Graded Lessons in English Part 9

LESSON 22.

ADJECTIVES.

+Hints for Oral Instruction+.--You are now prepared to consider the _fourth part of speech_. Those words that are added to the subject to modify its meaning are called +Adjectives+.

Some grammarians have formed a separate cla.s.s of the little words _the_, and _an_ or _a_, calling them _articles_.

I will write the word _boys_ on the board, and you may name adjectives that will appropriately modify it. As you give them, _I_ will write these adjectives in a column.

_Adjectives_.

small | large | white | black | straight + boys.

crooked | five | some | all |

What words here modify _boys_ by adding the idea of size? What by adding the idea of color? What by adding the idea of form? What by adding the idea of number? What are such words called? Why?

Let the teacher name familiar objects and require the pupils to join appropriate adjectives to the names till their stock is exhausted.

+DEFINITION.--An _Adjective_ is a word used to modify a noun or a p.r.o.noun+.

a.n.a.lysis and Parsing.

+Model+.--_A fearful storm was raging_. Diagram and a.n.a.lyze as in Lesson 20.

+Written Parsing+.

_Nouns_. | _p.r.o.nouns_. | _Adjectives_. | _Verbs_.

storm | ---- | A fearful | was raging.

+Oral Parsing+.--_A_ is an _adjective_, because it is joined to the noun _storm_, to modify its meaning; _fearful_ is an _adjective_, because ------; _storm_ is a noun, because ------; _was raging_ is a verb, because -----.

1. The rosy morn advances.

2. The humble boon was obtained.

3. An unyielding firmness was displayed.

4. The whole earth smiles.

5. Several subsequent voyages were made.

6. That burly mastiff must be secured.

7. The slender greyhound was released.

8. The cold November rain is falling.

9. That valuable English watch has been sold.

10. I alone have escaped.

11. Both positions can be defended.

12. All such discussions should have been avoided.

13. That dilapidated old wooden building has fallen.

+To the Teacher+.--See Notes, pp. 169, 170.

LESSON 23.

SENTENCE-BUILDING.

Prefix five adjectives to each of the following nouns.

Shrubs, wilderness, beggar, cattle, cloud.

Write ten sentences with modified subjects, using in each two or more of the following adjectives.

A, an, the, heroic, one, all, many, every, either, first, tenth, frugal, great, good, wise, honest, immense, square, circular, oblong, oval, mild, virtuous, universal, sweet, careless, fragrant.

Write five sentences with modified subjects, each of which shall contain one of the following words as a subject.

Chimney, hay, coach, robber, horizon.

_An_ and _a_ are forms of the same word, once spelled _an_, and meaning _one_. After losing something of this force, _an_ was still used before vowels and consonants alike; as, _an eagle, an ball, an hair, an use_.

Still later, and for the sake of ease in speaking, the word came to have the two forms mentioned above; and an was retained before letters having vowel sounds, but it dropped its _n_ and became _a_ before letters having consonant sounds. This is the present usage.

CORRECT THESE ERRORS.

A apple; a obedient child; an brickbat; an busy boy.

CORRECT THESE ERRORS.

A heir; a hour; a honor.

Notice, the first letter of these words is _silent_.

CORRECT THESE ERRORS.

An unit; an utensil; an university; an ewe; an ewer; an union; an use; an history; an one.

_Unit_ begins with the sound of the consonant _y_; and _one_, with that of _w_.

+To the Teacher+.--See "Suggestions for COMPOSITION EXERCISES," p. 8, last paragraph.

LESSON 24.

MODIFIED PREDICATES.

+Hints for Oral Instruction+.--I will now show you how the _predicate_ of a sentence may be modified.

_The s.h.i.+p sails gracefully_. What word is here joined to _sails_ to tell the _manner_ of sailing? +P+.--_Gracefully_.