144. Care is needed, in studying these last-named words, to distinguish between a participle that forms part of a verb, and a participle or participial adjective that belongs to a noun.
For instance: in the sentence, "The work was well and rapidly accomplished," _was accomplished_ is a verb; in this, "No man of his day was more brilliant or more accomplished," _was_ is the verb, and _accomplished_ is an adjective.
1. Bring up sentences with twenty descriptive adjectives, having some of each subclass named in Sec. 143.
2. Is the italicized word an adjective in this?--
The old sources of intellectual excitement seem to be well-nigh _exhausted_.
145. Adjectives of quantity tell _how much_ or _how many_. They have these three subdivisions:--
(1) QUANTITY IN BULK: such words as _little_, _much_, _some_, _no_, _any_, _considerable_, sometimes _small_, joined usually to singular nouns to express an indefinite measure of the thing spoken of.
The following examples are from Kingsley:--
So he parted with _much_ weeping of the lady. Which we began to do with _great_ labor and _little_ profit. Because I had _some_ knowledge of surgery and blood-letting. But ever she looked on Mr. Oxenham, and seemed to take _no_ care as long as he was by.
Examples of _small_ an adjective of quantity:--
"The deil's in it but I bude to anger him!" said the woman, and walked away with a laugh of _small_ satisfaction.--MACDONALD.
'Tis midnight, but _small_ thoughts have I of sleep.--COLERIDGE.
It gives _small_ idea of Coleridge's way of talking.--CARLYLE.
When _some_, _any_, _no_, are used with plural nouns, they come under the next division of adjectives.
(2) QUANTITY IN NUMBER, which may be expressed exactly by numbers or remotely designated by words expressing indefinite amounts. Hence the natural division into--
(_a_) _Definite numerals_; as, "_one_ blaze of musketry;" "He found in the pathway _fourteen_ Spaniards;" "I have lost _one_ brother, but I have gained _fourscore_;" "_a dozen_ volunteers."
(_b_) _Indefinite numerals_, as the following from Kingsley: "We gave _several_ thousand pounds for it;" "In came some five and twenty more, and with them _a few_ negroes;" "Then we wandered for _many_ days;" "Amyas had evidently _more_ schemes in his head;" "He had lived by hunting for _some_ months;" "That light is far too red to be the reflection of _any_ beams of hers."