ADJECTIVES.

Work again Exercise 35.

215. An Adjective which tells what sort of person or thing is called an Adjective of Quality.

Work again Exercises 36 and 37.

216. An Adjective which tells how much or how many is called an Adjective of Quantity.

Work again Exercises 38 and 39.

217. An Adjective that tells which one is called a Demonstrative Adjective.

The Adjectives here called Adjectives of Quantity are divided by some grammarians into

Adjectives of Quantity, as much; and
Numeral Adjectives, as one, two.

The same grammarians divide Numeral Adjectives into

Cardinal Numeral Adjectives, as one, two; and

Ordinal Numeral Adjectives, as first, second.

A word like first, however, gives hardly any notion of number-it may be first of two or first of two thousand-and it does tell which one as much as that or this; hence it is clearly Demonstrative.

Exercise 114.

Classify the Adjectives in Exercise 40.

Work again Exercises 41 and 42.

218. Adjectives are sometimes used without Nouns.

219. In some cases the mind at once supplies the Noun which is understood. Thus, if I say John is a tall man but William is a taller,' the hearer at once adds man to taller.

220. In other cases we do not seem to feel any need for adding the Noun. If I say The rich do not know how the poor live,'

the sentence sounds complete; indeed, if we add the Noun we must leave out the the and say, 'Rich people do not know how poor people live.'

In parsing it is best to call these words' Adjectives used as Nouns.'

221. There are some Adjectives which are so far used as Nouns that it is perhaps well to call them simply Nouns. These are Adjectives which may have other Adjectives joined to them, and which may form Plurals and Possessives. Savage, Italian, and Christian are Adjectives in a savage country, an Italian city, a Christian act, but they may be treated simply as Nouns in a noble savage, the Italian's home, true Christians.

Exercise 115.

Pick out the Adjectives used as Nouns.

Blessed are the merciful.

None but the brave

Blessed are the meek. deserve the fair. The good alone deserve to be happy. Thy songs were made for the pure and free. We should honour the wise and great. Mr. Scott was always kind to the old and feeble. The blind and the deaf should have our pity and our help. The strong should aid the weak. How are the mighty fallen! The wisdom of the prudent is to understand His way. The simple believeth every word. The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud. Toll for the brave, the brave that are no more.

Read again par. 210.

Exercise 116.

Pick out the Adjectives.

This apple is to be given to that little girl. Those oranges are riper than these lemons. Please bring me one piece of paper; any piece will do. What time will you leave to-morrow? What picture do you like best? Other Romans will arise. The workman has found another place. Several birds were killed by eating some poisoned corn. At sundry times and in divers manners. The truth of that story is certain. We have heard certain strange rumours. The poet speaks thus in a certain place. Many men have many minds. All men are mortal. There was no snow on the ground. Give the book to either sister but to neither brother.

Each horseman drew his battle-blade,
And furious every charger neighed.

And the good south wind still blew behind,

But no sweet bird did follow,

Nor any day, for food or play,

Came to the mariner's hollo.

Read again par. 42.

222. An is used

6

(1) Before a Vowel; as, An acorn,' an umpire.'
(2) Before a silent h, as, ‘An hour,'' an honest man.'

A, the shortened form of an, is used

(1) Before a Consonant; as, A tree.

(2) Before any word beginning with a u SOUND; as, A European country,' a university.'

Exercise 117.

Put a or an before the following words :

Apple. Nut. Orange. Pear. Union. European. Universal. Useful. Hand. Hour. Honest. Heir. Honourable. House. Home. University. Umpire. Uniform. Umbrella. Yew. Hue. Cry. Hope. Unique. Unit. Unitarian. Unjust. Upas tree. Usurper. Utilitarian. Book. Ewer. Ewe. Eve. Invalid. Irishman. Ox. Ass. Donkey. Ear. Year. Oak. Yoke. Awl. Yawl. Yew.

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.

223. If we were comparing three little girls, Emily, Alice, and Mary, we might say that Emily was young, Alice was young-er, and Mary was the young-est; or that Emily was fair, Alice was fair-er, and Mary was the fair-est; or Emily was short, Alice was short-er, and Mary was the short-est.

224. The three forms which Adjectives thus take when we are comparing are called the three Degrees of Comparison.

225. The simple form of the Adjective is called the Positive Degree.

226. The Comparative Degree is used when speaking of two things.

It is therefore wrong to say 'The bravest boy' or 'The bravest regiment' when we are speaking of two boys or two regiments.

227. The Superlative Degree is used when speaking of three or more than three things.

Compare the following Adjectives :

a. Cold. Warm. High. Grand. Bold. Brief. b. Large. White. Nice. Blue. Wise. Hoarse.

c. Holy. Merry. Busy. Giddy. Greedy. Lovely. Stately. Lonely. Deadly. Brawny. Silly. Sprightly.

228. An examination of the exercise just worked will show

at the Comparative Degree is formed by adding -cr and the Superlative Degree by adding -est to the Positive.

(2) That sometimes the spelling of the Adjective is changed: (a) When the Adjective ends in e, the e is dropped; as, fine, fin-er, fin-est.

(b) When the Adjective ends in y after a consonant the Y is changed into i; as, pretty, pretti-er, pretti-est.

(c) When the Adjective ends in a single consonant after a single vowel the consonant is doubled; as, big, bigg-er, bigg-est.

229. The rule given for the comparison of Adjectives is true concerning words of one syllable and some words of two syllables.

In other cases the idea of comparison is expressed by putting the Adverb more before the Adjective for the Comparative and most for the Superlative. Thus we do not say

231. The meaning of some Adjectives is such that they cannot be compared. We cannot, for example, compare :-

Adjectives of Quantity (Number); as, one, two, both.

Demonstrative Adjectives (Strictly); as, this, that.

(Order); as, second, third.

Some Adjectives of Quality; as, chief, principal, dead, living, supreme, universal.

Exercise 119.

Compare the following Adjectives :

Lazy. Ugly. Witty. Red. Slim. Thin. Sad. Glad. Hot. Dim. Mad. Snug. Frail. Deep. Green. Black. Great. Proud. Clean. Vain. Small. Serene. Rude. Tame. True. Remote. Able. Happy. Balmy. Coy. Gay. Cruel. Prudent. Sensible. Dangerous. Virtuous. Ancient. Honourable. Learned. Famous. Eloquent. Tender. Polite. Pleasant. Narrow. Noble. Expensive. Heavy. Early. Busy. Lucky.