"I am going to have you parse your whole lesson
in writing. It will be difficult, but I think you may be able to
accomplish it."
The class looked surprised. They did not know _what parsing in writing_
could be.
"You may first, when you take your seats, and are ready to prepare the
lesson, write upon your slates a list of the ten first nouns that you
find in the lesson, arranging them in a column. Do you understand so
far?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then rule lines for another column, just beyond this. In parsing nouns,
what is the first particular to be named?"
"What the noun is from."
"Yes; that is, its nominative. Now you may write, at the head of the
first column, the word _Nouns_, and at the head of the second, _Nom._,
for nominative. Then rule a line for the third column. What shall this
contain!" "The declension." "Yes; and the fourth?" "Gender." "The
fifth?" "Number."
In the same manner the other columns were designated. The sixth was to
contain case; the seventh, the word with which the noun was connected in
construction; and the eighth, a reference to the rule.
"Now I wish you," continued the teacher, "to fill up such a table as
this with _ten_ nouns. Do you understand how I mean?"
"Yes, sir;" "No, sir," they answered, variously.
"All who do understand may take their seats, as I wish to give as little
explanation as possible. The more you can depend upon yourselves, the
better."
Those who saw clearly what was to be done left the class, and the
teacher continued his explanation to those who were left behind.
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