Chapter I: Preface

The purpose of this book is to set forth in a simple and practical manner the principles of modern English Grammar. The aim has been not only to give the pupils an insight into the structure of the English sentence, but also to provide them with exercises helpful to the formation of good habits of speech.

It is a matter of common knowledge among teachers of grammar that a mere understanding of the rules of syntax does not insure the avoidance of errors and the use of correct forms. The use of language by young persons is instinctive and spontaneous rather than reflective, hence the most effective way for them to secure correctness of speech is through imitation and practice. Recognizing this fundamental fact in language teaching, the author has provided many exercises both for the learning of correct forms and for practice in their use. These the teacher is expected to supplement by constant criticism, example, and stimulus.

After the pupil has been led to appreciate and strive for correctness of speech, he naturally wishes to understand why a certain form is correct or incorrect, to have a test for his own speech and a standard by which to judge the speech of others. Only by such an understanding does he gain a mastery of the form of a language so that he can use it with ease, freedom, and certainty. To promote such a mastery of English, the author has made each construction perfectly clear, and has led the pupil through accurate reasoning to conclusions which are strengthened and established by their application to many illustrative sentences chosen from standard literature.

The selection and the arrangement of subject matter have been carefully considered in the light of experience in the classroom. The arrangement is at the same time pedagogical and logical. Each point is taken up where it is called for by the preceding lesson and where it will be of greatest use in making clear what follows. Technical points that have little or no practical value have been omitted, but whatever is of benefit in helping the pupil to use or to interpret the English language has been included.

Thanks are due to many teachers for helpful criticisms of the manuscript of this book.

CONTENTS

LESSON PAGE

I. Declarative Sentences. Subject and Predicate 9

II. Simple Subject. Nouns 11

III. Classification of Nouns 13

IV. Verbs 15

V. Pronouns 18

VI. Compound Subject and Compound Predicate 19

VII. Transposed Subject and Predicate 22

VIII. Interrogative Sentences 23

IX. Adjectives 25

X. Adverbs 28

XI. Phrases. Analysis of Sentences 31

XII. Prepositions 34

XIII. Term of Address. Exclamatory Noun 39

XIV. Imperative Sentences 41

XV. Interjections 43

XVI. Exclamatory Sentences 44

XVII. Conjunctions 46

XVIII. Clauses. Simple Sentences 48

XIX. Compound Sentences 50

XX. Dependent Clauses. Complex Sentences 52

XXI. Review: Classification of Sentences 55

XXII. Review: Parts of Speech 57

XXIII. Transitive Verbs. Object of Verb 60

XXIV. Intransitive Verbs asserting Action 64

XXV. Intransitive Verbs asserting Being. Nouns as Subjective
Complements 66

XXVI. Adjectives as Subjective Complements 69

XXVII. Review of Verbs 72

XXVIII. Nouns: Number 74

XXIX. Nouns: Gender 77

XXX. Possessive Nouns 80

XXXI. Nouns: Case 83

XXXII. Nouns: The Appositive 85

XXXIII. Appositive Adjectives 88

XXXIV. Indirect Object 89

XXXV. Adverbial Noun Phrases 91

XXXVI. Adverbial Noun Phrases 92

XXXVII. Objective Complement 94

XXXVIII. Parsing of Nouns 96

XXXIX. Personal Pronouns 98

XL. Uses of Personal Pronouns 100

XLI. Uses of Possessive Personal Pronouns 103

XLII. Compound Personal Pronouns 106

XLIII. Interrogative Pronouns 108

XLIV. Descriptive Adjectives 110

XLV. Limiting Adjectives 113

XLVI. Comparison of Adjectives 116

XLVII. Review of Adjectives 120

XLVIII. Adjective Pronouns 121

XLIX. Verbs: Tense 123

L. The Indicative Mode 127

LI. The Interrogative Form of the Indicative Mode 129

LII. The Subjunctive Mode 131

LIII. The Imperative Mode 134

LIV. Principal Parts of Verbs. Regular and Irregular Verbs 135

LV. Voice 140

LVI. The Passive Voice 144

LVII. The Progressive Conjugation 148

LVIII. The Emphatic Conjugation 149

LIX. Parsing of Verbs 150

LX. The Auxiliary Verbs _Shall_ and _Will_ 151

LXI. Defective Verbs. Verb Phrases 154

LXII. Direct and Indirect Discourse 162

LXIII. Agreement of Verb and Subject. Collective Nouns 165

LXIV. Review of Verbs 168

LXV. Classification of Adverbs. Simple Adverbs 169

LXVI. Conjunctive Adverbs 171

LXVII. Summary of Adverbs 173

LXVIII. Coördinate Conjunctions 174

LXIX. Subordinate Conjunctions 176

LXX. Adverbial Clauses of Time, Place, and Manner 180

LXXI. Adverbial Clauses of Cause, Purpose, and Result 183

LXXII. Adverbial Clauses of Condition and Concession 186

LXXIII. Adverbial Clauses of Comparison 188

LXXIV. Analysis of Sentences 191

LXXV. Adjective Clauses 193

LXXVI. Relative Pronouns 196

LXXVII. Noun Clauses 200

LXXVIII. Introductory Words of Noun Clauses 203

LXXIX. Review of Clauses 206

LXXX. Review of Pronouns 207

LXXXI. Infinitives 209

LXXXII. Infinitives as Subjects or Complements 212

LXXXIII. Infinitives as Modifiers of Nouns 215

LXXXIV. Infinitives as Parts of “Double Objects.” As Modifiers
of Verbs 216

LXXXV. Other Uses of Infinitives 220

LXXXVI. Summary of Infinitives 224

LXXXVII. Analysis of Sentences containing Infinitive Phrases 225

LXXXVIII. Participles 228

LXXXIX. Participles modifying Nouns 231

XC. Participial Phrases in the Predicate 234

XCI. Absolute Participial Phrases 237

XCII. Agreement of Participles. Other Words in _-ing_ 239

XCIII. Summary of Participles 243

XCIV. Analysis of Sentences 244

XCV. Anticipative Subject 247

XCVI. Elliptical Sentences 249

XCVII. Review of Analysis 252

General Review 257

Index 265