Higher Lessons in English A work on english grammar and composition by Kellogg, Brainerd, Reed, Alonzo, 1899-

Review Questions.

What is language proper? What is English grammar? What is a sentence? What are its two parts? What is the subject of a sentence? The predicate of a sentence? The analysis of a sentence? What is a diagram? What rule has been given for the use of capital letters? For the period? May the predicate contain more than one word? Illustrate.

TO THE TEACHER.--Introduce the class to the Parts of Speech before the close of this recitation. See "Introductory Hints" below.

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LESSON 8.

CLASSES OF WORDS.

NOUNS.

+Introductory Hints+.--We have now reached the point where we must classify the words of our language. But we are appalled by their number. If we must learn all about the forms and the uses of a hundred thousand words by studying these words one by one, we shall die ignorant of English grammar.

But may we not deal with words as we do with plants? If we had to study and name each leaf and stem and flower, taken singly, we should never master the botany even of our garden-plants.

But God has made things to resemble one another and to differ from one another; and, as he has given us the power to detect resemblances and differences, we are able to group things that have like qualities.

From certain likenesses in form and in structure, we put certain flowers together and call them roses; from other likenesses, we get another class called lilies; from others still, violets. Just so we classify trees and get the oak, the elm, the maple, etc.

The myriad objects of nature fall into comparatively few classes. Studying each class, we learn all we need to know of every object in it.

From their likenesses, though not in form, we classify words. We group them according to their similarities in use, or office, in the sentence. Sorting them thus, we find that they all fall into eight classes, which we call Parts of Speech.

We find that many words name things--are the names of things of which we can think and speak. These we place in one class and call them +Nouns+ (Latin _nomen_, a name, a noun).

PRONOUNS.

Without the little words which we shall italicize, it would be difficult for one stranger to ask another, "Can _you_ tell _me who_ is the postmaster at B?" The one would not know what name to use instead of _you_, the other would not recognize the name in the place of _me_, and both would be puzzled to find a substitute for _who_.

_I, you, my, me, what, we, it, he, who, him, she, them,_ and other words are used in place of nouns, and are, therefore, called +Pronouns+ (Lat. _pro_, for, and _nomen_, a noun).

By means of these handy little words we can represent any or every object in existence. We could hardly speak or write without them now, they so frequently shorten the expression and prevent confusion and repetition.

+DEFINITION.--A _Noun_ is the name of anything.+

+DEFINITION.--A _Pronoun_ is a word used for a noun.+

The principal office of nouns is to name the things of which we say, or assert, something in the sentence.