Study of a Fable An imperative sentence makes a command or request. Give me the book. Please shut the door. 11 An exclamatory sentence expresses surprise or other strong emotion. An exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation mark. Oh, mother, it is snowing! A declarative sentence makes a statement. 13. ORAL LESSON THE DANGER OF TALKING TOO MUCH. A FABLE There was once a turtle who wished to fly. So he asked some wild geese to teach him. because he had no wings. They told him that he could not learn But they offered to carry him through the air, so that he might see what it was like. Taking a stick, they told him to hold firmly to it with his mouth, and on no account to speak a word. Then two of the geese took the ends of the stick in their bills, and rose high in the air, carrying the turtle between them. As they were passing over a village, one of the people saw the strange sight, and cried out, "Well, did you ever see such a thing? There is a turtle flying with two geese. Look! Look!" Other people cried out in surprise at the sight, until the turtle could contain himself no longer. 66 why shouldn't I 'Well," he started to say, presently dashed to pieces on the street below. Read the story silently. Answer these questions: What did the turtle wish? Why? What command did the geese give him? Why? How did they carry him? Who saw them in the air? What did they say? What did the turtle attempt to answer? Why did he not finish what he wanted to say? Has the fable any meaning for us? Tell the story to the class, remembering to stand erect, face the class, and speak clearly. 14. WRITTEN LESSON Write the story of the turtle. After you have written your name in the upper right-hand corner, write the title of the story on the first line of the page. The principal words of a title should begin with capitals. The Turtle Who Talked Too Much Begin your story on the second line. word one inch to the right of the margin. Begin your first See Lesson 2. Some of the stories are to be read aloud, and the class is to decide whether they are told in a clear and interesting way. One story is to be written on the board. Are the sentences right? Are capitals used properly? Correct the sentences and capitals in your own composition. Perhaps your teacher will send some of the best written stories to the second or third grade, to be used for their reading lesson. 15. LANGUAGE LESSON Select from the fable in Lesson 13 the declarative sen tences and the interrogative sentences. Are there any exclamatory sentences? Any imperative sentences? Imagine three exclamatory sentences which might have occurred in the story. Imagine three imperative sentences which might have been spoken in the conversation between the geese and the turtle. Change the following declarative sentences to interrogative sentences. The turtle wished to fly. He asked the wild geese to teach him. It was in the morning. He was told not to speak. He never finished his remark. In writing these sentences, be careful in using capitals and the three punctuation marks (. ? !). 16. ORAL LESSON A STORY Alice was four years old; a chubby, rosy little girl, whose play was of the quiet sort. She could spend hours with her doll and her kitten. Her favorite nook was under the great pine trees down by the pond before the house; and her greatest pleasure was to ride with her father when he drove into the village. If the day was warm she would curl up under the seat of the wagon, on the clean straw, and would often fall asleep there. At dinner one day her father said: "I am going to town this afternoon. Alice may go along if she likes." "And may I bring dollie and the kitten?" said Alice. "Certainly," said her father. A little later, when he drove the wagon up before the door, Alice did not appear. Thinking she had changed her mind, her father drove off to town. An hour or two later, her mother began to wonder where Alice was. She went to the door and called; but no one answered. She looked through the house; Alice was not there. Neither was she in the pine grove by the pond, nor in the barn, nor in any of the places where she was accustomed to play. No answer came to her mother's repeated calls. Beginning now to be thoroughly alarmed, her mother searched and called again through every part of the house and grounds. But she had no glimpse of Alice's sunny head and blue frock; she heard no sound of Alice's clear voice. When her father returned, he left the horse and wagon standing by the door and at once joined in the search. At last they began to think they must send for help and drag the pond for her body. Just as her father went to the telephone to call in some of the neighbors, Alice came walking in, her dolly in one arm, her kitten in the other. Her hair was tousled, and her eyes were dreamy. Her mother ran to her and seized her in her arms. "Alice, Alice, where have you been, my dear?" 66 'Asleep in the wagon, under the seat," said Alice. What kind of child was Alice? How old? How did she amuse herself? What was her favorite place to play? What did she like to do with her father? Where was she when her father started for the village? Why did he not see her? Where had she been while they were seeking her? Several pupils may tell the story aloud. Use short sentences, and do not use the word and too often. 17. WRITTEN LESSON Write the story of Lesson 16 in your own words. Choose a title as in Lesson 14. Be careful about spelling, capitals, periods, and question marks. Write carefully and plainly. In writing or printing it is sometimes necessary to divide a word, putting part of the word at the end of one line and Making Sentences 15 part at the beginning of the next line. The hyphen (-) is used to mark the division, and is placed only after a syllable. Many of the Written Lessons in this book may require two or three recitations. The first draft of the story can be made on the first day, and it can be corrected and rewritten on the other days. 18. LANGUAGE LESSON In the following groups of words, which are sentences and which are not sentences? Complete those that are not sentences so that they make good sense. 1. Alice went to town in the wagon. 2. Under the seat in the straw 3. Her kitten and her doll in her arms 10. We were dreadfully frightened. 12. Come, get ready for supper. Which of these sentences make statements? Which ask questions? Which make requests or commands? Which express strong emotion? Which of these sentences are declarative? interrogative? imperative? exclamatory? Write four sentences, each with the name of some person or place in it. Where is the hyphen used in Lesson 13? Give the rule for using the hyphen. |