used, you have a different picture of the road. In other words, your picture of it is changed or modified. For this reason, the adjectives are said to modify the noun road. You will often use this word modify in your study of the parts of speech. A word modifies another when it changes or limits the meaning of the word that it serves. For each of the following nouns write a list of adjectives that may modify its meaning. Follow each adjective by the noun that it modifies, as in the exercise above. THE PLACE OF ADJECTIVES Adjectives do not always stand before the nouns that they modify. Often they follow them, as in these sentences. A scout is trustworthy. A scout is loyal. A scout is helpful. A scout is friendly. A scout is obedient. A scout is cheerful. A scout is reverent. Name all of the adjectives which describe a scout. Can you add any adjectives to this list? What little word stands before the word scout in every sentence? This word has a twin sister, an, and a brother, the. The, a, and an are adjectives because they limit the noun so that it means one thing or a particular thing. Write similar sentences, using an adjective to describe each of the following. Do not use the same adjective twice. Use a, an, or the before the noun. An adjective is a word that modifies or limits a noun or pronoun. The adjectives a, an, and the are also called articles. 228 USING ADJECTIVES In the story that follows put an adjective into each space. Be sure that the adjective you use helps the story. WHY THE ROBIN'S BREAST IS RED breast. I will tell you why the robin has a Long ago, the country. But one day a bear owned all of the northern man and a boy to see came to this country. The robin was SO was boy was that he let the fire go almost out. The bear and got some twigs and kept the fire burning. In the morning the man was but the robin's breast was burnt by the fire. Ever since that time it has been 229 BUILDING A VOCABULARY THE WONDERFUL LAMP Once upon a time, a poor boy named Aladdin had a singular lamp. It was a very shabby lamp, and neither Aladdin nor his good mother gave it a thought. But one day there was nothing to eat in the house, and the hungry boy decided to sell the old lamp. thought if it were clean and bright he might get a better price for it. So he began to rub it with a ragged cloth. He At the first touch, a genie sprang up. "What do you want, little man? I am your obedient slave," he said. The frightened boy just managed to stammer out that he wanted something to eat. Instantly the genie held in his hands a golden tray covered with a dainty napkin. On it was delicious food served in silver dishes. That was but the beginning of Aladdin's good fortune. Whenever he wanted anything, he had but to rub his wonderful lamp, and his powerful servant came to greet his wish. He became immensely rich. He married the Sultan's beautiful daughter, and they lived in a magnificent palace. You may be sure that Aladdin always took good care of his precious lamp. In this story find all of the adjectives. Write them in a list, and follow each adjective by the noun that it modifies. Write a second list in which you substitute for each adjective another one that might be used in its place without changing the story. The class may work together in doing this, and the lists may be written on the board. Read the story again, substituting the new adjectives for the original ones. 230 STUDYING THE PARAGRAPH THOUGHT How many paragraphs are there in the story, The Wonderful Lamp. Each paragraph tells one part of the story. What does the first part tell? the second? the third? Make an outline like that on page 231, showing the steps by which the story is told. 231 SPEAKING WORDS CLEARLY Divide the words in the following list into syllables. Count the syllables in each word. Read each word by syllables. history comfortably Now read the following sentences, taking care to speak every syllabie. 1. We have a history and a geography lesson every day. 2. We are comfortably warm in our schoolroom all winter long. 3. I get a book out of the Public Library every Saturday. 4. How many books have you in your own library? 5. My history lesson to-day was about Columbus. 6. I looked on the map of France in my geography to find Verdun. 7. Jack settled himself comfortably in the big chair to read Huckleberry Finn. Make sentences around the class, using the four words in the lesson. Be sure to speak every syllable of the words clearly. 232 REVIEWING THE COMMA NOUNS OF ADDRESS Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, Your house is on fire, your children will burn. Rain, rain, go away, Come again another day. |