Part 4 (1/2)

4. Point out the ”Four W's.”

5. State why each capital and each mark of punctuation in the model is used.

6. Tell whether each sentence is simple, complex, or compound.

7. Find in the model an adverbial phrase, an adverb, a noun used adverbially, a noun in apposition, a clause modifying a verb, a participle modifying the subject of a verb, a non-restrictive clause, and a clause used as an adjective.

8. Point out four words or phrases that give color to the story.

9. Write an appropriate heading for the model.

V. Oral Composition

Prepare a report of some accident which you have yourself seen or which has been described to you by an eye-witness. Be sure to get into the report in the proper order the ”Four W's,” the cause, and the result.

Note that a good story usually consists of three parts:

1. The Previous Situation.

2. What Happened = The Climax.

3. The Result = The Denouement.

These are all in the model, but 2 is put first because it is most important. Observe the order of the model. Each member of the cla.s.s will have a chance to make his report orally, and it will be subjected to the a.n.a.lysis of the cla.s.s and teacher, who will blame or praise it according to its deserts. The reporter must defend himself, if attacked. Each pupil will therefore in turn play the role of a reporter, telephoning a story to headquarters while the cla.s.s and teacher enact the part of the city editor.

VI. Written Composition

After the process outlined in Section IV of this chapter has shown the reporter how to go about the job, the report is to be written, proof-read by the teacher, corrected by the reporter, and rewritten until it is letter-perfect.

VII. Suggested Reading

Kipling's _007_ in _The Day's Work_.

VIII. Memorize

SUNs.h.i.+NE

Think every morning when the sun peeps through The dim leaf-latticed windows of the grove How jubilant the happy birds renew Their long melodious madrigals of love; And, when you think of this, remember too 'Tis always morning somewhere, and above The awakening continents from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e Somewhere the birds are singing evermore.

LONGFELLOW, _The Birds of Killingworth_.

CHAPTER V

CONSTRUCTIVE NEWSPAPER WRITING

”The drying up a single tear has more Of honest fame than shedding seas of gore.”

LORD BYRON.