Obs. When the past tense is a monosyllable not ending in a single vowel, the second person singular of the solemn style is formed by the addition of est ; as, heardest, fleddest, lookest. Hadst, wast, saidst, and didst, are exceptions.

N.B. The words beholden, bounden, cloven, drunken, graven, laden, molten, sodden, shaven, shorn, sunken, stricken, stringed, and wrought, which were formerly

used as perfect participles, are now used only as adjectives.

CORRESPONDING CONJUNCTIONS.

1. Some conjunctions are composed of two corresponding words. The following list embraces most of this class of connectives, and exhibits the correct mode of employing them :

Both-and: "It is the work of a mind fitted both for minute researches and for large speculations."— Macaulay.

Though, although yet, still, nevertheless: "Though deep, yet clear-though gentle, yet not dull; ”— "Though a thousand rivers discharge themselves into the ocean, still it is never full."

Whether-or: "Whether it were I or they." Either-or: "No leave ask'st thou of either wind or tide."

Neither-nor: “Neither act nor promise hastily." 2. Some conjunctions are used in correspondence with adverbs or adjectives. The following are the principal connectives of this class :—

As—as, so: "She is as amiable as her sister;""As he excels in virtue, so he rises in estimation." So-as: "No riches make one so happy as a clear conscience;"-" Speak so as to be understood."

So-that, expressing a consequence: "She speaks so low that no one can hear what she is saying."

Not only-but, but also: "He was not only prudent, but also industrious."

Such as: present."

"There never was such a time as the

Such-that: "Such is the emptiness of human enjoyment that we are always impatient of the present." More, sooner, &c.-than: "They have more than heart could wish;"-"The Greeks were braver than the Persians "

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS

ON POINTS, THAT OCCASION DIFFICULTY TO THE STUDENT.

1. The letters w and y are consonants, when they precede a vowel in the same syllable: as in wine, twine, youth-in other situations they are vowels.

2. A and An are one and the same article. A is used, whenever the following word begins with a consonant―as, A man, a tree: or, with an aspirated h as, a house, a horse: or, with a consonant sound-as, such a one, a university, a ewe, a eulogy. N.B. The words university, ewe, and eulogy, begin with the consonant sound of y, and the word one with the consonant sound of w.

An is used, whenever the following word begins with a vowel-as, an army, an ounce: or, with an h not sounded-as, an hour, an heir.

An is also employed by most writers before words beginning with an aspirated h, when the accent falls on the second syllable-as, " An historical piece:" "An hereditary government : "An harmonious whole."

one.

A or an is the Saxon word ane or an, signifying

sion :

3. The possessive case denotes ownership or posses: as, "John's book ". "The sun's rays." The possessive singular of nouns is generally formed by adding an apostrophe, with the letter s, to the nominative: as, nom. man; poss. man's.

The possessive of singular nouns ending in the sound of s or z, is sometimes formed by adding only the apostrophe; as, "Achilles' shield." In poetry, this omission of the additional s must be regarded as fully sanctioned by usage. It is also allowable in prose, when the use of the s would require the utterance of several hissing sounds in rapid succession; as, "Moses' disciples"-" Davies' Surveying "—"For conscience' sake"-"For righteousness' sake"-but, say, "The witness's testimony." In all other cases the regular form is to be preferred; as, "Collins's Odes ""Erasmus's Dialogues."

"Achilles' shield his ample shoulders spread,

Achilles' helmet nodded o'er his head."-Pope.

"A train of heroes followed through the field, Who bore by turns great Ajax' seven-fold shield.”

Ibid.

Plural nouns ending in s, form the possessive by adding an apostrophe only; as, nom. fathers: poss. fathers'.

Plural nouns, that do not end in s, form the possessive by adding both the apostrophe and s; as, nom. men; poss. men's. The import of the possessive may, in general, be expressed by the particle of. Thus, for "man's wisdom," we may say, "The wisdom of man.”