ENGLISH GRAMMAR, AND STYLE; TO WHICH IS ADDED, ADVICE TO THE STUDENT, ON THE ATTAINMENT "A competent grammatical knowledge of our own language, is the true LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS. 302. c. 48. PREFACE. By arranging the various Rules and Principles of a Language into a systematic form, permanency and precision are given to what would, otherwise, either be subject to fluctuation or involved in obscurity; the relative importance and connection of the different Rules become clearly ascertained, by which the whole can be more easily acquired and retained, and applied with facility and correctness. Nor can any one, who considers our language as derived from a great variety of sources, and, consequently, possessing many peculiarities, fail to be convinced that the shortest, as well as the safest mode of acquiring a knowledge of its structure and properties, must be the study of a system in which they are explained and illustrated, Notwithstanding the obvious propriety of these remarks, some individuals contend, that a knowledge of Latin and Greek precludes the necessity of the direct study of English Grammar. That a correct knowledge of one language necessarily induces a correct knowledge of another, is an opinion too absurd for any intelligent man seriously to maintain. The objection, therefore, is frequently stated in something like the following manner :-by associating with persons accustomed to speak tolerably well, by translating from one language into another, and by having themes occasionally prescribed to be written in English, the pupil will, by these means alone, acquire readiness and precision of expression. As these are the reasons |