A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language: For the Use of Schools (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language: For the Use of Schools

Since almost every teacher has his own views about teaching, it is probably needless to add any suggestions. It may be proper, however, to state, that the pupil should learn, of the irregular verbs, only those forms which are in good present use; the others having been inserted merely for reference. The exer cises from p. 36 to p. 44, should be used constantly with the recitations on the parts of Speech. While the pupil is engaged in the parsing exercises, pp. 47 - 57, it may be well for him to strengthen himself by reviewing several times what precedes them. Indeed, while the pupil is passing through the exercises near the end of each section, he should repeatedly review the principles of the same sec tion over which he has just passed; so that the principles and the exercises may act and react upon each other, till both are mastered. The numbers over words Show the Rules of Syntax. The section on the Derivation of Words may be omitted, if taught in some other book. For a few of its words the pupil will have to consult his dictionary. It would be a useful exercise for the pupil to copy the sentences given as examples in Part Second. He would thus learn to spell, to punctuate, to use capital letters, and would become familiar with all the various sentences which make language. The exercises for correction, it is probably best for the pupil to write off corrected, and bring them to school as a part of his evening task. I f they be corrected orally, I would recommend that it be not done with too much ceremony or mechanical mannerism. In the sen tence, Him and me are of the same age, for instance, the pupil may Simply Say, Incorrect: him and me, in the objective case, should be he and I, in tho nominative case, because A pronoun, used as the subject of a finite verb, must be In the nominative case. For additional examples in analysis and parsing, may be used the numerous examples from p. 291 to the end. The section on Analysis should be reviewed frequently; and especially in connection with Punctuation, to which it is of the greatest value. A Key to the Exercises will be furnished if it should be found necessary. It was my design to add an article on Composition; but, as this is not necessarily a part of grammar, and as it would have much enlarged the size of the book, I have omitted it. Should the present work be favorably received, however, I may add, as a sequel to this book, a small but adequate treatise on Composition; so that the two books will make a course of Grammar, Rhetoric, and Composition.

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