LESSON XLIX.

INTERJECTIONS.

Since interjections are not grammatically related to the other words in a sentence, the parsing of an interjection consists in simply naming the part of speech.

EXERCISE.

Mention the interjections in the following sentences, and tell what feeling each expresses:

I.

Ah! what would the world be to us

If the children were no more? LONGFELLOW.

2. Hark! let me listen for the swell of the surf.

3. Ah! what a weary race my feet have run. - WARTON. 4. Oh! wherefore come ye forth, in triumph from the North?-MACAULAY.

5. Alas! I have nor hope nor health. SHELLEY.

6. And, lo! from far, as on they pressed, there came a glittering band. — HEMANS.

7. Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings.

8. Ha! laugh'st thou, Lochiel, my vision to scorn?

9.

IO.

II.

For, lo! the blazing, rocking roof

Down, down in thunder falls! — HORACE SMITH.

Heigh ho! daisies and buttercups,

Fair yellow daffodils, stately and tall.

O joy! that in our embers

Is something that doth live. - WORDSWORTH.

SUMMARY.

INFLECTION.

Inflection is the alteration in the form of a word, to express a change of meaning or of relation.

The parts of speech that are inflected are the noun, the pronoun, the adjective, the verb, and the adverb.

Nouns and pronouns are inflected for gender, number, and case. The inflection of a noun or a pronoun is called its declension.

Verbs are inflected for voice, mode, tense, person, and number. The inflection of a verb is called its conjugation.

Some adjectives and a few adverbs are inflected for degree. This inflection is called comparison.

Prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections are not

inflected.

PART THIRD.

RELATIONS OF WORDS-SYNTAX.

SYNTAX treats of the grammatical relations of words in sentences. The relation that any part of speech bears to other parts of speech in the same sentence is called its construction.

LESSON L.

CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE NOUN.

The most common constructions of the noun have already been given. The noun may be used

1. As the subject of a verb; as,

The sun shines.

The subject of a verb is in the nominative case. This is called the subject nominative.

2. As a predicate nominative. A noun that completes the meaning of an intransitive verb, and refers to the same person or thing as the subject of the verb, is said to be in the nominative case after the verb. It completes the predicate, and is called a predicate noun or a predicate nominative. The verbs be, become, appear, look, seem, etc., and the passive forms of a few transitive verbs are followed by a predicate nominative; as,

Webster was a statesman.

Man became a living soul.
He was elected senator.

3. As an objective predicate; as,

They made him secretary.

In this sentence him is the direct object of the verb, and secretary completes the meaning of the verb make and shows what they made him. A noun that completes the meaning of a transitive verb and describes its object is called an objective predicate. The verbs make, appoint, elect, call, choose, and others of similar meaning, are followed by the objective predicate.

When these verbs are used in the passive voice, they are followed by the predicate nominative; as,—

He will be made secretary.

4. In apposition. A noun added to a noun or a pronoun, to explain or describe its meaning, is called an appositive, or is said to be in apposition with the first noun or pronoun. Two words in apposition are in the same case; as,

Motley, the historian, was an American. (Nominative case.) We met your brother, the general. (Objective case.)

5. In the nominative absolute. A noun used absolutely with a participle, its case not depending upon any other word, is said to be in the nominative case absolute; as,

The train being late, they returned to the hotel.

6. In address. When a noun is used in addressing a person or a thing, it is said to be in the nominative case of address; as,

Friends, are you convinced?

Ring, happy bells, across the snow.

7. As a possessive modifying another noun; as,

We sat by the fisher's cottage.

The noun denoting the thing possessed is sometimes omitted; as, He called at your mother's [house].

8. As the object of a transitive verb (or of its participles or infinitives); as,

The boy waved a flag.

The horse, hearing the cars, stopped.

'Tis sweet to hear the merry lark.

9. As the object of a preposition; as,

We spoke not a word of sorrow.

10. As an indirect object to show to or for whom or what something is done; as,

He gave the man a coat (He gave a coat to the man).

In the first form, the noun coat is the direct object of the verb gave, and the noun man the indirect object.

She bought the bird a cage (She bought a cage for the bird). In the first form, the noun cage is the direct object of the verb bought, and the noun bird is the indirect object.

As these examples show, the indirect object alone is used when the noun stands next the verb, the preposition when the noun is separated from the verb.

II. As an adverbial limitation to modify a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. When nouns expressing time, distance, weight, value, etc., are used like adverbs, they are called adverbial objects, or are said to be in the objective case, adverbially; as,

He held the office three years.

The walk is three feet wide.
Do not remain a moment longer.