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Of these pronouns, only the words one and other are va→ ried. One has a possessive case, which it forms in the same manner as substantives: as, one, one's. This word has a general signification, meaning people at large; and sometimes also a peculiar reference to the person who is speak ing: as, "One ought to pity the distresses of mankind." "One is apt to love one's self." This word is often used, by good writers in the plural number: as, "The great ones of the world;""The boy wounded the old bird, and stole the young ones;" " My wife and the little ones are in good health."

Other is declined in the following manner :

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The plural others is only used when apart from the noun to which it refers, whether expressed or understood: as "When you have perused these papers, I will send you the others." "He pleases some, but he disgusts others." When this pronoun is joined to nouns, either singular or plural, it has no variation: as, "the other man,' "the

other men."

The following phrases may serve to exemplify the indefinite pronouns. "Some of you are wise and good;" "A few of them were idle, the others industrious ;" "Neither is there any that is unexceptionable ;"" One ought to know one's own mind;" "They were all present;" "Such is the state of man, that he is never at rest ;"" Some are happy, while others are miserable."

The word another is composed of the indefinite article prefixed to the word other.

None is used in both numbers: as, "None is so deaf as he that will not hear;" "None of those are equal to these:" It seems originally to have signified, according to its derivation, not one, and therefore to have had no plural; but there is good authority for the use of it in the plural number: as, "None that go unto her return again."

Prov. ii. 19. "Terms of peace were none vouchsaf'd MILTON. "None of them are varied to express the gender." "None of them have different endings for the numbers." LowтH's Introduction. "None of their productions are extant." BLAIR.

We have endeavoured to distinguish, and explain the nature of the adjective pronouns; but it is difficult to divide them in an exact and unexceptionable manner. Some of them, in particular applications, might have been differently classed; but it is presumed that, in general, the distribution is tolerably correct. All the pronouns, except the personal and relative, may indeed, in a general view of them, be considered as definitive pronouns, because they define or ascertain the extent of the common name, or general term, to which they refer or are joined; but as each class of them does this, more or less exactly, or in a manner peculiar to itself, a division adapted to this circumstance appears to be suitable to the nature of things, and the understanding of learners.

It is the opinion of some respectable graminarians, that the words this, that, any, some, such, his, their, our, &c. are pronouns, when they are used separately from the nouns to which they relate; but that, when they are joined to those nouns, they are not to be considered as belonging to this species of words; because, in this association, they rather ascertain a substantive, than supply the place of one. They assert that, in the phrases, "give me that,” “this is John's" and "such were some of you," the words in italics are pronouns; but that, in the following phrases, they are not pronouns ; "this book is instructive," "some boys arc ingenious," "my health is declining,' health is declining," "our hearts are deceitful," &c. Other grammarians think, that none of these forms of speech can properly be called pronouns; as the genuine pronoun stands by itself, without the aid of a noun expressed or understood. They are of opinion, that in the expressions, "Give me that," "this is John's," &c. the noun is always understood, and must be supplied in the mind of the reader: as, "Give me that book; this book is John's ;"" and such persons were some persons amongst you."

Some writers are of opinion that the pronouns should be classed into substantive and adjective pronouns. Under the former, they include the personal and the relative; under the latter, all the others. But this division, though a neat one, does not appear to be accurate. All the relative pronouns will not range under the substantive head.— We have distributed these parts of speech, in the mode which we think most correct and intelligible; but, for the information of students, and to direct their inquiries on the subject, we state the different opinions of several judicious writers on Grammar.

CHAPTER V.

Of ADJECTIVES.

SECT. 1. Of the nature of Adjectives, and the degrees of comparison.

An Adjective is a word added to a substantive, to express its quality: as "An industrious man;" "A virtuous woman ;" "A benevolent mind."

In English the adjective is not varied on account of gender, number, or case. Thus we say, "A careless boy; careless girls."

The only variation which it admits, is that of the degrees of comparison.

There are commonly reckoned three degrees. of comparison; the POSITIVE, the COMPARATIVE, and the SUPERLATIVE.

Grammarians have generally enumerated these three degrecs of comparison; but the first of them has been thought by some writers, to be, improperly, termed a degree of comparison; as it seems to be nothing more than the simple form of the adjective, and to imply not either comparison or degree. This opinion may be well founded, unless the adjective be supposed to imply comparison or degree, by

containing a secret or general reference to other things : as, when we say, "he is a tall man," "this is a fair day," we make some reference to the ordinary size of men, and to different weather.

The Positive State expresses the quality of an object, without any increase or diminution: as, good, wise, great.

The Comparative Degree increases or lessens the positive in signification: as, wiser, greater, less wise.

The Superlative Degree increases or lessens the positive to the highest or lowest degree: as, wisest, greatest, least wise.

The simple word, or positive, becomes the comparative, by adding r or er; and the superlative, by adding st or est, to the end of it: as, wise, wiser, wisest; great, greater, greatest. And the adverbs more and most, placed before the adjective, have the same effect: as, wise, more wise, most wise.

The termination in ish may be accounted in some sort a degree of comparison, by which the signification is diminished below the positive: as, black, blackish, or tending to blackness: salt, saltish, or having a little taste of salt.

The word rather is very properly used to express a small degree or excess of a quality: as, "She is rather profuse in her expenses."

Monosyllables, for the most part, are compared by er and est; and dyssyllables by more and most: as, mild, milder, mildest; frugal, more frugal, most frugal. Dissyllables ending in y; as, happy, lovely and in le after a mute, as able, ample; or accented on the last syllable, as, discreet, polite, casily admit of er and est: as, happier, happiest; abler, ablest; politer, politest. Words of more

than two syllables hardly ever admit of those terminations.

In some words the superlative is formed by adding the adverb most to the end of them, as, nethermost, uttermost, or utmost, undermost, uppermost, foremost.

In English, as in most languages, there are some words of very common use, (in which the caprice of custom is apt to get the better of analogy,) that are irregular in this respect: as, "Good, better, best; bad, worse, worst ; little, less, least, much or many, more, most; near nearer, nearest or next; late, later or latter, latest or last; old, older or elder, oldest or eldest ;" and a few others.

An adjective put without a substantive, with the definite article before it, becomes a substantive in sense and meaning, and is written as a substantive; as, "Providence rewards the good and punishes the bad.”

Various nouns placed before other nouns assume the nature of adjectives; as, sea fish, wine vessel, corn field, meadow ground, &c.

Numeral adjectives are either cardinal, or ordinal: cardinal, as one, two, three, &c.; ordinal, as first, second, third, &c.

SECT. 2. Remarks on the subject of comparison.

If we consider the subject of comparison attentively, we shall perceive that the degrees of it are infinite in number, or at least indefinite.-A mountain is larger than a mite ;by how many degrees? How much bigger is the earth than a grain of sand? By how many degrees was Socrates wiser than Alcibiades? or by how many is snow whiter than this paper? It is plain, that to these and the like questions, no definite answers can be returned.

In quantities, however, that may be exactly measured, the degrees of excess may be exactly ascertained. A foot is just twelve times as long as an inch; and an hour is sixty times longer than a minute. But, in regard to qualities, and to those quantities which cannot be measured exactly, it is impossible to say how many degrees may be comprehended in the comparative excess.

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