ADJECTIVES. 36. In the sentence John is a good boy,' good shows the kind or sort of boy. Exercise 35. a. Pick out the words which show the kind of person or thing. Jane is a clever girl. The tall man struck his head in entering the low carriage. Tom has a large slate. The friends went for a long walk. Jack is a dull boy. The black cow was in a large field. Little Edwin loves sweet flowers. Ripe apples grew in the old garden. The green corn is waving in the gentle breeze. The kind father bought some new clothes for the good children. The hot sun will ripen the sour fruit. Fred made big blots on the clean page. The oaken bucket fell into the deep well. The foolish man would not follow wise advice. Little drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean And the pleasant land. b. Put before each of the following Nouns a word showing the kind of person or thing :— Boy. Man. Road. Toy. Knife Pig. Slate. Cat. Bird. Grass. Clouds. Rose. Hands. Fire. Point. Girl. Soldier. Writer. Pen. Ink. Butter. Father. Merchant. Shilling. Bull. Walk. Seene. Lake. Sea. Cliff. Tree. Exercise 36. Pick out the words which show how many persons or things are spoken of. a. A man has one mouth, two eyes, and thirty-two teeth. The hand has five fingers. The landlord owns six houses, and each house has ten rooms. James bought nine apples. The cat caught seven mice. Thirty days hath September. The grocer sells twelve pounds of sugar for two shillings and six pence. Mr. Smith has three sons and four daughters. Elizabeth reigned forty-five years. Forty poles make one furlong. b. All men must die. There were few cherries on the tree. Have you any apples? I have no apples. There were few persons at church. The soldier was wounded in both legs. Most dogs like the water. In the city are many mansions. There are several ships in the harbour. Some men were digging. All roads lead to Rome. Few men ventured out. Any horses will do. There are no horses in the stable. Most boys like cricket; some boys can play it well. Exercise 37. Both doors are closed. Pick out the words which show how much. The man had little sense. There was much corn in Egypt. Give me some bread. Mr. Jones has more money than Mr. Brown but less learning. The thief made no noise. The mason could not find any mortar. Jack has most time. Has the draper any change? The child wasted much ink. There was little water in the well. I have lost some paper. More haste less speed. Much cry and little wool. Exercise 38. Pick out the words which show in what order. Edward is the sixth boy in the fifth class; his sister is the first girl in the second class. Our father returned on the twenty-fifth day of January. December is the twelfth month in the year. The preacher's text was the ninth verse of the eighth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. The general ordered every tenth man to be shot. The king died in the twentieth year of his reign and the fiftieth year of his life. This is the last time I shall ask you. 6 37. Some words are joined to Nouns to point out what person or thing is meant, as This man, 'That woman,' 'These books,' Those slates,' Yonder house." Exercise 39. Pick out the words which say what person or thing. Will you give me that hoop for this knife? Those hats were hanging on these pegs. The old man lives in yonder cottage. That dog bit this little girl. These apples grew on those trees. Yon horse belongs to this man. That cart is broken. These hens and those ducks will be sold to-morrow. 38. A word which shows what kind of person or thing is called an Adjective.1 39. A word which shows of how many persons or things we are speaking is called an Adjective. 40. A word which shows of how much of a thing we are speaking is called an Adjective. 41. A word which points out of what person or thing we are speaking is called an Adjective. Exercise 40. Pick out the Adjectives and say to what Noun each is joined. Two legs sat upon three legs With one leg in his lap. Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard To get her poor dog a bone. Here comes a poor woman from baby-land Little Polly Flinders Sat among the cinders, Warming her pretty little toes. Her mother came and caught her She gave them some broth Without any bread. There was a fat man of Bombay Who was smoking one sunshiny day. All work and no play Makes Jack a dull boy. There was a crooked man and he went a crooked mile. And he found a crooked sixpence beside a crooked stile. The sick man from his chamber Looks at the twisted brooks. From the Latin adjectus, put near or added to [adjectus is the p.p. of adjicere, which comes from ad, near, and jacere, to throw, put]. The Adjective gets its name from being put near or added to the Noun, There rose no murmur from our ranks, no thought There's a merry brown thrush sitting up in a tree. Down in a green and shady bed A modest violet grew. Three little kittens, one stormy night, 'I will have that mouse,' said the elder son; 'You won't have that mouse,' said the little one. No mate, no comrade Lucy knew; She dwelt on a wide moor. Mark yon old mansion frowning through the trees. 42. The Adjectives an or a and the are often called Articles.1 An or a is used when we do not say of what one we are speaking; the is used when we are speaking of some particular one; as, 'I have an apple' (some apple); 'I have a box' (some box); 'I have the apple which Tom gave me,' 'I have the box which I bought.' 43. An Adjective does not always come before the Noun to which it is joined. (a) The Adjective is separated from the Noun by a part of the Verb to be, as Grass Is green;' 'Violets ARE blue;' 'The child WAS happy;' The day WILL BE fine;' 'The weather HAS BEEN wet.' From the Latin articulus, a small joint. These words may be considered as the small joints in a sentence. Dr. Abbott ['How to Parse,' p. xix.] defines Article as 'A name (a) Correctly given by the Greeks to their Article, because it served as a joint uniting several words together. (b) Then loosely applied by the Latins (as was natural, seeing they had no Article) to any short word, whether Verb, Conjunction, or Pronoun. (c) Foolishly introduced into English and once used to denote the and a (b) In poetry the Adjective sometimes comes after the Noun, even when the sentence contains no part of the Verb to be; as, Gave thee clothing of delight, Who that e'er could understand With its branching fingers fine.... Exercise 41. Pick out the Adjectives and say to which Noun each is joined. a. The boy is ill. The river was broad and deep. The sun was bright. Roses are red or white. The day is cold and dark and dreary. The girl's face was dirty. The oranges were dear. The doll has been pretty. The sea is rough. Your mother will be glad. The children were naughty. The noise was loud. The birds were young. b. We sat within the farmhouse old, Shining eyes, very blue, Opened very wide; Hanging side by side; Merry eyes, very round; Hair crimped and long; Sending forth a song; Grand ways to Dolly; Fond of games, full of fun, That's Dolly's Polly. There dwelt a miller, hale and bold, Beside the River Dee. |