Part 60 (2/2)
+The Framework+.--In making a framework for this description would you take for the general topic ”The Scene from the Bridge” or ”Things Seen from a Bridge”? or would you prefer some other wording of it? Now write out a framework, placing the sub-topics under the general topic as you have been taught.
ORIGINAL COMPOSITION.
Describe some scene that you greatly enjoy, or draw your picture from imagination. Make a framework and try to profit by all that we have said.
EXERCISES ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE SENTENCE AND THE PARAGRAPH.
SELECTION FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM.
Once upon a time there was a very old man, whose eyes were dim, whose ears were dull, and whose knees trembled. When he sat at table, he could scarcely hold his spoon; and often he spilled his food over the tablecloth and sometimes down his clothes.
His son and daughter-in-law were much vexed about this, and at last they made the old man sit behind the oven in a corner, and gave him his food in an earthen dish, and not enough of it either; so that the poor man grew sad, and his eyes were wet with tears. Once his hand trembled so much that he could not hold the dish, and it fell upon the ground and broke all in pieces, so that the young wife scolded him; but he made no reply and only sighed. Then they brought him a wooden dish, and out of that he had to feed.
One day, as he was sitting in his usual place, he saw his little grandson, four years old, fitting together some pieces of wood. ”What are you making?” asked the old man.
”I am making a wooden trough,” replied the child, ”for father and mother to feed out of when I grow big.”
At these words the father looked at his wife for a moment, and presently they began to cry. Henceforth they let the old grandfather sit at the table with them, and they did not even say anything if he spilled a little food upon the cloth.
+The Uses of Words and Groups of Words+.--What is the order of subject and predicate in the first sentence of this selection? The word _there_ does not tell where; it is put before _was_ to let the subject follow. _There_ is frequently so used and is then called an independent adverb. Find in the first sentence three adjective clauses. What connects each to _man_? What other office has this connective? How are these adjective clauses connected with one another? What is the office of the dependent clause in the next sentence? If this clause were placed after its princ.i.p.al clause, would the comma be needed? Are the clauses separated by the semicolon as closely connected as those divided by the comma?
After _made_ and some other words the _to_ before the infinitive is omitted. Find such an instance in the first sentence of the second paragraph. In this same sentence change _gave him his food_, making _him_ come last. You have learned that a noun or a p.r.o.noun may be used without a preposition to do the work of an adverb phrase. What does _one day_ do in the third paragraph? Is a preposition needed before _day?_ In the same sentence _years_ is used adverbially to modify the adjective _old_. It would be hard to find a preposition to put before _years_. We might say ”old to the extent of four years,” but _four years_ answers for the whole phrase. In this same paragraph what words are quoted exactly as the old man uttered them? Describe the quotation marks. Notice that the next quotation is broken by the words _replied the child_, and so each part of the quotation is separately inclosed within quotation marks.
+To the Teacher+.--We have here touched a few features of the sentences above. The exercises given with the preceding selections will suggest a fuller examination of the phrases and clauses.
+Suggestions from this Narrative+.--We see that this beautiful story has a purpose. Its purpose is to teach us kindness to our parents. It is well planned. Every sentence and every paragraph is adapted to the end in view.
No useless item or circ.u.mstance is admitted. The story stops when the end is reached. Anything added to the fifth paragraph would spoil the story. We certainly can learn much from such a model.
+Paragraphs+.--Does every sentence in the first paragraph aid in picturing the helplessness of the old grandfather? Is the picture complete? Does the second paragraph strongly impress us with the unkindness of the son and daughter-in-law, who ought to have been moved to pity by the old man's condition? Does it contain an unnecessary sentence? In telling how the grandchild unconsciously taught a lesson, a dialogue is introduced, and so what really belongs to one sub-topic is put in the form of two paragraphs.
It is customary to make a separate paragraph of each single speech in a dialogue. Read the last paragraph carefully and see whether one could wish to know anything more about the effect of the lesson taught by the child.
Make a framework for this story.
ORIGINAL COMPOSITION.
Make up a short story from your own experience, or from your imagination, and try to profit by the suggestions above. Prepare a framework at the beginning.
+Exercises on the Composition of the Sentence and the Paragraph+.
SELECTION FROM BEECHER.
Overwork almost always ends in weakening the digestive organs. There are those who overtax their minds through months and years, forgetful that there is a close connection between overwork and dyspepsia. Everyone should remember that there is a point beyond which he cannot urge his brain without harm to his stomach; and that, when he loses his stomach, he loses the very citadel of health. The whole body is renewed from the blood, and the blood is made from the food taken into the stomach. The power of the blood to renew bone and brain and muscle depends upon a good digestion.
Too little sleep is fatal to health. Perhaps you have to work hard all day; but that is no reason why you should resolve, ”If I cannot have pleasure by day, I will have it at night.” You are taking the very substance of your body when you burn the lamp of pleasure till one or two o'clock in the morning. G.o.d has made sleep to be a sponge with which to rub out fatigue. A man's roots are planted in night, as a tree's are planted in soil, and out of it he should come, at waking, with fresh growth and bloom. As a rule, you should take eight hours of the twenty-four, for sleep.
+The Uses of Words and Groups of Words+.--In the exercises under the selection from the Brothers Grimm what did you learn about _there_ as used twice in the second sentence above? What does _those_ mean? What long adjective clause is joined to _those_ by _who_? Does this clause read so closely as not to need a comma before _who_? Does _forgetful_ describe the persons represented by _who_? Why is a comma used before _forgetful_? You learned in a preceding exercise that a noun may do the work of an adverb phrase without the help of a preposition. A noun clause may do the same.
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