WRITING ORIGINAL SENTENCES

27

tion should be for a definite purpose which every one understands, such as a more appropriate rendering of the conversation of one of the actors, greater fluency, or the omission of unnecessary words.

To make this exercise as valuable as it should be, the teacher must have prepared herself to reproduce the story as the children are expected to reproduce it; that is, not through verbal memory, but on the basis of assimilation. She will then be more capable of appreciating the children's efforts and of giving them helpful, constructive criticism. At the opportune occasion, she should give her reproduction of the story, entire or in part, not as a form to copy, but as an inspiration.

V (26). Finding Different Kinds of Sentences

Test the pupils' study as suggested in their book. In the case of each exclamatory sentence given, ask what the strong feeling is that it expresses.

VI (27). Writing Original Sentences

Go about among pupils as they write. Try to anticipate errors; by a question or a suggestion regarding capitals or punctuation, help the pupil to write correctly the first time. Similarly, by question or hint, help the pupil to see errors that he has already made and to correct them. Always insist that the pupil give the reason for every correction.

CHAPTER FIVE

FABLE, DIALOGUE, AND NARRATIVE: APOSTROPHE, COMMA, AND QUOTATIONS

I (35). Quotations and the Apostrophe

STUDY the fable, The Hunter and the Lion, with the children just as outlined in their book. Perhaps the use of the quotation marks can be emphasized by having the first or second paragraph in which they occur written on the board. Then have one pupil actually put his hands around the quotation until another pupil makes the quotation marks in the proper places.

To make impressive the use of the apostrophe in place of an omitted letter, write on the board

do not
don't

Then put an apostrophe in place of the o in not.

II (37). Studying the Story, "The Hunter and the Lion"

Study the story with the children exactly as directed in the pupils' book. Insist on pupils making complete statements. The frequent repetition of statements regarding the use of capitals and marks

STUDYING THE STORY

35

of punctuation, and the constant association of these with the reasons, are the most effective way of fixing the facts and developing the habit of correct usage, — far more effective than the effort to follow formal rules committed to memory.

See that the pupils work out good paragraph sentences. The effort to state the idea of a paragraph in a single sentence must form the basis of a clear understanding of the division of a subject into paragraphs. It will also prove to be the best preparation for the outline or topic analysis of a subject to be treated, which the pupil must soon learn to make.

Paragraph sentences for the first two paragraphs are suggested in the pupils' book. Paragraph sentences for the remaining paragraphs might be as follows:

Third Paragraph: The idea frightened the hunter.

Fourth Paragraph: He said he only wanted to see the lion's tracks.

After the study, as outlined in the pupils' book, is completed, continue the study as long as desirable by asking such questions as these:

Why does Come in the second paragraph begin with a capital? Give two reasons why Have in the first paragraph begins with a capital.

What four words are indented? Why?

Why is the question mark in the first paragraph inside the quotation marks?

III (40). Writing the Story from Dictation

This dictation is to be given as directed in Chapter Two, V (p. 15).

IV (40). Correcting Dictation

No exercises are more important than exercises in correcting pupils' work, if they are well carried out. In the careful and intelligent correction of his own work the pupil fixes correct habits and acquires discriminating power which enables him to undertake new work more confidently and to execute it more accurately.

As children correct their work, following the directions given in their book, pass about among them constantly to see that they are reading, comparing, criticising, and correcting intelligently. Call attention by suggestion or question to any errors that they may be passing over.

After pupils have finished correcting, conduct an exercise somewhat as follows:

All who made a mistake in writing the title stand.

What mistake did you make? (Wrote Hunter with a small letter.) Why should you have used a capital ?

What mistake did you make? (Wrote and with a capital.) Why should and begin with a small letter?

All who made any mistake in the first paragraph stand.

What mistake did you make? (Forgot to indent Have.) Why should Have be indented?

What mistake did you make? (Omitted the question mark

CORRECTING DICTATION

37

from the quotation.) Why should the question mark be used? Just where should it be placed? Why?

Continue the questioning in the same way regarding any other errors that may have been made in the first or in the following paragraphs.

It is not enough that pupils correct their mistakes, even every single mistake, by comparing their work with the original, as was done in this exercise. They must know why each correction is made, in order that they may not make the same mistake again, or having made it, that they may be able to detect and correct it without reference to a correct form.

The practice, not infrequently advocated and followed, of drilling and correcting only one thing at a time, as for example the use of quotation marks, until pupils become perfect in that one thing, is a practice that fails of justification by results. All mistakes of form must be corrected all the time. Marks of punctuation are not mere incidents, appendages; they are integral parts of the expression by which the writer seeks to convey his exact meaning to the reader. As such integral parts of expression, they must be used accurately by the writer, and interpreted correctly by the reader. The omission or misuse of marks of punctuation may easily result in conveying an incomplete or even a totally incorrect meaning. The work in language should be consistently so conducted as to impress these facts upon the pupils.