Graded Lessons in English Part 48

3. _Action_, and not words, _is_ needed.

4. _Bread and milk is_ good food.

5. The _committee are_ unable to agree on _their_ report.

6. The _committee has_ made _its_ report.

Other examples may be given till the pupils are led to discover that in examples like (1) and (2) the verb agrees with its nearest subject, and that the plural subject is usually placed next to the verb; that in (3) the verb agrees with the affirmative subject, another verb being understood with the negative subject; that in (4) "bread and milk" represents one article of food; and that in (5) the individuals of the committee are thought of, while in (6) the committee as a whole is thought of. In (5) and (6) the agreement of the p.r.o.noun may also be noted. p.r.o.nouns may be introduced into many of the preceding exercises and the pupils led to apply to the agreement of the p.r.o.noun with its antecedent what has been learned of the agreement of the verb with its subject. Let the pupils determine why the following connected subjects are arranged in the proper order:--

1. You and I are invited.

2. Mary and I are invited.

3. You and Mary are invited.

4. You and Mary and I are invited.

WRITING NAMES--CAPITALS AND ABBREVIATIONS. [Footnote: For list of abbreviations see p. 191.]

Pupils may copy the following list of names, and note all peculiarities in form:--

Texas, state, river, Red River, city, Albany, New Orleans, Kansas City, statesman, Thomas Jefferson, Thos. Jefferson, author, Charles d.i.c.kens, Chas. d.i.c.kens, writer, George William Curtis, Geo. Wm. Curtis, Geo. W.

Curtis, poet, John Greenleaf Whittier, John G. Whittier, J. G. Whittier, gulf, sea, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, lake, Lake Erie, general, General Robert Edmund Lee, Gen. Robt. E. Lee, doctor, Doctor Valentine Mott, Dr. V. Mott, professor, Prof. Goldwin Smith.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "The Song of Hiawatha."

John Bunyan wrote "The Pilgrim's Progress."

The subject for composition was "A Day in the Woods."

We give the following questions to ill.u.s.trate our method of conducting an

+Observation Lesson+.--Are _city_ and _Albany_ both names? What difference can you discover in meaning? What in form? Which of the names just written are _cla.s.s_ names? Which are _individual_ names? Mention an individual name made up of two names; one of three names; one of four. How many capitals do you find in each of the names just mentioned? Mention seven words that are written without capitals as cla.s.s names, and again with capitals as parts of individual names. Mention a word that is shortened, or _abbreviated_, by omitting all but the first, or _initial_, letter. Mention an _abbreviation_ containing two letters; one containing three; one containing four. What new use of the period have you discovered in this exercise? What three words in this exercise are used together as the t.i.tle of a book? What four as the t.i.tle of a poem? What five as the subject of a school composition? Each of these groups may be regarded as a kind of individual name. Besides the first word, what words begin with capitals in each of these three groups?

Notice that these are the princ.i.p.al words.

For another exercise the pupils may copy the following sentences, noting carefully capitals and punctuation marks:--

1. The city of Chicago is on Lake Michigan.

2. The steamer _City of Chicago_ sails from Jersey City.

3. The island of Cuba is under Spanish rule.

4. The Isle of Man is in the Irish Sea.

5. The Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone is an English statesman.

6. The subject for composition was "The View from my Window."

7. In the evening Aunt Mary entertained my cousin and me with stories of Uncle Remus.

8. Miss Evans--afterward Mrs. Lewes--was the author of "The Mill on the Floss."

9. We may call the Supreme Being our Heavenly Father.

10. The Old Testament points to the coming of a Messiah.

11. George I., George II., George III., George IV., and William IV.

preceded Victoria.

The teacher may find the following questions suggestive:--

+Observation Lesson+.--Is _Chicago_, or _city of Chicago_ the individual name of the place mentioned in (1)? Is _Chicago_, or _City of Chicago_ the name of the steamer mentioned in (2)? Is the town mentioned in (2) named _Jersey_, or _Jersey City_? Is the body of water mentioned in (1) known as _Michigan_, or _Lake Michigan_? What is the name of the island mentioned in (3)?--in (4)? Is _Irish_, or _Irish Sea_ the name of the body of water mentioned in (4)?

Notice that _Spanish_, in (3), and _English_, in (5), are not names, or nouns. They begin with capitals, because they are derived from the individual names _Spain_ and _England_.

What names in (7) usually denote relations.h.i.+p? Notice that such words as _uncle, captain, professor_, etc., do not necessarily begin with capitals unless prefixed to individual names.

What group of words in (6) is treated as an individual name? What in (8)?

Which words of these groups are regarded as the most important?

In (8) do you find a period after _Miss_?--after _Mrs._?

_Miss_ is not written as an abbreviation.

What words in (9) and (10) are used as names of the Deity? What is _Old Testament_ the particular name of?

What do you discover in the names found in (11)?

For other exercises, pupils may be required to bring in lists of geographical and biographical names, t.i.tles of books, etc.

We earnestly recommend the introduction here of letter-writing to ill.u.s.trate the use of capitals, abbreviations, and punctuation. (See pp.

146-161.) The writing of _headings, introductions, conclusions_, and _superscriptions_ will give most excellent practice in capitals, etc. The _body_ of the letter may be directed to the same end. For instance, an invitation to a friend may be accompanied by a description of the route to be taken and of the places or objects of interest to be seen on the way. Or the writer may mention some of the books he has read, with the names of the characters and of the places mentioned.

ADJECTIVES--CHOICE AND ARRANGEMENT.

Words denoting quality form a very large and important group. Our knowledge of things about us is a knowledge of their qualities. A writer's style is, to a large extent, determined by his use of adjectives. We therefore recommend special drill in the choice and the use of adjectives. The exercises given below may serve as suggestions to the teacher. Groups of adjectives like the following may be presented, the pupils being required to join them to appropriate nouns:--

_Some Qualities learned directly through the Senses_.

+Seeing+, scarlet crimson florid sallow opaque dingy vivid gorgeous gaudy variegated verdant transparent

+Hearing+, audible stunning thundering deafening purling husky monotonous discordant melodious

+Smelling+, fragrant balmy odorous rancid fetid aromatic

+Tasting+, acid acrid pungent delicious insipid brackish palatable savory luscious

+Feeling+.

rough gritty hard keen tepid sultry

Pupils will find little difficulty in largely increasing the lists above.

Many other groupings may be made; as, of qualities learned by comparison, measurement, or experiment; qualities of the mind; qualities pertaining to right and wrong, etc.

Groups of nouns like the following may be made, and the pupils may be required to mention as many qualities as possible belonging to each of the things named:--

chalk ice brooks clouds water snow ocean music

Pupils may mention animals properly described by the following adjectives:--

timid fleet cunning ferocious gentle graceful sagacious venomous

Careless persons and those that have a meager list of adjectives at command overwork and abuse such words as--

_nice, awful, horrid, splendid, elegant, lovely_.

We hear of _nice mountains_, _awful pens_, _horrid ink_, _splendid pie_, _elegant beef_, _lovely cheese_, etc.