One of you may spell the words in the lists, calling on other children to pronounce them. Mark the accent.

Watch your pronunciation of these words in your everyday conversation.

The vowel sound ě is a sadly neglected sound.

Write sentences, using from the list words which contain the sound ě.

Read the sentences aloud.

II

THE OLD CLOCK ON THE STAIRS

Somewhat back from the village street
Stands the old-fashioned country seat.
Across its antique portico

Tall poplar trees their shadows throw;
And from its station in the hall
An ancient timepiece says to all-

"Forever-never!

Never-forever!"

Through days of sorrow and of mirth,
Through days of death and days of birth,
Through every swift vicissitude

Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood,
And as if, like God, it all things saw,
It calmly repeats those words of awe—

"Forever-never!

Never-forever!"

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Read these stanzas silently. If you do not understand the meaning perfectly, ask questions.

The word vicissitude means an unforeseen disturbing event."

What is the sound of the u in vicissitude?

Read the two stanzas again silently for the thought. Before reading the stanzas aloud, study the vowel sounds. When you fully understand them, read them aloud. Your classmates will call attention to any incorrectly or indistinctly pronounced vowel sounds.

25. HEALTH DAY

In the United States certain days and weeks have been set aside for special observation. We have "Book Week," "Boy Week," "Music Week," "Good English Week." Would it not be interesting for you to outline a plan for a "Health Week" and with the help of the class to carry it out? You would need to lay all your plans and appoint committees to handle each feature. A meeting should be called to explain the idea. Talks may be given on these subjects:

I. What Health Is and How to Acquire It

1. Proper food

2. Sleep

3. Exercise

4. Recreation

II. Value of Health

1. To the individual

2. To his family and associates
3. To the community

III. Cleanliness and Good Health

IV. Health and Good Citizenship

V. What Is a Board of Health? What Does

It Do?

VI. Why I Want to Be 100 Per Cent Physically

Fit

VII. How a Sickly Boy May Be Made Robust

Have you seen him?
No, I haven't seen him.
We saw him today.

4. Common Errors Corrected

26. REVIEWING SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

I

Notice the following sentences:

1. The sun shone brightly.

2. Children should obey their parents. 3. The batter struck the ball.

Every time we make a sentence or express a thought in language we do two things: we think of some person or thing and we say something about that person or thing.

What is the person or thing that is spoken of in each of these sentences? What is said about the

person or thing in each sentence?

The person or thing that we say something about in a sentence is called the subject; whatever we say about this person or thing is called the predicate.

The subject of a sentence names that of which something is said.

The predicate of a sentence tells what is said of the subject.

Exercise.

Point out the subjects and the predicates

in the following sentences. Write the subjects and the predicates in two columns, thus:

1. The eagle is called the king of birds.

2. The sea gull follows ships at sea.

3. The cowbird builds its nest in queer places.
4. Good citizens are needed in every community.

5. The kingfisher flies very swiftly.

6. Industrious men have made the world's history. 7. The planter inspected his crop.

8. In return for his assistance, we had promised a ride home.

9. To our homeland we gladly returned.

10. The English sparrow was brought to America from England.

II

COMPOUND SUBJECTS

The sentences which you have been discussing have mentioned only one person or thing in the subject and that is why the subjects are called simple. Sometimes more than one person or thing is mentioned.

The difference between the sentences following and the sentences you have just studied is that in the sentences that follow two persons or things are mentioned in the subject instead of one. This makes

the subject compound.

1. Boys and girls study language.

2. The wind and the sun had a quarrel.

3. Algebra and geometry are studied in the high school.

A compound subject is one that is made up of two or more subjects, both subjects having the same predicate.

III

COMPOUND PREDICATES

How do these sentences following differ from the sentences on page 48? How do they differ from the sentences containing a compound subject? How many assertions are contained in each of the predicates? What is the subject in each sentence? In studying these sentences we note that the predicate in each sentence contains two or more assertions about the subject. When this occurs the predicate is said to be compound.

1. The boy ran and caught the ball.

2. The girl sang and played beautifully.

3. He seized the child and placed her out of danger.

A compound predicate is one that is made up of two or more predicates, all predicates having the same subject.

Even though the subject mentions two or more persons or things, it is still one subject; and even though the predicate makes two or more assertions, it is still one predicate.

A sentence, therefore, may have a compound subject with a simple predicate, or a simple subject with a compound predicate. It may have also a compound subject and a compound predicate. In any case the sentence is called a simple sentence. It expresses but one complete thought. A simple sentence is a sentence that contains only one subject and one predicate, either or both of which may be compound.

Exercise. Point out the compound subjects and the compound predicates in the following simple

sentences: