Of ARTICLES. AN Article is a word prefixed to a Substantive, to limit or determine its fignification. There are in the English language two Articles; A or an, and the: What is the use of the Article A or an? The indefinite Article A or an ferves to point out one fingle perfon, or thing, as a girl, a useful book. A can only be joined with the fingular number, as I want a book: plural, I want fome books. A is called the indefinite Article, because it does not determine what particular perfon or thing is meant; as, a child, fignifies any child whatfoever; a book, any fort of book. Is there any exception to this Rule? There is a remarkable exception to this Rule, in the ufe of the Adjectives few and many; which, though joined with plural Subftantives, yet admit of the fingular Article A; as, a few cherries, a great many apples; the reafon is, A fevs, A great many, A thousand years, &c. gives the idea of a whole number, i. e. an aggregate of many collected together. When is the Article 4 ufed? The Article A must be used before all words beginning with a confonant, as a glove, a book, and before u long, i.e. when the letter a has the found of you as in A union, not an union, A university, A ujeful wark. A is generally used before h, which, it should be remembered, is feldom mute, or filent, at the beginning of a word. When is the Article an ufed? The Article an is ufed before words beginning with a Vowel; as, an apron, an urn, an ingenious man; and before the filent or mute h; as, an hour, an herb, an honest man. Obferve, that is always founded at the beginning of words, except in heir, heiress, honeft, honorable, herb, herbage, hofpital, hoftler, hour, humble, humour, bumerous, humourfome. Thefe require the Article an; an hour he will go to an hofpital," not a hofpiAll other words take A, as a hat, &c.*. as, in " tal. What is the use of the Article the? The definite or demonftrative Article the determines what particular perfon or thing is meant; as, That is THE perfon of whom I pake. This is THE book rubich I intend to lend to you. Hence it is called the definite or demonftrative Article. • Is the Article the ufed before Subftantives of the plural, or of the fingular number? The Article the is fet before Substantives both of the fingular and plural number, because we can fpeak determinately, as well of many as of one particular perfon or thing; as for example, THE child, THE children. THE book, THE books which I bought. *Are no Subftantives used without Articles? Yes; proper names; as, Alexander, London, Aibens: Se Mr. John Walker's excellent pronouncing Dictionary. abftra&t abftract names; as, good nature, beauty, ugliness; or names of mental qualities; as, virtue, vice, anger. Words in which nothing but the mere being of the thing is implied; as, this is not thread, but filk; not gold, but filver. Articles are fometimes joined to proper names by way of diftinction or eminence; as, He is a Titus, that is, a perfon as worthy as Titus. THE Howards, that is, the family of the Howards; or, He is AN Alexander, that is, a man as brave as Alexander; THE Cafars, that is, the Roman emperors of the name of Cæfar. And alfo when fome Noun or Subftantive is underftood, as THE Thames, that is, the river Thames, Are the Articles ever ufed before any other of the parts of fpeech? The Article may be placed before the Adjectivę, when it precedes its Subftantive; as, Ax excellent book; THE better day the better deed. The definite Article thé is fometimes fet before Adverbs in the comparative, and fuperlative degree,; as, THE fooner, THE Sooneft, THE oftener I read Thomfon's Seafons, THE more I admire them. Are there not fome Nouns which never admit the Article? Yes: words taken in the largest and most unlimited fenfe; as, MAN is a rational creature, that is, all men without exception. Of SUBSTANTIVES. A SUBSTANTIVE, or Noun, is the name of any thing that exifts, or of which we have any notion; as that whatever can be heard, feen, fmelt, tafted, felt, understood, or made the fubject of difcourfe, is a Noun or Subftantive. How many kinds of Substantives are there? What is a Subftantive proper? A Subftantive proper is the name of any particular perfon, as John; of a river, as the Thames; or of a city, as Lond. What is a Subftantive common? A Subftantive common is the name of things in ge neral, as a tree, a house, an animal. Are there any other kind of Subftantives? Nouns or Names may be farther fubdivided into Collective or Names of Multitude; as, focieties, com munities, &c. as, the people, an army, the clergy. Abstract; which belong to virtues, vices, paffions, as wisdom, prudence, envy, emulation, imitation, application, attention, inattention, &c. Derivatives; which proceed from other Nouns, as from City, Citizens; Rome, Roman; Art, Artift. Verbal; derived from Verbs, as from to dance, Dancing; to walk, Walking. Can you explain further what is meant by Abftract Nouns? Nouns, Nouns, which are the objects of the understanding, are called Abstract Nouns, because they are abstracted, or feparated from material or corporeal fubftances, (which are the objects of the outward fenfes), whereas the former are only perceptible by the more refined operations of the mind, as juftice, mercy, &c. Of Numbers. Number is the diftinction of one from many. There are two Numbers, the fingular, and the plural. The fingular number expreffes but one object, as a pear, an apple. The plural number more than one, as pears, apples. The plural number is usually formed by adding s to the fingular; as, apple, apples; book, books, &c. . But if the fingular end in ss, x, ch, or s, the plural is formed by adding es; as, Miss, Miffes; Box, Boxes; Peach, Peaches; Brush, Brushes. Obferve, ch hard, as Monarch, founded like k, admits only of s to form the plural, as Monarchs.** Does adding the letters, increase the number of fyllables? Not in general; but it does in words which end in ce, ge, se, and ze; as, Sing. Price, Plu. Pri-ces, Sing. Purfe, Plu. Pur-fes, Cage, Cages, Prize, Prizes. If a Subftantive in the fingular number end in f, or fe, how do you form the plural? |