244. There are also several phrases which are commonly used as adverbs, and are called Adverbial Phrases or Compound Adverbs: as, now-a-days, by and by, not at all, now and then, &c.

245. Such words as-thereof, therein, thereto, thereby, therewith, whereof, wherein, &c., are Adverbs; and also such words as :-aboard, ashore, afloat, aground, aside, ahead, &c.

246. All words formed by adding ly to adjectives are Adverbs, and such Adverbs are commonly compared by prefixing the adverbs more and most, or less and least, as :-Sweetly, more sweetly, most sweetly; Wisely, less wisely, least wisely.

247. Some Adverbs are compared by adding -er and -est, as-Soon, sooner, soonest; Often, oftener, oftenest; and some are compared irregularly, as: Well, better, best; Badly or ill, worse, worst; Much, more, most, &c.

LESSON XXVII.

Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections. 248. A Preposition is a word which joins words together, and denotes a relation between the persons or things which the words express, as the man ON the horse.

249. Prepositions commonly denote relations of place, position, or rank. It would be hard to state where a thing is without using a Preposition.

250. The following are the Prepositions most commonly used:-Above, about, across, after, against, along, amidst, among, amongst, around,

at, by, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, except, for, from, in, into, unto, near, nigh, of, on, over, since, through, throughout, to, towards, under, underneath, upon, with, within, without.

251. A few Participles are often employed as Prepositions, as :-Concerning, excepting, regarding, respecting, and also the participial forms notwithstanding and during. Some phrases are employed as Prepositions, such as:—On account of, according to, instead of, out of, from amongst, &c. These phrases may be parsed as Prepositional Phrases, or Compound Prepositions.

252. A Conjunction is a word which joins two words, 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.

253. The Conjunctions in common use may be divided into three classes: Copulative Conjunctions, Disjunctive Conjunctions, and Conditional Conjunctions.

254. The Copulative Conjunctions (that is, "Coupling Conjunctions," or "Joining Conjunctions") are and, both, and also; and they are so called because they not only join the words, or phrases, or sentences together, but also denote that the two things are not opposed.

255. The Disjunctive Conjunctions (that is, "Disjoining Conjunctions," or "Separating Conjunctions") are more numerous. The principal are: Neither, nor; either, or; whether, or; though, or although, yet, still; however, than, lest, but, &c.

256. The Conditional Conjunctions (that is, Conjunctions implying a condition") are :—if, unless, except.

257. Other Conjunctions are:—because, therefore, wherefore, that, as, nevertheless, &c.

258. Either and Neither are not always Conjunctions. They are conjunctions only when followed by or and nor, as Either John or James must go home. But when not followed by or and nor, they are Distributive Pronouns, as Neither of them shall go home. [See § 144.]

259. Or and Nor are always Conjunctions, and Nor is always Disjunctive. But Or is a Disjunctive Conjunction only when it is preceded by Either expressed or understood, as Either John OR James must go home; Come on Monday OR Tuesday, that is, come either on Monday or on Tuesday.

260. When the Conjunction Or is not preceded by Either, expressed or understood, it is not disjunctive, but is merely explanatory, and denotes that the two words or two phrases which it joins are the same in meaning, or nearly so, as The Subjunctive OR Conditional Mood; The sheath OR scabbard of the sword.

261. The following may be called Conjunctional Phrases, or Compound Conjunctions:-as if; so as; as well as; as though; inasmuch as, &c.

262. An Interjection is a word which expresses some emotion of the mind, as Ah! Oh! Alas! Lo! Hush! Hurra! Bravo! Begone! Hark!

&c.

SYNTAX.

LESSON XXVIII.

Sentences.

263. Syntax is that part of Grammar which treats of Sentences, and how they are formed.

264: A Sentence consists of a number of words so arranged as to convey a complete meaning, as, Life is short; Write your copy; What is John doing?

265. [If I say," This beautiful flower,” I employ a number of words so arranged as to convey a meaning; but the meaning is not complete, because I have not stated what is in my mind regarding "this beautiful flower." But if I say "This beautiful flower grew in my garden,” my meaning is complete, and the assemblage of words makes up a sentence.

266. In strictness a "Sentence is a number of words so arranged as to make a complete ASSERTION," but as this definition would not include such expressions as "Write your copy," ""What is John doing"? &c., in which no assertion is made, although they have all the necessary parts of a sentence, viz., Subject, Verb, and Object, the definition given above should be preferred.]

267. Sentences are of two kinds :-Simple Sentences, and Complex Sentences.

268. A Simple Sentence contains one Subject or nominative case, one Finite Verb, and (if the verb is transitive) one Object.

269. [These are the necessary parts of a Simple Sentence:-one Subject, one Finite Verb, and (if the verb is transitive) one Object.

270. Each of these parts may consist of one word only, or of several words taken together. Thus in the Simple Sentence:-John wrote a copy, each of the parts is a simple word; but in the Simple Sentence:-John, James, and Charles should have been learning reading, writing, and arithmetic, the Subject is "John, James, and Charles," the Finite Verb is "should have been learning," and the Object is "reading, writing, and arithmetic."]

271. In a Simple Sentence in which an assertion is made, the name Predicate is applied to the Finite Verb (if it stands alone), or to the Finite Verb with whatever is added to it to complete the assertion. Thus in the Simple Sentence, Birds fly, the Predicate is "fly"; in the Simple Sentence, John has written his copy, the Predicate is "has written his copy"; and in the Simple sentence, Life is short, the predicate is "is short."

272. [Every Simple sentence in which an assertion is made may therefore be divided into two parts, the Subject and the Predicate, the Subject denoting the person or thing spoken of, and the Predicate denoting whatever is said of the Subject.

273. This term Predicate simply means "assertion" or "declaration," and cannot properly be applied to sentences which do not contain any assertion, such as those in which a question is asked, or in which the Finite verb is in the Imperative mood.]

274. A Complex Sentence is one which consists of two or more Simple Sentences joined together, and connected in meaning; as, Whenever I approached a peasant's house, I played one of my merry tunes; The evil that men do lives after them; Who steals my purse, steals trash, i.e., He who steals my purse, steals trash.