This comprehensive volume examines the structure, mechanics, and usage of the English language, dividing its study into three main parts. Part one defines the eight parts of speech within a sentence, exploring subjects, predicates, phrases, and clauses. The authors emphasize that grammar derives its authority from the actual usage of educated speakers rather than arbitrary logical rules.
Part two investigates the inflection and syntax of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. Nouns and pronouns are analyzed through the categories of gender, number, person, and case, detailing the possessive forms and the function of nominative and objective elements. Verbs receive extensive treatment, covering tense, voice, mood, and the precise uses of auxiliary verbs like shall, will, should, and would.
Special attention is given to the subjunctive mood, conditional sentences, indirect discourse, and indirect questions. The text distinguishes between indicative assertions and hypothetical suppositions, providing clear rules for tense changes in reported speech. Infinitives and participles are examined as dual-nature forms that combine verbal properties with nominal or adjectival functions.
Part three focuses on sentence analysis, resolving complex structures into their constituent parts. The authors classify modifiers, complements, independent elements, and clause combinations, setting forth the grammatical relations of coordination and subordination. Elliptical sentences and special complications in complex structures are also addressed to aid students of composition.
The volume concludes with practical exercises collected at the end of the text to prevent disruption of the main narrative. These exercises draw upon eminent British and American authors to illustrate actual usage. An appendix supplies reference tables for irregular verbs, punctuation rules, syntax summaries, and a brief history of the English language.
