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feeding; He left it to others to do that; Another's grief preyed on him.”

14. All the cardinal numeral adjectives are convertible into nouns; as six twenties, seven hundreds.

15. The comparative degree is used when two things only are compared; the superlative when more than two, as "Alexander and Julius Cæsar were great generals; of the two, however, Julius Cæsar was the greater," not greatest: "Pompey, Cæsar, and Crassus formed the first triumvirate; of these Crassus was the richest," not richer. No rule is more frequently disregarded than this. Latham himself supplies a case of its violation: "Of the two elements of a compound word, which is the most important?" (Handbook of the English Language.)

16. The adjective, it was shewn, generally precedes the noun in the English language, except when it (adjective) is modified or limited by some phrase, in which case it follows the noun. It is further to be remarked, that in some instances the adjective neither immediately precedes nor succeeds the noun, especially when a possessive adjective operates to disunite them. No writer would say, "He made his retreat good," nor "He made his good retreat," but rather, “He made good his retreat."

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION ON THE ADJECTIVE.

Define the term, derive it, and shew what concerning it the name implies. Give a list of adjectives, with nouns qualified by them. Give examples of the adjective following the noun; others of the adjective neither immediately preceding nor succeeding the noun. (See Observation 16.) Is the noun without the adjective more or less abstract than the noun and adjective taken as one term? Prove this by examples. Give examples of adjectives used as nouns. When are nouns used as adjectives? What is the name by which such words as shoe-maker are generally called? What gives rise to such combinations? Give the substance of Latham's remarks on compound nouns; and shew accurately the difference between finger-ring and ringfinger, also between nut-ground and ground-nut; and form six other compound nouns on a similar principle. Name

the five heads under which adjectives have been subdivided, and give three examples of each. Subdivide numeral adjectives under the different heads given. Give examples of numeral adjectives being used as nouns. (See Observation 14.) Mention some adjectives which are declined with number; some with number and case; and one with case only. Shew why such words as my, thy, &c. &c. are rather to be considered adjectives than pronouns. What other name are the pronominal adjectives sometimes called by, and why? What are participial adjectives? What is the difference between, "I have published a book," and "I have a book published ?" How do you parse the word published in both cases? How did the Latins and Greeks form their different tenses? How do the English form theirs? Shew that the positive state of the adjective expresses a comparison in the expression, "My uncle is an old man." What gives rise to the necessity of degrees of comparison? (See Observation 6.) What two methods are there of forming the comparative and superlative? What does the difference of methods result from? When is the one observed, and when the other? What constitutes irregularity in adjectives? Mention some irregular ones, and compare them. What does Locke call attributive adjectives generally? Give a list of adjectives which ought not to be compared; and shew why. Are they compared by men? Why? Mention any adjectives you know which have one degree and not any other; and any which, under a positive form, have a superlative sense. How do such adjectives as ready, lively, homely form their degrees? What is the reason of such formations, and what is the peculiarity of the class? Whence the terms cardinal, ordinal, as applied to certain numeral adjectives? Point out the difference in the use of such, as regards the number of the nouns with which they are connected? Whence the terms definite and indefinite? Give a list under both heads. What words, as well as more and most, are used in the expression of comparison? Give a list of adjectives which form their superlative by adding most. What peculiarity is there in forming the degrees of big? What causes such peculiarity? and give a list of such adjectives. Point out the difference between

the application of much and many; also between the several comparatives and superlatives of old. What is the difference between the expressions, " The friend and counsellor," and "The friend and the counsellor ?" (See Observation 10.) Give examples of what and which being used as adjectives. Explain this. What difference is observable, and when, between the application of these and those? Give examples. When is the comparative and when the superlative properly used? Is this rule always observed? Give examples of its violation.

ON THE ADVERB.

THE adverb, as its name implies, (ad to or near, and verbum = the verb,) is used as the limiting word of the verb; that is, it shews the extent to which the verb is applied. In the expression, "The sun shines brightly,' brightly is an adverb, as shewing the manner in which the act of shining takes place, and it is said to qualify the verb shines. The adverb, moreover, modifies the adjective, and also another adverb. The expression, "A man strictly religious," is much stronger than "A man religious." It is the word strictly which gives the extra strength to the former, and it is the word religious which is qualified or modified by it;-religious is an adjective: hence the rule"The adverb sometimes qualifies the adjective." By the same reasoning, in the expression, "She writes very correctly," we find that very, an adverb, qualifies correctly, another adverb; hence "The adverb qualifies another adverb."

It has been said that the ad of the word adverb, signifies to or near; the propriety of the name adverb, as applied to this class, appears from the consideration of each, as the signification of ad in the name; for first, the adverb generally is placed in immediate contact with the qualified word, as in the above examples; or it may be considered as the complement of the qualified word, that

is, a word superadded thereto, in order to render the expression more complete. Some adverbs admit of comparison, as, soon, sooner, soonest.

In this formation of the degrees they resemble adjectives. Sometimes the comparative and superlative degrees of an adjective are used as adverbs; as He fought better the second than he did the first time,"-where better, usually called an adverb, qualifying the verb fought, is evidently an adjective, qualifying some noun understood, i. e. in a better manner. Sometimes, also, for a reason similar to that which obtains in the comparison of adjectives, the adverb is compared by the prefixing of more and most; as, "The eloquence of Demosthenes was most powerfully exerted towards inducing the Greeks to resist the encroachments of Philip." The same explanation applies to most in this, as to better in the previous sentence.

It is one of the characteristics of the noun, pronoun, verb, and adjective, that they can form either the subject, copula (or connecting link), or the predicate of a proposition. It is one of the characteristics of the adverb, in common with the remaining classes of words, that it cannot do so. It does not form any of the essential parts of a sentence, but enters into a proposition, in combination with other words, for the purpose, as before said, of modifying them.

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It has been already stated that, in the construction of language, men appear anxious to gain time by shortening expressions; from this cause probably resulted the introduction of the adverb into language, the idea expressed by it being always expressible by a combination of words; thus, therefore for this reason; whereby by which means; whence = from what place, or for which reason, &c. &c. By observing closely the use of the adverb, as a word modifying the parts of speech before mentioned, it will be seen that, by a combination of several words in a sentence, the same purpose is served; now-a-days, at length, after-wards, hence-forward, no-less, mean-time, not-at-all, never-the-less, &c. &c. &c., serve as examples. Such expressions are called adverbial phrases.

In the expression, "He lost but five hundred and ten pounds," but is an adverb equivalent to only, qualifying the

numeral adjective five hundred. In the expression, "You read, but not with diligence," but is a conjunction, (to be treated of hereafter); hence it is seen that but may apparently belong to different classes, according to its functions. in a sentence. The same may be shewn of other particles in numberless instances; hence arises the impossibility of giving a complete list of adverbs. Nor is it necessary to give such. By observing accurately the use of a word in a sentence or clause of a sentence, it will readily be discovered whether a particle belongs or not to this class. Adverbs may be subdivided on a variety of principles; the following subdivision thereof will serve every practical purpose :

1. Adverbs expressive of manner, as brightly, honestly, how, badly, well, happily, &c. &c.

The great bulk of adverbs of this class ends in ly, being formed from adjectives by the addition of this syllable thereto, which is therefore generally called the adverbial termination. Should the adjective end in y, preceded by a consonant, the y is changed into i before the addition of ly, as ready, readily; happy, happily; steady, steadily.

2. Adverbs of time, as firstly, lastly, now, then, heretofore, when, &c. &c.

3. Adverbs of place, as where, whereat, there, thence, here, whither, hither, hence, thereabouts.

4. Adverbs of quantity, as largely, less, intensely, more, vehemently. (The greater part of this class, however, may be included under adverbs of manner.)

5. Adverbs of number, as once, twice, thrice.

6. Compound adverbs, belonging to one or other of the foregoing classes, as by-no-means, in-the-mean-time, mostdecidedly-not, some-what, to-be-sure.

7. Adverbs of causation, i. e., adverbs used in drawing conclusions, as hence, thence, wherefore, therefore, then. 8. Negative adverbs, as no.

9. Adverbs expressive of agency or instrumentality, as hereby, whereby, thereby.

Certain of the foregoing adverbs have different significations, and are arranged under different subdivisions, according to the peculiar signification they have in each sentence. The following adverbs, with their equivalent prepositional phrases, are especially worthy of attention.

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