Adjectives change their endings on account' of comparison only.

There are three states of comparison; the positive, comparative, and superlative.

The positive simply expresses the quality; as, fair.

The comparative increaseth the signification of the positive; as, fairer.—And is formed by adding r or er to the positive.

The superlative expresseth the highest degree of the quality; as, fairest.-And is formed by adding st or est to the positive.

Adjectives of two or more syllables, are commonly compared by more or most; as, pious, more pious, most pious.

Some adjectives admit of no comparison; as, eternal, infinite, all, every, &c.

The following are very irregular:

"Presumptuous man! the reason would'st thou find,
Why form'd so weak so little and so blind?
First if thou can'st the harder reason guess
Why form'd no weaker, blinder, and no less?
Ask of thy mother earth, why oaks are made
Toller or stronger, than the weeds they shade?
Or ask of yonder argent fields above,
Why Jove's satellites are less than Jove."

"Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet, With charm of earliest birde ;-

SECTION IV.

OF A PRONOUN.

MILTON.

PRONOUN is a word used instead of a sub

name, I say I or me; instead of his name, he, his, or him.

"I see the rivers in their infant beds!

Deep, deep! I hear them lab'ring to get free !"

THOMSON.

"What art thou, frost! and whence are thy keen stores Derived, thou all invading pow'r !"

IBID.

There are three kinds of pronouns; personal, relative, and demonstrative.

The personal pronouns are I, thou, he, she, it, with their plurals.

The relative pronouns (so called because they relate to a substantive going before, or coming after) are who, which, what, and whether.

The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, one, other, and the same.

Pronouns

Pronouns, like substantives, of which they are the substitutes, or representatives, have number, case, and gender.

What has been observed respecting the number and gender of substantives, is applicable to pro

nouns.

Pronouns have three cases; the nominative, genitive, and accusative.

The nominative and genitive cases, in pronouns, are the same as in substantives, except that the genitive is somewhat differently formed.

The accusative is used after the verb, and receives the force and impression of it: as, "I love him, her, them."

"One morn I miss'd him on th' accuftom'd hill,
Along the heath, and near his fav'ri'e tree;
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was .”

I, thou, he, she, it, are substantives; the rest may be called pronominal adjectives.

SECTION V.

A

to be.

OF A VERB.

VERB is a word which denotes being, doing, or suffering; as, to read, to be loved, to stand,

Those verbs which denote action, are called active verbs; as, to see, to eat.

Those verbs which denote being only, or the mode or manner of being, are called neuter verbs; as, to be, to stand, to sit.

Those which denote suffering, or a being acted upon, are called passive verbs; as, I am loved, to be loved.

An active verb is made passive by adding to it be, am, art, is, are, &c. as, I love, is active; I am loved, is passive.

To verbs belong mood, tense, number, and person.

The moods of verbs are the different forms or modes in which they are used, to express the several circumstances in which any thing is, acts, or suffers.

There are five moods; the indicative, imperative, potential, subjunctive, and infinitive.

The indicative declares a thing to be, &c. or not to be; as, I am, I sing or it asks a question;

as, am I? do I sing?

The