(2) Those that make a statement about the action of the subject upon some person or thing.

The former are called Intransitive, the latter Transitive Verbs.

9. A subject and an Intransitive Verb are sufficient for a sentence; thus we may say, Dogs bark.

With a subject and a Transitive Verb we cannot form a complete sentence; for we want some word to express the effect of the action, and such a word is called the Object of the Verb.

Thus in the sentence, Bees make honey, the word honey is called the object of the Transitive Verb make.

10. The following sentences are examples of the use of Verbs, transitive and intransitive:

11. There are three forms of the Simple Sentence:

I. Subject Copula - Predicate

II. Subject Intransitive Verb

III. Subject - Transitive Verb - Object,

Snow is white.
Dogs bark.

Bees make honey.

12. To form a sentence we must have a Subject and a Verb.

In Form I. the copula and the predicate together are equivalent to an Intransitive Verb.

CHAPTER II.

Nouns.

13. Nouns may be divided into five classes:

1. Proper Nouns, or names of particular persons, places, or seasons; as, Solomon, Socrates; London, Europe; Easter, May, Summer.

2. Common Nouns, or names of individual persons or things, regarded as belonging to a sort or kind; as, man, tree, stone, river, mountain.

3. Material Nouns, or names of substances made up of parts like the whole; as, gold, iron, wood.

4. Collective Nouns, or names of gatherings of persons or things into one united body; as, people, parliament, committee, fleet, mob.

5. Abstract Nouns, or names of qualities possessed by persons or things; as, wisdom, strength, weakness, beauty: actions, as reading, fishing: and states, as absence, misery.

14. The same form is used in English for the Noun, whether it stands as subject or object in a sentence: thus

Man (subject) is mortal.

God made man (object).

Men (subject) are mortal.
God made men (object).

It is, however, found convenient to give distinguishing names to mark the office that a Noun performs as part of a sentence; and so, when it is the subject, it is said to be in the Nominative Case, and when it stands for the object of a Transitive Verb, it is said to be in the Objective Case.

15. Most of the Personal Pronouns have distinct forms for the Nominative and Objective Cases: thus

The following are examples of simple sentences, in which Personal Pronouns are introduced :

These Pronouns are of great use in forming a second sentence about a person or thing mentioned in a preceding sentence: as I see a boy. He is idle.

I see a girl. She is busy.

NUMBER.

16. The form of a Noun, which refers to one person or thing, is called the Singular Number; as man, tree: the form, which refers to more than one, is called the Plural Number: as men, trees.

are

17. The Plural is usually formed by adding s to the Singular:

18. Exceptions to the usual formation of the Plural of Nouns

(1) -es is added to the Singular in words ending with s,

x, ch (pronounced as in larch), and sh: as

(2) -es is added to the Singular of some Nouns ending

But some are regular; as, grotto, canto, folio, zero.

(3) The ending ƒ of the Singular is changed into ves : as

S. loaf leaf wolf calf thief staff wharf.
P. loaves leaves wolves calves thieves staves wharves.

But some are regular; as, roof, cliff, dwarf, reef, and muff.

(4) Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant have
ies in the plural: as

S. body city ally fancy
cities allies fancies

P. bodies

country.

countries.

But those ending in y preceded by a vowel are regular: as

NOTE.-A few Nouns, as penny, pea, die, have two plurals, but with different significations; for pence and pease are used for the sum or collection, made by putting together single pennies and peas; and, whereas dies are stamps for making imprints, dice are used in some games of chance.

20. Some Nouns, especially names of animals, have no change for the plural: as sheep, swine, deer.

GENDER.

21. Sex is a distinction of animals.

Gender is a distinction

of words, in which sex, or the absence of any distinction of sex, is ascribed to persons and things. Nouns in English are said to be, in respect of Gender—

1. Masculine, when they are names of males; as father, brother, mayor, general.

2. Feminine, when they are names of females; as mother, sister, virgin, wife.

3. Neuter, when they are names of things to which neither sex is ascribed; as wall, door, house, field.

4. Common, when the sex may be either male or female; as

elephant, bear, goat, child, servant.

22. Distinctions of sex are in many cases marked by differences of ending in Nouns, of which the most common example is the use of words ending in -ess for females; as duchess, baroness, actress.

23. The following is a list of words denoting males and females of the same rank, occupation, or kind: