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A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language
A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language Author:William Pinnock Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ENGLISH GKAMMAR. CHAPTER I. OF GRAMMAR. 1. GRAMMAR is the art of speaking and writing eorreetly . 2. General or Universal Grammar explains the prinei... more »ples whieh are eommon to all languages. 3. English Grammar explains those prineiples aeeording to the established usage of the English Language. 4. It is divided into four parts: viz. Orthography, Etymology, Syntax, and Prosody. 5. Orthography teaehes the nature and power of letters, and the eorreet method of spelling words. 6. Etymology treats of the several kinds of words, their various modifieations, and derivations. 7. Syntax teaehes the union, order, and arrangement of words, so as to form eorreet sentenees. All exeellenee in writing and speaking is founded on grammatieal knowledge. They who treat this knowledge as either trifling or unpleasant merit eontempt; for the fabrie that is raised on any other foundation soon falls. It is neeessary in youth, pleasing in age, and a delightful eompanion in retirement; and, eontrary to all other studies, it has more utility than ostentation. They who engage in this important pursuit will find it not only adapted to expand and invigorate the powers of youth, but to exereise the profoundest erudition and the most exquisite taste.—Quinetilian. chapter{Section 48. Prosody gives rules for the accent and length of syllables, the pronunciation of words, and the composition of harmonious verse. 9. Language consists of sentences, and of the several parts of which they are compounded. 10. A Sentence consists of words; A Word, of one or more syllables; A Syllable, of one or more letters. 11. So that letters, syllables, words, and sentences constitute the whole subject of Grammar. 12. A word of one syllable is termed a monosyllable; a word of two syllables,...« less