of the voice. The chief stress is shown by the darker accent mark; the lesser stress, by the lighter one. When you look for words in the dictionary, you must observe carefully the accent mark or marks. USING THE DICTIONARY FINDING WORDS Here is a list of words taken from your previous lessons. Find them in the dictionary. Write them, placing the accent mark after the proper syllable. Pronounce the words. When you write to your friends, you want to be as interesting as you are when you talk with them. For that reason try to write as though you were talking. You are constantly watching your speech so that you may improve it. You must also watch your speech when you talk to your friends in your letters. The following letters written by real children show you several ways of saying "Thank you," when you Dear Miss Lewis, 538 Washington Avenue February 17, 1920 Thank you very much for the nice box of chocolates. They were very good, and we enjoyed them. I don't think Christmas would be Christmas without candy. Do you? Besides your gift I got a toy cannon, some books, and a typewriter. I am dying to write this letter on it, but mother says it would be shockingly bad manners to write such a letter on a typewriter. I hope you, too, had a happy Christmas. Your friend, Stuart R. Lomas Sylvia and Gilbert are two little cousins who are taking lessons on the violin. Their aunt promised each of them a watch when they could play three pieces from memory without a mistake. The children worked hard, and the happy day on which they received their reward at last arrived. Here are the letters they wrote to their aunt, thanking her for her gift. Dear Auntie, 556 West 120th Street October 25, 1919 I Thank you so much for the lovely wrist watch. didn't think you could get such a beautiful one in all the world! Did a fairy make it for you to give to me? Or are you the fairy? I know it is you, of course. It is so convenient to wear when going to school and when practicing. But best of all, it makes me think of you. I send much love to my dear fairy aunt. Your affectionate niece, Sylvia Lent 4 Monona Avenue Madison, Wis. November 3, 1919 Dear Aunt Rose, Thanks for the watch. It is a beauty and just the right size. Mother and Dad don't think it best for me to take it to school because it is too risky. But I am going to wear it to Chicago every time I go for my music lesson. I hurt my finger playing ball, so I couldn't write before. It is all well now. Here are heaps of love and another big "Thank you." Your affectionate nephew, Gilbert Ross 1007 Leyden Street Dear Cousin John, October 13, 1918 The Fourth Liberty Loan posters are very handsome. Thank you for sending them to me. I took a few of them to school to Miss Castle, and she put them up in the back of the room. I have had one hundred per cent every day this week, and mother gave me a dollar to buy Thrift Stamps. She says that if I get a hundred per cent two weeks right along, without missing once, she will give me two dollars for Thrift Stamps. My Thrift Card is getting 'pretty full again, and I think that before long I shall buy my eighth War Savings Stamp. I hope you are all well. Your loving cousin, Ned Wilson 57 LEARNING TO WRITE LETTERS THE PARTS OF A LETTER Study the appearance of these letters on the page. How many lines are there at the top or head of the letter? What does the first line tell? the second? the third? These three lines make up what is called the heading of the letter. Why should there be a heading to every letter? Notice that there are no punctuation marks at the ends of these lines. Now look at the left side of the letters. You will see that the words Dear Miss Lewis, Dear Auntie, Dear Aunt Rose, or Dear Cousin John are written on a line by themselves. These words tell you to whom Stuart, Sylvia, Gilbert, and Ned are writing. They are called the salutation. The salutation is really only a way of saying, "How do you do?" A salutation is a saluting or a greeting. Notice that the salutation is followed by a comma. The letter itself begins on the line below the salutation, under the second word of greeting. Observe that the letters are divided into paragraphs. Notice the endings of these letters: Your friend, Your affectionate nephew, Your loving cousin. The They are called the complimentary close. courteous or complimentary close of a letter is merely a polite way of saying, "Good-by," just as the salutation is a way of saying, "How do you do?" It is written on a separate line. What word in the complimentary close begins with a capital letter? Both the salutation and the close are written on separate lines. Both are followed by commas. Letters like these are called friendly letters. When you write a friendly letter, that is, a letter to a friend or a relative, follow the form of these letters. In the heading of a letter there are no marks of punctuation at the ends of the lines. A comma is placed after the salutation and after the complimentary close of the friendly letter. 58 LEARNING TO WRITE LETTERS WRITING A THANK-YOU LETTER The children showed in their letters that they were delighted with their gifts. Try to do the same when you write a Thank-you letter, and do not forget to write immediately after receiving a gift. Imagine that it is your birthday. |