FOR A New Guide to the English Tongue. PART III. A Practical English GRAMMAR. CHA P. I. Of GRAMMAR in general. QWHAT is Grammar? A. Grammar is the Science of Letters, or the Art of Writing and Speaking properly and fyntactically. Q. What do you mean by English Grammar? A. The Art of Writing and Speaking the English Tongue properly and fyntactically. Q. How is Grammar divided? A. Grammar is divided into Four Parts; Orthography, Profady, Analogy, and Syntax. Of ORTHOGRAPHY. Q. What is Orthography? A. Orthography teacheth the true Characters and Powers of the Letters, and the proper Divifion of Syllables, Words, and Sentences. Of LETTER S. Q. What is a Letter? A. A Letter is a fignificant Mark or Note, of which Syllables are compounded. Q. How many English Letters are there? A. Six and Twenty. Q. Which be they? A. They are these following, with their Powers and Names. A Their Names, ana Powers or Sounds. A long (a) as in Cape: fhort (ă) as in Cap: (broad (â) as in balt Letters. A er a Bee C Gee Dee E long (e) as in mete: fhort (e) as in met* Ef Jee long (1) as in tine: fhort (1) as in tim Jay m Em Ꮓ En O long (ō) as in note: fhort (ŏ) as in not -Pee Cu r Arr fs t W y Efs Vee Yu long (u) as in tune: fhort (u) as in Tun Eks Wi long (y) as in my : fhort (ỹ) as in Egypt Z Zed *Note, Whene is not founded at the End of a Word, it is called e final: which, fometimes, ferves to lengthen the Sound of the fore going Vowel; as in fave; and fometimes is Redundant; as in give. Q Do thefe Letters always keep their own natural Sound? A. No. Q. What Letters are those which do not always keep their own natural Sound? A. They are b, c, e, f, g, i, l, o, s, 't, u, x, y; and the double Letters, ch, gh, and ph. Q. Give me an Example of each. A. 1. B is founded like t, in Subtil. C before a, o, u, l, and r, is always founded like k; as in Cai, Cord, Cup, Cloth, Cramp: but before e, i, andy, is always founded like; as in Cellar, Civil, Cypress: It is alfo founded like s in Muscle; and in Words derived from the French, having b after it as in Machine. 3. E 3. E is founded like ā, in there, where; and like ŭ in her. 4. F is founded like v, in of. 5. G before e and i in fome Words, and almost always be forey, is founded likej; as in Gentleman, Giant, Egyptian. 6. I in Words derived from the French, founds like ee s as in Machine: it alfo founds like ; as in Bird, third, &c. 7. L is founded like m in Salmon. 8. O is founded like a in Alloy; like ein Women; and like % in Worm. 9. S is frequently founded like z; as in prefent, prefume. 10. Tis founded likes in Whistle, Thistle. Tibetore a Vowel, is founded like fior; as in Nation: except when/goes immediately before it; as Celestial: or at the Beginning of a Word-; as tied or in Derivatives; as mightier, mightied, emptied. 11. U is founded like ě in Bury; and like i in Bufiuefs. 12. Xhath no found of its own; but at the Beginning of a Word is always founded like z; as in Xenophon and i the middle and enl of Words, like ks; as in Wax, Xerxes. 13. at the end of Monofyllables, is founded like i; as in by, my; but in the middle of Words of more than one Syllable, it is founded like i; as in Egypt: and at the end of Words of more than one Syllable, it ufually founds like e; as in 14. Ch is founded like qu, as in Choir, Chorifter. many. 5. Ch fometimes at the End of a Word, and always ph when they come together in the fame Syllable, found like; as in laugh, Elephant: except where ph found like v, as in Stephen. Q. Where are the Capital Letters to be used, and where the Small Letters ? A. The Capitals are to be ufed in the Front of Sentences, and in the Beginning of Verfes; of all proper Names of Perfons, Places, Rivers, &c. of Arts and Sciences; of Dignities, Feftivals and Games; and of all Words put for proper Names, or that have any great Emphasis in a Sentence: Alfo after a Full Stop, and at the Beginning of a Quotation, tho' it be not immediately after a Full Stop: Likewife whole Words, and fometimesSentences are written in Capitals, and then fomething is expreffed extraordinary great. They are fometimes ufed in the Titles of Books, for Ornament-fake: And always the Pronoun I, and the Interjection O, are written in Capitals; and in all other Places the mall Letters must be used. Q. When Capital Letters are placed fingle in a Sentence, what do they stand for? A. Sometimes they ftand for whole Words ;. ás B. A. Bachelor of Arts: B. D. Bachelor in Divinity: D. D. Doctor in Divinity, or the like; as you may find more large at the End of this third Part: Or elfe they stand for Numbers, and are called Numeral Letters; thus, I. One XV. Fifteen XCII. Ninety-two IV.orIIII.Four XVIII. Eighteen CCC. Three Hundred XIX. Nineteen XX. Twenty II. Two III. Three V. Five VI. Six CCCC. Four Hundred XXI.Twenty-one DC. Six Hundred LX. Sixty XII. Twelve LXX. Seventy DCC. Seven Hundred M DCC XCI. One Thou- Q. How are the Letters naturally divided? Q. What is a Vowel ? A. A Vowel is a Letter which gives a full and perfect Sound of itself, and without which there can be no Syllable. Q. How many Vowels are there in English? A. There are Six; a, e, i, o, u, and y when it follows a Confonant. Q. What is a Confonant? A. A Confonant is a Letter, that cannot be founded without a Vowel; as b without e: Therefore all Letters except the Vowels, are Confonants. Of SYLLABLE S. Q. What is a Syllable? A. A Syllable is either one Letter; as a; or more than ene; as Man. Of Spelling, or Divifion of SYLLABLES. Q. How do you divide your Syllables ? 4. By taking Words afunder into convenient Parts, in order to fhew their true Pronunciation, and original Formation, which is commonly called Spelling. Q. In how many Rules may the Doctrin of Spelling be contained? All Spelling, or Divifion of Syllables, may be com- RULE RULE I. Q. What is the First general Rule for Divifion of Syllables? 4. A Confonant between two Vowels, goes to the latter Syllable; as ba-nifh. Q. What is the first Exception to this Rule? as, Flow-er, Ex-ile. w andx, go to the former Syllable; Q. What is the fecond Exception? A. Words formed and compounded, must be divided according to the Fifth and Sixth general Rules. RULE II. Q. What is the Second general Rule for Divifion of Syllables? A. Two Confonants in the Middle of a Word, that are proper to begin a Word, must begin the Syllable together; as, Clu-fter. Q. What Exception have you to this Rule? A. All fuch Derivatives, whofe Primitives ending in e final, drop the e in Spelling, have the Confonants in the Middle of the Word parted, though they be proper to begin a Word; as, Houf-bold Note, That dl, tl, kl, and zl, are often used to begin Sylla bles, tho they begin no Words, as La-dle, Tur-tle, Wrin-kle, Puz-zle RULE III. Q. What is the Third general Rule for Divifion of Syllables? A. Two Confonants in the Middle of a Word, that are not proper to begin a Word, must be divided; as, Num-ber. Q. What Exception have you to this Rule? A. Two Confonants in the Middle of a Derivative, though they be not proper to begin a Word, muft not be divided ; as, Stand-ard. RULE IV. Q. What is the Fourth general Rule for Divifion of Syllables? A. If two Vowels come together, not making a Diphthong, they must be divided as, ae in Ja-el; ao in ex-tra-or-di-na-ry; eo in pi-te-ous; iain Vi-al; io in Ki-ol; iu in di-ur-nal; oe in Co-er-ci-on; ua in u-fu-alue in Du-el; ui in ru-in, con-gru-i-ty: and uo in con-gru-ous. |