B. In this second paragraph the sentences are not divided properly. There are many amputated parts, which should be written with a sentence preceding or following them and separated only by commas. There are several run-on sentences, which should be separated. See if you can find the beginning and end of every sentence, and then copy at least part of this paragraph, correctly punctuated. In it are several words the spelling of which you should note particularly; for example, sympathetic, frightened, expelled, curious, pheasant's, and perceived. You know the rule that applies to this last word, do you not? Think of some other examples. I before e, Except after c, Or when sounded as a, As in neighbor and weigh. What good descriptive words do you find here, which you understand but never use? Adopt some of them, and use each at least once before the week is over. (A word is not yours to use in writing until you (1) know the meaning, (2) can pronounce it, (3) can spell it.) Look up sympathetic. What unusual meaning has it here? Then there is a young gentleman, Carlo Nobis, who seems very haughty; and he is between two boys who are sympathetic to me. The son of a blacksmith ironmonger, clad in a jacket which reaches to his knees. Who is pale as if from illness. Who always has a frightened air, and who never laughs; and one with red hair. Who has a useless arm, and wears it suspended from his neck, his father has gone to America, and his mother goes about peddling pot-herbs. There is another curious type, my neighbor on the left, Stardi. Small and thickset, with no neck. A gruff fellow, who speaks to no one, he seems not to understand much. But stands attending to the master without winking, his brow corrugated with wrinkles and his teeth clenched. If he is questioned when the master is speaking, he makes no reply the first and second times, the third time he gives a kick to the questioner. Beside him there is a bold, cunning face, belonging to a boy named Franti. Who has already been expelled from another district. There are in addition two brothers who are dressed exactly alike. Who resemble each other to a hair. And both of whom wear caps of Calabrian cut, with a pheasant's plume. But handsomer than all the rest, the one who has the most talent, who will be surely head this year also, is Derossi; and the master, who has already perceived this, always questions him. But I like Precossi, the son of the blacksmith ironmonger, the one with the long jacket, who seems sickly. They say that his father beats him, he is very timid, every time that he addresses or touches anyone, he says "Excuse me," and gazes at him with his kind, sad eyes. But Garrone is the biggest and the nicest. - EDMONDO DE AMICIS, "Cuore." (Adapted) C. Make a list of the boys mentioned and of the characteristics of each which their schoolmate notes here, a list in the form which you used for the characteristics listed in Exercise 4 of Problem IX, p. 94. (Take care of spelling.) Do any of the characteristics chosen make you see more than the boys themselves and make you imagine how each boy looked? Picture in your own sentences the boy that you see best in your mind's eye, adding details which the writer only suggests. EXERCISE 2 MAKING EASY SENTENCES PICTURING A PERSON, AND FINDING THEIR ELEMENTS Below you will find a description of a person, written by an eighth-grade boy. The third sentence is about his mustache; the other six are about him. In these six sentences fifteen different predications are made of him. See if you can find them all, and then predicate each in a separate sentence. What is the effect? Make ten short sentences predicating interesting characteristics of some peculiar person you know, or of some great American; and ten more similarly describing some other person. Let the linking element in each sentence of the first group express past time, and that in each of the second group express present time. Write these sentences on paper or on the board, numbering the subject element 1, the predicate element 3, and the linking element 2. See who can have the most interesting group of sentences, and every element correctly marked. You can make your own sentences as easy as you need in order to understand them; but if you think of one that puzzles you, you may find it interesting to ask your teacher about it. Perhaps you will be told to wait until you have learned a few more facts and then you can see through it yourself. THE JANITOR OF OUR SCHOOL Mr. Angel is a very old man, but is very agile nevertheless. He has a gray mustache, which must be precious to him, because he is always twisting it. It comes about two inches below his chin. He is of medium height and wears blue overalls and a jacket that is much too long for him..)He is much interested in the war, and never fails to take advantage of a chance to talk and read about it. Outside his door, in the basement, he has a sign posted saying: "Back in fifteen minutes." When the paper arrives, he coolly locks himself in his room, fills his pipe, tilts back in his chair, puts his feet on the table, mutters, "Oh jimmini! Will the war ever stop?" and smokes his pipe, sighing happily while the people outside are waiting "fifteen minutes." EXERCISE 3 SUMMARIZING FACTS ABOUT THE SENTENCE you In a clear and connected paragraph summarize what have learned about the sentence, making each sentence of your summary answer one of the following questions : 1. What is a sentence? 2. What two kinds of sentences are there? Illustrate each. words to make it a sentence? Give an example. 4. What does the subject element represent or stand for? 8. What else does it generally do besides predicate? 9. In what three forms may the linking element appear in the sentence? Give a good illustration of each. 10. What are some of the most important and interesting kinds of characteristics that you notice and predicate ? 11. What have you now found is meant by complete thought"? expresses a 12. How should a group of words that does this be punctuated? 13. What are the two most common and most serious mistakes in the punctuation of sentences? 14. What is meant by a run-on sentence? Give an example. 15. What is meant by an amputated part of a sentence? Give an example. 16. What do these mistakes show about the writer's knowledge of grammar? 17. What grammatical terms should you have learned to spell? 18. What practical applications have you found in your own speech and writing for the knowledge of sentence structure? 19. What glimpses have you caught of further knowledge that you need to have? PROBLEM XV STICKING TO THE POINT1 Do you remember the White Knight in "Through the Looking-Glass"? You 've got a beehive - or something like one the saddle," said Alice. ९९ ९९ fastened to Yes, it's a very good beehive," the Knight said in a discontented tone, one of the best kind. But not a single bee has come near it yet. And the other thing is a mousetrap. I suppose the mice keep the bees out- or the bees keep the mice out, I don't know which." "I was wondering what the mousetrap was for,” said Alice. "It is n't very likely there would be any mice on the horse's back.” Not very likely, perhaps," said the Knight; "but, if they do come, I don't choose to have them running all about." ९९ "You see," he went on after a pause, "it's as well to be provided for everything. That's the reason the horse has all those anklets round his feet." "But what are they for?" Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity. "To guard against the bites of sharks," the Knight replied. "It's an invention of my own. And now help me on. I'll go with you to the end of the wood." - Lewis Carroll, "Through the Looking-Glass" The poor, stupid, gentle White Knight is a classic example of the kind of well-meaning people who have no 1 The purpose of this problem may well be attained in connection with an individual or a group project. See Appendix G. |