LESSON XX.

SUBJECT OF INFINITIVE. THE NOUN AN ADNOMINAL WORD.-BY POSSESSION.-BY APPOSITION.-BY SPECIFICATION.

V.

113. A noun may be the Subject of an Infinitive. (For explanation of the infinitive see Les. LII.)

EXAMPLES.-1. Do you wish a dumb man to answer you? 2. He commands the mob to disperse. 3. The guard permitted his prisoners to escape. 4. For a man to betray his friend is infamous. 5. I expected my father to send for me.

MODEL for parsing.

66 Do you wish a dumb man to answer you ?" (a.)—Man is a noun, masculine gender, third person, singular number, and subject of an infinitive.

114. NOTE.-A few grammarians have fallen into the error of denying that the infinitive has a grammatical subject. Our older grammarians defined the infinitive to be "a form of the verb not limited by a subject;" meaning that its subject does not limit it (or control its form), and not that it has no subject. Perhaps the obscurity of this definition has misled some careless readers. This view is strongly supported by grammars

of other languages and by common sense, and is seldom disputed by English grammarians.

VI.

115. A noun may be an Adnominal Word in three

ways.

116. A noun may be an Adnominal Word by Possession.

117. A noun possessive is one which denotes the relation of ownership.

EXAMPLES.-Boy's hat. Samuel's coat. Thomas's

desk.

118. This possessive relation is shown, in the singular number, by adding an apostrophe and the letter s to the common form of the noun, and in the plural by the apostrophe alone.

119. NOTE.-The possessive of singular nouns ending in s occasions some dispute among grammarians. Our best authorities give the rule above stated. Others contend that a singular noun ending in s, should take only the apostrophe. Usage also varies so much, that it is difficult to decide. Most writers, however, avoid doubling the s, when it occasions a harsh succession of hissing sounds. I give below a number of examples to illustrate this difference in usage. Several of the examples are from poets, and are, no doubt, more or less influenced by the require

"When first

"The albatross's blood." "Loomis' Algebra." "Da"Fox's Journal." "Bul"Holmes's Poems." "Mr.

ments of measure. "The wrath of Peleus' son."-Pope. from Shiras' walls I took my way."-Collins. -Coleridge. "Thiers' French Revolution." vies' Mathematics." "Sanders' Readers." lions' Grammar." "Peirce' Grammar." Douglass's speech.” "Mills' Literature.' "Gosse's Zoology." "Keats's Poetry." "Collins's Projects." "Coxe's History." "St. James's Chronicles." "Fitz James's blade was sword and shield."-Scott. "Fox's Martyrs." "Phillips's Poems." "Prince's Island." "Dickens's Works." "Harris's Hermes." "For conscience' sake."

120. When a possessive noun is followed by one or several adjuncts, the apostrophe is generally used with the last one; as, "The Duke of York's carriage."

121. Plural nouns formed without an s, form their possessive like nouns in the singular; as, " Men's cares," "Children's wants," etc.

II.-122. A noun may be an Adnominal Word by Apposition.

123. By apposition is meant joining a limiting noun to a noun or pronoun meaning the same person or thing.

priest.

EXAMPLES.-Samuel, the blacksmith. Aaron, the I Paul speak unto you. Thou God seest me. (a.)-Here blacksmith is in apposition with Samuel, and consequently limits or describes it. In the same way priest limits Aaron, "Paul" limits "I," and God limits thou. This is plain when we consider that I and thou might apply to a vast number of beings, did not the words Paul and God limit the application to particular individuals.

124. All nouns in the first person are adnominal words by apposition.

125. All nouns in the second person are either adnominal by apposition or independent by address.

MODEL for parsing.

"This is my uncle's house."

(a.)-Uncle's is a noun, masculine gender, third person, singular number, and an adnominal word by possession. My brother, the lecturer, visited me.

(b.)-Lecturer is a noun, masculine gender, third person, singular number, and an adnominal word by apposition.

III.-126. A noun may be Adnominal by Specification.

EXAMPLES.-1. George Washington. 2. Senator Cass. 3. Peter Jones. 4. Captain Smith. 5. President Pierce. 6. Huron Street. 7. A gold dollar. 8. A leather bag. 9. A silver flute. 10. A brick house. 11. A mud cabin.

The italicized nouns in these examples limit the nouns that follow them; therefore they are adnominal words.

127. NOTE.-These words are often classed as adjectives; but it is evident they are nouns, since they are themselves often limited by adjec tives; as, A wrought iron plow, i. e., a plow made of wrought iron.

MODEL for parsing.

(a.)—“ George Washington commanded our armies.”

George is a noun, masculine gender, third person, singular number, and is an adnominal word by specification.

A mud cabin.

Mud is a noun, third person, singular number, and an adnominal word by specification.

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES.

What is the fifth office of a noun? Give examples. What is the sixth office of a noun? In how many ways may a noun be adnominal? What is the first way? What is meant by possession? How is the possessive relation shown in the singular number? How in the plural? Give exceptions. What is the difference between "Farmer's interests " and "Farmers' interests ?" Between "Teacher's institute" and "Teachers' institute?" Between "Eagle's nest" and "Eagles' nest?" Correct the following examples.

1. Thomas' coat.

2. Silas' watch.

3. Pierce' Grammar.

What is the second way in which a noun may be an adnominal word? What is meant by apposition? Give examples.

What is the third way in which a noun may be an adnominal word? Give examples.

Parse the nouns in the following exercises.

1. "I shall not allow my readers to remain longer in doubt."-Spectator. 2. "He directed his servant to assist me out of my carriage." 3. He ordered the robber to come down from the rock.

And the very strong man, Kwasind."--Longfellow.

5. "But when they reached Salerno's gate,

The Prince's nobler self prevailed."

6. "The dying soldier faltered as he took that comrade's hand." 7. "I let them take whate'er they would, but kept my father's sword."

8. "Burned Marmion's swarthy cheek like fire."