The noun paintings, again, we parse completely, but in a briefer form:

Paintings is a noun, a common noun, a derivative from the verb paint (as signifying something painted); it is of the plural number (because it denotes more than one of the things denoted by painting), and in the objective case, the object of the verb laid, being added to the verb to show what was laid.

The is an adjective word called an article (52), qualifying paintings.

Writing-desk is a common noun; it is compound, being made up of writing and desk (meaning, 'a desk for writing on'); it is in the objective case singular, object of the preposition on, being joined by the preposition to the verb laid, in order to show where the books were laid.

John's is a simple proper noun (because used to distinguish a certain individual from others of his class), masculine, in the genitive case singular; and it qualifies writing-desk, being added to it to show whose writing-desk is meant.

Of on, finally, we need only say that it is a preposition, joining its object writing-desk to the verb laid.

EXERCISES FOR PRACTICE IN PARSING NOUNS.

For practice in parsing, classes may be made to turn back to the exercises already given under the preceding chapters; or they may be directed to the various illustrative sentences in the text; or to sentences made by the teacher or pupils and written out upon the board; or to sentences selected by the teacher and written in the same way; or to passages in the Readers or other text-books which the class is using anything to make variety in the exercise, and rid it of a mechanical character.

A few additional examples are here given; mostly such as illustrate special and exceptional points.

IX. Miscellaneous examples.

The chambers of sickness and distress are mostly peopled with the victims of intemperance and sloth.

I have bought five yoke of oxen.

These people, however fallen, are still men.

More than a hundred children's children rode on his knee.

Cool shades and dews are round my way.

In this place ran Cassius' dagger through.

Something more than fortune joined your loves.
His brother pirate's hand he wrung.

The vile alone are vain; the great are proud.
Thy songs were made for the pure and free.
O night and darkness! ye are wondrous strong.
He strode haughtily into the thickest of the group.
From gold to gray, our wild sweet day

Of Indian summer fades too soon.

A hundred of the foe shall be

A banquet for the mountain birds.

So sweet a kiss the golden sun gives not

To those fresh morning drops upon the rose.

He giveth his beloved sleep.

Jove but laughs at lovers' perjury.

They bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, Heaven from all creatures hides the book of Fate.

They shook the depths of the desert gloom

With their hymns of lofty cheer.

CHAPTER VI.

PRONOUNS.

149. A pronoun, as we have seen (33), is a kind of substitute for a noun.

A pronoun does not precisely name anything; but it points to or points out some person or thing that has been named before, or that is shown by a gesture, or that is defined by its relation to something else that is named.

Thus, if I say

this is my father; did you wish to see him?

I use my instead of my own name, and you instead of that of the person to whom I speak; having mentioned my father, I do not repeat the name, but use him instead; and this describes plainly enough the person whom I take hold of, or toward whom I make some gesture, or who is the only one near me.

150. The pronouns have then, in general, the same uses that nouns have in making sentences.

But pronouns differ from nouns in this respect that they are almost never qualified by attributive adjectives: that is, by adjectives placed before them and directly qualifying them (374). Thus, for example, we say

Some of the words used as pronouns are used also as adjectives, qualifying a noun that is expressed, instead of standing for one that is omitted: thus, either

this is my father, or

this man is my father.

This distinction between the substantive and the adjective value of the same word, or between its use as pronoun and as pronominal adjective, should always be clearly and accurately made.

151. Pronouns have also the same inflection as nouns : namely, for number and case. And some of them, as has been pointed out above, have for the objective case a special form, different from the nominative.

One class of pronouns, the personal, make a distinction of PERSON (61); and one of these makes also, in the singular number, a distinction of GENDER (115).

152. The pronouns are divided into four classes:

1. personal pronouns ;

2. demonstrative pronouns ;

3. interrogative pronouns;

4. relative or conjunctive pronouns.

And there is besides another class, to which the name of pronoun less properly belongs, and which are called

5. indefinite pronouns.

There are so few pronouns of each class that we mention and describe them all as is not the case with any other part of

speech.

1. PERSONAL PRONOUNS.

153. The PERSONAL pronouns are so called because they especially mark differences of person (61): that is, they distinguish the person speaking, or the FIRST PERSON, from the person spoken to, or the SECOND PERSON, and the person spoken of, or the THIRD PERSON.

154. The inflection of these pronouns is very irregular: thus, the plurals are quite different words from the singulars; and the possessives usually have double forms, and are not made like those of nouns; and both possessive and objective are sometimes quite different words from the nominative.

155. The pronouns of the first and second persons, with

156. The plural forms of the first personal pronoun signify the speaker himself, together with the person or persons spoken any set or group or company of whom the

to, or with others

speaker is one: thus,

we [human beings] have speech, and they [other animals] have not;

we [Americans] live in the western hemisphere;

we [I with my companions] took a long walk together;
we [you and I] see each other.

So the plural of the second person signifies either a number of persons addressed, or one or more such along with others who are regarded as belonging in one company with them: thus,

you [whom I speak to] must listen to me;

you [Germans] are a nation of scholars.

157. In certain styles, we, our, ours, us are used by a single speaker of himself. So, especially by a sovereign: as,

We, Victoria, Queen of England;

also by a writer, an editor or contributor to a periodical, who speaks as if he represented the whole body of people concerned in editing or contributing to the publication for which he writes.

158. The pronoun of the second person singular, thou etc., is no longer used by us (as it was used in former times) when ordinarily speaking to one another; but it is left for certain higher and more solemn or more impassioned uses, especially in prayer and in poetry. Thus, O thou to whom all creatures bow,

How mighty is tihy name!