pupils in the first division explaining to the bookseller that the damaged books are not acceptable. (b) Pupils in the second division may write replies, each one answering the letter that he receives. 4. (a) Your father has subscribed to an expensive magazine. It reaches him every month badly wrinkled and creased · - thus spoiling the pictures and sometimes is even torn and soiled. He asks you to explain to the publishers his dissatisfaction and his desire to discontinue his subscription. (b) Each pupil in the second division should write the reply of the publishers, but not before reading the particular letter of complaint that he received through the class post office. After writing the reply, the letter of complaint should be re-read to make sure that no point has been overlooked in answering it. 2. In the same way letters of complaint, inquiry, or protest, and the replies to them, may be written for one or more of the situations suggested below: 1. (a) The street on which you live is not kept clean by the city. You complain to the street-cleaning department or send a letter of protest to the newspaper. (b) The head of the street-cleaning department replies. 2. (a) A street-car conductor has been rude to your invalid mother, who has difficulty in getting on and off cars without help. Write him or the street-car company a letter of protest. (b) The conductor writes a letter defending himself. 3. (a) There is an unguarded railroad crossing near the school. Write either to the railroad company or to the city council or to the police department, and call their attention to it. (b) The company or council or department replies. 4. (a) Careless driving by automobilists calls for a protest in the form of a letter to the newspaper. (b) An automobile club replies in a letter to the newspaper, charging pedestrians with being careless. 5. (a) Owners of aëroplanes fly over the city and thus endanger the lives of citizens. Write a letter of protest. (b) An owner of an aëroplane replies. REVIEW AND DRILL-IX 1. Grammar Review It was on Friday morning, the 12th of October, that Columbus first beheld the new world. As the day dawned he saw before him a level island, several leagues in extent, and covered with trees like a continuous orchard. The inhabitants were seen coming from all parts of the woods and running to the shore. As they stood gazing at the ships, they appeared by their attitudes and gestures to be lost in astonishment. Columbus made signal for the ships to cast anchor, and the boats to be manned and armed. He entered one of the boats, richly attired in scarlet, and holding the royal standard. On landing, he threw himself on his knees, kissed the earth, and returned thanks to God with tears of joy. The natives of the island gazed in timid admiration at the complexion, the shining armor, and splendid dress of the Spaniards. The admiral particularly attracted their attention, from his commanding height, his air of authority, his dress of scarlet, and the deference which was paid him by his companions; all which pointed him out to be the commander. WASHINGTON IRVING, "The Life and Voyages of Columbus " (Adapted) Oral Exercise. 1. Point out in the passage above as many nouns as you can find and tell why each is a noun. In the same way point out pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. 2. Name the subject, the verb, and—if there is one - the object or the predicate word in the sentences that your teacher selects. 3. Use in sentences of your own each subject, verb, object, and predicate word pointed out in the preceding exercise. 2. Game-Detecting Adjectives The pupil beginning this game of detecting adjectives points out, in the order in which they come, all the adjectives he can find on a chosen page of reading matter. If he makes a mistake, either omitting an adjective or naming some other kind of word, he loses his place to the pupil who discovers the mistake. That pupil then takes his turn. When he makes a mistake, he yields. his place to a third pupil. Count is kept, each adjective being one point, and the pupil having the highest score is declared the winner. The game may be varied by choosing sides and playing it like a spelling match. 3. Drill in Correct Usage Oral Exercise. I. Read the following sentences, giving careful attention to their meaning and to the italicized verbs used to help express that meaning: 1. Yes, I may go to-night. I have permission to go. 2. Can you do this work? Are you able to do it? 3. Sit here, set your dish squarely before you, lay your spoon beside it, and I will set the crackers on the table. 4. I sat where he told me to sit, set my dish before me, and laid my spoon beside it; he set the crackers on the table and sat beside me. 5. Here lies a granite bowlder. Here it lay a year ago. Here it has lain thousands of years. 6. The hen is laying an egg. The hen laid an egg yesterday. The hen has laid an egg every day for nearly a month. 7. May you tell how you do that trick? Can you do it again? Teach me how to do it. 8. I think that I shall take a trip next June. I will take a trip before the summer is over. 9. Sit here, George. You sit over there, Fred. Sit on the front seat, girls. 10. Lie down, doggie. He lay on the mat. He is lying there now. 2. Make interesting sentences containing the italicized words in the preceding sentences. 3. Notice the adjectives in italics, as you read the following sentences. They are correctly used. The incorrect words and forms that are often used instead can be more easily avoided if your lips and ears are used to these. Read the sentences repeatedly, and rapidly but distinctly, and think of their meaning as you read. 1. The bride looked beautiful, and her voice sounded sweet. 2. My friend feels sick, but I feel very well. 3. See those horses. Watch them gallop. See those ponies. 4. I like that kind of people. I like this kind of boys. 5. Are you stronger than he? Are you the strongest of the three? 6. Jane is more economical than Mary, but Lucy is the most economical girl in the class. 7. The hunter was wounded very badly, and he felt bad. 8. This is the larger of the two horses, that is the largest of the three. 9. I felt bad yesterday, I feel worse to-day, I suppose I shall feel worst of all to-morrow. 10. How sweet those flowers smell! How sweet that honey tastes! How sweet that baby looks! 4. Game-Building Sentences Earlier in the book, as you will remember, a game was made of building sentences, the class being divided into two sections. each of which tried to make the longer and more interesting sentences. The sentences below, or bare essentials of sentences, furnish additional material for this useful game. By trying to add good adjective and adverb modifiers to these essentials, you C are helping yourself to speak and write better.61 The following material may be used either for a game or for a group exercise : 1. Captain sprained wrist. 2. Girl won prize. 3. Club earned money. 4. Pupil lost book. 5. Skaters lost way. 6. Crowd jeered speaker. 7. Conductor collected fares. 8. Daughter gave party. 9. Composition interested visitors. 10. Class wrote letter. 11. Brother sharpened pencil. 12. Canal connects oceans. 13. Inventor made experiment. 5. Additional Sentences for Study Oral Exercise. Point out in the following sentences the subject and the verb of each clause, and their modifiers: 1. Many a hearty sea captain who has a red nose has lived to be eighty years old or older, and the shade of his sunburned nose has mattered little to him. 2. Sometimes the color of a person's nose is a sign of the sort of work that the heart is doing. 3. When alcohol has been put into the human system, the heart puts less power into each stroke as it pumps the blood through the blood vessels. 4. Eyes are strained by light that flickers or is dim. 5. A sensible boy will obey all the laws of health that he knows. 6. It is raining at the present moment, and I think of the pure water that comes from the skies. 7. He who has whooping cough or mumps should use his own particular knife, fork, spoon, cup, and tumbler until he is altogether well. 8. The very best exercise is that which one gets in moderate walking, running, juniping, swimming, riding horseback, and playing out-of-door games. 9. This girl, and all girls who wish to be well, should stop eating candy between meals. 10. Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio, who was the Republican candidate, received a very large majority of the votes. |