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1. To fall from the top of a church-steeple, is certain death.

2. For a weak nation to provoke a strong one, is bad policy.

3. That even the best men commit sin, is proved by daily experience.

Now, let us see, what have we found that a verb may have for its subject?

A verb may have for its subject,

I. A noun; as, John walks;

II. A pronoun; as, they are gone;

III. A verb in the infinitive mood; as, to dig is hard work.

IV. Part of a sentence; as, doing one's duty secures happiness.

Select the subject in each of the sentences just given as examples.

EXERCISE.

Select and write out the subject in each of the following sentences; if you are in any doubt, put who or what before the verb, as directed above.

EXAMPLE. Working in quicksilver mines is very in jurious to the health.

Subject. Working in quicksilver mines.

1. We should improve our time.

2. Digging potatoes is hard work.

3. To reveal a friend's secrets is dishonorable.

4. Cicero was a celebrated orator.

5. Wealth does not always procure esteem.

6. Temperance and exercise preserve health. 7. Time and tide wait for no man.

8. For an ignorant person to profess to teach phi losophy, only exposes him to ridicule.

9. Whether it will rain is uncertain.

10. John and I will start in the morning.

11. Where are the women going?

12 To be wise in his own eyes, is the mark of a fool.

LESSON XVI.

EXERCISE.

WHERE a dash occurs, insert a subject, either a noun, a pronoun, a verb in the infinitive mood, or part of a sentence, as may be required to complete

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and

lead to wealth. Industry and frugality lead to wealth.

gnaw holes in the floor.

and, are used for drawing loads.

*is dishonorable.

am going to school.

6. Has the

is a useful study.

arrived?

attends carefully to his lessons.

7.

8. Have

9.

and

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

written your exercise?

are made from milk.

- is a proof of dishonesty. - is the practice of a bad boy.

-* is unpleasant work.

is the business of the baker.

marched by with a fine band of music.

*Here the pupil must insert a verb in the infinitive mode or part of a sentence.

LESSON XVII.

THE OBJECT.-TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE

VERBS.

In the sentence, "Charles killed a fly," what word expresses the object that receives the action expressed by the verb ?

The word fly.

What do we call fly, in this sentence?

Fly is the OBJECT of the verb killed.

In the sentence, "Children love milk," what is the object of the verb love?

Milk.

What is the object of a verb?

The object of a verb is that which receives the

action expressed by the verb.

What is the object in each of the following sentences?

Bees make honey.

Mary kindled the fire.

My mother loves me.

Birds build nests.

I have broken my knife.

John's father scolded him.

In the last two sentences what are the objects ?

Me and him.

What part of speech are me and him?

Pronouns.

May a pronoun, then, be the object of a verb ?

It may.

In the sentence,

There is not.

"John sleeps," is there any object?

Does the verb sleep admit an object after it?

It does not.

Into how many classes, then, may verbs be divided?
Into two classes;

TRANSITIVE verbs, or verbs that express an

act that may be done to an object.

II. INTRANSITIVE verbs, or verbs that do not express an act that may be done to an object. Are verbs that express simply a state of being, transitive or intransitive?

Verbs that express a state of being are intransitive.

Why?

Because they do not express any action at all. Is strike transitive or intransitive, and why? Strike is a transitive verb, because it admits an object after it. Thus we may say, "I strike a man;" in this sentence, man would be the object, and hence we find that strike is transitive.

Is live a transitive or intransitive verb ?

Live is an intransitive verb, because it expresses simply a state of being, and does not admit an ob ject after it.

Is sleep transitive or intransitive? jump? hurt? eat? dream? love? see? be? walk? run?

May any other part of speech besides a verb, have an object?
Yes; a preposition may have an object.

In the sentence, "John is lying on the grass," what is the object of the preposition on?

Grass.

Make three short sentences similar to the one last given, in which there will be a preposition and its object.

How may you always find the object of a verb, or preposition? By putting what or whom after it; the answer to the question will be the object.

Give me an example. Tell me the object of the verb and preposition in this sentence, "The butcher killed a pig with a knife."

Put what after the verb-"The butcher killed what?" Answer, a pig; pig is the object of the

verb killed. Put what after the preposition-" With what?" Answer, a knife; knife is the object of the preposition with.

EXERCISE.

Complete the following sentences by inserting an object, where a dash occurs; either a noun or pronoun, as the sense may require.

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her

6. When danger is nigh, a hen gathers her under

7. The fisherman is preparing to go to

8. In building houses, they use

9. The mice have gnawed

in a

and

in this old

10. The American Indians are very skilful with the bow and arrow; they can hit a very small

With these weapons they often kill

great

[blocks in formation]

13. After we die, the grave will contain

our friends will remember

count of our departure.

14. Birds gather

how to fly.

at a

; but

and shed

on ac

for their young, and teach

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