Graded Lessons in English | Page 7

You must next learn to put these parts together, that is,
to build sentences.
We will find one part, and you must find the other and do the building.
+To the Teacher+.--Let some of the pupils write their sentences on the
board, while others are reading theirs. Then let the work on the board
be corrected.
Correct any expression that does not make good sense, or that asserts
something not strictly true; for the pupil should early be taught to think
accurately, as well as to write and speak grammatically.
Correct all mistakes in spelling, and in the use of capital letters and the
period.
Call attention to the agreement in form of the predicate with the subject.
See Notes, p. 163.
Insist on neatness. Collect the papers before the recitation closes.
+CAPITAL LETTER-RULE.--The first word of every sentence must
begin with a capital letter+.
+PERIOD--RULE.--A period must be placed after every sentence that

simply affirms, denies, or expresses a command+.
Construct sentences by supplying a subject to each of the following
predicates.
Ask yourself the question, What swim, sink, hunt, etc.?
1. ---- swim. 2. ---- sinks. 3. ---- hunt. 4. ---- skate. 5. ---- jingle. 6. ----
decay. 7. ---- climb. 8. ---- creep. 9. ---- run. 10. ---- walk. 11. ---- snort.
12. ---- kick. 13. ---- flashes. 14. ---- flutters. 15. ---- paddle. 16. ---- toil.
17. ---- terrifies. 18. ---- rages. 19. ---- expand. 20. ---- jump. 21. ----
hop. 22. ---- bellow. 23. ---- burns. 24. ---- evaporates.
This exercise may profitably be extended by requiring the pupils to
supply several subjects to each predicate.

LESSON 9.
SENTENCE-BUILDING--Continued.
Construct sentences by supplying a predicate to each of the following
subjects.
Ask yourself the question, Artists do what?
1. Artists ----. 2. Sailors ----. 3. Tides ----. 4. Whales ----. 5. Gentlemen
----. 6. Swine ----. 7. Clouds ----. 8. Girls ----. 9. Fruit ----. 10. Powder
----. 11. Hail ----. 12. Foxes ----. 13. Water ----. 14. Frost ----. 15. Man
----. 16. Blood ----. 17. Kings ----. 18. Lilies ----. 19. Roses ----. 20.
Wheels ----. 21. Waves ----. 22. Dew ----. 23. Boys ----. 24. Volcanoes
----. 25. Storms ----. 26. Politicians ----. 27. Serpents ----. 28. Chimneys
----. 29. Owls ----. 30. Rivers ----. 31. Nations ----. 32. Indians ----. 33.
Grain ----. 34. Rogues ----. 34. Volcanoes ----. 35. Rome ----. 36. Briars
----.
This exercise may be extended by requiring the pupils to supply several
predicates to each subject.

LESSON 10.
REVIEW QUESTIONS.
Of what two parts does a sentence consist? What is the subject of a
sentence? What is the predicate of a sentence? What is the analysis of a
sentence?
What is a diagram? What rule for the use of capital letters have you
learned? What rule for the period?
Impromptu Exercise.
Let the pupils "choose sides," as in a spelling match. Let the teacher
select predicates from Lesson 8, and give them alternately to the pupils
thus arranged. The first pupil prefixes to his word whatever suitable
subjects he can think of, the teacher judging of their fitness and keeping
the count. This pupil now rises and remains standing until some one
else, on his side or the other, shall have prefixed to his word a greater
number of apt subjects. The strife is to see who shall be standing at the
close of the match, and which side shall have furnished the greater
number of subjects. The exercise may be continued with the subjects of
Lesson 9. Each pupil is to be limited to the same time--one or two
minutes.

LESSON 11.
ANALYSIS.
The +predicate+ sometimes contains +more than one word+.
Analyze and diagram according to the model.
+Model+.--Socrates was poisoned.
Socrates | was poisoned ============|================ |

This is a sentence, because it expresses a thought. Socrates is the
subject, because ----; was poisoned is the predicate, because ----.
[Footnote: The word because--suggesting a reason--should be dropped
from these "+Models+" whenever it may lead to mere mechanical
repetition.]
1. Napoleon was banished. 2. Andre was captured. 3. Money is
circulated. 4. Columbus was imprisoned. 5. Acorns are sprouting. 6.
Bells are tolled. 7. Summer has come. 8. Sentences may be analyzed. 9.
Clouds are reddening. 10. Air may be weighed. 11. Jehovah shall reign.
12. Corn is planted. 13. Grammarians will differ. 14. Snow is falling.
15. Leaves are rustling. 16. Children will prattle. 17. Crickets are
chirping. 18. Eclipses have been foretold. 19. Storms may abate. 20.
Deception may have been practiced. 21. Esau was hated. 22. Treason
should have been punished. 23. Bees are humming. 24. Sodom might
have been spared.

LESSON 12.
SENTENCE-BUILDING.
+To the Teacher+.--Continue oral and written exercises in agreement.
See Notes, pp. 163,164.
Prefix the little helping words in