Tell which of the following nouns mean one, and which mean more than one: - Brook, doors, island, day, bricks, desk, car, miles, robins ?

Alter those which mean but one, so that they will mean more than one; and those which mean more than one, so that they will mean but one.

When a noun means but one, it is of the singular number.

When a noun means more than one, it is of the plural number.

Tell which of the following nouns are common, and which proper :-Reuben, wafer, fingers, Salem, museum, trees.

EXERCISE FOR THE SLATE.-Write the plural of the following nouns :—

Paper, boy, girl, rose, house.

Thrush, marsh, box, bush, church.

Knife, wife, loaf, sheaf, leaf.

Fly, cry, mercy, glory, ally.

Write three sentences, containing each a plural noun, and three, containing each a singular noun.

LESSON XVII.

James says to George, “Herbert is writing.” How many persons or parties are here mentioned? Ans.-Three.

Which person is speaking?

Which one is spoken to?

Which one is spoken of?

Suppose Herbert wished to tell George that he himself was writing, would he say "Herbert is writing ?" Ans.-No; he would say, "I am writing."

If the sentence stood thus: Herbert says to George, "Herbert is writing," would you be sure that Herbert was speaking of himself?

When one speaks of himself, he uses "I" instead of his own name.

If James were to speak to Herbert, and not to George, as before, would he say "Herbert is writing?" Ans.-No; he would say, "You are writing."

If he should say, "Herbert is writing," would you think that he was speaking to Herbert or to some one else?

When we speak to any one of himself, we use “you” instead of his own name.

James says to George, "Herbert is writing, but Herbert will soon finish."

What word shall we insert to avoid the repetition of "Herbert?" Ans. "He;" we can say, “Herbert is writing, but he will soon finish." Then

When we speak of another person, we use his name once, and then, to avoid repeating it, we use "he."

For what noun have we used "I," "you," and "he?"

A word used for a noun is called a pronoun. What kind of words are "I," "you," and "he?"

What pronoun did we use when Herbert was

speaking?

What when he was spoken to?

What when he was spoken of? Then

We use different pronouns for the same individual person, when he changes from the speaker to the one spoken to, or spoken of.

Insert the proper pronouns to represent "Walter" in the following blanks :

"Come," says Walter, "- am ready for my ride."

Walter, when are

coming home?

Walter is very ingenious;

has made a little printing-press.

Where is Walter the speaker? What pronoun represents him in that relation? In which example is he spoken to? Why do we change the pronoun from "I" to "you?" Ans. Because Walter changes from the speaker to the one spoken to.

What pronoun represents Walter as spoken of? What have we changed, the individual, or the pronoun that represents him?

In speaking, we represent all objects as standing in one of these relations, called personal relations, or persons.

The speaker is the first person.

The one spoken to is the second person.
The one spoken of is the third person.

Pronouns which point out these three relations, are

called Personal Pronouns.

Name the nouns and pronouns in the following examples, and tell which of the three persons they represent:

I have seen your father; he is very ill.
Well, Fanny, when do you leave school.
Poor boy! he is much to be pitied.

In the last example, what would have been the pronoun, if, instead of boy, it had been boys? Ans. They. Thus:

Then

Poor boys! they are much to be pitied.

The pronoun changes when the number of the noun changes, so that both may be of the same number.

Write a subject for each of these three sentences:

am speaking.

are reading.

is writing.

Can you put a noun for the first subject? Can you use the same form of the verb with the three different persons? Then

The verb changes when the person of the subject changes.

Point out the nouns and pronouns in these examples. Tell the number and person of each:

Philip is flying a kite.

Do you see the old farm house?

I am very fond of mignonette.

Carroll is an excellent carpenter; he is constantly employed.

LESSON XVIII.

How can you improve the following sentence: When Henry went to school, Henry told the Teacher that Henry wished to study Geography Ans.-By using he instead of the words in italics.

Suppose the sentence were, When Anna went to school, &c., how could you avoid the repetition of Anna? Ans.-By using she?

What kind of words are he and she? Why?

Why do you use she rather than he? Ans. Because Anna is the name of a female.

What is Henry the name of?

Ans.-A male.

What word is repeated in the following sentence:

Louisa bought a book, and when she had examined the pictures in the book, she began to read the book.

What word would you use to avoid the repetition of "book?" Ans.-The pronoun "it."

Why do we use "it" rather than "he" or "she?" Ans.-Because book is the name of neither a male nor a female. Then

We use the pronoun "he" for the name of a male, "she" for the name of a female, and "it" for the name of an object that is neither male nor female.

Tell what pronours we must use for each of the following nouns :

Gertrude, boy, river, Allen, cow, letter, Alfred.

We We use these different pronouns to distinguish the gender of the nouns.