Many masculine nouns have no corresponding feminine; as, butcher, brewer; some feminine nouns have no corresponding masculine; as, spinster, laundress. Gender is attributed to objects without sex when they are addressed or mentioned as persons; as, "The ship glides smoothly on her (fem.) way."-"The sun shines in his (masc.) glory." These objects are said to be personified. Objects that suggest an idea of firmness, power, vastness, sublimity, etc., are personified as males; and objects that suggest an idea of gentleness, beauty, timidity, etc., and cities, countries, and ships, are personified as females. Young children and animals are often referred to as if without sex; as, "The deer was killed as it (neut.) browsed on the hill-side." If the objects composing the unit denoted by a collective noun are considered collectively, the noun is said to be of the neuter gender; "The class is large; it (neut.) must be divided." as, If the objects composing the unit denoted by a collective noun are considered separately, the noun is said to be of the same gender as the individuals that form the collection; as, "The class said that they (masc. or fem.) wished to speak to each other." EXERCISE.-Mention the corresponding masculine or feminine of the following nouns-Stepson, lass, sultan, hunter, grandson, sister-in-law, widow, lord, miss, earl, witch, emperor, marquis, schoolmaster, executrix, duchess, editor, man-servant, testator, hero, nephew, lady, ewe, songster, god, sorcerer, hero, donna, czarina, hind. CASE. Case is that property of nouns which distinguishes their relations to other words. Nouns have three cases; the Nominative, the Possessive, and the Objective. The Nominative Case is that which usually denotes the subject of a verb; as, "The boy reads." The subject of a verb is that of which something is either said or asserted. The Possessive Case is that which usually denotes possession or origin; as, The boy's book; Milton's poems. The Objective Case is that which usually denotes the object of a verb, or of a preposition; as, "The boy struck his sister."-"The apple is sweet to the taste." The object of a verb is that upon which the action asserted by the verb is exerted. The object of a preposition is the object of the relation shown by the preposition. FORMS OF THE CASES. The nominative and the objective case are alike in form. They are distinguished from each other by their relations to other words. The possessive case may always be known by its form. The possessive case in the singular number is usually formed by suffixing the apostrophe and s ('s) to the nominative singular; as, nom. day, poss. day's. An apostrophe only is sometimes used to distinguish the possessive case, when the nominative singular ends with the sound of s and the next word begins with the same sound; as, For conscience' sake; Jones' store. It is preferable to use both an apostrophe and s in all such instances. The possessive case in the plural number is formed by suffixing the apostrophe only to the nominative plural when the nominative plural ends with s, and by suffixing both the apostrophe and s when the nominative plural does not end with s; as, nom. days; poss. days'; nom. men, poss. men's. The possessive case in the singular number of compound words having their parts connected by the hyphen (-), is formed by suffixing the 's to the end of the last word; as, The man-of-war's crew; the court-martial's sentence. In the possessive case of nouns having the same form in both numbers, the apostrophe precedes the s in the singular, and follows it in the plural; as, "The deer's horn was broken."—"A load of deers' horns was offered for sale." The apostrophe and s are not always used as the sign of the possessive case. They are sometimes used to form the plural of letters, characters, etc., used as nouns; as, "His t's were not crossed." They are also used to form the singular of some verbs; as, “He pro's and con's, and considers the question carefully.” DECLENSION OF NOUNS. The Inflection of nouns is called Declension. The Declension of nouns is the regular arrangement of their numbers and cases. Nom. friends, oxen, skies, churches, Jameses, boxes, Poss. friends', oxen's, skies', churches', Jameses', boxes', Obj. friends. oxen. skies. churches. Jameses. boxes. EXERCISE I.-Decline the following nouns:- Torch, fox, colony, money, glass, foot, wife, lash, cargo, trio, Jones, page, study, princess, brother-in-law, thief, spoonful, dwarf, mouse, potato. EXERCISE II.-Form the possessive singular and plural of the following nouns:- Chimney, waltz, country, flag-staff, brush, musk-ox, salesman, cupful, German, son-in-law, George Washington, courtmartial, Robert Morris, Mussulman, commander-in-chief, half, sheep. SUBJECT AND OBJECT. The subject of a verb may be known by asking the question formed by placing who or what before the verb; the answer to the question is the subject; as, "John studies his lesson." Who studies? The answer is, John. Here John is the subject of the verb studies, and therefore is in the nominative case. The object of a verb, or of a preposition, may be known by asking the question formed by placing whom or what after the verb or the preposition; the answer to the question will be the object; as, "Henry goes to school." To what? School. "He learns grammar." Learns what? Grammar. Here school is the object of the relation shown by the preposition to, and grammar is the object of the action asserted or expressed by the verb learns; they are therefore in the objective case. EXERCISE.-Name the nouns in the nominative, and those in the objective case in the following sentences, and give the reasons:-The Americans defeated the British at the battle of New Orleans. The stars twinkle brightly in the sky. In Prussia, children are compelled to attend school. Washington died on the 14th day of December, in the year 1799. Many a flower wastes its fragrance on the desert air. By industry only can we acquire a good education. Suspicion haunts the guilty mind. The study of geometry develops the intellect. PARSING. To Parse means to tell to what parts of speech words belong, to name their properties and relations, and to give the rules which apply to them. As the rules are given in Syntax only, they may be omitted at present in parsing. In parsing, it is well to name (1) the word to be parsed; (2) the word or words with which it is grammatically connected; and (3) its properties, relations, etc. EXERCISE.-Parse the nouns in the following sentence:-"The boys found a bird's nest in the grove." MODELS.—Boys.—Boys found.—" Boys" is a common noun, “A Noun is a word, etc.";—a common noun, because it is used as the name of any collection of objects of the same class;-in the plural number, because it denotes more than one;-in the third person, because it distinguishes the persons mentioned; -of the masculine gender, because it denotes beings of the male sex;-in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the verb (found). Bird's.-Bird's nest.-"Bird's" is a common noun, "A Noun is a word, etc."; -a common noun, because it is used as the name of any object of the same class; in the singular number, because it denotes one object;-in the third person, because it distinguishes the being mentioned;-of the masculine or the feminine gender, because it denotes a being of the male or the female sex;-in the possessive case, because it denotes possession. Nest.-Found nest.-" Nest" is a noun, "A Noun is a word, etc.";—a common noun, because it is used as the name of any object of the same class;— in the singular number, because it denotes one object;—in the third person, because it distinguishes the thing mentioned;-of the neuter gender, because it denotes an object without sex;-in the objective case, because it is the object of the action asserted or expressed by the verb (found.) Grove.-In grove." Grove" is a noun, “A Noun is a word, etc.";—a common noun, because it is used as the name of any object of the same class;-in the singular number, because it denotes one object;-in the third person, because it distinguishes the thing mentioned;-of the neuter gender, because it denotes an object without sex;-in the objective case, because it is the object of the relation shown by the preposition (in). Parse the nouns in the following sentences:-Trade increases the wealth of a country. Constant occupation prevents temptation. A man's character may be known by the books which he reads. A good name should be prized above riches. Every person's duty should be performed faithfully. During the Revolution the Americans fought for independence. The eagle's nest is built among the crags of the mountains. By too great eagerness in the pursuit of our desires we frequently grasp at the shadow, and lose the substance. A house without books resembles a room without windows. Water-lilies bloomed along the borders of the lake. Time spares the chiseled beauty of stone and marble, but time makes sad havoc in plaster and stucco. General Braddock's death was caused, not by the Indian's tomahawk, but by a bullet sent by one of his own soldiers. "The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea, |