A Grammar of the English Language: In a Series of Letters. Intended for the Use of Schools and of Young Persons in General; But, More Especially for the Use of Soldiers, Sailors, Apprentices, and Plough-boysT. Dolby, 1819 - 186 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
action active participle active verb actor Adjectives adverbs antecedent attention auxiliary borough-tyrants by-and-by called clearly comma common conjunction consonant dear James Demosthenes denote Doctor Blair Doctor Johnson Ellipsis employ English English Language error ETYMOLOGY express French French language gender give grammarians horse indefinite article infinitive mode instance irregular John John Goldsmith knowledge language Latin Latin language lative learned Letter VIII Lindley Murray little words manner mark matter means meant mind neuter verb never nominative objective observe paragraph passive participle past person or thing personal pronouns Peter plural possessive preposition principal verb principles and rules reason regular verb relate relative pronoun sense sentence Sidmouth singular number sometimes sort of words speaking Speech stand subjunctive mode SYNTAX teach tence third person singular Thou thought tion tive understood vary their endings WILLIAM COBBETT wish write
Popular passages
Page 94 - There are indeed but very few who know how to be idle and innocent, or have a relish of any pleasures that are not criminal; every diversion they take is at the expense of some one virtue or another, and their very first step out of business is into vice or folly.
Page 177 - The flotilla of the enemy in the Patuxent has been destroyed. The signal defeat of their land forces enabled a detachment of his Majesty's army to take possession of the city of Washington; and the spirit of enterprise which...
Page 79 - In a land of liberty it is extremely dangerous to make a distinct order of the profession of arms. In absolute monarchies this is necessary for the safety of the prince, and arises from the main principle of their constitution, which is that of governing by fear; but in free states the profession of a soldier, taken singly and merely as a profession, is...
Page 2 - Congress of the United States, entitled "an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." And also to an act entitled "an act supplementary to an act entitled an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the...
Page 2 - District, hatb deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author and proprietor in the words following...
Page 90 - In comparing Demosthenes and Cicero, most of the French Critics are disposed to give the preference to the latter. P. Rapin the Jesuit, in the Parallels which he has drawn between some of the most eminent Greek and Roman writers, uniformly decides in favour of the Roman.
Page 79 - ... would wish to continue so, that he makes himself for a while a soldier. The laws therefore and constitution of these kingdoms know no such state as that of a perpetual standing soldier, bred up to no other profession than that of war; and it was not till the reign of Henry VII that the kings of England had so much as a guard about their persons.
Page 79 - In these no man should take up arms, but with a view to defend his country and its laws : he puts not off the citizen when he enters the camp ; but it is because he is a citizen, and would wish to continue so, that he makes himself for a while a soldier.
Page 165 - This was what the Doctor meant; but this would have marred a little the antithesis; it would have unsettled a little of the balance of that see-saw in which Dr. Johnson so much delighted, and which, falling into the hands of novel-writers and of Members of Parliament, has, by moving unencumbered with any of the Doctor's reason or sense, lulled so many thousands asleep!
Page 156 - These books are written chiefly to the young, the ignorant, and the idle, to whom they serve as lectures of conduct, and introductions into life. They are the entertainment of minds unfurnished with ideas, and therefore easily susceptible of impressions ; not fixed by principles, and therefore easily...