Graded Lessons in English Part 47

[No Symbol: para] No new paragraph.

[Symbol: v' ] This calls attention to the apostrophe.

+To the Teacher+.--We suggest that the pupils learn to use these marks in correcting compositions. The following exercises are given as ill.u.s.trations:--

[Ill.u.s.tration: Corrected letter]

NOTES FOR TEACHERS.

AGREEMENT.

Before Lesson 8 is a.s.signed, the pupils may be required to note, in Lessons 6 and 7, the subjects that add _s_ to denote more than one, and then to mark the changes that occur in the predicates when the _s_ is dropped from these subjects. In Lesson 8, the predicates may be changed by adding or dropping _s_, and other subjects may be found to correspond. In Lesson 9, _s_ may be dropped from the plural subjects, and other predicates may be found to agree.

At this stage of the work we should give no formal rules, and should avoid such technical terms as _number, person, tense_, etc. The pupils may be led to discover rules for themselves, and to state them informally. Exercises and questions may be so directed that the pupils may draw some such conclusion as the following:--

When a simple form of the verb is used to tell what one thing does, _s_ or _es_ is added (unless the subject is _I_ or _you_).

Let the pupils see that the _s_-form of the verb is used only in telling what one thing _does_, not what it _did_; as, "The boy _runs_," "The boy _ran_"; and that its subject always stands for the one spoken of; as, "_He runs_," "_I run_."

Before Lesson 12 is a.s.signed, attention may be called to the use of _is, was_, and _has_, in Lesson 11 and elsewhere. For the predicates introduced by these words let the pupils find subjects which name more than one, that they may note the change of _is_ to _are_, _was_ to _were_, and _has_ to _have_. The forms _does_ and _do_ may also be introduced, and these exercises continued till the pupils are led to discover some such rule as the following:--

_Is, was, has_, and _does_ are used with subjects denoting but one. _Are, were, have_, and _do_ are used with subjects denoting more than one.

We suggest that the form of a question and the use of the question mark be introduced after Lesson 12, and that the pupils be allowed to change the sentences in Lessons 11 and 12 by placing the subject after the first auxiliary. A straight line may be drawn under each subject, and a waving line under each predicate, thus:--

~Was~ /Napoleon/ ~banished?~

The sentences given for a.n.a.lysis will furnish material for making interrogative sentences, and for justifying the agreement of verbs.

In connection with Lesson 19 attention may be called to the agreement of verbs with _I_ and _you_. Exercises may be given from which the pupils will draw the following conclusions:--

_I_ can be used with _am, was, have_, and _do_. _You_ may mean one or more than one, but the verb always agrees as if _you_ meant more than one.

Exercises may be given requiring the pupils to use such expressions as "You _were_," "They _were_," "We _were_," "He _doesn't_," etc., and to repeat them aloud till the ear is accustomed to the right form.

When predicate verbs immediately follow their subjects, there is little danger of errors in agreement, except that _was_ is often used incorrectly for _were_, and _don't_ for _doesn't_. The chief object of introducing these exercises here is to train the pupils' observation so that they will readily and naturally note the agreement of the subject and predicate when these terms are transposed, or are separated by other words. To determine the correct form of the verb in such cases, let the pupils see how it sounds when placed immediately after its subject. We suggest exercises like the following:--

1 is are 2 was were 3 has have 4 does do 5 comes come 6 goes go 7 thinks think 8 writes write

1. With what kind of letter ~(4)~ _each_ of these names ~begin~?

2. Under this rule ~(1) found~ important _exceptions_.

3. The _farm_, with all the cattle and horses, ~(2) sold~.

4. With what mark ~(4)~ imperative _sentences_ ~end~?

5. Every _effort_ of the friends of these measures (3) failed.

6. There (5) trying _times_ in every man's life.

7. _One_ of them (6) to Va.s.sar College.

8. Not _one_ in ten (7) about this.

9. _Neither_ of you (8) correctly.

10. After this (5) the calisthenic _exercises_.

11. A _cargo_ of Delaware peaches (3) arrived.

12. There (6) the cars.

13. There (6) a _train_ of cars.

After these blanks have been filled with the verbs above, as indicated by the numbers, the sentences may be repeated aloud till the correct form is familiar.

Let the pupils see that in (2), Lesson 36, _were identified_ is a.s.serted of two things, and that in (3) _was antic.i.p.ated_ is a.s.serted of one of two things, but not of both. Let them give other examples of connected subjects with verbs singular in form, and with verbs plural in form. The meaning of _singular_ and _plural_ may be explained, and the pupils may form some such rule as the following:--

With two or more subjects connected by _and_ the verb agrees in the plural.

With two or more singular subjects connected by _or_ or _nor_ the verb agrees in the singular.

The pupils may examine such sentences as--

1. Each word and gesture _was_ suited to the thought; 2. Every bud, leaf, and blade of gra.s.s _rejoices_ after the warm rain; 3. No dew, no rain, no cloud _comes_ to the relief of the parched earth;--

and note that _each_, _every_, and _no_ show that the things named in the different subjects are taken separately, and that the verbs are therefore singular.

Such sentences as--

"In the death of Franklin, a philosopher and statesman _was_ lost to the world"--

may be given to show that subjects connected by _and_ may name the same thing, and so take a verb in the singular.

Such examples as the following may be given and justified:--

1. Beauty and utility _are_ combined in nature.

2. Either beauty or utility _appears_ in every natural object.

3. Here _is_ neither beauty nor utility.

4. Time and tide _wait_ for no man.

5. Wisdom and prudence _dwell_ with the lowly man.

6. _Does_ either landlord or tenant profit by this bill?

7. Neither landlords nor tenants _profit_ by this bill.

8. Every fly, bee, beetle, and b.u.t.terfly _is_ provided with six feet.

9. That desperate robber and murderer _was_ finally secured.

10. That desperate robber and that murderer _were_ finally secured.

11. The builder and owner of the yacht _has_ sailed from Liverpool.

12. The builder and the owner of the yacht _have_ sailed from Liverpool.

13. A lame and blind man _was_ provided with food and lodging.

14. A lame and a blind man _were_ provided with food and lodging.

Particular attention may be called to examples 9-14, that the pupils may note the effect of repeating _that_, _the_, and _a_.

Pupils should early learn that rules in grammar should not be followed rigidly and blindly, as they generally have variations and exceptions.

Caution, however, should be used in presenting exceptions, lest the pupils become confused. They may be presented in reviews after the rules and general principles are well understood. They need not be formally stated, but may be introduced in the way of observation lessons that appeal to the judgment rather than to the memory. In this way such constructions as the following may be introduced:--

1. Neither he nor _I am _going. (Better--He is not going, nor am I.) 2. Neither John nor his _sisters were_ there.