PART I.

ACCIDENCE.

SENTENCES.

1. ALL the facts with which a Grammar deals are to be found in the language to which the Grammar belongs; and it is in the language itself, not in books, that these facts are to be primarily sought. Grammarians do not impose rules on a language; they merely collect from the language rules already in existence, and set them forth in an orderly way.

2. If we take any paragraph of a book and examine it, we shall find that it is composed of a number of separate statements or utterances. These utterances are generally divided in print by a full stop, and are marked in speech by a falling of the voice when they come to an end. They are called Sentences.

In the following paragraph the sentences are marked off by vertical lines:- Trade is stagnant. | The crops are drying up. | The sky is like brass. | The earth is like iron. | The peasants have commenced to eat the nauseous dogroot in lieu of bread.'

It is not always that sentences are so short as those in the foregoing paragraph. They may be enlarged in various ways, and extend to a considerable length.

3. A Sentence is a complete statement or utterance of a thought, e.g. John walked home. Love thou thy parents. Did he wish to go ?

A sentence that contains an assertion is called an Assertive Sentence, e.g. He went to town; one that contains a command or entreaty is called an Imperative Sen

B

tence, e.g. Be kind to the poor; one that asks a question is called an Interrogative Sentence, e.g. Were you there? one that expresses a wish is called an Optat.ve Sentence (Lat. opto, I wish), e.g. May we be happy!

If we examine these sentences carefully, we shall find they each consist of two parts, viz. one relating primarily to some thing or person spoken of, or spoken to; the other, relating to what is said of, or to, that thing or person. The former part is called the Subject of the Sentence, the latter the Predicate.

(a) The Subject of an Assertive Sentence is the word or words denoting that about which the assertion is made; the Predicate is the assertion itself.

(b) The Subject of an Imperative Sentence is the word denoting that to which the command or entreaty is given; the Predicate is the command or entreaty itself. The Subject of an Imperative Sentence is often not expressed.

(1)

(1) Praise ye the Lord (Subj. expressed).

(2) Go away (Subj. unexpressed).

(3) Do thou likewise (Subj. expressed).

(2) [Thou' or 'ye' (un

(3)

(c) The Subject of an Interrogative Sentence is the word denoting that concerning which the question is asked; the Predicate is that part of the sentence which relates to what is asked.

(d) The Subject of an Optative Sentence is the word denoting that concerning which the wish is expressed; the Predicate is that part of the sentence which relates to the wish.

Sometimes the order of the sentence is inverted; but whatever the order, the sentence must contain a Subject, expressed or understood, and a Predicate; e.g. Him we sought in vain. Merrily goes the mill.

Exercises.

Arrange in parallel columns as above the Subjects and Predicates of the following sentences:—

1. John ran to the bridge. 2. He was present at the inquest. 3. Oft on the dappled turf at ease I sit. 4. The stars of midnight shall be dear to her. 5. Low on his funeral couch he lies. 6. The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sang. 7. By fairy hands their knell is rung.

8.

Then shook the hills with thunder riven;

Then rushed the steed to battle driven;

And, louder than the bolts of heaven,

Far flashed the red artillery.-Campbell.

9.

10.

Her wing shall the eagle flap
O'er the false-hearted;

His warm blood the wolf shall lap
Ere life be parted.-Scott.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds.--Gray.

11. Come unto these yellow sands.-Shakspere.

12. That you have wronged me doth appear in this.—Id.

13. Haste thee, nymph.-Milton.

14. My days among the dead are past.—Southey.

PARTS OF SPEECH.

4. If we examine the separate words of which sentences are made up, we shall find that they discharge different functions, i.e. are used for different purposes. Let us consider the use of each word in the following sentences :—

The great black dog in the yard bit my little brother badly.

Two furious lions attacked the three horses, and speedily killed them.

He struck him angrily on the face, but did not hurt him.

The book was on the table, and the slate was under the chair.

Some of these words, as dog, yard, brother, lions, horses, face, book, table, slate, chair, are clearly names of things. Some, as bit, attacked, killed, struck, hurt, tell us what things do.

Some, as great, black, little, furious, describe things. Some, as badly, speedily, angrily, tell us how actions are done.

Some, as the, my, a, point out which things we refer to. Some, as two, three, tell us how many things we are speaking of.

Some, as them, he, him, are not themselves the names of things, but are used instead of names.

Some, as in, on, under, point out certain relations between things.

Some, as and, but, join sentences.