Q. How is the Sex or Gender diftinguished here?

A. By the Help of fome other diftinguishing Words; as, a Cock-Sparrow,aHen-Sparrow, aMan-Servant,aMaid-Servant, a He-Cat, a She-Cat, a Male-Rabbit, a Female-Rabbit.

Note, There are fome Words, which tho' they be of the Neuter Gender, are often (by Cufom) ufed, as if they were of the Masculine or Feminine Gender. For, thus we fay of the Sun: His going forth is from the End of the Heaven, and his Circuit unto the Ends of it. Pf.19.6. And of the Church we fay: She hath nourished her Children, but they have rebelled against her.

Of PERSON.

Q. How many Perfons belong to a Noun ?

A. There are three Perfons in both Numbers: the fir who is always he that fpeaketh; the fecond, who is always the Perfon or Thing fpoken to; the third, who is alway' the Perfon or Thing fpoken of.

Q. Give an Example.

A. Singular, 1. I. 2. Thou or You. 3. He, She, It, This, and That. Plural, 1. We. 2. Ye or You. 3. They, thefe, and those.

Note, That all Nouns are of the third Perfon, except I and
Thou or You: We and Ye or You.

Of the ARTICLES.

Q. What is an Article ?

A. It is a Word fet before a Subftantive, for the clearer and more particular expreffing of its Cafe and Signification. Q: How many Articles are there?

A. Two: A or An, and The.

Q. When is A, or An ufed?

A. A or An is ufed in a general and unlimited Sense; as, A Man (that is, any Man) shall be commended according to his Wijdom. An Organ (that is, any Organ) is the beft of all other mufical Inftrument's.

Note, A is ufed before a Confonant; An before a Vowel.

Q. When is the Article The ufed?

A. The is ufed to convey a certain Idea of that Thing or Perfon fpoken of; as, The Man, (or this very Man) who teacbeth the Art of true Spelling, has done me much good.

Note,

Note, Subftantives Proper, have naturally no Article fet before them; except when fome Word is understood; as, The Thames, that is, The River Thames; The Tyne, that is, the River Tyne; or elfe when it is used by way of Eminence; as, The God of the Hebrews.

Q. Do the Adjectives admit of any Article before them ? A. They do; but it is by Virtue of fome Subftantive expreffed or understood; as, good Servant, generally makes a good Mafter. They gathered the good [Fishes] into Veffels but caft the bad away. Matt. xiii. 48.

Of the Declenfion of a Noun.

Q. What is meant by the Word Declenfion?
A. Declenfion is the Variation of a Word by Cafes.
Q. How are Nouns declined or varied by Cafes ?

Thus:

Note, All Nouns, which make the Plura! Number by the Addition of s, or es to the Singular, are regular; the reftare irregular. As,

Singular.

Nom. A Man.
Gen. Of a Man,

Plural.

Nom. Men.

Gen. Of Men.

Note, 1. Penny, in the fingular Number, makes Pence in the Plural. But from feveral particular Silver Coins, which. peak their own Value, the Word Pence is made a fingular

Number

Number, and its Plural becomes Pences. Thus, in the fingular Number we fay, one Six-pence, one Four-pence, one Three-pence, and one Two-pence; but in the Plural Number, two or more Six-pences, Four-pences, 'Three-pences, and Two-pences.

2. A Penny, when spoken of a Silver Penny, makes Pennies in the Plural: Thus we fay in the fingular Number, one Silver Penny, but in the Plural, two or more Silver Pennies. Of ADJECTIVES.

Q. What is an Adjective?

A. It is a Word that expreffes the Quality or Manner of a Thing; as, good, bad, great, fmall.

Q. Where is the Adjective to be placed?

A. Before its Subftantive; as, A good Boy. Yet fometimes when there are more Adjectives than one joined together, or one Adjective with other Words depending on it; the Adjective may be fet after the Subftantive; as, a General, both wife and valiant: A Man skilful in Numbers.

2. What do you obferve of two Subftantives put together in Compofition?

A. The First takes to itself the Nature of an Adjective, and is commonly joined to the following Subftantive, by a Hyphen; as, a Sea-Fish.

Q. How are Subftantives and Adjectives declined together? A. Thus :

Singular.

Nom. A good Boy.
Gen. Of a good Boy.
Dat. To a good Boy.
Acc. A good Boy.
Voc. O good Boy.

Abl. From a good Boy.

.

Plural.

Nom. The good Boys.
Gen. Of good Boys.
Dat. To good Boys.
Acc. The good Boys.
Voc. O good Boys.
Abl. From good Boys.

Of the Comparison of Adjectives.

Q. What is meant by Comparifon?

A. It is the Variation of a Word by Degrees, according to the Quantity of its Signification.

Q. What Adjectives admit of Comparison ?

A. All thofe whofe Signification may increafe, or be dimi nifhed: None else.

Q. How many Degrees of Comparifon are there? A. Three The Pofitive, the Comparative, and the Superlative.

Q. What is the Pofitive Degree?

A. T

Tha

A. The Pofitive Degree mentioneth the Thing abfolute H without any Increase, or Diminution; as, long, short, wifThe Q. What is the Comparative Degree?

A. The Comparative fomewhat increafeth or diminisheth its Pofitive in Signification; as, longer, or more long; shorter, or more short; wifer, or more wife.

Q. What is the Superlative Degree?

A. The Superlative increaseth or diminisheth the Signi fication of its Pofitive to the utmoft Degree; as, longest, o moft long; fporteft, or moft short; wifeft, or most wife.

Q. Are all Adjectives, that admit of any Comparifon, compared thus?

A. No: Some Adjectives are irregular; as, good, better beft; bad, worse, worst; much, more, moft; little, lefs, leaf.

CHA P. IV.

Of PRONOUNS.

HAT is a Pronoun ?

WHAT

A. A Pronoun is a Part of Speech, that fupplieth

the Place of a Noun.

Q. How many Things belong to a Pronoun ?

A. There belong to a Pronoun, Number, Cafe, Gender, Perfon and Declenfion.

Q. How many kinds of Pronouns are there?
A. Two: Subftantives and Adjectives.

Q. Which are the Pronouns Subftantive ?

A. Thefe; I, thou or you; He, She, It; and their Plurals, ave; ye or you; they.

Q. Which are the Pronouns Adjective?

A. My, mine, thy, thine, our, ours, your, yours, who, which, what, this, that, jame, bif-felf, her-felf, it-felf, &c. Q. What is the Uje of thefe Pronouns Adjective?

A. By fome a Question is afk'd; as, Who teacheth me. What new Method is this? By others we learn the true Poffeffor of a Thing; as, This is my Book. By fome we call to mind fomething that is past; as, This is the Book which [Book] I lent you. By others we demonftrate our Meaning; as, What I faid to John, the fame I fay to you; Live well. Note, Pronouns have no Articles before them, except for Diftinction, or by way of Eminence; as, God is the fame, Yefterday, to Day, and for ever.

Q. What Pronouns are of the firft Person?

A. I and We.

Q. What Pronouns are of the fecond Perfon ? A. Thou

A. Thou or you, and ye or you. The reft are of the I bird. Q. How is the Pronoun I declined?

Q. How is the Pronoun Thou or You declined?

Q. How are the Pronouns he, she, it, declined?

Note, His, Hers, Its, and Theirs, being Pronouns Poffeffives, are frequently used for the Genitive Cafes of He, Sre, It and They.

СНАР.