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explanation, it may be objected, that the phrase to suffer, being now understood in a more limited sense than formerly, does not well express the nature or import of a passive verb. I have said, "A Verb is a word that signifies _to be, to act_, or to be acted upon." Children cannot readily understand, how every thing that is in any way acted upon, may be said to suffer. The participle, I think, should be taken as a distinct part of speech, and have its own definition. The note added by Murray to his definition of a verb, would prove the participle not to be included in this part of speech, and thus practically contradict his scheme. It is also objectionable in respect to construction. The phrase "_by its making sense_" is at least very questionable English; for "_its making_" supposes making to be a noun, and "_making sense_" supposes it to be an active participle. But Lowth says, "Let it be either the one or the other, and abide by its own construction." Nay, the author himself, though he therein contradicts an other note of his own, virtually condemns the phrase, by his caution to the learner against treating words in ing, "as if they were of an amphibious species, partly nouns and partly verbs."--_Murray's Gram._, 8vo, p. 193.
26. SIXTH DEFINITION:--"An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a verb, an adjective, and sometimes to another adverb, to express some quality or circumstance respecting it."--_Murray's Gram._, pp. 28 and 114. See _Dr. Ash's Gram._, p. 47. This definition contains many errors; some of which are gross blunders. 1. The first word, "An," is erroneously put for _The: an_ adverb is one adverb, not the whole class; and, if, "An adverb is a part of speech," any and every adverb is a _part of speech_; then, how many parts of speech are there? 2. The word "_joined_" is not well chosen; for, with the exception of not in cannot, the