The opening of the text includes a preface that places Edkins' work within the context of previous studies on Chinese grammar, noting the deficiencies in order and clarity found in the works of earlier grammarians. Edkins asserts his intention to provide a systematic examination of the Shanghai dialect to aid in the understanding and study of colloquial Chinese, particularly as its unique features had been overlooked in broader discussions of the language. He acknowledges the support of contemporary scholars and emphasizes the importance of categorizing sounds and tones specific to Shanghai, thereby laying the groundwork for a detailed and structured exploration of the dialect's grammatical principles. (This is an automatically generated summary.)