ired to give the definitions in turn; and, to prevent any from losing
the place, it is important that the numbers be mentioned. When all have
become sufficiently familiar with the _definitions_, the exercise may be
performed _without them._ They are to be read or repeated till faults
disappear--or till the teacher is satisfied with the performance. He may
then save time, by commanding his class to proceed more briefly; making
such distinctions as are required in the praxis, but ceasing to explain the
terms employed; that is, _omitting all the definitions, for brevity's
sake._ This remark is applicable likewise to all the subsequent praxes of
etymological parsing.]

[133] The _modifications_ which belong to the different parts of speech
consist chiefly of the _inflections_ or _changes_ to which certain words
are subject. But I use the term sometimes in a rather broader sense, as
including not only _variations_ of words, but, in certain instances, their
_original forms_, and also such of their _relations_ as serve to indicate
peculiar properties. This is no questionable license in the use of the
term; for when the position of a word _modifies_ its meaning, or changes
its person or case, this effect is clearly a grammatical _modification_,
though there be no absolute _inflection_. Lord Kames observes, "_That
quality_, which distinguishes one genus, one species, or even one
individual, from an other, is termed a _modification_: thus the same
particular that is termed a _property_ or _quality_, when considered as
belonging to an individual, or a class of individuals, is termed a
_modification_, when considered as distinguishing the individual or the
class from an other."--_Elements of Criticism_, Vol. ii, p. 392.

[134] Wells, having put the articles into the class of adjectives, produces
authority as follows: "'The words _a_ or _an_, and _the_, are reckoned by
_some_ grammarians a separate part of speech; but, as they in all respects
come under the definition of the adjective, it is unnecessary, as well as
_improper_, to rank them as a class by themselves.'--Cannon." To this he
adds, "The articles are also ranked with adjectives by Priestley, E.
Oliver, Bell, Elphinston, M'Culloch, D'Orsey, Lindsay, Joel, Greenwood.
Smetham, Dalton, King, Hort, Buchanan, Crane, J. Russell, Frazee, Cutler,
Perley, Swett, Day. Goodenow, Willard, Robbins, Felton, Snyder, Butler, S.
Barrett, Badgley, Howe, Whiting, Davenport, Fowle, Weld, and
o