number and person; as, I write; He reads;' They learn.'

1. Collective nouns are followed by verbs in the singular or in the plural number, according as unity or plurality of idea is expressed; as, 'The nation is powerful;'My people do not

consider.'

2. When the infinitive mood, or a part of a sentence, is used as the subject of an affirmation, the verb is in the third person singular; as, To obey their parents is the duty of children.' 3. Two or more nominatives in the singular number, joined by the conjunction and, take the verb in the plural; as, John and James are at school.'

4. Two or more nominatives in the singular number, joined by or or nor, take the verb in the singular; as, Either John or James is at school.'

5. Two or more nominatives in different numbers, joined by or or nor, take the verb in the plural; as, Neither the boys nor I are in fault.'

6. When two or more nominatives in the same number, but of different persons, are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the last; as, Neither thou nor I am in fault.'

7. When two or more nominatives of different persons are joined by the conjunction and, the verb agrees with the first person in preference to the second, and with the second in preference to the third; as, 'You and I have learned our lessons;' You and he have received your reward.'

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8. When two nouns in the singular number are connected by the preposition with, or by such words and expressions as like, as well as, &c., the verb is in the singular; as, Diligence, with sobriety, secures independence;' Cæsar, as well as Cicero, was eloquent.'

9. A noun or pronoun joined to a participle, without being dependent on any other word in the sentence, is in the nominative absolute; as, The wind being favourable, we set sail.'

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II. The indefinite article is placed before nouns in the singular number only; as, A day;' An hour.' The definite article is placed before nouns in either the singular or the plural number; as, 'The year;' "The seasons.'

1. The indefinite article is placed before nouns signifying more than one, when they are used collectively; as, ' A dozen ;' ' A score.'

2. The indefinite article is placed before nouns in the plural number, when they are qualified by numeral adjectives; as, ‘A hundred pounds;' A few books.'

3. When several nouns are connected, some of which take a before them, and some an, the indefinite article is repeated before each of them; as, 'A horse, an ass, an ox, and a mule.'

4. When two or more nouns or adjectives are connected, the article is placed only before the first of them, if they are applied to the same person or thing; as, 'The pious and learned Newton.'

5. When two or more nouns or adjectives are connected, the article is placed before each of them, if they are applied to different persons or things; as, The brave Sydney and the generous

Howard.'

6. The definite article is sometimes placed before adverbs in the comparative degree; as, The more diligently you learn your lesson, the sooner will you be able to repeat it.'

III. Nouns or Personal Pronouns applied to the same persons or things, are put in the same case; as, • Paul the apostle.'

1. A noun and a personal pronoun applied to the same person or thing, cannot be nominatives to the same verb: thus, Julius Cæsar, he was killed in the senate-house,' ought to be, 6 Julius Cæsar was killed in the senate-house.'

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2. A noun is sometimes put in apposition with a part of a sentence; as, You read very indistinctly, a habit which you should endeavour to correct.'

3. A noun or pronoun which answers a question must be in the same case with the noun which asks it; as, ' Who told you? He.' "Whose books are these? Mine.'

IV. When two nouns, or a noun and a pronoun, denote the possessor and the thing possessed, the name of the former is put in the possessive case; as, My brother's book.'

as,

1. The name of the thing possessed is sometimes omitted; 'He went to see St Peter's,' that is, St Peter's Church.' 2. When the possessor is described by two or more nouns,

the sign of the possessive is generally put after the last; as, 'John the Baptist's head.'

3. When the thing possessed belongs to two or more, the sign of the possessive is put after each; as, 'It was my father's, mother's, and uncle's opinion.'

4. The objective case with of is frequently used instead of the possessive; as, A servant of my father.'

5. When the thing is only one of a number belonging to the possessor, both the possessive case and of are used; as, 'A servant of my father's.'

V. Every adjective qualifies a Noun expressed or understood; as, A wise man; Few were present.'

1. Adjectives sometimes qualify the infinitive mood, or a part of a sentence; as, To see is pleasant.'

2. Adjectives of number qualify nouns in the singular or plural, according as they signify one or more; as, 'One book ;' 'Six slates.'

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3. The adjectives each, every, either, neither, qualify nouns in the singular number; as, Every stranger has left the city.' 4. Every qualifies a plural noun when the things which it denotes are spoken of collectively; as, ' Every twelve years.'

5. The definite article and an adjective are sometimes used instead of the adjective and a noun; as, 'The good alone are great.'

6. Adjectives which express number indefinitely are frequently used without nouns; as, 'All were invited; but some have refused to come.'

7. Adjectives in the comparative degree are followed by than when opposition is signified, and by of when selection is implied; as, Wisdom is better than riches ;' James is the younger of the two brothers.'

VI. Pronouns agree in number, gender, and person, with the nouns which they represent; as, 'The master sits at his desk ;''The scholars learn their lessons.'

1. When two or more pronouns are used in place of the same noun, they are put in the same number, gender, and person: thus, Thou hast done me a great favour, for which I am much obliged to you,' ought to be, You have done me a great favour, for which I am much obliged to you."

2. The pronoun it, when the nominative to a verb, is applied to persons as well as to things; to the first and second persons as well as to the third person; and to the plural number as well as to the singular; as, 'It is the king;' 'It was I;' 'It was not you;''It was the men who were here this morning.'

3. Relative pronouns are of the same number, gender, and person, with their antecedents; as, 'I, who am still your friend, will not desert you;'Let the monitors, who are ready, begin.' 4. When the relative refers to two antecedents of different persons, it agrees with the one or the other, according as the meaning of the sentence requires; as, 'I am the general who gives the orders to-day;' 'I am the general, who give the orders to-day.'

5. The relative which is generally used instead of collective nouns, even when they represent persons; as, 'The committee, which met to-day, was unanimous.'

6. The relative which has sometimes a part of a sentence for its antecedent; as, 'He is in great distress, which I am sorry to hear.'

7. The demonstrative pronouns this and that agree with their nouns in number; as, This book, these books;' That map, those maps.'

VII. Active verbs govern the objective case; as, love me, keep my commandments.'

If ye

1. The present participle is sometimes used absolutely; as, Properly speaking, there are no exceptions.'

2. When the present participle is used as a noun, it generally takes an article before it, and of after it; as, "In the keeping of thy commandments there is great reward.'

3. When the present participle is preceded by a noun in the possessive case, or by a possessive pronoun, it does not take the article before it; as, Your going away at this time is very inconvenient.'

VIII. The verb to be has the same case after it as before it; as, ' It is I;'You believed it to be him. IX. One verb governs another in the infinitive; as, 'I desire to learn;'He is waiting to see you.'

1. The infinitive mood is sometimes governed by a noun or an adjective: as, Your desire to improve is commendable.' 'It is delightful to behold the setting sun.'

2. The infinitive mood is sometimes used absolutely; as, To tell you the truth, I do not know.'

3. The infinitive mood is preceded by the preposition to, except after the verbs bid, can, dare, feel, hear, let, make, may, must, need, shall, see, and will.

X. Every adverb qualifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, expressed or understood; as, Wisely said, exceedingly good, very well.'

1. The adverbs hence, whence, thence, do not require from before them, as each of them contains in itself the power of that preposition ; as, ‘Whence,' that is, ‘from what place, came you ?'

2. Two negatives make an affirmation: thus, 'I do not take none,' means, I take some.'

XI. Prepositions govern nouns and pronouns in the objective case; as, From me; With us;' ' On the table.

as,

1. Prepositions also govern the present participles of verbs; as, ' By applying to your studies, you will acquire knowledge.' 2. Prepositions are sometimes placed before adjectives and adverbs; as, At present;' By far the best.'

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3. Prepositions are frequently omitted, especially before nouns denoting time, space, and dimension, and before the personal pronouns; as, 'Once a day;'He ran two miles ;' 'This wall is six feet high;'Tell me the truth.'

4. The preposition to is omitted after like, near, &c.; as, 'He is like his father;' The school is near the church.'

5. The idiom of the language requires particular prepositions after certain words and phrases; as, A prejudice against;' 'An abhorrence of;' An aversion to,'

XII. Conjunctions join the same cases of nouns and pronouns, the same moods and tenses of verbs, similar parts of speech, and the clauses or members of sentences; John and James are come;' I saw him and her;'They read and write well;' A wise and virtuous man;' 'We should live soberly and honestly;' 'Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.'

1. When the relative pronoun follows the conjunction than,