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AUTHOR: Felch, Walton ~ ·
:
TITLE: A comprehensive grammar : presenting some new views of the
!
structure of language : designed to explain all the relations
of words -in English syntax, and make the study of grammar and
composition one and the same !process : abridged · from a work
preparing for publication I by w. Felch.
~
Otis, Broaders and co J , 1837.
PUB. INFO: Boston
!
·DESCRIPTION: 12 2 p. ; l8 cm.
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SUBJECTS: *Sl English language--Grammar·. J
. . .J.
~ AUTHORS: *Al Felch, Walton.
>THER TITLES: Harvard reading textbooks pres~rvation
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l32.

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micr~film

project ;

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LOCATION: Gutman Educat.ion: EducT 758.3i 'l" 37.0
- I
Gutman Education: Film HRT · 00390 ·"·"--,-~ ..
·~
Master Microforms: Film Mas 24l54 ·
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Microfilm. Cambridge, Mass~ ' '~ Harvard University Library
Microreproduction Service, 1993. 1 microfilm reel :
negative ; 35 mm. ·
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COMPREHENSIVE

G R ~ 4~ Jll MAR,
·~

PRES EN.TING S0.ME NEW . VIEWS
OF Trn:

TO

EXI'LAI.~

AL!. THE nELATIO:Sil Of" WOHDS

1~

E~<GLT5H

BY:STAX,

A:'ifl MAKE THE STUDY

GF

GB.AMMAB. AND OOMPoSXTXOS

B Y \V . __EE L C II.
" 11 IL Is not ~isse, Ir on e ""Cin!j by t~hl! :'\n C:l:}icr' ai1d reaillcr wnie, woui<i saie 'IJl{hat
'_ho halh prooved, thnt other might by experience pro.,1ve the 1ik:e, anu then by proofe
rea.eonahle judge tho like, npt hereby exchuling the better wny when il b founu." -

King Henr!J'B editiun of ~il!J'tl Gr_l.!111111ar,

BO .S T ON:
O·T IS, BROADERS, A:rfD CO.

1837;
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Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1837,
BY W.,FELCH,
In.the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

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PERHAPS no science~ except the science of mind itself, is
rpnre important, or has more need of reform, than that which
should explain the structure of language, the ·medium by
which the operations ·of the mind ·are communicated.
This science, unfortunately as it would seem, owes but little
to the constructive talents of modern times. What we call
grammar was not framed for any of the present languages ;
nor was it exactly fitted to the past-its most approved
teachers being themselve_§ the judges. It is the defective
and misshapen garmetjt. of the dead, which, after some
slight variations, and no)ittle contortion, is found to fit the
living still less.
··
To the standard of rea~cm its advocates make no appeal,
but hang it upon school a:uthority,-an authority well a dapted to perpetuate either truth or error-an authority, which,
in one age or other, has been brought to sanction the greatest follies and absurdities that ever possessed the h uman
mind .
From the defects and incongruities of our system of
grammar, inevitably result the very general complaints
..&gai_n st it as "a dry,': "a blind," " a. tedious," " a perplex-llfng study," and the hke.
·
Some imagine that the difficulties attending it arise from
the peculiarly complicated and irregul ar structure of our
language. - Dr. Lowth, however , supposes that ours, in
simplicity, excels all the lanrruurres of ~cientific nation:',
ancient ::rnd modern .
y

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iBEPARD 1 OLIV£R1 AND (.0,

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0th.er::; 11:ive intirna~c:J. t11at a

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English cannot be obtained without a thorough acquaintMurray, and other
ance with the classic languages.
standard authors, on the contrary, admit that this kind of

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REFACE. , .'' ,.

'*''il,;~r~~~iS;

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anLc>wth :!ap of Bently, "T~_1s comes o~ forcmg the E~~­
lish t!llldm dlle :rules of a foreign (the Latin) language, With
whiclh. it mas;little concern~" - .
.
'II'h
.
..
·
and
grammar
of
the
English,
to
the
r.e
" .IL. e geir,ius
.
k.
r
roadi of the country," says Dr. _Blair, after spea mg '°
fhe 1Frene::1li, "have not been· ~t1:1die,~ with equal care, or
asceJrtain.ecr! with the same prec1s10n.
"Every science," say~
Adam, "may be .reduced to
rim:::· le:s:..'" ,, The prmc1ple~ of gr~mmar_ ~ill be m01st .
;ucc!sfol] w taught by arranging a1_1d explammg them accordi;;nv ~} the order of nature." · . .
S&e::km~ of Johnson, Dr. Webster obser-ves, "F ortu,
tl1an books,
natetrs
t]h:is-- great man, I e d b y usage ra ther
,,
wrote correcit English instead .of g:ra~1111)a!. .
,
Of the prevailing clas'sificahon it 1~ sa1.d, rn Rees C y.do~
pediitc, •• ttil'W'ever general and convement m a pop.ular '/:w,
_.ij is . ,h:r ;!>fl, means to .~e admitted int~ a ph1losopmcal
. gram.mar.
1 f Ed
.
-·. A 'iorR!Ip©Ildent of the Ameri~an ·J?urn~ · o
ucat10n,
rema:;rks,, t-» T'he follo_wers of Murray 1.n this ~ou.n.try ha~e
· been carefflil to preserve nearly all his pecuhanttes, con·
- tentimg themselves ·w ith 11,1aking '.1- differe1?-t arrangeme?t,
and. .atteuiptmg. a c~earer 1l~ustrat10n ~f his errors. Tn~
subject of Emghsh gramr:iar Is as much m the d~rk as ,7ver:
1;({h.1Ie the arts and sciences," says a late wnter,~
ha\e
recerr.ilv tiee-'fi, and are still, receiving such va~t 1mpr~ve-

rnents,.thera. can be po reason ~hy language, their ~1rnd1~,.~~ .
shoulld no\t lie investigated, and its structure ascertamed . .-' .. ·-:
. Among physical bodies, those_ of little c?nsi~tei:cy are ··
the more difficult to remove. A system of mst~uct10n not
based!. on irmon1 does not make reasoners of its 'pupils. A
system e~shed in defiance of reason! will not rea?ily
submiit to its control. A system that <l1spenses .but .httle
lighti affoirh but little. assistan.ce in ~iscovering its ~wn
defonznities, and hence 1s sornet~mes viewed. as an ob3ect

* Cheever Felch, A. l\I.
.,

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of reverence. To rest a science on precedent, i~ to make it
stationary. ·
:.:
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When we are told . by a person of literary; distinction
that Murray's classifications have been long bstablished,
and therefore must n9t be changed, he accounts Jin so many
words for the backwardnesi:i of this science. Here is something that must not be altered, whether right- or !wrong!
" As to every particular," says lord Karnes, ! "that can
be denominated proper or improper, right or wrdng, custom
has little authority, and ought to hav~ none." t.
"Reason alone, and n(,)t authorities," says th~ author of
the Britis.h Grammar, "_q_u ght to weigh and determine the
reader's judgment and ~sent in a matter of such importance."
·
Locke has observed that '.'truth like gold, is not the less
so for being newly brought out of the mine."
i
·
"It is no sufficient re·ason against a reformation," says

. · grammarian,
1eal'Dllne - •" possibl~ snare to· the English
h
d t
d raoun~e, oif error and perple~:ity to . t e stu ~n .
.

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archbishop Tillotson, "that it makes a change."
"I find," f·'.lys Jeremy Taylor, "that men are most con·

fid~J!_t .. of~- arti~les that · they can so little . prove i that they~ 1

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never made questions of them."
/
It is ·h ardly more than_half a century since J?r. Lowth,
the prince of grammarians, affirmed that English grammar
made "no part of the ordinary method.-of instruction" fin his
day, and "must always stand in need of improvement."
And it is at least a subject of doubt whether ' our latest
systems are as judicious in their classification of words, and
otherwise as free from absurdities, as his celebrated " lntroductfon to En glish GramlT'!-~r."
·
:

':'Y-Jiile unne~essa.ry irnp~rfection exists in a~Yj. system of
sc:1ence, there is need of improvement; . and improvement
al~ays implies change. He \vho fa.ncies. it to P+ the .great
object of grammar to teach a certam system . qf arb.1trnry
distinctions'· imd rules, hB;s :·d one no better than ~o mistake
the means for the end, be that system ever so u~fol. . J?ut
if that system -should be loaded with ooocurity,! absurdity,
nnd gross incorisistencies, his mistake is the more f>ernicious.
He trea_ts his pupils as a sick child, w~o is r~qui!ed to take
a nauseous drug without any conception of Its fi tness.
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PREFACE.-

----~ ~~- >_ ·~ '~,~~#~~~;~.,'.&~~1::~'/·~.~ -~~? . ;:,·_; ~:., :
improper to say an union, as an youth; · or such an one, as
such an wonib:r.
.
*

Bow far th'ese characteristics atteno the pre vailing gramwill appear upon careful en mination. The following ~marks (and they . are necessarily v~r:y brief) may
begin -t o assist those _who have not v.vell consul ered the subject. -They chi_efly refer to Murra;"~ work, because of that
the others are little else than transcripts. .
_ That our systems c_ommence with a cl3:ss m ade up of t\Yo
supplemental words, mstead of first placmg the noun - and
~as a foundation ,
not one of th.e.ir w orst mistakes; but
it hidicates, at least, that room is lefu for improvement. .
The article is defined, " a word prefixed to n'O uns, to point
them out, and to show how far their signification extends; as,
_ a garden, the woman." If this defirnition has .any m eaning
-' ,and a pplication, it will as well app!}" to a. th\O'usand other
words ; as, UJU garden, Smith's garden, that 'W'Oman; black

-Our grammarians instruct us that "a noun, without an
article to limit it, is taken (some say.generally) in its widest
sense." This, like many other errors, seems-to come from
an error in classiJ;lg; and, if adhered to, would make a long
list of articles,. as, one house, neither house, his house, my
neighbor's new carriage P,ouse, &c., &c.
Murray says, " The present participle, with the definite
article the ~fore it, becc;_rnes a ~ll:bst::ntiv~, and must -hJ!e
~'he prepos1t10_n pf after it.n If tms direction were foll o\ved,
instead of saying, The fifing cea.s.ed-,-I saw the setting sun,
&e., we .should say, Tl14_Jiring ~f ceased-I saw the seiting

is

women,- &c.
.
·
·
-The scholar's information, then, t11at "a and tlze arc
r::rt id es," amounts to the pro position that a a nd the aTe a
and the ! H e must therefo re have a third name for each,
, and .spends some days or weeks -in_learning t~ tell that "a
is the indefinite article," (though it is so far d efinite as to
signify one,) and "the is called the -definite article, because
fr. ,;>-.£e!tains what particular thing is meant." Suppose,
tn'en , 1 say, Th e men are sin ners; if no particular men arc
otherwise ascertained to be the subject of discourse, y ou
ask, ·What men 1 and receive for answer, All rnen. This is
perfectly unders tood, because the adiunct all is very defi;ite; ~..-~~ilc _t'!e ~s so indefinite that h is imp1-0per to use it
i9r de~mng as m .the example. Bu.t \Ye should not forget
mat our grammarians tell ris that u the is th e definite :. art~
de;" an~ all an" indefinite adjective pronoun ! "
· -:
~t th1~ · s~e of the examination , some have protested
_agamst discarding a whole system of instruction. on account
of a few mistakes at the beginning. But snch mistakes
are not c~nfined t~ the beginning ; a nd a system which
alJounds with them is not worthy of being regarded as n
standard of science. In fact, a stience admits of no proper
standard but its subject. · ·
.
The rule for using an,,requires some mending. It ·is, as

vii

'PREFACE'.

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That mistakes like this should be made in a work essent ially new, would _not ~e ~-~o surprising. B ut to selec t them,
as Murray did , frorn old ' boo1{s, and to reta in them for llear
half a century in a stand ard \Vork on science, affo rd s striking e vi den ce that real impro vement is more <needed than
en cou-raged; and that authority h'a s usurped the place, and
silenced the voice, of reason and facts. '
.
.
Other popular writers have doubled the error by saying
of an article before, and of after,_ that "the one c;]iou1d
never be us ed \Vit hout the other. " J3ut we may say, I hruZ
been thinking of that; not , I had been the th.inking of that.
'\Ye may say, this telling of tales, or no telling of tales, as
well as the telling, &c. \V c m::i. y say, his speaking of ha;
Joh n's speaking, &c.
·'
In short , it can be made to appear that our gramrnaria ns
.h~ve not poi n ted out a , ~in gle pecul iar ity of the articles ;
and whatever they teach us concerning them is worse than
useless, a real nuisance ~n grammar. ·
__ .
If I ask a scholar how he kn~ws a pronoun, he has thi ~
answer from his book-Because . it is "used instead of a
noun, to avoid the too frequent repetition of the same word."
I offer the sentence, I wish ·you to r~d_ this hook, and ask
of what noun I, you, or this ayoids the repetition, and receive for nnswer that. he has found grammar difficult to
understand ! '

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The firs~ sec10md. and third he in the following sentence,
stand for the Sti'll!1e person as a ckiU, but do not ·avoid the
repettittion of the woim chi~: " Train _up a child in the ~ay
lie. shmuld go, au& when he is old ke will not depart fr-0m 1t."
I n fmctt, the pronoun is the noun of most' common and prefeira.lJile use; an~ the name takes its place principally
where it (the pranoun) is not sufficiently definite. The partic~ rnles,_ instead of general principles, for
kD:-O\la.irur wh.en ttuii~ uhzch, and what, are to be calle-d relatit:_a,,
when they ate to ~ar some other name equally
insi~cant, have cost learners much time and trouble.
An d tfue name, at last, is all they are permitted to know;
for if they learn to say, "Relative pronouns are ruch as
relate,; in general, to some word or phrase g9ing before,"
-they ae still unable to -determine what manner of -relation71
. ship ou: in general they sustain. · L~r.d ~ames says, " I~ a
complete thought or m~ntal propos1t10n, all the members
and ~'"1s are mutually related, some slightly, some inti-

and

mately- .~·

~4.rr4 the nominative case · is not defined. Suppose we
say oi a prince, IIe rules his peopl.e. \Vhat case is he?
.(tns: N ominative. Ques~. W!iy. so called 1 A. ·(ac~ord­
rng _to 1'Iurray,) B~cause 1t "simply exp'resses the name of
a thmg-, or the subject of the Yerb." Q. Is he more a name
th~n prople? A . '\Vell, it is the subject of . the verb rules.
Q. Is the ruler the subjec~ of ruling? A . I h ave ahvays
fountl grammar a perplexrng study, but will look at the
<licfarn-nies: " Subject, .one who 1s under the power of
an0th:r;" ' 'that on which any operation is performed."*
Well,, I have heard a lecturer say, "The nominative case
d~notes the ~gen.l or actor." Q. But what will yoti · do
with. tln~. nommahve case absolute .and independent, and the
nommatlve of neuter verbs 1
Mu.nay says, "The possessive case expresses the relation
of J!roperty or pos~~~~ion." _Suppose then, I purchase a
manshat nra w?mai:is shop,:who.is entitled to the.pay?
Ourgrammanans d~fine .•t.J;ie adjective, "a word added to
•''Verbs are. reltJ~d, on. the .one h'and to the age.n t and ori the
other to the sub;ect upon which the action is exerted."~Kames'. -·
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.IX
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a noun to express its quality; " not meaning "its quality,"
the thing signified.
however, but the quality or description
The scholar reads of the carpenter's tradet the Cliristian's ·
hope, &c. Here the words added to trade and lwpe express
their quality; but he is not permitted to call them adjec·
tives.
·
.
·
!r'Iurray, and others among the most distinguished gram·
marians, instruct us that "an adjective may be known by
jts making sense with the addition of the \VOrd thing, or of
any particular substantive. 11 The scholar finds a thing, the
thing, this thing, that thing, which thing, what thi ng, any
thing, ·e11er y thing, Smitl!) house, mer house, &c. ' These
adjuncts of course -he · s Q:~mld take to be adjectives; but is
gravely -. informed by -h~· ~eacher _ that they are articles,
nouns, and pronouns-t}!}:ee other parts of speech-but no
adjectives! -.
• ~,:
Murray says, by way of definition, "The superlative
degree increases or lessens · the positive to the hi ghest or
tQlV_es_t_ degree ." He mys, on another page, "Th e comp;nativc dearee may be so employed as to express the same pre ·
emine;ce as the superlative." . This last remark is correct;
but it destro-y s his defin'i tion . . T he fact is , the differe:1ce

of

between these <lef?,Tees consists in the manner of drawin g
the comparison, a~nd not in the degree of quality expressed;
ns, She is wiser than they; she is the wisest o~ them. .
:Murray describes neuter i;erbs as expressing " neither
action nor p;:i.ss ion, b llt beinfl" or a state of being." H cncr,
a school-boy must renounc~ his grammar, or belicYe th at
runnina, jumping, and shouting are not a~tions !

Mur;ay defines mode to. be "8: particula: form ?f the
verb showinO' the manner m which the bemg, action, or
'
b
··1 es are " mere
. passion
is represented."
He says th e· parhcip
modes of the verb; 1' and- yet ·parses them as verbs of no
mode at all! I may say, He had commanded, and we
obeyed ; or, He having commanded, w~ obeyed. Here had
commanded and havina commanded, are but two forms of
the same v~rb "showi~g the ma~ner in which" the same
!
I
d agent Cl IS
•
expressed action
of the same expr~sse
represen t•
ed." In the last .form, the scholar is · taught
to parse the
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. .

PREFACE.

%

. -rononn as ·" nominative case abs~lute," an~ t!ie v_erb as
compound. perfect participle ; " with.out an mtm~ation of
an connection between them, and WI th out knowmg what
yfu1 instruction is inv~lved in the absoluteness of the one,
~be CQlll]XJUM perfectitm of .~e other !
. ·.
.
Murray describes the infinitive as " expressing a t~ing
m a general and unlimited ma,n~er:" That b~ was sen?us
in assigning to this mode an unlinuted expression, n~tw1tJi·
standing he also terms it" gen.eral," appears from his d1snngnisihing the others 8:S "fimte." But ~est. ~ ~holar . of
finite capacity. should f:i-11 to comprehend its m~?itude, ·he
informs him, 1n a special rule of syntax, that one yerb
governs another that follows it and depends upon it in the
i '
· infinitive mode; as, Cease to do evil.:' But suppose we ·sar,
··Cease doi,_71g evil.; here the verb doing follow~ cease, and_is
·,
as general and dependent as the other: And 1f I .say~ _Gease
· tllou, en I wisk thee to 'cease, the, a~tion o~ ceasmg _1s r~- .
~:rktt>d {{"'the seco:rd person ana rniure tune as much in
one case as the other. .
.
..
O ur grammarians define the preposition as serving ''. .to
mnnect words with one another, and to show the relation
iietween them." So_far as I can' underst::ind what is meant
~ show--.ing the relation between words, it is supposed that
tliie followi:ncr, and many other connectives, are included
t1 1Hie- r this defini tion : -lie~ is ~icl;:; 11c k eeps ic nt; John
Jur vin er gone; he who spoke ; Smith and Co.
1\11:l 1ii1~ conj uncti ou--h:.i.vc they defined that? If they
say it u connects words,'' they say nothing: all parts of
:speech do this . . If they say it "connects sentences," this .is
not its uniform or exclusive character: other words -·co!l- ·
meet sentences; · as, Was he alive; oh! I can hardly believe.it. ls_he coming? speak! I am impatient to know.
Did yon see him? No; he had passed by.
But it will be said that other words do not connect as
conjunctions do. The rema,k is true, and brings us back
to the very thing in question. In what peculiar manner do
conjunctions perform their syn tac.tic office, so . as to entitle
them to a classification, and enable us to decide whether a
word is a -conjunction or not, and what is meant by _its
being so r
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Murray defines interjections to be "words thrown in between the parts of a sentence to express the passions or
emotions of the speaker; as, 0 ! I have alienated my
friend ; alas! I fear for life ; 0 ! virtue," &c. In these
examples the interjection precedes the sentenqe, as usualcontrary, however, to ~is definition.
.
.
Murray's rule 1 of syn,tax, uA verb must agree," &c., is
too general for his system,. which leaves nearly ·half our
verbs without person, number, or nominative. "
Rule 2-" Two or more n~uns, &c. (probably he means
nouns ari.d pronouns) in _'.;_t he singular number, joined together by a copulative conjunction, expressed or understood,
must · have verbs, nouns, -il;hd pronouns agreeing with them
in the plural number." · rhis concerns · only the conjunction and. The rule is ,blilid, because c}c. is indefinite. · It
is false in expression, because it requires the agreement of
. o. uns, " Wi1· .l..!!011l• excei:nion.
•" .
•
"verbs 1 n ouns, an·d pron_
_ HT . 1s
false, because, in requiring foe plu:rai verb, _it does not .embrace the ,. exceptions, most of which. are, inde~d, provided
for in the notes, but are rarely remembered w1_th the rule.
All exceptions should be .expressed ?r all~wed m the r~les .
A rui th~i~ ·~Y
;-:: P.V~n
t re uuc~
--rnrP5::~
. . --l,. ; .inn
. . . ............
-- ".. . . . . . C·v-·ffi rt;atible \\'1th a Q"rea
o
ti on ·or rules, \vhen-based on proper classifications.
- ;\.i. n d if it is t}1e conju net ion that mak es t f-1 ~~ rJ1Ural Ycrb
_ _ ............... ................ .£.

n eces sary, th en Hule 3, "The conjunction disjunctive (.' )
b:t s ::rn e ffec t contra rv," &c. i i:' ll::'L' lc ::o'~ ; for si ng ubr n .: rlJ;:)
would of course atte~d singular nouns under Rule l.

The description -0f nou·ns of multitude, in Rule 4, as
"signifying many," does not distinguish the'm from plurals:
And these four, with all their notes and comments, may
be superseded by one sho]'.t, unexceptionabl~ rule, which he
in substance applies to _colbctive nouns, m Rule 4,. and
which expresses ·the true -principle of agreement, viz. A
verb agrees in person and number wi!!i the idea conveyed _by

its

ag~t.

·

··

· · ..._

. .

Rule 6, "Pronouns must always agree,u &c., is perhaps
superfluous; for pronou~s take their gender and number
upon the same\principle as ·names. And the word gene:al,ly
would be preferable to ·always, for the rule has excep~1on~;
nst It is John; John, you are to blame.

·

~

;

.

~-~t{.

7

, ;

~~~J"' Xll

;;~~~~·~,
·.~i~Ji~·~,·~~i~4~~~11iJi'
;~~~0....,. ~~:..
. •. " ·. . • . . . . . ·.
-.
.;.

The latter _pan of RuJe 6, " When . a n~mi.native come~
between the relative and the v~rb, the relatn:e is. gover.ned,
&c., is not tme .in senten~es like the following : He is the
one tliat I sulJJPOSe WTOte it.
.
.
Rule. 7, ,; VThen the relative is .preceded by two nomin?-·
tives of di1fereut persons, the relative_and verb m~y a~ree ~n
person.with either," &c., should read, two nominatives in
apposition.
.
. ·
. .h '
· h.
·. · Rule: 9 "'!'he article a or an agrees wit .. nouns m t e
,· singular ~um.Jber only;iridivi~ually or collectiYt;lY,'' is hardly
·· consistent with such expressions as the followmg : A dozen
> were .found. Besides, this rule is no mor~ -n eeded than
. ~:,-,'. rules with regard to. ~e nu~ber of few, severaJ, f?~e, two, &c.
; «'· Rwie. 1~"' Part1c1ples lia'Ve the same govern~ment as .the
· r\.erbs have .from which they are derived.': ~}!f they are
.. :. verbs. as be teaches, this extra rule is urinec~siary. ·
. .
·.: · · · If the nominative case had been defined, theil ·Rule 6, '.' The
relative is the nominative," &c., would be unnecessary. · If adjectives had been defined, Rule 8, "Every adjective ·
and adjective pronoun belongs to a substantive," &c., would
be unnecessary.
· If transitive verbs, prepositions, and ~he objective ~ase
had been defined, t.ht:n Rule 11, " Acti-rc' Tcrbo goYcrn tho
· obje•:tlve case/: and Rul e 17, "Prepositions govern the
objec ti H.o case," ,.-rould be u nnecessary.
R11le 19, "Some conjunctions require the indicativ.e,
some drn su.bfonetive/' &c,1 seems to be a secon'd. tn1succ2ss~ 1
h
l
d
1u
attempt to d.e nne tu.e
SUOj unct1vc .moue ; an a tnua
j,~ perhaps exhibited in the not~s to this rule.
_
With regard_to Rule 10, "One substantive governs another,77 &c., and Rule 12," One verb governs another," -&c.,
it may be observed, that the r~Jssessive adjunct and the infinitive are qualifiers ; as, John's time; time to come; like
that time; future time, &c . . If there is a,ny. thing among
~ these words that should be termed government,- the adjunct
" is rather the governing word, because it restricts the expression. But. it is a question whether the term has any proper
application to syntax.
·
In the foregoing examination~ all of M~rrny's rules are
_J;

I

•

.,.

't•

I

j•

11

noticed except those numbered 13, 15, 16, ~~8, 20, 21,~d 22.
Of these it will suffice to .say, that ~~y; are such as to _be

npw generally di~used. .
,_ .
. .
-.
· - .The additiop.al rules . of later grammanans are believed
to be, with 'few exception.s.- _ilo bett~r. ·.

·

.

.. The rule, ·" ·N'euter ancl ·.passive' ·verbs m_a y have tl.ie
same case after as bef<?re them,·when ·both nouns,, (or pro-

nouns, or nomi _,and prono"un) '" ref~r _to the~ sam~ t~ing," is
rendered _unnecessary :by<~another attendrng it m . these
. word~" Two 11ouns .sig-_h;ffyi.ng th~ same thing 'are put by
· apposi,tion i~ the ~ame . '*-~~".
- The two rules, -" The:: ·normnatrve governs the ver'Q,"- and
"The verb : agree~~ with~i~riof!linati~~·, .' ' &c., so far as they
~ · have · a - ~ignificatio_n, are}>\{~t .a r~petitlon of the same ~ule ;.
. ·arid ::we':ha:ve_no ·co_nce:rn·:~W 1th the person and number of
. the. verb till -we come td'~il;!j;
..
The"ruie·· .,,_The· infiniti ~e . mode, or 'part of a sent~nce,
is soinetim·e's the noininaiiVe to a verb,": might have incl_uded
the partieiple witn the infinitive,, and the objective case with
.;the nominative. 1
_,- · : •
, -.
•
•
· The rule", "Adverbs '_ q~alify verbs, participle~,. adjectives,
· and adverbs," unnecessa_rily. enumerates part1c1ples, and,
as it ?s of no use except ·as a -<lefinition of adverbs ,· should
have put pre positions and conjunc ti ons on the l_ist.
~~ ~ ~b~olu•n
,,.,'1,.,p
n u·ln,.,t•
' ru1es wit, h regaru..i t o Cu.::,e;:;,_,_u.
. T ne
.:; • ,,_. "' Dr1
.u. ~
........ · r--··
- _••·.."'
are mere and unmeaning- definitions. - .
·
• .. - ... . ,
."" ._ ,,
•
•
t"
'!"·j, ThC ii1ce mav· ..be sa1ct
o! t!1e !ol10\v1ng,
and o ~ nvr~. · · ~ ~ . e
•· its
•
• · 'fi
+'
))
"Ar!,
article refers to a noun to .•l'1m1t
s1gm
•. ca.ion.
.ti-'je:-tives belong to ~ouns ~vhic~ · they describe "-.-They . hel~.i1-o
describe things, not words, · . I_f such rul_es amoun.t to any
thing, they indi.cate .th.at what is called etymo~ogy is only a
department of syntax. ·
- ·
. . ·· .
·
: It appears to be one ·of tJie mistakes ?f .gramma! to call
the classing of words etymology, an~ .1t· is su~pected that
other mistakes have arisen from this. Wh_atever reason .
m!ly be found f~r thi.s 'use o~ the term ~n th_e Latin.grammar,...
or· the , Greek. there is· certamly npne m the E~ghsh, whe~e
words a~e at least genera.Hy classed ·in reference to syn~~llc
use~ without regard to etymology.
· . ·
,, , ·
2

_. · · . - .

.

'4

D

>'

:_"'I,

e

'\

n

.;--- - . . - - "*

PREFACE;

The preceding scraps of irammar (so called} are too
nearly specimens of the whole. They rationally account
fe»r its bd r ep:u tation, and may serve _to illustrate the effect
of suffering a . system of instruction to rest on mere prece~tr im...mad of ~ruth , reason, and utili~.
.. ThP~ manv ubfoctions to :il'IurravJs Grammar,
,.. -:- - ; -

,;.~"··•n
--..il.l....i.li.tr~

--

J

"""'""
_~IMlr,

and ·t hose
f'~'"'
r1ri~
___ Jt~
-_
- !OOtg
--- ~Il(l
- - H~
. . . . . . , h1"~l'1l'h1
-·-..·- . . P~
. . _, ____
""'"""' ........

-

..

· -

...,

-.

..

-

-

t"""~
,a f.o'T""'Y'\Pl1
-~_..._..

~=-err ~t bv his adherents in the onen field of scienti~f: ~nves­
:1
-,.., :_i.-..·-· . m~ci tneir j nrec;:;,ant
attc·rr~nf<:
!O imnroYe
h~ S "';.,,.,;.;
~~' ~- i..-i.;;,,
.... ~ .'-'-.
~-~--..)
1-'
_J -..;i..\....- 1.0. J. !
{._"-_l__'._ . .. .

J

.

..........

•

..

._

...

.I.

..

n~·~ r.ez:drness w1th '\vh1ch such r-Jtcm nts arc cr;ccurag0
~!at ~st in the American schools, afford a striking ~Jroof

"''·'c1

~

")f i~~ ~•rerfections.

" T he one h1mrlred and onsn-:ver.5ions
Grammar simplified,'' {to u se the expression
. ~ a pt:ilpU}ar grammaria? ,)* have been Seen SUCCessively to
. _, :-R!e, fkat, _and break,· .like .bubbles, on the tidEr' of. ·j><>pq.lar
~ifilo~ ~d grammar still remains un satisfafaor~ to the
n~a...;:_0ntl.'i[ mind, " as much in ·the dark .as eve r." "'
T!i~ fqcarnd and ingenious have tried, and arc tryirw. to t::-3:Jr~~a!:~ this }mp-0rtnnt branch of ~tudy from ·it:: - er::~bar~
~~~~ ~~ c_}:ab~¥ai~~~ the Tinh-e_t~?~s- .o~ .~nst~~~~ion , wi~~ou.~ €Jfi ... ]\}:;i;,nty1s

!!;

'1...ll11ll.'.g"i0

\Jl

:::>t•

:'.'lt

! ! Ct::;,

1

e

- lUttiHlVe." ..

1

IlUllC!:IYe . ..

3J!!d "Productive/' have been r esorted to -bv turns. Di~~u.e f'uiE& given place to dissertation , di$Sertation to <iues;~.,..., ,,., \~Y't>$~ions to lectures , and 1ect1:1res io dialor"uc,
with
0
w~a:t H,":'.:ees5 time has shown, and will shov.;;

I

I
f

IE!
~

i
j

...
~

i

i
i
~
...
5

,

j

!!

" ~~ cla~sification of words should not ·be based on their
~llJ\f-that would make. as many' classes· as words · .{}or
on - the~ etymology, ·_be~au~e, a~ a. popufar tea~her observe~, use,_and not der~vation! is the law of language."
A system of gram~ar JS desig~ed to. teach and "explain
th': ~~ture of _language,· .particularly the relations· of
~ me.a.rung. ' ~ords sho?Jd therefore be classe.d, . like . the
bwaes. of anunals, the timbers of. hous~s, or the .,p~ts
a
' ~hin~ according to t~eir arch~tectural or . synfaP. tic ' rela-

t.

of

tions._ _
•

Smith~s heface.
I

_

,

.·

t Erµerson's Preface to Watts on the Mipd.

· · ,~very grammarian conforms m ostly to this principle.
"ith out such conformity the science would have no students . . They however m:ike 'som e exc~ptions, in imitation
of ancient grammars, or -. m . . refere.nce to precedent or etymology;
and these. except10ns
seem to be needless, and
_ ___ _ __.1
1
1
gn~lfuy uernng-e not oni y tn e c1assincat10n, but the busine"s
o_f defining,_ ?f- pr~seribing rules, and of c~nveying- instru~:
tion gc11erai! ~y- . 1t is - beVieve\--l by" {.}1c fr !ent1~ - uf-th!~ cons~rn~tive syst~.m. that the aberra~ i o;_s referred to arc tbe prin '"
"'"'' o""Uf"''
.....
·< 01,
. i" ••
1 '1 COD.liflUeti,
·
•
'-'J.1>~•.I!
v
~~......, ')
, '1 the"''"],
,__,Tu.:-:; t...vfl~"L
1_p1a.111
eu..
d1l d ) \Vlll1e
must - neces~ar~ly pa~~~yze . e very atte mpt to render tl-;e sci~
ence extens1ve1y usc!lll. · ····".· . I;I~nqe _it is that gramrq_~(and comp osition are made separate st~d1es.: _: · G:!~m~at~}f ~ collection of in con~ru ities,
and compos1 ~10n 1s eithert!?-;eglected, or pursued without a
proper ·system.
' · l" cxcmp1m2a
, . ,.. ' rn
· tnc
•
~ .,The. 1'mitat1
• ·,,e· •n
•. e...~l1od o.r cmssrng
'l

u
-:

•

........

•

nA

11 _

v

!O!lolv·1 ng s·e:1tence :.1 '
,.

;:

~

XY

..

~r;1P:
• ,~:::.i..
--~ ,,,•u·'"';.;-~
~,o..,...Ax n.n v. h.-..
l"~
;.u.__. wu.u vt,

uuu

I

.

~::me

( man wci_s there , -

lYo

j ·

r.-:--.•11~
LliX(:~·1" ...t.C

.n v.".l

\

")/}(;..;;_

H.!.~_.

- ........... llt.......... ':"'\ ...... : .. ,, .. ....
ica_u •..r"

VU!1 ~t.lt.. u t e

j

- · ~-~0;~-:-~i <.'.0 i!!~_;_;_:-. -li ~.!~':: {!.;;)
i.. ~ ~ ~ ....._...... ~
_ -•
'-""' .. L
...

tli~

;){.1UH.:.

pftll.

Oi

ti1'3

speech or sentence. If we tell the student in composition
tha~ they am three parts of speech, that 71JJ is an R<ljcctive ,
'· ad.Jell to a noun to exp~e:;:'i ils qua lity ," and some i:; a
p ron Qtrn , "u:;;ed instead of a n oun to avoid r e petition ," we
are backing an .error in cla~sing by an equal error i n defining; . we ~ut an obstacle in the stud~nt's way,· instead ofadvancmg his progress, and teach him falsehood upon fal$ehood , when the .truth would do infinitely b~tter. ,
.If I _say, a boy's q_oat hangs yonder, no one understands
me th at a boy hangs there. · I speak of a coat, descriptively
called a boy's coat, or a small coat.
are coats of boys. Small coats are coats of

sn!!J;..rt.#.tats

ThE? ;preceding consid~rations chiefly account for the
changes of classification proposed in this work. They res.u lt .from necessity, and not from a disposition to inno~nte.

_ .....-:.. _ .._,_____.

.

-- #·· --. -- · ----

. _..._JI! ....

P'lt:ll'.ACE. ·

It will be perceived that the author reguds the prevailing
as :resting, in ~neml, after making ,the exceptions alluded .io, ~n ~e - ~rtnanent basis of truth and
utility. - He cannot, therefore, approve the more extensive
.changes of Cardel!r and som& other grammarii:in_s.
A more critical and · ~xtensive work has .· been for some
time preparing for the press. In the meantime, this abridg·
ment is·· offered t°(>r examination, to ascertain ·what pr,opor. Jion of. the .public is . dispo~d to encounige :such an .im.-.~ provenient.
:'-. . 'J'he 'system of gra~ar .of which this·isap ··abstract has
_been termed the .t\rch1tect1ve, Construc~ve; or · Structural _
;~;Sy~te~~: because it is supposed lo_ explain a:I!+t'10: ielatipris
-. ,,:f>f words in _the forms of speech, and because.~ the .classi-.;-~fication ' is. altogether based on these relatio"ris ;::ifrom which
.' circumstances, although the explanations shcfold be re"nder~
~ m~r~ ex~ensiv:e " _
and critical,· ye.t. the science , is greatly · ·
s11Dp~ed, grammar . and compos1t1on _are made on·e ~nd
the saJ?e study, every step of the ]earner's progre-ss in the'
e ne i~ equally a step i!l the .other,_and he obtains a clearer
_~ew of the syntact~.c .charac~~ristics ~f siyle, and the peculiar manner of frammg practised by hunself or other builder
m..Iangu~ge. .
- •.
.
..
.. .
~· How fi:tr - these improvements ~rill ultimately tend to·· j
~
:avan.ce the cause of education and science, is yet to be
[
elassificat~orn

* ·· ' .

J!.:IlO W U.

· ·.

.

SUBDIVISIO~

I;

.

•

,*

"II'.

.OF _T HE CLASSES.
.,

·-

..."'!.-

. ·.

~eauthor ac~o~ledges with pleasure his obligation .to Mr. Joseph
__Hamngton, Jr., Prmc1pal of the.Hawes School, ~oston, for some valuallle
aggesuo!ls, for much ~rsonal kindness, and for his early and efficient sup.
lfOl'l of this attempt at 1mpro'!ement. ·
· -, ·

I

PAB.T J:J:.

: - ·. . . .

.

.

.

· - · NouNs iri

.

.,:.~~·:·

#

~

'

·~k.::'!~i-.

LEssqN I~i€~f!Jivision of Nouns.

. .. .

~:h'.JfJE~ ~
const!uctiP,~!!re

#

•

-

•

divid_ed. into' Orders, Genders,. ·
.·
.
·
·
·
, ,A'.p.'cl b_~sid·es these epiife distin_ctions, the grammarian has
-. occas~on :.tp~ n_o~ice__ sev~J-~l species, each distingliished by
s9me 'pecuhanty;
, ,~ ,. ,- ~r:.J. .. .·
· ·' Questions.-Nouiis are divided how 7 &c. ·
Persons~,~ Numbers; ~ arid(@ases.

~

~-~·---~-- ..,..-~

"

. ~,,...

-

..

.

.

LEssoN Il ~- Or.ders of Noilns.
· . Nouns are of fo·~~ ~Drders, the . Particular, Descnptive,
·
.
Pronominal, and Conjunctive.
}. noun of particular (oi- proper) order is a particulr!r
name-the proper name of a particular thing ; as, John,
London. Jumiier. . A :n~un ..of descriptive'~ (or common) order is a descriptive nam~the common~~name ,of a descr~ption of things ;
as, a man, the city, that lifight star.
.
·. A · Pronoun, or noun .at -pronominal order, is the substitute for a name-the subs'titute for a particular name alone,
or for a descriptive na1ne~~ with its supplements .... It is a
nounal word· that has an office more or less general, but
is particular in its application; ·as, he spoke ; it was incor..
.
porated j .J saw none.
A:noun of conjunctive ·_(or relf:ltive) order is used con. junctively. It is a species of conjunction, serving also as
a pronoun, agent, or object in lhe supplemental clause. As

.

2*

-

f$~: : · -~')t;J~;~s< ··~ ·-~~~~~\fl~~~#~t "~-·.
•·

.

2.\

.

CLASS~S

-

~

CLASSES OF WORDS.

·oF WORDS.

A Verb :signifies to d.o, be, ot: ~ave; 8:8, t~ey rej~ _;
they 0~ j@Jfu]; they have JOY: _Bu,t to he s1gm.fies to e~t,

Laura retired.
Eliza excels. ·
Edwin attended.
ChaIJes spoke.
Adam sinried.
Peter wept.
J:>aul preached.

6,.

ni

or hep
beirig; to ka_ve ~1gmfie~ !o pos~ess, or hold m
possession. ;. t4J l>e acted upon is to re~e1ve action, or .stand as
its d>jm; and they can be comma~ded ~ somethmg ·to be
donies ma.teriafily or mentally; as, 'be1 merciful,. or have mer·cy. lJe ini1.1!Uded, &c. And even existence itself, perhaps,
im;:tie~ actWn.. Hence the following concise _and convenient
defimition.,
.
I
•
61. A Vem signifies to do some action; as, J. am, ext$t,
I li1Ce, Jstacul;, I move, I run, I have) I possess, .I lwld, I keep,
I dai:m'I> I demand.
. · . And it should be understood that grammat has no .con-.. cem wiitli _tt.he di~erence o~ things /spoken· ~f~/ farther th~!l
·· thati ocg:~ons a difference m the f~rms of speech.
Class1fi car'tion has- no ·more concern with the quantity or reality of

I:

· '

Man.kind toil.
Roses bloom.

blow.

WiDa'.s

- Trees grow.
Time passes.
Life continues. D.ea h approaches.

,
R~rf' b~y. .
Imitate Martha.
Fue barns.
I
_
··
• Enco_?rage Lydia . . Leayffi.,i~ fall. _
R!:!:chel mourned. . Recei¥oe instruction.
Pity ~S.u~an. -. ~· FooJs:~ontend. ·
Educate Mary.
Misfortunes foUow.
=
Teac.h J oseph.
Speaklruth.
acti,rm s:igni fi-ed by a verb, than with the magni tude or ma.- -f
Cyrus conquered. Do j ust ice.
t'.·ri :1!it.y '~,{:the thi ng signified by a noun.*
·~
\Vallis fough t.
Love mercy.
T;'r~: rD~!l ~ -. ~: " .
p ;, 11 .:~ -o -.. . .-.,. . . . . .
1r. · t ·
?
r .. u:q.J.1.C~.
l
;
"U" G\V lS
'
' . r ~;.:i
'·t-''
(~~~=.i:_ -J;.7l--r~ t.H..'.tiill
lo.n
~
.i:..L..I.a.
.a...z..
f ... YCf(;
t::._t:. ..,:._;'
o:i
1
in~~? .a-#o.~-~2e=~is:;? £~L.11plcs .. Dees it signify to dq a material action '? l
4_
··,

~

Ex=p~~

Eo.i related to an agent ·7 Exa,mples. ~\~ hen do two or.mo.re ~

w 0 ,,_..._, ,_,_.c.;.:I~:T~ <{'T.le ;erh 1 E:rnmnks . · Fift ,, dcfimttcn '? Excmp1~fy :~ ·
La,:: c :'.'; ::.!'. '. ' :i ·? E:rc •;1p'.ify it. \Vh<J. t concern lia-s g-ram1:L<r w:t.n tr:e
diffi.: ~en re ct :.Y-J.ir.:;s ·1 &c .
·

,

j;j

'V.l. 5

.Z.T'-1

~.i_a,;.1t ;~i..

.ll

•

_J._

• l

r _, ngage 1\01ga1L
Observe. Lucy_

Beauty faded.
Virtµe triumphs.
Nancy reads.·
Friendship
sbothes.
.
I
Caroline \valked . . Hope brightens.
Harriet died.
Spring returps.

I hesitate.
'(hey mistake.

He declined.
It suffers.
Ours .returned.

* '"The dirtinclion·between verbs absoluiely neuter, and active intran~i.
tive,, is of lillde use in grammar. The construction of them both is the
same; ~d _grammar. is not so much concerned with their real, as their ·
g rammaliical, propert1es."-.Lowth.
·
. · ..
,
I

Which succeeded?.
George's failed.
His answered.
These agree.
H~ replied.
She rejoined.

T"I

1°Cf1.\ ... e

\_Jl.l\..J \-"Y
.,

Awake· thou.
Place it.
ScrYc ne ith2r .
That gravitates.
This soars.
Silence all,
S::ivc us.

Obey God ,

We perish ._

3D
\Ve should consider.
He might improve.
You can be call ed .

DIVISIO:'.'\ .

F rown it must.
Health is .studied.
This . might have been
expected.
You prosper.
!
You do prosper.. 5
They ran.
.
!
They did run. 5

3

~

•

Read this.
Patronize whom ?
Promise what?
We think.

1' orsn.b::c s1n.

\Ve shall move.
~fh is c~nnot be .
la,_n~ sings.
LOui.~ studies.

~- 'Vho fell ?

2D,{DIVISION.

, Ju. ~_i~ wrote. ·

..&..

25

Should we consider?
Might he improve?
Can you be call ed?
Shall we rnoYc '?
~Iust

it frown?
Is health sfudied ?

Might th1s have been
. eipected 1 .
Do you prosper 1
Did they run 1

