Grammar-Land

Book excerpt: Before the days of Schoolhouse Rock's jingles like “Conjunction Junction,” there was the playful primer "Grammar-Land," which has been teaching children (and adults in need of a refresher) the basic rules of English grammar since its first publication in 1878. In the allegorical world of Grammar-Land, the nine parts of speech—rich Mr. Noun, his useful friend Pronoun, little ragged Article, talkative Adjective, busy Dr. Verb and Adverb, perky Preposition, convenient Conjunction, and irksome Interjection—are brought to trial by Judge Grammar to settle disputes over the rules of language. Each part of speech is called in turn to take the stand, where they are questioned by Doctor Syntax and Sergeant Parsing. In the course of the amusing trial, the reader, perhaps without even realizing it, is exposed to the most important rules of grammar.