divided
into _proper_ and _common_; _proper nouns_ are the names of particular
persons, places, or things, common nouns are the names that belong to
all persons, places or things of the same kind. Give me some examples.

_Anne._ Anne, Clapham, Limetree, are proper nouns; girl, village, tree,
are common nouns.

_Mrs. Harley._ _Gender_ is the distinction of sex; there are three
genders, the _masculine_ which denotes the male kind as, a man: the
_feminine_ which denotes the female kind as, a woman: and the _neuter_
which denotes things without animated life as, a cabbage.

_Number_ is the distinction of one from many: there are two numbers, the
_singular_ which speaks of one; and the _plural_ which speaks of more
than one. Tell me some nouns with their genders and numbers.

_Anne._ I know that mamma is a noun of the feminine gender and singular
number; men is a noun masculine and plural; table is neuter and
singular.

_Mrs. Harley._ Very well. A _Pronoun_ is used to avoid repeating the
noun as, Frederic was good, and _he_ went out. There are four kinds of
pronouns. _Personal pronouns_, as, _I_, _me_; _thou_, _thee_; _he_,
_him_; _she_, _her_; _it_: _we_, _us_; _you_; _they_, _them_.
_Possessive pronouns_ which denote property, as, _my_, _mine_; _thy_,
_thine_; _his_; _her_, _hers_; _its_: _our_, _ours_; _your_, _yours_;
_their_, _theirs_; _whose_, _ones_, and _anothers_. _Relative pronouns_
which refer to a noun going before or coming after them; they are,
_who_, _whom_, _which_, _what_, and _whether_. _Demonstrative pronouns_
point out some particular object; they are, _this_, _these_; _that_, and
_those_.

_Anne._ I don't think I can remember all these words without reading
them over a great many times, but I quite understand the use of the
pronoun, for it would be very awkward to say, Mary played, Mary
laughed, and Mary danced; I ought to say, Mary played, she laughed, and
she danced.

_Mrs. Harley._ I am pleased with your attention. The _adjective_
explains the _quality_, _colour_, _form_, _size_, or any other property
of the noun, as, good, blue, square, large. The signification of
adjectives may be increased or diminished, and this is called
_comparison_; there are two degrees of comparison, the comparative,
which increases or diminishes the quality, is formed by adding _er_ to
the adjective in its positive state; the superlative increases or
diminishes the comparative to its last degree, and is formed by a