Part 47 (1/2)

[No Symbol: para] No new paragraph.

[Symbol: v' ] This calls attention to the apostrophe.

+To the Teacher+.--We suggest that the pupils learn to use these marks in correcting compositions. The following exercises are given as ill.u.s.trations:--

[Ill.u.s.tration: Corrected letter]

NOTES FOR TEACHERS.

AGREEMENT.

Before Lesson 8 is a.s.signed, the pupils may be required to note, in Lessons 6 and 7, the subjects that add _s_ to denote more than one, and then to mark the changes that occur in the predicates when the _s_ is dropped from these subjects. In Lesson 8, the predicates may be changed by adding or dropping _s_, and other subjects may be found to correspond. In Lesson 9, _s_ may be dropped from the plural subjects, and other predicates may be found to agree.

At this stage of the work we should give no formal rules, and should avoid such technical terms as _number, person, tense_, etc. The pupils may be led to discover rules for themselves, and to state them informally. Exercises and questions may be so directed that the pupils may draw some such conclusion as the following:--

When a simple form of the verb is used to tell what one thing does, _s_ or _es_ is added (unless the subject is _I_ or _you_).

Let the pupils see that the _s_-form of the verb is used only in telling what one thing _does_, not what it _did_; as, ”The boy _runs_,” ”The boy _ran_”; and that its subject always stands for the one spoken of; as, ”_He runs_,” ”_I run_.”

Before Lesson 12 is a.s.signed, attention may be called to the use of _is, was_, and _has_, in Lesson 11 and elsewhere. For the predicates introduced by these words let the pupils find subjects which name more than one, that they may note the change of _is_ to _are_, _was_ to _were_, and _has_ to _have_. The forms _does_ and _do_ may also be introduced, and these exercises continued till the pupils are led to discover some such rule as the following:--

_Is, was, has_, and _does_ are used with subjects denoting but one. _Are, were, have_, and _do_ are used with subjects denoting more than one.

We suggest that the form of a question and the use of the question mark be introduced after Lesson 12, and that the pupils be allowed to change the sentences in Lessons 11 and 12 by placing the subject after the first auxiliary. A straight line may be drawn under each subject, and a waving line under each predicate, thus:--

~Was~ /Napoleon/ ~banished?~

The sentences given for a.n.a.lysis will furnish material for making interrogative sentences, and for justifying the agreement of verbs.

In connection with Lesson 19 attention may be called to the agreement of verbs with _I_ and _you_. Exercises may be given from which the pupils will draw the following conclusions:--

_I_ can be used with _am, was, have_, and _do_. _You_ may mean one or more than one, but the verb always agrees as if _you_ meant more than one.

Exercises may be given requiring the pupils to use such expressions as ”You _were_,” ”They _were_,” ”We _were_,” ”He _doesn't_,” etc., and to repeat them aloud till the ear is accustomed to the right form.

When predicate verbs immediately follow their subjects, there is little danger of errors in agreement, except that _was_ is often used incorrectly for _were_, and _don't_ for _doesn't_. The chief object of introducing these exercises here is to train the pupils' observation so that they will readily and naturally note the agreement of the subject and predicate when these terms are transposed, or are separated by other words. To determine the correct form of the verb in such cases, let the pupils see how it sounds when placed immediately after its subject. We suggest exercises like the following:--

1 is are 2 was were 3 has have 4 does do 5 comes come 6 goes go 7 thinks think 8 writes write

1. With what kind of letter ~(4)~ _each_ of these names ~begin~?

2. Under this rule ~(1) found~ important _exceptions_.

3. The _farm_, with all the cattle and horses, ~(2) sold~.

4. With what mark ~(4)~ imperative _sentences_ ~end~?

5. Every _effort_ of the friends of these measures (3) failed.

6. There (5) trying _times_ in every man's life.

7. _One_ of them (6) to Va.s.sar College.

8. Not _one_ in ten (7) about this.

9. _Neither_ of you (8) correctly.

10. After this (5) the calisthenic _exercises_.

11. A _cargo_ of Delaware peaches (3) arrived.

12. There (6) the cars.