223. WRITTEN LESSON

BUILDING SENTENCES

Taking as a general topic the story in Lesson 222, write declarative sentences:

1. With a noun, an adjective, and a prepositional phrase in the subject.

2. With a noun and two adjectives in the subject.

3. With a compound subject.

4. With a verb group and an adverb in the predicate.
5. With a prepositional phrase in the predicate.
6. With two prepositional phrases.

Exchange papers and correct as in Lesson 214.

224. LANGUAGE LESSON

CONJUNCTIONS. INTERJECTIONS

Words used to connect words, sentences, or parts of sentences are called conjunctions.

And, but, or, therefore, hence, however, if, that, are some of the most common conjunctions.

Spring has come and the flowers are blooming.

The crocuses and hyacinths are here.

It is raining, but the sun is shining through the clouds.

It will be rainy or cloudy to-morrow.

The arithmetic papers are excellent, therefore the class may be excused at three o'clock.

The spelling lesson was poor; however, you will do better to

morrow.

Prepositions introduce nouns or pronouns, thus making phrases. Conjunctions connect words or parts of sentences, but do not make phrases.

The Concord Hymn

203

In Stevenson's poem "Singing," Lesson 7, and in the account of Washington, Lesson 43, select the prepositions and conjunctions. How is each one used?

Words used to express strong feeling are called interjections. Some of the most common are: 0, Oh, Ah, hurrah, alas, hello. They are usually followed by an exclamation mark or a comma, and are thus separated from the sentence.

1. O please help me. 2. Hurrah! we have won the game. 3. Hello! is that you? 4. Ah, I see that you were here before 5. There is, alas, no hope.

me.

225. ORAL LESSON

THE CONCORD HYMN

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;

Alike the Conqueror silent sleeps;

And Time the ruined bridge has swept

Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

This poem was written to celebrate the monument which

marks the spot where the battle of Concord was fought, April 19, 1775. At the beginning of what war did the battle of Concord take place? Describe the condition of affairs in Boston. Why did the British troops march out to Concord? How were the Americans warned of the approach of the British?

What does the last line of the first stanza mean? What thought is expressed in the second stanza ? What are the meanings of votive and redeem in the

third stanza? What reason is given for erecting the monu

ment? What Spirit "made

those heroes dare to die"?

Ralph Waldo Emerson has a place among the greatest Americans, along with Washington, Lincoln, Lee and a few others. He was a philosopher and thinker whose ideas have influenced many men all over the world. When you are older you will read his essays and addresses. Emerson

was born in 1803, and died in 1883, at Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived for fifty years.

The Parts of Speech

226. WRITTEN LESSON

THE CHOICE OF WORDS

205

The teacher will read aloud or write upon the board some sentences that have been written by the class in Lesson 214, 217, or 223, underlining words which have been used improperly or which are not well chosen. The class will rewrite these sentences, substituting different words for those indicated.

227. LANGUAGE LESSON

THE PARTS OF SPEECH REVIEWED

The subject of a sentence is a noun or pronoun. The predicate is a verb. Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, do the chief work in a sentence. You cannot express the simplest thought without their aid.

Adjectives and adverbs are always used as modifiers of other words. They are assistants to nouns and verbs. They help us to express ideas more exactly and more nicely.

Prepositions and conjunctions are link words. They connect or link other words together. They connect ideas. Interjections are not very useful. We employ them only when we are excited. But excitement is necessary now and

then, even in the sentence.

The noun and the verb are the main parts of the machine. The pronoun is very helpful in taking the place of the noun. Whatever a noun can do, a pronoun can do. Adjectives assist nouns and pronouns. Adverbs assist verbs and adjectives. Prepositions and conjunctions are kept very busy linking one part of the machine with another. Interjections are the horns and whistles. Each sentence is an active machine which carries our thoughts to others.

The same word may be used at different times in different

ways.

1. The brave man struggled with all his might.

2. Who would brave the dangers of the whirlpool?

3. The Indian brave was splendid in war paint and feathers.

In the first sentence brave is an adjective, in the second it is a verb, in the third a noun. In determining what part of speech a word is, we must always decide what use it serves in the sentence.

From the compositions written in Lesson 217, select :
Two proper nouns; five common nouns.

Five pronouns, telling what nouns they stand for.

Five verbs and five verb-groups.

Five adjectives, telling what words they modify.

Five adverbs, telling what words they modify.

Five prepositions, telling what words they introduce.

Five conjunctions, telling what parts of the sentence they

connect.

Five interjections- but can you find any?

228. ORAL LESSON

To-day we are to have a series of stories. Each pupil is to tell as clearly as possible about a single adventure or deed of one of the heroes whom we have talked about in Lessons 213 and 219. Here are suggestions for topics. Can you pronounce all the names? How can you learn the correct pronunciation ?

The first sentence of your story is important. It should introduce the subject of the story clearly, so that every one will understand what follows. When you have come to the end of the story, stop. Do not try to tell it over again.