alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

ETYrtIOLOGY-NOUNS-PERSON. .21
PERSON.
111. 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 t"ree persons, called First, Second, and Third.
113. A noun is ia 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 tbing
addressed; as, "Thou, God, scest me."-" Hail, Liberty!"
115. A ntlun is in the third person, when it uenotes the person or thing
spoken of; as, "lVashington was brave."-" Truth is mighty."
116. REMARK.-The third person is used sometimes for the first; 8S,
" thy servant became surety for the lad to my father." Gen. xliv. 32.
Sometimes, particularly in the language of supp:ication, it is nsed for
the fecond; as, "0 let not the Lord be angl·Y." Gen. xviii. 30. ., Will
the Lord bless us !"
OBSERVATIONS ON PERSON.
117. The first and the second person can belong only to nouns denoting
persons, or things personified; because persons only can speak or be spoken
to. The third person may beh.ng to all nouns, because every object,
whether person or thing, may be spoken of.
118. A noun can be the subject of a verb (5()5), only in the third person.
A noun in the first or second person is never used as the subject of a
verb, but only in apposition (668) with the first 01' second personal 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,
iu the third person, e\'cn when the subject is in the first or second; as, ., I
am .IIlpha," &c., ,; who is." So with the pronouns I and thou; a9, "I am
he." "Thou art the man,"
120. REMARK.-PERSON makes no chant,!c either in the meaning 01' form
of a Boun, but simply denotes the mannel' in which it is used, as above
~tated. MOJ'eovel', as the name of the speaker, or of the person spokpn
to, is seldom expreesed (the pronouns I and thou, we and you, beiDg used
in their stead), it seems to be a useless waRte of t.ime, in parsing, to men·
tion the person of a noun, unless it be in the first or second perSOD, which
will not happeu more than once in a thousand times. Much time there
fore will be saved, and no \OS9 sustained, if it be considered as taken for
granted, without stating it, that a noun i~ in the third person, unle~s it be
otherwise mentioDlld,