16. When w and y are used as vowels, w denotes the same sound as the vowel u, and y the same sound as the vowel i.

17. When w is not preceded by a vowel in the same syllable it is a consonant, as in the words: way, sway; well, dwell; win, twin, twine. It is a vowel, when a vowel precedes it in the same syllable, as in law, owe, down.

18. When y begins a word or syllable, it is a consonant, as in yard, lawyer. In any other position it is a vowel, as in day, eye, system.

19. All the other letters of the Alphabet are

consonants.

LESSON III.

Syllables.

20. A syllable is a word, or part of a word, pronounced by a single effort of the voice.

[Thus the word man is a syllable because it is pronounced by one effort of the voice. Garden is a word of two syllables, because it cannot be pronounced except by two efforts of the voice: gar-den.]

21. Every syllable must have at least one vowel in it. Otherwise it could not be sounded or pro

nounced.

22. Two vowels united in the same syllable are called a Diphthong, as ou in ounce, and oi in point.

23. When the sound of a diphthong is different from the sound of either of its two vowels, it is called a Proper Diphthong, as ou in ounce, or i in point.

24. When a diphthong has the sound of only one of its two vowels, it is called an Improper Diphthong, as ea in head, or ie in friend, or oa in boat.

25. Three vowels united in the same syllable are called a Triphthong. Thus the words, awe, aye, ewe, eye, owe are triphthongs. And the words, view, lieu, adieu, beauty, queen, quaint, &c., contain triphthongs.

26. A Triphthong is always sounded either as a single vowel or as a diphthong.

27. A word of one syllable is called a Monosyllable, as due, man.

A word of two syllables is called a Dissyllable, as duty, manly.

A word of three syllables is called a Trisyllable, as dutiful, manliness.

A word of four or more syllables is called a Polysyllable, as undutiful, manufactory.

ETYMOLOGY.

LESSON IV.

Words.

28. A Word is a sign denoting an idea or thought.

29. [That is, Words are the means by which we make known to others the ideas or thoughts that are in our own minds.]

30. All the words of the language may be arranged in nine different sorts or classes, called the Nine Parts of Speech.

31. The following are the names of the Nine Parts of Speech:-Articles, Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections.

32. An Article is a word placed before a noun to show whether the noun is used in a definite sense or in an indefinite sense.

[Thus in the phrase:- "Give me the book," the article the shows that the noun book is used in a definite or particular sense, that is, that it refers to some particular book. But in the phrase: "Give me a book," the article a shows that the noun book is used in an indefinite or general sense, that is, that it does not refer to some one book in particular, but means any book whatever.]

33. A Noun is the name of a person, place, or thing, as man, town, book, goodness.

34. A Pronoun is a word used instead of a noun, to avoid repeating the same noun too often.

[Thus in the sentence:-John wrote his copy, and then he showed it to his teacher, the word his stands instead of John's, the word he instead of John, and the word it instead of copy. If there were no pronouns in the language, the above sentence should run thus:-John wrote John's copy, and then John showed John's copy to John's teacher.]

35. An Adjective is a word which qualifies a Noun.

36. [That is, an Adjective expresses a quality or circumstance belonging to the person, place, or thing denoted by the noun, as in the phrases :—A GOOD man, a LARGE town, an EXPENsive book, great goodness.]

37. A Verb is a word which denotes action or the doing of something, as to strike, to write, to walk.

38. An Adverb is a word which qualifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, as John writes WELL, John is EXTREMELY good, John reads VERY correctly.

39. A Preposition is a word which joins words together, and denotes a relation between the things which the words express.

[Thus in the phrase, The man on the horse, the preposition on joins the words man and horse, and also shows a relation as existing between the person denoted by the noun man, and the animal denoted by the noun horse, namely, that the one is on the other.]

40. A Conjunction is a word which joins two words, or two phrases, or two sentences together, as John AND James; Very correctly, BUT much too slowly; John has come to school to-day, ALTHOUGH he was sick yesterday.

41. An Interjection is a word which expresses some emotion of the mind, as Oh! Alas! Bravo!

42. Verbs may be called "ACTION Words"; Nouns and Pronouns, "NAMING Words"; Articles, Adjectives, and Adverbs, "QUALIFYING Words"; Prepositions and Conjunctions, "CONNECTING Words," and Interjections, "EXCLAIMING Words."

LESSON V.

Articles.

43. An Article is a word placed before a noun to show whether the noun is used in a definite sense, or in an indefinite sense.

There are two Articles, namely, the Definite Article THE, and the Indefinite Article AN or a.

44. THE is called the Definite Article, because it shows that a noun is used in a definite or particular sense.

[Thus if I say: "Give me the book," I shall be understood to refer to some particular book.]

45. AN or A is called the Indefinite Article, because it shows that a noun is used in an indefinite or general sense.

[Thus if I say: "Give me a book," the person I speak to will not understand me to ask for some particular book, but for any book whatever.]

46. There is no difference between an and a except that an is used before words beginning with a vowel or h silent, as an arm, an hour, but loses the n before words beginning with a consonant or h sounded, as a book, a hand.

47. [An is the old form of this article, and meant one. It is therefore incorrect to say that "a becomes an before a vowel or h mute," as in fact it is an that becomes a before a consonant or h sounded.]

LESSON VI.

Nouns.

48. A Noun is the name of a person, place, or thing; as man, town, book, goodness.

Nouns are sometimes called substantives.

49. Nouns are of two kinds; Proper Nouns, and Common Nouns.

50. A Proper Noun means a Proper Name, that is, a name that belongs to one particular