America On^Line Is The Lettered Number ' V ' ??

Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences

     1. The man on the bridge looked into the water.

     2.  The man who was on the bridge was fishing.

     In the first sentence the two groups of words are called phrases, since a phrase is a

group of related words that does not contain a subject and predicate.  In the second

sentence the group in italics contains a subject, who, and a predicate, was on the 

bridge.  It is called a clause.

     The first phrase acts like an adjective, modifying the noun man, so is called an

adjective phrase.  The second phrase tells where he looked, so is an adverbial phrase

modifying looked.

A Guide to Self-Education

________________________________________________________________________

     In the second sentence the clause modifies man, so is an adjective clause.  In the

sentence I know who was where, the clause is used like a noun, object of know, so is

called a noun clause.  In the sentence He came when he was called the clause is ad-

verbial.

     1.  John went to the game.

     2.  John went to the game, but James remained at home.

     3.  John, who went to the game, was late for supper.

     The first sentence has but one subject and predicate and is called a simple sentence.

The second sentence has two independent clauses (really tow sentences), and is

called a compound sentence.  In the third sentence is an independent clause, John was

late for supper, and a dependent clause, who went to the game, which modifies John.

Such a sentence is called a complex sentence.

Exercise 16

     In these sentences tell whether they are simple, compound or complex; then name

the phrases and clauses and tell what kind each is:

      1.  The floors of the house are bare, but they have on them mats of straw.

      2.  The walls that separate the rooms are made of thick screens.

      3.  What he will do is a question.

      4.  We shall not go to the game if it rains in the morning.

      5.  Many of the  houses are open to the wind, and one may look into them without

trouble.

      6.  The first settlement that was made in Virginia came in the seventeenth cen-

tury.

      7.  In cold regions, horses are small animals with shaggy hair on their bodies.

      8.  The young boy had a small engine and he equipped a small boat with it.

      9.  The old man from the country asked what was the road to New York.

    10.  The boy who tries will succeed if he strives with persistence.

    For answers to exercises, see Contents.

WEBSTER'S

New  AMERICAN

DICTIONARY

COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE.  PLANNED AND

WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS

ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME

Managing Editor

LEWIS M. ADAMS

Editor-in-chief

EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.

C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,

Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;

Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"

author of "Vital English"

Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:

GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS

WRITING   PRONUNCIATION   WORDS MISPRONOUNCED

SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION  DANGER FLAGS

Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms

This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-

lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors

1959

B O O K S,   I N C .

NEW  YORK

America On^Line Came Be^For!!

The Parts of Speech

__________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 13

     Use the correct form in the parentheses:

       1.  It was (he, him).

       2.  I thought that it was (he, him).

       3.  I thought it to be (he, him).

       4.  Was it (I, me) (who, whom) you chose?

       5.  Would you do it if you were (me, I)?

       6.  Ask him if you are sure it is (he, him).

       7.  I hope it will be (them, they) (who, whom) will be chosen.

       8.  Had you bee (I, me) would you have gone?

       9.  He thought it to be (I, me).

     10.  They believed (I, me) to be (he, him).

     There are three forms of the verb that are called the principle parts: (a) the present

tense form, Example. look; (b) the past tense form, Example. looked; (c) the past par-

ticiple form, Example. looked.  The participle is a verb form used like an adjective.

The present participle ends in ing.  The past or perfect participle is like the past

tense form, when the verb is regular.  But when the verb is irregular it may differ

from the past tense.  Notice these sentences:

     1.  The boy, striking the bell, called the men.

     2.  The bell, which was struck by the boy, began to ring.

     In the first sentence we have a present participle, while in the second there is a 

past or perfect participle.

     In a regular verb the past tense and past participle end in ed.  The principal parts

of call are: call, called, called.  But in an irregular verb the forms change.  Here are 

some irregular verbs:

           Present                                         Past                                      Past

           Tense                                          Tense                                  Participle

             do                                              did                                         done

             drink                                         drank                                     drunk

             drive                                         drove                                     driven

             flee                                            fled                                        fled

             fly                                             flew                                       flown

             get                                             got                                         got

                                                                                                             gotten

             hang                                           hung                                     hung

             lay                                              laid                                       laid

             lie (to recline)                            lay                                        lain

             see                                              saw                                       seen

             set                                               set                                        set

             sit                                                sat                                        sat

             sing                                             sang                                     sung

             swim                                          swam                                    swum

             wake                                          wake                                     waked

                                                                woke

     A longer list need not be given, since the dictionary provides the forms for irregular

verbs, under each verb.

A Guide to Self-Education

_______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 14

     Choose the correct form in the parentheses:

      1.  He has (lain, laid) the book on the table.

      2.  The man (saw, seen) me do it.

      3.  The poem was (wrote,written) by the author.

      4.  He has (laid, lain) in bed a long time.

      5.  Have you (set, sat) there long?

      6.  His leg is (broke, broken).

      7.  A moment ago the bell (rang, rung).

      8.  The dog (run, ran) away yesterday.

      9.  The picture was (took, taken).

    10.  They all (swam, swum) a mile.

    11.  The coat is (wore, worn) out.

    12.  My fingers were (froze, frozen).

    13.  Were you (beat, beaten)?

    14.  He (drank, drunk) the water.

    15.  The pipe was (bust, busted, burst).

    16.  Have you ever (flew, flown) in an airplane?

    17.  I have (rode, rid, ridden) on horseback.

    18.  She (sang, sung) well.

    19.  He (did, done) well.

    20.  When he was chased, he (flied, flew, fled).

     Before we leave verbs it may be well to notice some special cases.  Notice these

sentences:

     1.  Either John or James is going.

     2.  Neither John nor his brother are going.

     3.  Neither his brothers nor John is going.

     4.  All of us are going.

     5.  All of the butter is good.

     6. Every man and child was given a prize.

     7.  Not one of the men was lost.

     8.  The army was marching.

     9.  The army were lined up for mess.

   10.  Ten dollars was paid for the clock.

   11.  John, together with his father, was present.

   12.  He may sharpen the pencil if he can find a sharpener.

   13.  The teacher teaches; the pupil learns.

   14.  Take the book home and bring it back tomorrow.

   15.  He was one of those who were chosen.

   

    In (1) only one is going.  In (2) and (3) the verb agrees with the nearer noun.  In

(6) we consider each man and child separately.  In (7) the subject is one.  In (8) the

army is thought of as one body; in (9) as individual members.  In (10) ten dollars

stands for a sum.  In (11) John is the subject.  In (12) it is to be remembered that

may expresses permission and can expresses ability.  In (15) he was not the only one

chosen; he was one of all those who were chosen.

Using Adjectives and Adverbs

     Usually adjectives and adverbs form the comparative and superlative degrees by
adding er and est to the positive degree.  Example. positive: long; comparative:
longer; superlative: longest.

The Parts of Speech

______________________________________________________________________

     Here are some irregular adjectives:

               good, better, best

               bad, worse, worst

               much, (or many), more, most

               little, less, least

               far, farther, farthest

     Here are irregular adverbs:

               badly, worse, worst

               far, further (or farther), furthest (or farthest)

               little, less, least

               much, more, most

               well, better, best

     Copulative Verbs.  We have studied about the copula.  There are some verbs

that are used like the copula; these are called copulative verbs.  Example.  appear,

become, feel, grow, look, seem, smell, sound, taste.

     Copulas and copulative verbs are usually followed by and adjective.  Example. The

candy is good.  The candy tastes good.

     One must avoid using good as an adverb.  Do not say: He swims good; but say:  He

swims well.

Exercise 15

_____________________________________________________________________

     Use the correct form in parentheses:

       1.  How (good, well) he looks!

       2.  The coat fitted (good, well).

       3.  It looks (good, well) to me.

       4.  He is not (near, nearly) as stout as she is.

       5.  He runs more (swift, swiftly) than I.

       6.  He does not write (good, well).

       7.  It sounds (bad, badly).

       8.  The boys did (well, good).

       9.  Which is (farther, farthest), your house or mine?

     10.  Choose the (less, least) of two evils.

     11.  Who has (more, most), you or (I, me).

     12.  Which is the (better, best) of the two drivers?

     13.  If you feel (well, good) enough to go you might take (us, we) two.

     14.  I trade at (Jone's, Jones's) rather than at the other store, for Jones gives me

(more, most) for the money.

     15.  Do you feel any (worse, worser) than you did yesterday?

WEBSTER'S

New  AMERICAN

DICTIONARY

COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE.  PLANNED AND

WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS

ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME

Managing Editor

LEWIS M. ADAMS

Editor-in-chief

EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.

C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,

Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;

Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"

author of "Vital English"

Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:

GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS

WRITING   PRONUNCIATION   WORDS MISPRONOUNCED

SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION  DANGER FLAGS

Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms

This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-

lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors

1959

B O O K S,   I N C .

NEW  YORK

America On^Line Thrice!!

Exercise 6

     Choose the correct word in these sentences:

       1.  (Who, whom) is going with me?

       2.  Give (me, I) the book.

       3.  Give it to (me, I).

       4.  Do you know whether it was (he, him)?

       5.  (We, us) boys are going.

       6.  He is as tall as (I, me).

       7.  It is better for (them, they) to go.

       8.  Divide it among (us, we) three.

       9.  (Who, whom) are the sending?

     10.  By (who, whom) was the money given?

     11.  (Who, whom) is the President of the United States?

     12.  (She, her) is going.

     13.  The boy you saw was (I, me).

     14.  Let (me, I) go.

     15.  All the boys, including John and (I, me) went.

     16.  That's (he, him).

     17.  (He, him) and (I, me) are going.

     18.  They gave (he, him) and (she, her) a present.

     19.  (Who, whom) shall I send?

     20.  I shall tell each one what (he, him) must do.

     The pronouns like me and him are called personal pronouns.  Who, whom, which,

and that are called relative pronouns when they connect a clause to the rest of the

sentence.  For example, in the sentence: The boy who went has returned, who connects

the clause who went to the noun boy.  This noun boy is called the antecedent of the

pronoun.

     In using the relative pronoun who one must be very careful whether to use who or

whom.  The rule is this: The case of a relative pronoun is determined by its use in the 

clause.  Notice these sentences:

              I know who is going.

              I know whom I sent.

              He knows who I am.

     In the fist sentence who is used in the clause as the subject of the verb; in the

second sentence it is used as object of the verb sent; and in the third sentence it is

used after the verb am, which does not take an object.  When the clause is changed

to its natural order it reads I am who in the sentence.

Exercise 7

     Use who or whom where there are blanks in these sentences:

       1.  Do you know . . . . . . we passed?

       2.  It is the one . . . . . . visited us yesterday.

       3.  I do not know . . . . . he is.

       4.  He is the boy . . . . . . does our chores.

       5.  Was it he . . . . . . we asked to help us?

       6.  I cannot say whether the man . . . . . . I saw was lame.

       7.  Were there many . . . . . . had clothes to be mended?

       8.  It was only James . . . . . . he was looking for.

       9.  He is one . . . . . . you can depend upon.

     10.  The man . . . . . . he told about it has gone.

     One must be careful about using the correct pronoun after like, as, and than.  Like

is a preposition and as is a conjunction.  In the sentence Do it as I do, as is the con-

junction that begins the clause.  It would be wrong to say Do it like I do.  It is

correct to say He looks like John, for like is a preposition.  Now when you say

He runs like me you are wrong, because what you mean is He runs as I do.  This

is one of the troublesome matters in grammar and must be carefully studied.  When

like is used, the objective case of the pronoun follows, since like is a preposition.

The Parts of Speech

_______________________________________________________________________

     

Exercise 8

     Use like or as where there are blanks, and choose between the forms in parentheses.

     1.  He looks . . . . . (I, me) but he walks . . . . . . (she, her) does.

     2.  She dresses . . . . . . I do but her hair is not . . . . . . my hair.

     3.  Do just . . . . . . I do.

     4.  If I were to do . . . . . . (he, him) (do, does) I would act . . . . . . a fool.

     5.  He looks . . . . . . if (he, him) had been ill.

     Using Verbs.  Here are the forms of the verb talk as they appear in what is

called the conjugation of a verb:

Present Tense

                  Singular   Number                                      Plural   Number

        I talk (1st person speaking)                                        We talk

        You talk (2nd person spoken to)                               You talk

        He talks (3rd person spoken of)                                They talk

Past Tense

                         I talked                                                        We talked

                         You talked                                                  You talked

                         He talked                                                    They talked

Future Tenses

                   I shall talk                                                   We shall talk

                   You will talk                                                You will talk

                   He will talk                                                  They will talk

     You will see that a verb has person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) ; number (singular and plural) ;

and tense (present, past, future).

     There are three other tenses, called the perfect tenses: Present perfect tense (I

have talked, etc.) ; past perfect tense (I had talked, etc.) ; future perfect tense (I shall

have talked, etc.).  The present perfect tense indicates action that has been completed

at the present time: I have (now) talked for an hour.  The past perfect tense indicates

action that was complete as some time in the past, before some other action in past

time, as: I had talked a long time when the bell rang.  The future perfect tense indicates

action that will be completed before some other action in future time, as: I shall

have talked an hour when the bell rings.

Exercise 9

     Name the verb forms as indicated:

      1.  The present tense, 3rd plural of the verb run.

      2.  Future 2nd singular of see.

      3.  Past perfect 3rd pl. of work.

      4.  Past 1st pl. of look.

      5.  Future 3rd pl. of go.

      6.  Future perfect 2nd pl. of reach.

      7.  Past 2nd singular of drop.

      8.  Present 1st pl. of hope.

      9.  Past perfect 2nd singular of call.

    10,  Future perfect 1st pl. of rob.

A Guide to Self-Education

_____________________________________________________________________

Exercise 10

     Use the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses.

     1.  I (finish) my lesson when recess came.

     2.  You (reach) the lake when the rest get there.

     3.  He (drop) the pencil every time he tries to pick it up.

     4.  Tomorrow we (go) to the picnic.

     5.  They (work) late yesterday.

     We have found that nouns may be used as objects of verbs.  A verb that carries

its action over into an object is called a transitive verb, while one that is complete and

does not carry the action over is called an intransitive verb.

     Find the transitive and intransitive verbs in these sentences:

     1.  He built a boat.

     2.  The boy ran into the house.

     3.  The sun set at eight o'clock.

     4.  The man set the book on the table.

     5.  We saw everything clearly.

     If the subject of the verb is the doer of the action, the verb is said to be in the

active voice ; if it is the receiver of the action, the verb is said to be in the passive voice.

     Ex. I built the boat.  The boat was built by me.

Exercise 11

     Tell which verbs in the following sentences are active and which are passive:

     1.  He was given an apple.

     2.  The tree bent in the wind.

     3.  It was made of pine.

     4.  The horse was driven by the farmer.

     5.  They have been in the field.

Exercise 12

     Rewrite these sentences, changing the active verbs to passive and the passive to

active:

     1.  Whitney invented the cotton gin.

     2.  The blossoms were blown to the ground by the wind.

     3.  The teacher wrote the word on the blackboard.

     4.  A slow curve was thrown by the pitcher.

     5.  Winter is dreaded by many because of the cold weather.

     The verb to be is called an intransitive verb, but it really is not a verb at all, for in-

stead of expressing action it serves as a connective word.  It is often called a copula.

In the sentence The boy is a hard worker the word is connects the noun boy and the

noun worker.  In the present tense, the forms of to be are: I am, you are, he is, we are,

you are, they are.  Can you tell what the forms are in the other tenses?

     Since the copula expresses no action, it does not ordinarily take the objective case

after it.  In the sentence about, worker is in the nominative case and is called a predi-

cate nominative because it is in the predicate.  One of the forms of a verb, made up of

the root of the verb preceded by the word to, is called the infinitive.  To be, to run, to

walk are infinitives.  Now when we use the infinitive to be between two nouns or pro-

nouns we must remember this rule: The verb to be takes the same case after it that is

used before it.  So in the sentence I knew the boy to be him it is necessary to use the

objective him because the noun boy is object of knew. 

WEBSTER'S

New  AMERICAN

DICTIONARY

COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE.  PLANNED AND

WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS

ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME

Managing Editor

LEWIS M. ADAMS

Editor-in-chief

EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.

C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,

Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;

Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"

author of "Vital English"

Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:

GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS

WRITING   PRONUNCIATION   WORDS MISPRONOUNCED

SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION  DANGER FLAGS

Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms

This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-

lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors

1959

B O O K S,   I N C .

NEW  YORK

                   

America On^Line Too!!

Exercise 4

For a second hunt you might look for the simple and complete subjects and predi-

cates in each sentence of the selection.

A Guide to Self-Education

___________________________________________________________________

     Noun Forms.  Many nouns change their form when they become plural.  Com-

monly the plural is formed by adding s or es to the singular.  One can usually tell by

the sound whether to add es, as church, churches; fox, foxes; wish, wishes.  Nouns

ending in y, preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add es.  For example:

lady, ladies.  Some nouns ending in f or fe change the f or fe to v and add es.

              beef, beeves                       leaf, leaves                           shelf, shelves

              calf, calves                           life, lives                                thief, thieves

              elf, elves                               loaf, loaves                          wharf, wharves

              half, halves                          self, selves                           wife, wives

              knife, knives                         sheave, sheaves                wolf, wolves

     Other nouns having the same endings add s to the singular.  For example: chief,

chiefs; handkerchief, handkerchiefs; safe, safes; hoof, hoofs.

     Some nouns ending in o add es to form the plural, as potatoes, buffaloes, tomatoes,

echoes, heroes, Negroes, tornadoes, volcanoes, mosquitoes, vetoes.  Others, including

musical terms coming from the Italian add s, as altos, banjos, dominos, halos,

cuckoos, dynamos, folios, pianos, sopranos, solos.

     Some nouns change the vowel to form the plural, as man, men; foot, feet; louse,

lice; tooth, teeth; woman, women; goose, geese.  Exceptions are German, Germans;

Roman, Romans.

     Nouns coming from foreign languages often retain the plural form of the original

language.

   

              alumna, alumnae                                                 matrix, matrices

              alumnus, alumni                                                   focus, foci

              datum, data                                                          monsieur, messieurs

              nebula, nebulae                                                   stratum, strata

              genus, genera                                                      oasis, oases

              larva, larvae                                                           parenthesis, parentheses

              phenomenon, phenomena                                 cherub, cherubim

              memorandum, memoranda                                beau, beaux

              madam, mesdames                                             analysis, analyses

              fungus, fungi                                                          radius, radii

     In compound nouns it is the important word that is made plural:

                 commander-in-chief, commanders-in-chief

                 man-of-war, men-of-war

                 father-in-law, fathers-in-law

                 knight-errant, knights-errant

     Exceptions: Knights Templars; menservants.

     Here are some irregular plurals to study:

                 Miss Farmer, Miss Farmers

                 Miss Farmer, the Misses Farmer

                 Mr. Farmer, Messrs. Farmer

                 Mr. Farmer, the Mr. Farmers

                 Jones, Joneses

                 5, 5's; a, a's

                 Mary, Marys

Exercise 5

     Choose the correct word in these sentences:

        1.  Graduates of a men's college are (alumni, alumnae).

        2.  Nebulae (is, are) observed in the sky.

The Parts of Speech

______________________________________________________________________

        3.  The girl has a (beau, beaux).

        4.  The (altoes, altos) sang well.

        5.  They were (phenomenons, phenomena).

        6.  We heard the (echoes, echos).

        7.  Strata (is, are) found in rocks.

        8.  Give me all the (datums, data).

        9.  We played (dominoes, dominos).

      10.  We drew the (radiuses, radii) of the circle.

      11.  There are three (3s, 3's) in 9.

      12.  Have you invited the (Misses Freeman, Miss Freemans)?

      13.  I met both the (Maries, Marys).

      14.  Both (father-in-laws, fathers-in law) were there.

      15.  We have two (analyses, analysises) of the water.

     Using Nouns and Pronouns.  Nouns may be used in three ways as seen in this 

sentence:

     The man left a book on the boy's desk.  The noun man is the subject of the verb

left.  The noun book tells what he left and is called the object of the verb.  The noun

boy's tells who possesses the desk.  The noun desk is object of the preposition on.  When

nouns are used as subjects they are said to be in the nominative case; when used as

objects, in the objective case; when used to express possession, in the possessive case.

It must not be supposed that every noun following a verb is in the objective case.

If the action in the verb is carried over into the noun, the noun is in the objective

case; but without the carrying over, it is in the nominative case, as in this sentence:

He is the boy.

     Pronouns have the same three cases but the form is different in the different cases

of some pronouns.  Here are some:

                             Nominative            Possessive              Objective

                                  I                              mine                       me

                                  you                         yours                      you

                                  he                           his                          him 

                                  we                          ours                        us

                                  she                         hers                        her

                                  they                        theirs                      them

                                  who                        whose                     whom

     From what has been said about the nominative case following a verb whose action

is not carried over, the correct use of the pronoun is shown in this sentence: It is I

(he, we, she, they).

     Since a preposition is followed by a noun in the objective case, the same would

be true of being followed by a pronoun.  It is correct to say: Divide it between him

and me.

WEBSTER'S

New  AMERICAN

DICTIONARY

COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE.  PLANNED AND

WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS

ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME

Managing Editor

LEWIS M. ADAMS

Editor-in-chief

EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.

C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,

Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;

Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"

author of "Vital English"

Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:

GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS

WRITING   PRONUNCIATION   WORDS MISPRONOUNCED

SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION  DANGER FLAGS

Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms

This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-

lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors

1959

B O O K S,   I N C .

NEW  YORK

America On^Line One!!

II Grammar Made Interesting and Easy To Remember

     Of late there has risen, from college professors and from business executives, a

demand for more correctness in speech.  Let no one who is ambitious to better him-

self and to improve his chances for success fail to heed this warning.  In the lessons

that follow, the beginner or one who has studied grammar before may find, in simple,

clear, and interesting form all that is essential in the subject.

(1)  The Value of Grammar

     English grammar shows us not only what it is correct to say but why it is correct.

You may be told that you shouldn't say I seen him when he done it, but can you ex-

plain why it is not correct?  Perhaps your English speech is fairly exact.  Would you

not like to test it and make certain that it is correct?  A mechanic may be able to put

together the parts of a machine, but unless he knows the reason for each step he is

apt to make mistakes.

(2)  The Sentence as a Tool of Power

     A sentence is a group of words which expresses a complete thought.

A Guide to Self-Education

________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 1

     Study these groups of words and decide which combinations of groups would ex-

press complete thoughts:

     1.  The Norwegian peasant.  2.  Is tall and muscular.  3.  He has blue or gray eyes.

4.  An intelligent man.  5.  Although he is somewhat slow.  6.  In the expression of his

thoughts.  7.  He is better educated.  8.  Than the small English farmer.  9.  His wife

and children.  10.  Even if they are not especially pretty.  11.  They have a pleasant

appearance.

     Try to write what is given in these eleven groups, so that what you write will ex-

press complete thoughts.  For example, combine the first and second groups and

you will have formed a sentence.

     Now a complete sentence has two parts; one of these names something, and the

other tells something about the thing named.  The first is called the subject and the

second is called the predicate.  In the sentences you have made, name the subject and

the predicate.  For example, in the first sentence the subject is peasant, and the predi-

cate is is tall and muscular.

     In every sentence there is some one word or its substitute that may be called the

simple subject and another that may be called the simple predicate.  In the sentence

The old house stood on the hill, the simple subject is house and the simple predicate is

stood.  The entire subject, The old house, we call the complete subject and the entire

predicate, stood on the hill, we call the complete predicate.  Find the simple and

complete subjects, and the simple and complete predicates in the sentences you

made about the Norwegian peasant.  In the first sentence peasant is the simple sub-

ject and is is the simple predicate.

     Sometimes the order of a sentence is changed, and it is not so easy to find the sub-

jects and predicates.  In the sentence On the mountain was a tower, you will call tower

the simple subject and was the simple predicate.

Exercise 2

     Find both the simple and complete subjects and predicates in these sentences:

     1.  In the houses are found three rooms.

     2.  On festive occasions appear the natives in gorgeous costumes.

     3.  Is the building an old one?

     4. Where do the farmer and his wife eat their meals?

     5.  From the ceiling are hung rough wooden shelves.

     6.  By the side of the child went the tiny dog.

     Now you will find it interesting to experiment on sentences in other books.  Do not

get discouraged if you find long sentences that are puzzling.

(3)  The Parts of Speech  --  A Treasure Hunt

     Let us organize a treasure hunt.  The treasure is to be found in this selection from

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography:

         At that time I established myself in Philadelphia.  Alas! no good bookseller's

     shop could be found in any of the colonies to the south of Boston.  In New

     York and Philadelphia the printers were stationers.  They sold almanacs, bal-

     lads, and a few schoolbooks.  Those who loved reading must send for their books

     from England.  The members of the Junto had a few.  We had left the ale-

     house, where we first met, and hired a room in which we held our club.  I then

The Parts of Speech

________________________________________________________________________

     proposed that we commence a public library.  This library soon afforded me

     the means of improvement by constant study, and I set apart an hour or two

     each day for this.  This repaired in some degree the loss of the learned educa-

     tion which my father once intended for me.  Reading was the only amusement

     which I allowed myself.

     Now for the hunt.  You have learned, in your early schooling, to identify the eight

parts of speech.  But perhaps it is not as clear as it once was.  So before you start on

the hunt, let us review.

     A noun is a word that stands for a definite object or idea.  Examples.  The boy is

tired.  Happiness is worth seeking for.

    A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.  Examples.  They are here.  I

know who is lost.

    A verb is a word that asserts, or commands, or asks a question.  Examples.  He

looks tired.  Go quickly.  Has he any money?

     You will find the verb often expressed by more than one word.  Examples.  He could

go.  They were asked to go.  He has been sent.

     An adjective is a word used with a noun to describe or limit the noun.  Examples.

The old house has many loose shingles.  We include the articles a, an, and the in the

adjectives.

     An adverb is a word that modifies or changes the meaning of a verb, adjective, or

other adverb.  They may tell how, when, where, why, or how much.  Examples.  He

ran very slowly on the exceedingly rough walk.

     A preposition is a word introducing a noun and relating it to some other word.

Examples.  He lived in the house across the street.

     A conjunction is a word joining words or groups of words.  Examples.  John and

James went home, but we remained.  The word and connects words; the word but con-

nects statements.  In some cases the groups are called clauses.  This is when the

groups contain both subjects and predicates.  Sometimes the conjunction connects a 

dependent, or subordinate, clause to the clause on which it depends.  Examples.

Henry ran because he was afraid.  The man asked if he might go.

     Notice this sentence:  The man who spoke was an orator.  In the word who we

have an example of a word that may be classed both as a pronoun and as a conjuc-

tion.  Can you tell why?  It is usually called a relative pronoun and classed under

pronouns.

     Notice this sentence: Light the lamp and the light will give a light flicker.  This

shows that the same word may be used as different parts of speech.  Remember that

it is the way a word is used that determines what part of speech it is.

    An interjection is a word having no relationship to the rest of the sentence, and ex-

pressing strong feeling.  Example.  Alas! he was lost.

Exercise 3

     Now with these definitions in mind you should be ready to start on the treasure

hunt.  On a paper arrange columns, with the names of the parts of speech as headings.

In the columns put the words in the Franklin selection, being sure to get each word in

its proper place.  It will not be necessary to repeat the same word after it has once

been listed.

WEBSTER'S

New  AMERICAN

DICTIONARY

COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE.  PLANNED AND

WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS

ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME

Managing Editor

LEWIS M. ADAMS

Editor-in-chief

EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.

C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,

Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;

Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"

author of "Vital English"

Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:

GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS

WRITING   PRONUNCIATION   WORDS MISPRONOUNCED

SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION  DANGER FLAGS

Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms

This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-

lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors

1959

B O O K S,   I N C .

NEW  YORK