE III.-NAMES OF THE DEITY. All names of the Deity should begin with capitals; as, God, Jehovah, the Almighty, the Supreme Being. RULE IV.-PROPER NAMES. Titles of office or honour, and proper names of every description, should begin with capitals; as, Chief Justice Hale, William, London, the Park, the Albion, the Spectator, the Thames. RULE V.-OBJECTS PERSONIFIED. The name of an object personified, when it conveys an idea strictly individual, should begin with a capital; as, "Come, gentle Spring, ethereal mildness, come." 1* RULE VI.-WORDS DERIVED. Words derived from proper names of persons or places, should begin with capitals; as, Newtonian, Grecian, Roman. RULE VII.-I AND O. The words I and O should always be capitals; as, "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord."-Psalms. RULE VIII.-POETRY. Every line in poetry, except what is regarded as making but one verse with the line preceding, should begin with a capital; as, "Our sons their fathers' failing language see, And such as Chaucer is, shall Dryden be."-Pope. RULE IX.-EXAMPLES. A full example, a distinct speech, or a direct quotation, should begin with a capital; as, "Remember this maxim: Know thyself."—"Virgil says, 'Labour conquers all things.' RULE X.-CHIEF WORDS. Other words of particular importance, and such as denote the principal subject of discourse, may be distinguished by capitals. Proper names frequently have capitals throughout. CHAPTER II.-OF SYLLABLES. A Syllable is one or more letters pronounced in one sound, and is either a word or a part of a word; as, a, an, ant. In every word there are as many syllables as there are distinct sounds; as, gram-ma-ri-an. A word of one syllable is called a monosyllable; a word of two syllables, a dissyllable; a word of three syllables, a trissyllable; and a word of four or more syllables, a polysyllable. DIPHTHONGS AND TRIPHTHONGS. A diphthong is two vowels joined in one syllable; as, ea in beat, ou in sound. A proper diphthong is a diphthong in which both the vowels are sounded; as, oi in voice. An improper diphthong is a diphthong in which only one of the vowels is sounded; as, oa in loaf. |