Higher Lessons in English Part 7

COMPOSITION--ADJECTIVES.

+Caution.+--When two or more adjectives are used with a noun, care must be taken in their arrangement. If they differ in rank, place nearest the noun the one most closely modifying it. If of the same rank, place them where they will sound best--generally in the order of length, the shortest first.

+Explanation.+--_Two honest young men were chosen, A tall, straight, dignified person entered._ _Young_ tells the kind of men, _honest_ tells the kind of young men, and _two_ tells the number of honest young men; hence these adjectives are not of the same rank. _Tall_, _straight_, and _dignified_ modify _person_ independently--the person is tall and straight and dignified; hence these adjectives are of the same rank.

Notice the comma after _tall_ and _straight_; _and_ may be supplied; in the first sentence _and_ cannot be supplied. See Lesson 21.

+Direction.+--_Arrange the adjectives below, and give your reasons:_--

1. A Newfoundland pet handsome large dog.

2. Level low five the fields.

3. A wooden rickety large building.

4. Blind white beautiful three mice.

5. An energetic restless brave people.

6. An enlightened civilized nation.

+Direction.+--_Form sentences by prefixing modified subjects to these predicates:_--

1. ------ have been invented.

2. ------ were destroyed.

3. ------ are cultivated.

4. ------ may be abused.

5. ------ was mutilated.

6. ------ were carved.

7. ------ have been discovered.

8. ------ have fallen.

9. ------ will be respected.

10. ------ have been built.

+Direction.+--_Construct ten sentences, each of which shall contain a subject modified by three adjectives--one from each of these columns:_--

Let the adjectives be appropriate. For punctuation, see Lesson 21.

The dark sunny That bright wearisome This dingy commercial Those short blue These soft adventurous Five brave fleecy Some tiny parallel Several important cheerless Many long golden A warm turbid

+Direction+.--_Prefix to each of these nouns several appropriate adjectives:_--

River, frost, grain, s.h.i.+ps, air, men.

+Direction+.--_Couple those adjectives and nouns below that most appropriately go together:_--

Modest, lovely, flaunting, meek, patient, faithful, saucy, spirited, violet, dahlia, sheep, pansy, ox, dog, horse, rose, gentle, duck, sly, waddling, cooing, chattering, homely, chirping, puss, robin, dove, sparrow, blackbird, cow, hen, cackling.

LESSON 14.

MODIFIED PREDICATE.

ADVERBS.

+Introductory Hints+.--You have learned that the subject may be modified; let us see whether the predicate may be.

If we say, _The leaves fall_, we express a fact in a general way. But, if we wish to speak of the time of their falling, we can add a word and say, The leaves fall _early_; of the place of their falling, The leaves fall _here_; of the manner, The leaves fall _quietly_; of the cause, _Why_ do the leaves fall?

We may join a word to one of these modifiers and say, The leaves fall _very_ quietly. Here _very_ modifies _quietly_ by telling the degree.

_Very quietly_ is a group of words modifying the predicate. The predicate with its modifiers is called the +Modified Predicate+. Such words as _very, here_, and _quietly_ form another part of speech, and are called +Adverbs+ (Lat. _ad_, to, and _verb.u.m_, a word, or verb).

Adverbs may modify adjectives; as, _Very ripe_ apples are healthful.

Adverbs modify verbs just as adjectives modify nouns--by limiting them. The horse has a _proud step_ = The horse _steps proudly_.

The +Predicate+ with its +Modifiers+ is called the +Modified +Predicate, or _Logical Predicate_.

+DEFINITION.--An _Adverb_ is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.+ [Footnote: See Lesson 92 and foot-note.]

a.n.a.lysis and Parsing.

1. The leaves fall very quietly.

leaves | fall ========|====== The | quietly very

+Oral a.n.a.lysis+.--_Very quietly_ is a modifier of the predicate; _quietly_ is the princ.i.p.al word of the group; _very_ modifies _quietly_; _the leaves_ is the modified subject; _fall very quietly_ is the modified predicate.

+Parsing+.--_Quietly_ is an adverb modifying _fall_, telling the manner; _very_ is an adverb modifying _quietly_, telling the degree.

2. The old, historic Charter Oak was blown down.

3. The stern, rigid Puritans often wors.h.i.+ped there.

4. Bright-eyed daisies peep up everywhere.

5. The precious morning hours should not be wasted.

6. The timely suggestion was very kindly received.

7. We turned rather abruptly.

8. A highly enjoyable entertainment was provided.

9. The entertainment was highly enjoyed.

10. Why will people exaggerate so!

11. A somewhat dangerous pa.s.s had been reached quite unexpectedly.

12. We now travel still more rapidly.

13. Therefore he spoke excitedly.

14. You will undoubtedly be very cordially welcomed.

15. A furious equinoctial gale has just swept by.

16. The h.e.l.l Gate reef was slowly drilled away.

LESSON 15.

COMPOSITION--ADVERBS.