_The order of parsing an_ ADJECTIVE, is--an adjective, and why?--compare
it--degree of comparison, and why?--to what noun does it belong?--RULE.
That _great_ nation _was_ once _powerful_; but now it is _feeble_.
_Great_ is an adjective, a word added to a noun to express its
quality--pos. great, com. greater, sup. greatest--it is in the positive
degree, it expresses the quality of an object without any increase or
diminution, and belongs to the noun "nation," according to
RULE 18. _Adjectives belong to, and qualify, nouns expressed or
understood_.
_Was_ is a verb, a word that signifies to be--neuter, it expresses
neither action nor passion, but being or a state of being--third person
singular, because its nominative "nation" is a noun of multitude
conveying _unity_ of idea--it agrees with "nation," agreeably to RULE
10. _A noun of multitude conveying_ unity _of idea, may have a verb or
pronoun agreeing with it in the_ singular.
_Powerful_ is an adjective belonging to "nation," according to Rule 18.
_Feeble_ belongs to "it," according to Note 1, under Rule 18. _Is_ is a
neuter verb agreeing with "it," agreeably to Rule 4.
"Bonaparte entered Russia with 400,000 men."
_Four-hundred-thousand_ is a numeral adjective of the cardinal kind, it
is a word used in counting, and belongs to the noun "men," according to
Note 2, under Rule 18. _Numeral adjectives belong to nouns, which nouns
must agree in number with their adjectives_.
If, in parsing the following examples, you find any words about which
you are at a loss, you will please to turn back, and parse all the
foregoing examples again. This course will enable you to proceed without
any difficulty.
_More_ is an adverb. _Of_ and _to_ are prepositions, governing the nouns
that follow them in the objective case.
EXERCISES IN PARSING. A benevolent man helps indigent beggars.
Studious scholars learn many long lessons. Wealthy merchants own large
ships. The heavy ships bear large burdens; the lighter ships carry less
burdens. Just poets use figurative language. Ungrammatical expressions
offend a true critic's ear. Weak critics magnify trifling errors. No
composition is perfect. The rabble was tumultuous. The late-washed grass
looks green. Shady trees form a delightful arbor. The setting sun makes
a beautiful appearance; the variegated rainbow appears more beautiful.
Epaminondas was the greatest of the Theban generals; Pelopidas was next
to Epaminondas.
The first fleet contained three hundred men; the second contained four
thousand. The earth contains one thousand million inhabitants. Many a
cheering ray brightens the good man's pathway.
NOTE. _Like, Worth_. The adjective _like_ is a contraction of the
participle _likened_, and generally has the preposition _unto_
understood after it. "She is _like_ [_unto_] her brother." "They are
_unlike_ [_to_] him." "The kingdom of heaven is _like_ [_likened_ or
made _like_] _unto_ a householder."
The noun _worth_ has altogether dropped its associated words. "The
cloth is _worth_ ten dollars _a_ yard;" that is, The cloth is _of
the_ worth _of_ ten dollars _by the_ yard, or _for a, one_, or
_every yard_.
Some eminent philologists do not admit the propriety of supplying an
ellipsis after _like, worth, ere, but, except_, and _than_, but
consider them prepositions. See Anomalies, in the latter part of
this work.