9. A Suitable Graduation Dress for a Grammar-School Girl 35 Group Exercise. When you have given your talk, the class will tell you what they liked 37 about it and in what respects it could be improved. The following questions & indicate some of the main points to be kept in mind by the class as they listen to each talk and criticize it: 1. Was the talk interesting? How might it have been made more so? 2. Was it clear? Did the speaker always say exactly what was in his mind to say? 3. Was the outline clear and well arranged? In what respect could it have been better? 114 4. Did the speaker use too many such words as and, and then, and so? Did he fail to drop his voice at the end of each sentence? Did he begin any sentences with such words as when, since, and although? 108 5. Can you suggest better nouns for any used by the speaker? 5. More Speaking from Outlines Oral Exercise. Decide on a subject for a talk to the class. Choose one about which you can tell your classmates new and interesting facts. If you are explaining the working of a machine, perhaps a simple drawing will help to make your explanation clear. The following subjects are given to help you find one about which you would like to speak: 1. How a Snowplow Works 2. How to Make a Cloth Bag for a Broom 3. How a Carpet Sweeper Works 4. My Experience with a Fireless Cooker 5. How an Air Gun Differs from a Vacuum Cleaner 7. Different Ways of Putting Up a Tent 8. Crossing a Street during the Rush Hour !, མ 10. Interesting Places in Our City 11. How to Send a Package by Parcel Post 6. Capitals and Punctuation Marks 1. A capital letter should be used to begin every proper noun and every abbreviation of a proper noun. Thus : Spain, Washington Irving, Emerson, George, Tom, Boston, Massachusetts, California, Louisiana; Mass., Cal., La., Jan., Aug., Nov. 2. A capital letter should be used to begin every name given to God. Thus : Lord; Father; Our Father 3. A capital letter should be used to begin the words north, east, south, and west when these are names of sections of country. Thus : The North, the South, the Northwest, the Far East, the Old South, the New South Group Exercise. Let several pupils go to the board and write the names of magazines they know. The pupils remaining in their seats will watch to see that no mistake is made, particularly in the use of capital letters. Then several other pupils will write on the board other names and titles, as these are called for in the following list or by teacher or classmates : 1. The name of one of the political parties 2. The name of a well-known circus 3. The name of a bank 4. The name of a grocery company 5. The name of a school 6. The title of your favorite book 8. The title of a composition you recently wrote 12. The names of some stores and buildings you know Group Exercise. Now let pupils use the names and titles called for above, in sentences- writing these on the board, the class pointing out all errors. 4. The apostrophe should be used to show or help show possession. Thus : Emerson's poem, Irving's letter, boys' shoes, ladies' hats 5. The hyphen should be used (a) After a syllable at the end of a line when the remaining syllables of the word begin the next line. (b) To separate the words in some compound words. Thus: School-teacher, time-table, looking-glass, story-telling, table-land, fatherin-law, man-of-war But all compound words are not written with hyphens. Consult the dictionary when you are in doubt. . 6. Quotation marks should be used to inclose titles of books, poems, and stories, that form parts of sentences. Thus: Have you read John T. Trowbridge's "Cudjo's Cave"? Dictation Exercise. Study, then write from dictation, each of the following paragraphs. Be careful, in particular, to write correctly: (1) All the proper nouns ; (2) All the plural forms of nouns ; (3) All the possessive forms of nouns. Some interesting books for children are Swift's " Gulliver's Travels," Hans Andersen's "Fairy Tales," and Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe.” These are storybooks. Other books, whose titles describe them, are "Boys' Handy Book," "Boys' Book of Machinery," "Girls' Handy Book." There is a schoolbook called "Two Years' Course in English Composition" that you will perhaps study if you go to high school. There are many high schools in this large city, but Lane Technical High School is the largest. Mrs. Thomas's boys went to that school. The girls attended the Francis W. Parker School. Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America, was born in Genoa, Italy. At that time the earth was generally supposed to be flat, to be much smaller than it actually is, and to be habitable on its upper side only. The countries laid down on the rude and imperfect maps then in use were the continent of Europe, part of Asia, a narrow strip of northern and eastern Africa, and a few islands, the largest of which were the British Isles and Iceland. MONTGOMERY, The Leading Facts of American History" Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding; for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Bible He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. Bible Men pass away, but the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Who is he who hath the happiest lot? Even he who is strong to suffer somewhat for God. THOMAS A KEMPIS, "The Imitation of Christ" Correction Exercise. Compare each paragraph that you have written from dictation with the one in the book and correct all mistakes. It was a great treat to hear Thackeray, as I once did, discourse of Shakespeare's probable life in Stratford among his neighbors. He painted, as he alone could paint, the great poet sauntering about the lanes without the slightest show of greatness, having a crack with the farmers, and in very earnest talk about the crops. "I don't believe," said Thackeray, "that these village cronies of his ever looked upon him as a mighty poet, but simply as a wholesome, good-natured citizen, with whom it was always pleasant to have a chat. I can see him now," continued Thackeray, "leaning over a cottage gate, and tasting good Master Such-a-one's home-brewed, and inquiring with a real interest after the mistress and her children." Long before he put it into his lecture, I heard Thackeray say in words to the same effect: "I should like to have been Shakespeare's shoeblack, just to have lived in his house, just to have worshipped him, to have run on his errands, and seen that sweet, serene face." — James T. FIELDS, "Yesterdays with Authors" Oral Exercise. I. In the preceding passage point out as many nouns as you can. Why do you think each is a noun? You are not able, at this time, to tell what part of speech each word in the preceding passage is; but point out as many prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, pronouns, and conjunctions as you can. As you point them out, give your reason for putting each word in the class you name. 2. Point out the proper nouns in the preceding passage; point out all nouns that are plural. Can you find any nouns that are in the possessive form? |