alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

38
THE ~\DJECTIYE.
195. AN ADJECTIVE is a word used to qualify a substantive
(IOD); as, "A good boy;" "a square box;"
"ten dollar~;" "we found him poor."
196. A noun is qlUdfied by an adjective. when the object named is
thereby JescrilJcd, lill/ited, "1' di.\lingui.hed from other things of the Bame
name. Thi; is done two ways:-
1. Certain adjectives connect with their nouns some quality by which
the objects nallled are descrillcd or distinguished from others of the same
kind; as, "A red tl,,~;" "an amusing story." Such are common and participi(ll
adjectil'es (~{'~).
2. Others merely limit. without expressing any quality; as," An Amer·
ican book ~IJ "ten dollars ;" "last w€:ek;" H tltis yetlr;" "every day," &c.
~uch are circlt1llstautial, numeral, and definitive adjectives (202).
197. Adjectives, as predicates, may qualify an infinitive mood, or clause
of a sentence used as a substantive; as, "Tv play is p[easallt."-" That the
,.ieh aTC happy is not always Irw."
198. Several adjecti \'C3 sometimes qualify tte same noun; as, .. A
smooth. 1'ound stone."
199. An adjective is sometimes used to qualify the meaning of another
adjective, the two formillg a sort of compound acljccti,e; as, .. A briglttTed
color;" "a dark·blue coat;" "a cast-iron ball."
200. 'When otber parts of speech are used to qualify or limit a noun
or pronoun, they perform the part of an adjective, and ~hould be parsed
as such; thus,
Xoun; as, "\ gold ring; sill'fI' cup, sea water, a slone bridge.
Pronouns; as, A Ite bear; a she wolf.
Adverbs; as, h the child well? for very age; the then killg.
Prepositions; as, The above remark; the under side.
201. On the contrary, adjectiHs without a substantive are sometimes
used as nouns; as, "God rewards the good, and punishes the bad. "-" The
lJirtuou,. are the most happy." AdjectiYCs used in this way are usually
preceded by tltc, and when applied to persolls, arc for the most part con·
Bid cred pI ural.
DIVISlnx OF ADJECTIVES.
202. Adjectil'es are sometimcs t..lividi!d iuto the following~classcs, viz. :
l. Common, which exp"ess quality; as, good, bad, 8weet, &c.
2. Ci rwmstanti.al, '" hich expres.s circumstanccs of time, place, uatiou,
&c.; as, da!!,II. eastern. Engllslt, American. J:c. ' -, -, _ ."_': ..
3. K1tmer~l •. which e:,p~ess numbe~;. as, one. two, tlzTee .. first, sccond, &c.
4. Partzczpaal, .CO~8Ist\Dg of .,partIClplcs: 01' com~?unt..ls of participles
used as adJectives; ~L'. Au amu5wg story; "an unmerited rebuke
i" "to pass unmolested." Some add~