A GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, ADAPTED TO The Use of Schools and Academies. BY SAMUEL S. GREENE, A.M. PHILADELPHIA: H. COWPERTHWAIT & CO. HARVARD Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Rhode Island. MEARS & DUSENBERY, ELECTROTYPERS. SMITH & PETERS, PRINTERS. PREFACE. Ir is now more than twelve years since the first publication of the " Analysis of Sentences." During this period the work has passed through many editions, and has received the most flattering testimonials from teachers and educators throughout the country. The tests to which it has been subjected in the hands of the most skilful instructors, have gone far to show that it has developed the true method of analyzing the English sentence. As this was the first, so it has been the basis of all the author's other books upon the English Language. An abridgment under the title of "First Lessons in Grammar" was published in 1848. This book, though destitute of Oral Exercises, was adapted to a class of learners not yet prepared for the more rigid course deIveloped in the Analysis. To supply the want of Oral Exercises, the "Elements of English Grammar" was published in 1853. This work contained an Introductory course wholly oral, besides the exercises interspersed among the definitions. In these oral lessons, the pupil's acquaintance with familiar objects was made the means of developing all the fundamental distinctions in grammar. They were constructed upon the obvious principle that what is seen by a child reaches the understanding at once, and defines itself by appealing directly to his own judgment; while that which is defined in words, must be committed to memory as the result of another's judgment. Exercises like these, if faithfully given, must lay the foundation for a satisfactory, because intelligible, course of study in Grammar. These exercises were necessarily very numerous, and were often too full for the wants of advanced pupils. From the suggestions of many teachers who (iii) |