The author is greatly obliged to several Learned Gentlemen, who have favoured him with their remarks upon the first Edition, which was indeed principally designed to procure their afsistance, and to try the judgment of the public. He hath endeavoured to weigh their observations, without prejudice or partiality; and to make the best use of the lights, which they have afforded him. He hath been enabled to correct several mistakes; and encouraged carefully to revise the whole, and to give it all the improvement which his prefent materials can furnish. He hopes for the continuance of their favour, as he is fenfible there will still be abundant occafion for it. A system of this kind, arising from the collection and arrangement of a multitude of minute particulars, which often elude the most careful fearch, and fometimes escape observation when they are most obvious, must always stand in need of improvement. It is indeed the necessary condition of every work of human art or science, small as well as great, to advance towards perfection by flow degrees; by an approximation, which though it still may carry it forward, yet will certainly never bring it to the point to which it tends.

A SHORT

INTRODUCΤΙΟΝ

TO

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

G

GRAMMAR.

RAMMAR is the Art of rightly expreffing our thoughts by Words. Grammar in general, or Universal Grammar, explains the principles, which are common to all languages.

The Grammar of any particular Language, as the English Grammar, applies these common principles to that particular language, according to the established usage and custom of it.

Grammar treats of Sentences; and of the several parts, of which they are compounded.

Sentences consist of Words; Words, of one or more Syllables; Syllables, of one or more Letters.

So

So that Letters, Syllables, Words, and Sentences, make up the whole subject of Grammar.

A

LETTERS.

LETTER is the first Principle, or least part, of a Word. An Articulate Sound is the found of the human voice, formed by the organs of fpeech.

A Vowel is a simple articulate found, formed by the impulse of the voice, and by the opening only of the mouth in a particular manner.

A Confonant cannot be perfectly founded by itself; but joined with a vowel forms a compound articulate found, by a particular motion or contact of the parts of the mouth.

A Diphthong, or compound vowel, is the union of two or more vowels pronounced by a single impulse of the voice.

In English there are twenty-fix Letters,

A, a; B, b; C, c; D, d; E, e; F, f; G, g; H, h; I,i; J, j; K, k; L, 1; M, m; N, n; O, 0; P, p; Q, q; R, r; S, f; T, t; U, u; V, v; W, w; X,x; Y, y; Z, z.

J,j; and V, v; are confonants; the former having the found of the foft g, and the latter that of a coarfer f; they are therefore intirely different from the vowels i and u, and distinct letters of themselves; they ought also to be diftinguished diftinguished from them, each by a peculiar Name; the former may be called ja, and the latter vee.

The Names then of the twenty-fix letters will be as follows; a, bee, cee, de, e, ef, gee, aitch, i, ja, ka, el, m, en, o, pee, cuc, ar, efs, tee, u, vee, double u, ex, y, zad.

Six of the letters are vowels, and may be founded by themselves; a, e, i, o, u, y.

E is generally filent at the end of a word; but it has its effect in lengthening the preceding vowel, as bid, bide: and fometimes likewife in the middle of a word; as, ungrateful, retirement. Sometimes it has no other effect, than that of foftening a preceding g; as, lodge, judge, judgement; for which purpose it is quite neceflary in these and the like words.

r is in found wholly the same with i; and is written instead of it at the end of words; or before i; as, flying, denying: it is retained likewife in fome words derived from the Greek; and it is always a vowel [1].

Wis

[1] The same sound, which we express by the initial y, our Saxon Ancestors in many instances expressed by the vowel e, as eower, your: and by the vowel i; as iw, yew; iong young. In the word yew, the initial y has precisely the same sound with i in the words view, lieu, adieu: the i is acknowledged to be a Vowel in these latter; how then can they, which has the very fame found, possibly be a Consonant in the former ?

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