OBS. 18.—­Nouns used adjectively are not varied in number to agree with the nouns to which they relate, but what is singular or plural when used substantively, is without number when taken as an adjective:  as, “One of the nine sister goddesses.”—­Webster’s Dict., w.  Muse.  “He has money in a savings bank.”  The latter mode of expression is uncommon, and the term savings-bank is sometimes compounded, but the hyphen does not really affect the nature of the former word.  It is doubtful, however, whether a plural noun can ever properly assume the character of an adjective; because, if it is not then really the same as the possessive case, it will always be liable to be thought a false form of that case.  What Johnson wrote “fullers earth” and “fullers thistle;” Chalmers has “fullers earth” and “fuller’s thistle;” Webster, “fuller’s-earth” and “fuller’s-thistle;” Ainsworth, “fuller’s earth” and “fuller’s thistle;” Walker has only “fullers-earth;” Worcester, “fuller’s-earth;” Cobb, “fullers earth;” the Treasury of Knowledge, “fullers’-earth.”  So unsettled is this part of our grammar, that in many such cases it is difficult cult to say whether we ought to use the apostrophe, or the hyphen, or both, or neither.  To insert neither, unless we make a close compound, is to use a plural noun adjectively; which form, I think, is the most objectionable of all.  See “All souls day,”—&sh
y;“All-fools-day,”—­“All-saints’-day,” &c., in the dictionaries.  These may well be written “All Souls’ Day” &c.

EXAMPLES FOR PARSING.

PRAXIS IV.—­ETYMOLOGICAL.

In the Fourth Praxis, it is required of the pupil—­to distinguish and define the different parts of speech, and the classes and modifications of the ARTICLES, NOUNS, and ADJECTIVES.

The definitions to be given in the Fourth Praxis, are two for an article, six for a noun, three for an adjective, and one for a pronoun, a verb, a participle, an adverb, a conjunction, a preposition, or an interjection.  Thus:—­

EXAMPLE PARSED.

“The best and most effectual method of teaching grammar, is precisely that of which the careless are least fond:  teach learnedly, rebuking whatsoever is false, blundering, or unmannerly.”—­G.  Brown.

The is the definite article. 1.  An article is the word the, an, or a, which we put before nouns to limit their signification. 2.  The definite article is the, which denotes some particular thing or things.

Best is a common adjective, of the superlative degree; compared irregularly, good, better, best. 1.  An adjective is a word added to a noun or pronoun, and generally expresses quality. 2.  A common adjective is any ordinary epithet, or adjective denoting quality or situation. 3.  The superlative degree is that which is most or least of all included with it.