How to Speak and Write Correctly. Joseph Devlin

to express different degrees of modification.

      Words are joined together by conjunctions; and the various relations which one thing bears to another are expressed by 'prepositions. Sudden emotions of the mind, and exclamations are expressed by interjections.

      Some words according to meaning belong sometimes to one part of speech, sometimes to another. Thus, in "After a storm comes a calm," calm is a noun; in "It is a calm evening," calm is an adjective; and in "Calm your fears," calm is a verb.

      The following sentence containing all the parts of speech is parsed etymologically:

      "I now see the old man coming, but, alas, he has walked with much difficulty."

      I, a personal pronoun, first person singular, masculine or feminine gender, nominative case, subject of the verb see.

      now, an adverb of time modifying the verb see.

      see, an irregular, transitive verb, indicative mood, present tense, first person singular to agree with its nominative or subject I.

      the, the definite article particularizing the noun man.

      old, an adjective, positive degree, qualifying the noun man.

      man, a common noun, 3rd person singular, masculine gender, objective case governed by the transitive verb see.

      coming, the present or imperfect participle of the verb "to come" referring to the noun man.

      but, a conjunction.

      alas, an interjection, expressing pity or sorrow.

      he, a personal pronoun, 3rd person singular, masculine gender, nominative case, subject of verb has walked.

      has walked, a regular, intransitive verb, indicative mood, perfect tense, 3rd person singular to agree with its nominative or subject he.

      with, a preposition, governing the noun difficulty.

      much, an adjective, positive degree, qualifying the noun difficulty.

      difficulty, a common noun, 3rd person singular, neuter gender, objective case governed by the preposition with.

      N.B.—Much is generally an adverb. As an adjective it is thus compared: