some distance in advance of the noun or pronoun which it quali fies; as, "Glad am I to see you."

7. Supply the blanks with Nouns that may serve as Adjectives.

barn.

house.

ship.

column.

8. Change the position of the Adjective.

The man is poor who has not the friendship of God. The woman is wise who adorns herself with piety.

LESSON XII.

ADJECTIVES.-DEGREES OF QUALITY EXPRESSED

1. Adjectives in many cases express qualities which may vary in degree in different objects. The simple form o the Adjective expresses the simple quality: as wise, cold, learned.

A higher degree of quality (usually called Comparative) is expressed by adding r or er to the simple form, or by prefixing the word more: as, wiser, colder, more learned.

The highest degree (Superlative) is denoted by adding st or est to the simple form, or by prefixing the word most; as, wisest, coldest, most learned. More and most are used chiefly to modify long words—those of more than two syllables.

2. The degree of quality may vary in an opposite direc tion. This is expressed by using the words less and least before the adjectives-also by adding to the adjective the syllable ish; as, blueish, that is, slightly blue; less ugly; least ugly.

These syllables more, most, &c., may be regarded as making with the adjective a compound adjective.

Some adjectives are irregular in the mode of expressing varying degrees of quality; thus, good, better, best; many, more, most; little, less, least.

3. Sometimes comparison is made by certain intensive words; as, far, by far, extremely, uncommonly, very, ex ceedingly, placed before the simple comparative, or super lative form of the adjective.

The words somewhat, little, much, so, almost, still, yet, &c., are sometimes employed to modity the adjective.

4. Other adjectives do not properly admit of increase or

decrease in meaning, and, hence, neither in their form, as, square, triangular, circular, &c.; one, two, &c.; almighty, chief, extreme, infinite, perfect. Yet we find many such adjectives used in the comparative and superlative form, but, when so used, the adjective, in its positive or simple form, is not used in its fullest possible extent of meaning, but only as approximating to it. Thus, we say, John. is a more perfect speaker than Andrew.

5. Observe that when two objects or persons are compared, the comparative degree only is employed; when one or more objects are compared with more than one, the superlative only is to be used. Very rarely, a double superlative is used by good writers; "This was the most un kindest cut of all."

EXERCISES.

1. Correct the following passages:

Mary is the kindest of the two. She never appeared more beautifuler. He is the most good of all. He is the more learned of the three. She is learneder than he. This is bluisher than that. Our God is more almighty than the gods of the heathen. He is lesser cross than formerly. This landscape is more infinite than the one we observed yesterday. I am least wise than you. That is the most perfectest recitation of the two. It is more easier to play than to study. My farm is more square than yours. 2. Supply the blanks with adjectives in the comparative degree, both of the increasing and of the diminishing order.

hill.

grandmother.

merchant.

money.

uncle.

3. Supply the blanks with adjectives that are modified by intensive words and those of an opposite character; viz., very, &c., and somewhat, &c.

LESSON XIII.

THE ARTICLE-PROPER AND IMPROPER USE OF IT.

1. There are two limiting Adjectives, an (or a), and the, which are called Articles. The former, an or a, prefixed to a noun, denotes any one of the class indefinitely; the latter, the, indicates some particular, definite object.

= one hour, any hour, some hour. ticular hour that has been referred to.

An hour

The hour

one par

A is used before a noun whose first letter is a consonant; an when it is a vowel or silent h. Some nouns, however, whose first letter is a vowel, commence with a consonant sound, and require the form of the article to be a.

The indefinite article is used only with nouns in the singular; the definite, with nouns in either number.

2. The applications of the indefinite and of the definite urticle, and also the principle on which the absence of the article is founded, are thus illustrated by Mr. Harrison, from sentences in the second chapter of Genesis:

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth."

Man, not having previously existed.

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother."

Any man at any future time.

"And the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man (before mentioned) whom he had formed."

"And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help-meet."

The absence of the article altogether before the term man denotes the species at large.

Here also may be observed a marked distinction between the indefi uite and the definite article.

3. The Article is not changed, as in many other languages, to suit the gender of the noun, yet it is to be regarded as

masculine, feminine, or neuter, according to the gender of the noun: and, hence, when it precedes nouns of different genders, it should be repeated before each, unless the nouns, by association, convey the idea of unity; then it requires to be used but once.

"I met a man and horse" should be, "I met a man and a horse," unless it be designed to describe the two in connection, the one riding on the other, and forming a sort of compound animal. It may be proper to say, The man and wife," or The father and mother of the child," because so closely associated in life; but "the girl and boy," "the house and trees," would not be proper forms of expression. They should be "the boy and the girl," the house and the trees."

The same principle should be observed in using other adjecLives; thus, "The Lords Spiritual and Temporal," should be "The Lords Spiritual and the Temporal," or "The Spiritual and the Temporal Lords," or "The Spiritual Lords and the Temporal."

4. Sometimes the article is improperly omitted.

"He will guide you into all truth." It should be "all the truth," as in the Greek original. "Thou art my beloved Son," should be, as in the Greek, "Thou art my Son, the beloved." "All the chief priests and elders of the people," &c., should be "the elders," &c. "Elders of the people" would mean certain elders, but "the elders," the class. "The pious remembrance of the dead and living." Here two distinct classes are confounded as if they were dead and alive at the same time. "The dead and the living" is the correct form.

5. Sometimes the definite article is not only superfluous, but injurious to the sense, as when an additional description of the same subject is intended.

"Even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor," may convey the idea that the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor were different persons, whereas they were the same person, and to express this fact, the reading should have been, "the father of Abraham and of Nachor." "There are few