alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

ETYIIIOLOGY-NOUNS-PERSON. 21
PERSON.
Ill. PERSON, in Grammar, is the distinction of nonns
as used in discourse, to denote the speaker, the person
or thing spoken to, or the person or thing spoken of.
(120). Hence,
112. There are three persons, called Fint, Second, and Third.
113. A noun is in the first persou, when it denotes the speaker; as, .. I,
Paul, have written it."
114. A noun is in the second person, when it denotes the person or thing
addressed; as, "Thou, God, scest me."-" Hail, Liberty!"
115. A noun iR in the third person, when it denotes the person or thing
spoken of; ae, .. lVashington was brave."-" Truth is mighty."
116. RnrARK.-The third person is used sometimes for the first; R~,
" thy 6ervant became surety for tho lad to my father." Gell. xliv. 32.
Sometimes, particularly in the language of supp:ication, it is used for
the fecond; as, "0 let not the Lurd be angry." Gen. xviii. 30. .. Will
the Lord bless us !"
OBSERVATIONS ON PERSO~.
117. The first and the second person can belong only to nouns denoting
persons, or things personified; becauile pel'sons only can "peak or be spoken
to. The third person may beh.ng to all nouns, becanse every object,
whether person or thing, may be spoken of.
lIS. A noun can be the subject of a verb (5~5), only in the thil'd person.
A noun in the first 01' second person is never used as the subject of a
verb, but only in apposition (668) with the first 01' second pel'sonal pro·
noun, for the sake of explanation or emphasis; and sometimes in the
second person, without a pronoun, as the object addressed.
119. A uoun in the predicate (600), is generally, though not always,
in the third person, e'\'en when the subject is in the first or second; as, "I
am Alpha," &:c., " who is." So with the pronouus I anu thou; a9, " I am
he." ., Thou art the man."
!20. REMARK.-Pr