tion or number; consequently one is no number, as Malcolm justly observes.

109. Because the generality of assertives and name substitutes, have forms to indicate each of the persons; that is, the person speaking, spoken to, or spoken of.

110. Three: first, the person speaking; second, the person or persons, thing or things, spoken to; third, the person or persons, thing or things, spoken of.

111. Person is the place which names or substitutes occupy in the current of conversation; which fully appears from the two preceding answers.

112. A subject is that of which we assert something, or about which we ask.

113. The explanatory object which the subject and assertive jointly require to form a definite assertion, is a requisite.

114. The form of the assertive coinciding with any subject, time, or transit, may be known by the exposition of the assertive. (See page 45.)

ON THE THIRD PART OF GRAMMAR.

The third part of Grammar is that which teaches how to arrange words into correct sentences. For which purpose the following Rules and Notes are the most important.

RULE I.

Every name in a sentence is a subject, or requisite, and so is every name substitute, as, “James has built a house for Mary, and she now lives in it.”

Explanation.

In the preceding example, James, house, and Mary, are the only names, and she and it are the name substitutes. James is the subject of the assertive built; a house is the requisite of the subject James, and the assertive built; and Mary is the requisite of the requisite link for. She is the subject of the assertive lives, and it is the requisite of the requisite link, in.

NOTE 1.-When two names of the same thing are connected by an assertive, each is the subject of that assertive; as, 'James is a merchant;" "Henry has become a great man."

In the preceding examples, James is the subject of the assertive is, and merchant is a name of the same subject, or person; hence, although we have two names, yet we have but one subject, because the two names are names of the same sub

ject, or person. The same may be said of Henry and the great man.

NOTE 2. - The names connected by the assertive to be, when used to assert, or interrogate, are generally names of the same person or persons, thing or things, hence they are always subjects; and two substitutes connected by the assertive to be, are also subjects, and substitutes, for the same name; as, "I am he whom they invited."

In the preceding examples, I and he are substitutes for the speaker's name. The only exceptions which appear to rule the first, are names that only serve to awake the attention of the person addressed, and explanatory names; as, "Sir, you are right;" "My lord, what shall I do?" "William the Conqueror."

In the preceding examples, neither is sir, nor my lord, a subject, or requisite, because sir is no part of the first sentence, nor is my lord, a part of the second: yet, strictly speaking, they are not exceptions to rule the first, because rule the first speaks only of the names in a sentence; but, sir, or my lord, is not a name in a sentence, therefore, it cannot be justly considered as an exception. The Conqueror is a name explanatory of William.

RULE II.

The form of the assertive used to assert or interrogate, must coincide with the subject and with the time or transit expressed or implied; as, "He is writing;" "they will go next week; "she wrote yesterday."

In the preceding examples, am writing, is the form of the assertive that coincides with the subject he and the passing transit which is implied. Will go is the form of the assertive coinciding with the subject they, and the future time, next week. Wrote is the form coinciding with the subject she and the detached past time, yesterday.

NOTE 1. The part of a sentence before the assertive, is sometimes the subject; as, "To study a language perfectly requires many years;" "to be temperate in eating and drinking, and use exercise in the open air, are the best preservatives of health."

In the first example, to study a language perfectly, is the subject of the assertive requires.

To be temperate in eating and drinking is one of the preservatives of health, or part of the subject of the assertive are, and to use exercise in the open air, is the other preservative, or part of the subject of the assertive are.

RULE III.

66

Every subject assertive, used assertively, must have a subject expressed or implied, as, They sleep; "she sits; go instantly," etc.

Explanation.

In the preceding examples, they is the subject of the assertive sleep. She is the subject of the assertive sits, and you implied, is the subject of the assertive go.

RULE IV.

Every requisite assertive used assertively, or interrogatively, must have a subject and requisite, expressed or implied; as, He wrote a letter; James sees me; she has been writing a letter, etc.

Explanation.

In the preceding examples, he is the subject of the assertive wrote, and the letter is the requisite, that is, the letter is what the subject he and the assertive wrote, require to form a definite assertion. James is the subject of the assertive sees, and me is the requisite of James sees, that is, me is what the subject James, and the assertive sees, require to form a definite assertion. She is the subject of the assertive has been writing, and a letter is the requisite of the subject she, and the assertive has been writing; that is, the letter is what the

subject she and the assertive has been writing, require to form a definite assertion.

NOTE 1.—When a subject or requisite assertive is not used to assert or interrogate, it does not coincide in form with any subject, and is always preceded by the word to expressed or implied; as, I intend to write, thou intendest to write, he intends to write. Here the assertive to write, does not vary, to coincide with the indirect subject, I, thou, or he.

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NOTE 2. The part of a sentence that follows the subject and assertive, is sometimes used as the requisite; as, "He intends to write a long letter."

In the preceding example, to write a long letter, is the requisite of the subject he, and the assertive intends.

NOTE 3.-An indefinite simple sentence containing a requisite, sometimes requires another requisite to limit the assertion and complete the sense; as, "They forced me to retire;" "she compelled them to sign their names.'

In the first of the preceding examples, they forced me, is an indefinite simple sentence, because what they forced me to do is unknown, and yet requisite to limit the assertion and complete the sense; consequently, to retire, which limits the sentence and completes the sense, is the requisite which the sentence, they forced me, requires. To sign their names, is the requisite which the sentence, she forced them, requires.

RULE V.

Every imperfect participle derived from a requisite assertive, must have a requisite expressed, or implied; as, "He was sent to prepare the way by preaching repentance."

Explanation.

In the preceding examples, preaching is an imperfect participle derived from the requisite assertive to preach, and repentance is the requisite which preaching requires.