Graded Lessons in English by Alonzo Reed and Brainerd Kellogg (find a book to read .TXT) 📖

thought has been formed in my mind when I say, Buds swell; and these two words, in which something is said of something else, express that thought, and make what we call a sentence. In the former expression, bud swelling it is assumed, or taken for granted, that buds perform the act; in the latter, the swelling is asserted as a fact.

Leaves falling. Do these two words express two ideas merely associated, or do they express a thought?

+P+.—They express ideas merely associated.

+T+.—_Leaves fall_.

Same question.

+P+.—A thought.

+T+.—Why?

+P+.—Because, in these words, there is something said or asserted of leaves.

+T+.—When I say, Falling leaves rustle, does falling tell what is thought of leaves?

+P+.—No.

+T+.—What does falling do?

+P+.—It tells the kind of leaves you are thinking and speaking of.

+T+.—What word does tell what is thought of leaves?

+P+.—_Rustle_.

+T+.—You see then that in the thought there are two parts; something of which we think, and that which we think about it.

Let the pupils give other examples.

 

LESSON 4.

Commit to memory all definitions.

+DEFINITION.—A Sentence is the expression of a thought in words+.

Which of the following expressions contain words that have no connection, which contain words merely associated, and which are sentences?

1. Flowers bloom. 2. Ice melts. 3. Bloom ice. 4. Grass grows. 5. Brooks babble. 6. Babbling brooks. 7. Grass soar. 8. Doors open. 9. Open doors. 10. Cows graze. 11. Curling smoke. 12. Sugar graze. 13. Dew sparkles. 14. Hissing serpents. 15. Smoke curls. 16. Serpents hiss. 17. Smoke curling. 18. Serpents sparkles. 19. Melting babble. 20. Eagles soar. 21. Birds chirping. 22. Birds are chirping. 23. Birds chirp. 24. Gentle cows. 25. Eagles are soaring. 26. Bees ice. 27. Working bees. 28. Bees work. 29. Crawling serpents. 30. Landscape piano. 31. Serpents crawl. 32. Eagles clock. 33. Serpents crawling.

 

LESSON 5.

REVIEW QUESTIONS.

Illustrate, by the use of a, b, and p, the difference between the sounds of letters and their names. Letters are the signs of what? What is an idea? A spoken word is the sign of what? A written word is the sign of what? How do they differ? To what four different things did we call attention in Lesson 1?

How are vowel sounds made? How are the two kinds of consonant sounds made? What are vowels? Name them. What are consonants? What is artificial language, or language proper? What do you understand by natural language? What is English grammar?

What three kinds of expressions are spoken of in Lessons 3 and 4? Give examples of each. What is a sentence?

 

LESSON 6.

ANALYSIS.

On the following sentences, let the pupils be exercised according to the model.

+Model+.—_Intemperance degrades_. Why is this a sentence? Ans.—Because it expresses a thought. Of what is something thought? Ans.—Intemperance. Which word tells what is thought? Ans.—_Degrades_.

1. Magnets attract. 2. Horses neigh. 3. Frogs leap. 4. Cold contracts. 5. Sunbeams dance. 6. Heat expands. 7. Sunlight gleams. 8. Banners wave. 9. Grass withers. 10. Sailors climb. 11. Rabbits burrow. 12. Spring advances.

You see that in these sentences there are two parts. The parts are the +Subject+ and the +Predicate+.

+DEFINITION.—The Subject of a sentence names that of which something is thought+.

+DEFINITION.—The Predicate of a sentence tells what is thought+.

+DEFINITION.—The Analysis of a sentence is the separation of it into its parts+.

Analyze, according to the model, the following sentences.

+Model+.—_Stars twinkle_. This is a sentence, because it expresses a thought. Stars is the subject, because it names that of which something is thought; twinkle is the predicate, because it tells what is thought.

+To the Teacher+.—After the pupils become familiar with the definitions, the “Models” may be varied, and some of the reasons maybe made specific; as, “Plants names the things we tell about; droop tells what plants do,” etc.

Guard against needless repetition.

1. Plants droop. 2. Books help. 3. Clouds float. 4. Exercise strengthens. 5. Rain falls. 6. Time flies. 7. Rowdies fight. 8. Bread nourishes. 9. Boats capsize. 10. Water flows. 11. Students learn. 12. Horses gallop.

 

LESSON 7.

ANALYSIS AND THE DIAGRAM.

+Hints for Oral Instruction+.—I will draw on the board a heavy, or shaded, line, and divide it into two parts, thus:

| ===========|============ |

We will consider the first part as the sign of the subject of a sentence, and the second part as the sign of the predicate of a sentence.

Now, if I write a word over the first line, thus—(doing it)—you will understand that that word is the subject of a sentence. If I write a word over the second line, thus—you will understand that that word is the predicate of a sentence.

Planets | revolve ============|=========== |

The class can see by this picture that Planets revolve is a sentence, that planets is the subject, and that revolve is the predicate.

These signs, or illustrations, made up of straight lines, we call +Diagrams+.

+DEFINITION.—A Diagram is a picture of the offices and relations of the different parts of a sentence+.

Analyze and diagram the following sentences.

1. Waves dash. 2. Kings reign. 3. Fruit ripens. 4. Stars shine. 5. Steel tarnishes. 6. Insects buzz. 7. Paul preached. 8. Poets sing. 9. Nero fiddled. 10. Larks sing. 11. Water ripples. 12. Lambs frisk. 13. Lions roar. 14. Tigers growl. 15. Breezes sigh. 16. Carthage fell. 17. Morning dawns. 18. Showers descended. 19. Diamonds sparkle. 20. Alexander conquered. 21. Jupiter thunders. 22. Columbus sailed, 23. Grammarians differ. 24. Cornwallis surrendered.

 

*

 

LESSON 8.

SENTENCE-BUILDING.

You have now learned to analyze sentences, that is, to separate them into their parts. You must next learn to put these parts together, that is, to build sentences.

We will find one part, and you must find the other and do the building.

+To the Teacher+.—Let some of the pupils write their sentences on the board, while others are reading theirs. Then let the work on the board be corrected.

Correct any expression that does not make good sense, or that asserts something not strictly true; for the pupil should early be taught to think accurately, as well as to write and speak grammatically.

Correct all mistakes in spelling, and in the use of capital letters and the period.

Call attention to the agreement in form of the predicate with the subject. See Notes, p. 163.

Insist on neatness. Collect the papers before the recitation closes.

+CAPITAL LETTER-RULE.—The first word of every sentence must begin with a capital letter+.

+PERIOD—RULE.—A period must be placed after every sentence that simply affirms, denies, or expresses a command+.

Construct sentences by supplying a subject to each of the following predicates.

Ask yourself the question, What swim, sink, hunt, etc.?

1. –- swim. 2. –- sinks. 3. –- hunt. 4. –- skate. 5. –- jingle. 6. –- decay. 7. –- climb. 8. –- creep. 9. –- run. 10. –- walk. 11. –- snort. 12. –- kick. 13. –- flashes. 14. –- flutters. 15. –- paddle. 16. –- toil. 17. –- terrifies. 18. –- rages. 19. –- expand. 20. –- jump. 21. –- hop. 22. –- bellow. 23. –- burns. 24. –- evaporates.

This exercise may profitably be extended by requiring the pupils to supply several subjects to each predicate.

 

LESSON 9.

SENTENCE-BUILDING—Continued.

Construct sentences by supplying a predicate to each of the following subjects.

Ask yourself the question, Artists do what?

1. Artists –-. 2. Sailors –-. 3. Tides –-. 4. Whales –-. 5. Gentlemen –-. 6. Swine –-. 7. Clouds –-. 8. Girls –-. 9. Fruit –-. 10. Powder –-. 11. Hail –-. 12. Foxes –-. 13. Water –-. 14. Frost –-. 15. Man –-. 16. Blood –-. 17. Kings –-. 18. Lilies –-. 19. Roses –-. 20. Wheels –-. 21. Waves –-. 22. Dew –-. 23. Boys –-. 24. Volcanoes –-. 25. Storms –-. 26. Politicians –-. 27. Serpents –-. 28. Chimneys –-. 29. Owls –-. 30. Rivers –-. 31. Nations –-. 32. Indians –-. 33. Grain –-. 34. Rogues –-. 34. Volcanoes –-. 35. Rome –-. 36. Briars –-.

This exercise may be extended by requiring the pupils to supply several predicates to each subject.

 

LESSON 10.

REVIEW QUESTIONS.

Of what two parts does a sentence consist? What is the subject of a sentence? What is the predicate of a sentence? What is the analysis of a sentence?

What is a diagram? What rule for the use of capital letters have you learned? What rule for the period?

Impromptu Exercise.

Let the pupils “choose sides,” as in a spelling match. Let the teacher select predicates from Lesson 8, and give them alternately to the pupils thus arranged. The first pupil prefixes to his word whatever suitable subjects he can think of, the teacher judging of their fitness and keeping the count. This pupil now rises and remains standing until some one else, on his side or the other, shall have prefixed to his word a greater number of apt subjects. The strife is to see who shall be standing at the close of the match, and which side shall have furnished the greater number of subjects. The exercise may be continued with the subjects of Lesson 9. Each pupil is to be limited to the same time—one or two minutes.

 

LESSON 11.

ANALYSIS.

The +predicate+ sometimes contains +_more than one word_+.

Analyze and diagram according to the model.

+Model+.—_Socrates was poisoned_.

Socrates | was poisoned ============|================ |

This is a sentence, because it expresses a thought. Socrates is the subject, because –-; was poisoned is the predicate, because –-. [Footnote: The word because—suggesting a reason—should be dropped from these “+Models+” whenever it may lead to mere mechanical repetition.]

1. Napoleon was banished. 2. Andre was captured. 3. Money is circulated. 4. Columbus was imprisoned. 5. Acorns are sprouting. 6. Bells are tolled. 7. Summer has come. 8. Sentences may be analyzed. 9. Clouds are reddening. 10. Air may be weighed. 11. Jehovah shall reign. 12. Corn is planted. 13. Grammarians will differ. 14. Snow is falling. 15. Leaves are rustling. 16. Children will prattle. 17. Crickets are chirping. 18. Eclipses have been foretold. 19. Storms may abate. 20. Deception may have been practiced. 21. Esau was hated. 22. Treason should have been punished. 23. Bees are humming. 24. Sodom might have been spared.

 

LESSON 12.

SENTENCE-BUILDING.

+To the Teacher+.—Continue oral and written exercises in agreement. See Notes, pp. 163,164.

Prefix the little helping words in the second column to such of the more important words in the third column as with them will make complete predicates, and join these predicates to all subjects in the first column with which they will unite to make good sense.

1 | 2 | 3 ––––-|–––––—|–––– Burgoyne | are | woven. Henry Hudson | was | defeated. Sparrows | can be | condensed. Comets | is | inhaled. Time | have been | worn. Turbans | may be | slacked. Lime | has been | wasted. Steam | could have been | seen. Air | must have been | deceived. Carpets | were | quarreling.

 

LESSON 13.

Point out the subject and the predicate of each sentence in Lessons 28,

31, 34.

 

Look first for the word that asserts, and then, by putting who or what before this predicate, the subject may easily be found.

+To the Teacher+.—Most violations of the rules of concord come from a failure to recognize the relation of subject