Number is the variation or change of termination to signify a number more than one.

Nouns have two numbers, the Singular and the Plural. The Singular number expresses but one thing of the kind, or unity of idea; as, 'boy,'' book,' ' chair,' ' table.' The Plural number expresses more things than one, or plurality of idea; as, 'boys,' 'books, 'chairs,' 'tables.' The plural number of nouns is generally formed by addings to the singular; as, 'book, books;''chair, chairs; table, tables.'

But nouns ending in s, ss, and sh or ch soft, form their plurals in es instead of s; as, 'gas, gases; glass, glasses;' box, boxes;' 'brush, brushes;' 'church, churches.'

Nouns ending in ch hard form their plurals in the regular way by adding s; as, monarch, monarchs.'

fe into ves to form their plural; as, 'calf, calves;' 'leaf, leaves; loaf, loaves;'self, selves;' shelf, shelves;' 'thief, thieves;' 'life, lives;' 'wolf, wolves;' 'knife, knives; wife, wives.'

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a consonant, form their plural by changing y into ies; as, 'beauty, beauties; study, studies; fly, flies.'

But when they is preceded by a vowel, it follows the general rule; namely, by adding s for the plural; as, 'delay, delays;''key, keys; 'attorney, attorneys."

Some nouns, from the nature of things which they express, have no plural, and others no singular. The nouns that have no plural are—

1st. All proper names, unless when they are used in the sense of common nouns; as, the Georges,' 'the Norfolks.'

2nd. All nouns which denote things measured or weighed; as, wheat,' 'sugar,' 'wine,' 'oil,' 'tea,’ &c.; but when they express different sorts, they sometimes have a plural.

3rd. The names of metals; as, 'gold,' 'silver,' 'lead,' &c., have no plural.

4th. The names of abstract and moral qualities have no plural; as, 'blackness,' 'charity.'

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Nouns that have no singular are those which are plural either in form or meaning; as, alms,' arms,' 'bellows,' cattle, clothes,' 'dregs,' 'embers,' 'lungs,' 'matins,' 'measles,' oats,' scissors,' 'wages,' &c.

Some nouns have the singular and plural alike; as, 'deer,' sheep,' 'salmon,' species,' and are generally

denoted by the definite article.

The following nouns are quite irregular in the formation

of their plurals:

CASE.

The different situations in which nouns are placed in a sentence cause the difference of cases; therefore, the case of a noun means the state it is in, or the relation it bears to another word in the same sentence; as, for instance, when in naming a person we say, 'he does something,' or is something,' the noun is in the nominative case. When the noun, besides expressing the name of a person, also expresses that he possesses something, or has something belonging to him, it is in the possessive case ; and when the noun is so employed in the sentence as to stand as an object acted upon or affected by another word, it is in the objective case.

Nouns, therefore, have three Cases,-the Nominative, the Possessive, and the Objective.

The Nominative case expresses the doer of an action, and is the subject of a verb; as, 'The boy learns.'

The Possessive case expresses the possessor of something; as, 'John's book.'

The possessive case is formed by adding s with a comma prefixed to it, which is called an apostrophe, because it denotes that a letter has been turned away from its place: the omitted letter is either e or i.

The Objective case expresses the receiver of an action, or object; as, John loves the garden.'

As the nominative and objective cases are the same in form, the only way of distinguishing them is by their position and meaning in the sentence. Generally, the nominative comes before the verb, and answers to the question who or what? and the objective comes after the verb, and answers to the question whom or what? English nouns are thus declined :

Directions. In parsing the following sentences, first parse the articles, and tell the nouns they limit or particularize; then parse the nouns, and tell whether they are proper, common, collective, abstract, verbal, or participial; then tell in order their gender, person, number, and case; and, lastly, decline them.

EXAMPLES.

1. John loves the Garden.

proper noun, masculine gender, third person, singular number, nominative case to the verb 'loves.'

Loves is a verb.

The

...

definite article, particularizing 'garden.'

Garden... common noun, neuter gender, third person, singular number, and objective case.

The

...

2. The Army's Skill.

definite article, particularizing skill.'

Army's... collective noun, masculine gender, third person, singular number, possessive case.

...

Skill common noun, neuter gender, third person, gular number, nominative case.

EXERCISES.

sin

Parse the articles and nouns in the following sentences, according to the manner which I have already described.

1. The multitude of people strikes.

2. The hospitality of the woman increases.

3. The child's hand is small.

5. Victoria, queen of England. 6. The boy's writing is good.

7. The writer of this letter.

8. The racer runs.

9. The blackness of the clouds.

10. The brightness of the sun surpasses that of the moon.

ADJECTIVE.

Adjective is derived from the Latin word adjectus, which means 'added to.' An adjective is a word added to a noun to express its quality, number, or some distinguishing trait respecting it; as, a good boy;' a virtuous man.'

Words that make sense by the addition of the word thing are generally adjectives.

The adjective in the English language is not varied, like the noun, in gender, number, and case; the only variation which it admits is that of the degrees of comparison; and the reason why it admits of that change is, as adjectives express the qualities of nouns, and as all nouns of the same kind are not of the same quality, but vary, so the words which show those different qualities must vary also.

Adjectives have three degrees of comparison; namely, the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative.

The Positive degree simply expresses the quality of a thing, without any increase or diminution; as a good boy; 'a fine day;' 'a small man.'

Strictly speaking, the positive is no degree of comparison.

The Comparative degree expresses an increase or diminution of the positive to a higher or lower degree; as, ' a better boy; a finer day; a smaller man.'

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The Superlative degree expresses an increase or diminution of the positive to the highest or lowest degree; as, the best boy;