A noun is the name of a _person_, _place_, or _thing_. Nouns are 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 adding _est_ to the adjective in its positive or original state, as long, longer, longest; short, shorter, shortest. When the adjective consists of more than two syllables, the comparative and superlative are formed by prefixing the words more and most to the adjective; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. Some adjectives differ entirely from these rules in forming their comparison, as, good, better, best; bad, worse, worst. Now, some examples.