grammars, particularly that by Dr. A. Heussler, of Basil, which, though based entirely on Becker's principles, shews many excellencies of its own in point of concentration and arrangement.

These, then, are the literary authorities I have followed in reference to the method of analysis. What I have done over and above this is, chiefly, to adapt the method to the usages of our own tongue-to furnish it with examples in the English idiom, and to remodel the whole form, in which the subject is presented, so as to make it as accessible as possible to the youth of our own country.

The chief advantage I look for from pursuing grammar on these principles is, to avoid the folly in education, of putting Etymology before Syntax, and of inculcating the mere study of individual words, and their structure, in preference to the investigation of language as the great complex organ of human thought. I have long been convinced that the proper study of language is the preparatory discipline for all abstract thinking, and that if the intellect is to be strengthened in this direction, we must begin the process here.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

HAVING now had a year to test the practical utility of the Method of Analysis here proposed, as well as to discover its deficiencies, I am enabled to offer to the public a second edition, revised throughout, and partly re-written.

First of all, it will be seen that I have furnished a series of Exercises upon every important point, and given hints by means of which the intelligent teacher may increase them to any extent. These Exercises are numbered continuously throughout the book, by the Arabic figures, so as to form a regular system of lessons, by which the pupil may become well grounded in all the principles explained in the text.

Secondly, I have added several sections to illustrate those points which I have found by experience to present the greatest difficulties. Sections xvi. and xxxvii. may be taken as examples of these.

Thirdly, I have re-modelled the whole of the third part; partly by suppressing matter which I found to be of comparatively little practical utility in Schools; and partly by developing more fully the exposition of the laws of Syntax, so as to exhibit an improved method of parsing, based upon the nature and structure of the sentence.

Fourthly, I have added five fundamental rules of punctuation; which from their great simplicity will be found excellent guides in aiding the pupil to parcel out the members of every sentence, he writes, correctly.

I have now only to recommend both teachers and pupils to be very careful in using a clear and uniform phraseology. The term "sentence" had better always be employed wherever the member we are speaking of contains a finite verb: the term "adjunct" will generally be found the most suitable in all other cases.

BOWDON, NEAR MANCHESTER,

March, 1853.

INTRODUCTION.

§ I.

LANGUAGE is the utterance of our thoughts in words. The complete utterance of a single thought is called A Sentence.

§ II.

The thought, we utter, may take the form of an Assertive, an Interrogative, an Imperative, an Optative, or an Exclamatory expression.

The grammatical construction in all these cases is precisely similar, though the order of the words in the sentences may differ, as in the following: