NOUNS.

others for what can be felt in some way; as,

breeze, pain, heat, fear, despair:

25

and when we come to think more about all such things we find use for many other nouns; as,

innocence, charm, childhood.

Arrange all the nouns in the last exercise in five lists as in § 45.

46. A Noun is a word used as the name of something.

The word "noun" means just this: the name by which a thing is known.

EXERCISE 33.

1. Make a list of ten vehicles that run on wheels.

2. What names are given to structures in which men live?
3. Name some things that are found in the earth.
4. In what different craft do men travel by water?
5. Name as many as you can of the parts of a ship.

47. An assertion may be made about anything we can name, and so any noun may be the subject of a sentence. But we often use the name of something about which we do not make any statement, and so we may have in one sentence many nouns besides the subject. Thus :

This steamship | has two red paddle-wheels, a black stack for the smoke, and three tall masts without sails.

Here steamship is the subject, and the complete predicate is a long one containing five nouns. What are they?

EXERCISE 34.

1. Which of the nouns in Ex. 32 do not belong to the subject? 2. Tell how many nouns are used in each sentence in Ex. 14. 3. Write sentences, using three of these nouns in each one:—

48. When the complete subject contains the names of several things, we must be careful to distinguish the one essential word which if it stood alone would still name the subject. Thus, in the sentence

The famous palace of the kings of the Moors at Grenada, in Spain, was called the Alhambra,

we have five nouns in the complete subject; but we see that it is the palace that is said to have been called the Alhambra. The other words are added to show which palace is referred to.

EXERCISE 35.

1. Make a list of the twenty-five nouns in these sentences. Draw a wavy line under the eleven used as subjects. 1

1. The darkest clouds bring rain. 2. The leaves of the trees rustled in the wind.

3. Great clouds of smoke were floating in the air.

4. The rays of the sun were almost entirely obscured.

5. A dim light came in at the windows.

6. Our tasks were left undone.

1

2. Write an account of a severe storm.

EXERCISE 36.

1. Make a list of nouns that designate the members of a family or other relatives.

2. Give ten nouns that designate people according to their trades. 3. Name the different parts

of a wagon; of a bird; of a book; of a watch; of a church. 4. Name some things made

of glass; of leather; of paper; of steel; of snow; of stone. 5. Mention the names of several games; virtues; vices; diseases.

1 While studying grammar we will use the word "subject " to mean the "essential" subject.

1. When words are synonyms, do they have the same meaning or only similar meaning?

2. Copy these nouns, uniting into groups by themselves all that are synonyms for one another:

1. Rewrite these sentences using different nouns in every case. Choose synonyms when you can.

1. The scholars need careful in- | 5. Wisdom is more precious than structors.

rubies.

2. The messenger came up the 6. Yonder church has a tall spire. avenue in great haste. 7. Is not honesty better than de

3. The waves dashed the vessel against the pier.

4. Liberty is better than slavery.

8.

ceit?

The way of the transgressor is hard.

2. Which of the nouns name material objects such as have

weight?

TEST QUESTIONS.

1. What are the two most important kinds of words? 2. How do we tell to which class a word belongs? 3. What is an asserting word called? 4. Explain why we need to use nouns in speaking. 5. Find five that stand for what we cannot see, nor hear, nor touch. 6. How many nouns are there in the complete subject? 7. Which is the most important one, and how can it be found?

Mr. Richardson was a wealthy man. He kept many horses. These were his favorites. They lived in a fine stable. It was like a dwelling-house,

who is meant by he? What by these? By his? By they? To what does it refer?

2. Copy the sentences, using these other words instead of he, they, etc., but without changing the meaning.

3. Which do you think is the better way to make these assertions? Give the reason.

4. Mention all the nouns in your copy.

49. Besides nouns, there are a few other words such as he, these, they, it, that often stand for that which we have just mentioned, no matter what it is.

Thus, if any one said,

The President has inspected the Navy,

he might add,

He found it in fair condition;

but he would not repeat the nouns, and say that, —

The President found the Navy in fair condition.

So when we point to a thing we generally use a word of this sort instead of calling it by name.

1. In the sentence, "He found it in fair condition," how do we know what he and it mean?

2. How would you know what was meant by this, that, these, and those, if any one should say to you:

These are good for nothing. That is very valuable. This cannot be bought elsewhere. Those sell very readily.

50. Such words are called Pronouns because they take the place of nouns; and we always prefer to use them if only we can be understood.

EXERCISE 42.

1. Try to improve the following by using other words instead of repeating the nouns :·

1. The people were returning from 4. One woman was very ill.

work.

2. The work was very hard.

5. This woman was being carried

by the woman's husband.

3. The work seemed to make the 6. The husband was the town

2. If Jane were speaking to John, would she say, "John surprised Jane," or, "You surprised me"?

3. If Carl were greeting his friend William, what would he say instead of "Carl is glad to see William”?

51. When we speak or write to a person, we do not keep referring to him by name; we say you, instead: and when we say anything about ourselves, we never think of using our names; for, no matter what they are, we almost always say, I, me, myself, we, us, and so on.

Thus, we should say,

I wish you would come to see me,

and the reply might be,

We shall be glad to have you entertain us.