Sometimes you will find more than one name for the same characteristic. Be sure that you spell all of them correctly. You have seen that whenever you really think, daydreaming is not thinking, - whenever you have a complete thought, you choose one or more of the characteristics of the thing you are thinking about and tell or predicate those alone. You may mention others, but you tell or predicate the ones that fit your interest or purpose in thinking. If you speak or write this complete thought, you have a sentence. (What is your definition of a sentence?) In real life, thoughts, and therefore sentences, hardly ever come separately; one leads to another. If the study of sentences is to be live and real, you need to use your imagination on almost every sentence to realize the connection in which the thought it expresses would occur. No subject of study requires more imagination than English grammar, since the uses of the words that compose a sentence depend largely on the exact shade of meaning which the sentence expresses. If you think merely." big black dog crossing the yard," or "when the big black dog crossed the yard," your thought is not complete. Such a piece of a thought people hardly ever express, but if you should express it you would not make a sentence. Is it clear to you that whenever you predicate a characteristic of something, whether to yourself or to someone else, you have a complete thought? If you express in words this predication, you have a sentence. No matter how many characteristics you may notice and mention. without predicating, you have not a sentence. The notion of predication is generally understood as applying to the sentence that tells, though a question is only an assertion upside down. For the present, to avoid confusion you should consider only declarative sentences. EXERCISE 9 FINDING THE CHARACTERISTICS EXPRESSED IN SENTENCES As you read the groups of words below tell what you are thinking of if you say each of them, and then tell what characteristics you predicate and what characteristics you merely mention. Try predicating those that are merely mentioned and vice versa, noticing the difference in meaning or at least in emphasis made by the change. In what instances are more than one characteristic predicated? Which groups of words are not sentences? Why? Copy those that are sentences, supplying capitals and periods, and underline the word or words that stand for the characteristic predicated in each. I 1. aëroplanes flying 2. a monstrous rattlesnake 3. the rattlesnake was monstrous 4. trees swaying in the wind 5. trees like these always sway in the wind 6. tall, spreading locust trees 7. the tall, spreading locust trees are beautiful in form 9. aëroplanes were flying overhead 10. a fresh-baked apple pie II 1. a happy little girl playing on the doorstep 2. a happy little girl was playing on the doorstep 3. a happy little girl playing on the doorstep waved her hand to me 4. our camp under the trees 5. a great slice of bread and butter with jam on it 6. a great slice of bread with butter and jam on it was waiting for me after school 7. our camp was pitched under the trees beside the lake 8. the long cold ride was over at last 9. a black and white pony trotting briskly up the street 10. a black and white pony trotted briskly up the street 11. the pony trotting up the street was black and white 12. the ride seemed long and cold 13. that old sailor is a good friend of mine 14. a flag, tattered and powder-stained 15. a flag straining at the flagpole in the wind 16. the flag broke the flagpole 17. the gray under-sides of the poplar leaves 18. the watch was ticking merrily 19. the watch ticked merrily 20. the good American is reliable III In the predicate of each sentence in Exercise I, of course one or more characteristics must be predicated. Tell, if you can, what these are. EXERCISE 10 FINDING AND IMAGINING THE CHARACTERISTIC PREDICATED After studying the sentences below, tell in each case: 1. Of what the speaker is thinking; for example, in the first instance he is thinking of the light. 2. What characteristics are predicated; for example, in the same instance it is the coming of the light into someone's eyes. 3. What are the complete subject and the complete predicate; for example, the complete subject is the words "A happy light," and the complete predicate is the words came into his blue eyes.' 4. If you choose you may tell also what other characteristics of anything are merely mentioned; for example, the happiness of the light and the blueness of the eyes. To do this task successfully you will have to imagine very clearly and keep your wits about you to tell everything you should tell. You will find it interesting to notice what picture or story or thoughts each of the twenty different statements brings to your mind. With what senses does each make you imagine? Tell the class what you imagine in each case. 1. A happy light came into his blue eyes. 2. The last day of school is both sad and joyful. 3. The tattered flag was still floating from the staff. 4. Madge, breathless and excited, ran into the room. 5. Madge came running into the room, breathless and excited. 6. Her pretty new silk dress was soiled and torn. 7. She dropped into the nearest chair and tried to speak. 8. A nice little old lady with rosy cheeks was baking cookies in the large old-fashioned kitchen. |