Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

more time than the teacher has at his disposal.

The author's style is easy and natural. Of its popularity we may judge from its circulation.

than the teacher has at his disposal.

The author's style is easy and natural. That it is also popular we may infer from the sale of his works.

What is meant by the "circulation

*The people of Dante's time were not so polished as they were at the time of Milton.

An index with more than three thousand entries ought to meet all requirements. It does not. A hasty trial of it shows no clue to the important paragraph on Basket Ball, no allusion under Hare and Hounds, etc.

A classical style is not to be expected in books of this sort, but to be told that the keeper ... should enjoy a day's shooting, whether he shoots himself or not," sounds strange.

of a style?

The people of Dante's time were not so polished as the people of Milton's time.

An index with more than three thousand entries ought to meet all requirements. Yet this index does not. A hasty trial of it shows, etc.

[It sounds much worse than "strange." Why could not the author have written: "whether he himself shoots or not"?]

21. Modifying Words, Phrases, Clauses.-No rigid rule can be given for the proper placing of those expressions which modify the principal action or thought of the sentence. One general criterion or test, however, will aid the writer in determining whether his structure is perfectly clear. The sentence is perfectly clear when each modifying expression, while retaining its own force, corroborates the force of the words immediately preceding and immediately following. Conversely, the sentence is not perfectly clear when any expression interferes with any other expression.

The following, by Shaftesbury, has been often admired and quoted. Comparing modern poets with ancient, Shaftesbury writes:

If, while they profess only to please, they secretly advise and give instruction, they may now, perhaps, as well as formerly, be esteemed, with justice, the best and most honorable among authors.

Note only, secretly, now, perhaps, formerly, with justice. Contrast with such perfect ease and lucidity the following specimen of slapdash :

* Will any one who has seen a "Soll und Haben" left in the cloakroom without any name in it a few days ago kindly inform X. Y. Z.

Why "seen" rather than "found"? Anyhow, why should we ask whether anyone has found an object before we say that we have lost it? Was the "cloak-room without any

66

name in it? Is the name, which was wanting a few days ago," supplied now? In general, are we likely to come across a book without any name in it?

Left, a few days ago, in the cloak-room, a copy of "Soll und Haben" without the owner's name. The finder will kindly inform X. Y. Z.

Try

The best advice that one can give to young and old is this : Cultivate the habit of picking your sentences to pieces. to discover misplaced words and phrases. Do not rest until you are satisfied that you cannot possibly arrange the words better.

Does Mr. Bain really know these writers at first hand whom he introduces with so many qualifying adjectives?

The administration has determined rapidly to extend the jurisdiction of the United States over the whole of the Philippine group.

The wind comes across the lazily murmuring leaves laden with a warm sickening smell drawn from the rapidly growing, broad-flung banners of the corn.

Wanted, Roxbury, Grove Hall section, exceptionally quiet room for day sleeping, in refined family, by young man, with best references. -Adv't.

Does Mr. Bain really know at first hand these writers whom he introduces with so many qualifying adjectives?

The administration has determined to extend rapidly the jurisdiction of the United States over the whole of the Philippine group.

Across the lazily murmuring leaves the wind comes laden with a warm sickening smell drawn from the rapidly growing, broad-flung banners of the corn.

Wanted, for day sleeping, by young man with best references, exceptionally quiet room in refined family, Roxbury, Grove Hall section.

Mr.

will deliver a lecture

upon the value of exercise before breakfast, at three o'clock this afternoon.

Mr. will deliver, at three o'clock this afternoon, a lecture

upon the value of exercise before breakfast.

Yet,

The wording of announcements is usually awkward. with care, the writer ought to be able to insert many items without ceasing to be clear. Note, in the following, the items of subject, time, place, audience, effect:

Yesterday evening, in

Hall, Mr.

delivered before the

Club, with great success, an interesting lecture upon our relations with China.

Some writers might prefer the order:

delivered with great success before the

Club.

Probably, however, the original order is better; it seems more natural to mention the hearers sion made upon them.

Macaulay passed his youth and early manhood during the period when this great change was taking place, in historical studies, and producing its first fruits.

I have seen something since those days of Oxford and Cambridge Dons at close quarters, something also of literary men and women, and should therefore know what vanity is.

In its original wording the

before speaking of the impres

Macaulay passed his youth and early manhood during the period when this great change in historical studies was taking place and producing its first fruits.

Since those days I have seen at close quarters something of Oxford and Cambridge Dons, something also of literary men and women, and should therefore know what vanity is.

sentence suggested that the

writer had seen the Dons engaged in a hand-to-hand fight.

*He lost the opportunity of retrieving the past by refusing to acknowledge his relations with the woman and giving over his child to Silas Marner.

The vast concourse of men and women formed two long lanes, and between them the Queen and Prin

By refusing to acknowledge his relations with the woman and giving over his child to Silas Marner he lost the opportunity of retrieving the past.

The vast concourse of men and Women formed two long lines, between which the Queen and the

cess passed slowly in their carriage, drawn by two grays, bowing right and left.

Principally selected from the old poets, no poems being admitted by living authors.

* Please have the President of school sign the answer as president of school with yourself.

His mind all day flew ahead of the train to the little town far on toward the Mississippi, where he had spent his boyhood and youth.

* In parts the writing is very sketchy, as in the description of the street with its lamps suspended from iron gibbets and rudely paved with the gutter in the middle.

Redundancy, tautology, and circumlocution destroy force in a sentence, as well as a weak expression of a strong idea.

You might go through the very gulley it stands in a hundred times and be none the wiser.

He left Oxford, never to return to it as a residence, and not to visit it for thirty-two years, in the following February.

Fish dipped in the cereal [oatmeal] before frying is offered in Scotland more often than in flour.

Residence and instruction in German, with board, in the house of a gentleman of official position and education in high schools, if desired. Adv't.

To show the enthusiasm with which our troops have been re

Princess, in their carriage drawn by two grays, passed slowly, bowing right and left.

Principally selected from the old poets, no poems by living authors being admitted.

Please get the president of your school to countersign your answer.

All day his mind flew ahead of the train, flew onward toward the Mississippi, to the little town where he had spent his boyhood and youth.

In parts the writing is very sketchy, for example, in the description of the rudely paved street, the gutter in the middle, and the lamps suspended from iron gibbets.

The force of a sentence is diminished by redundancy, tautology, and circumlocution; also by the weak expression of a strong idea.

You might go a hundred times through the very gulley it stands in and be none the wiser.

In the following February he left Oxford, never to return to it as a place of residence, and not to revisit it for thirty-two years.

In Scotland fish are more often dipped in oatmeal than in flour before they are fried.

[This is a hopeless puzzle. Does the clause "if desired" refer to "board"? Has the "gentleman" got his education in the high schools? Or may the boarder get his education there?]

To show the enthusiasm with which our troops from Egypt have

ceived, we may mention that we have been told of several instances where cabmen have driven soldiers

from Egypt to the barracks without charge.

*Hawkeye, doubting the truth of the Indian's statement, together with Uncas and his father, concerted a plan to capture Magua.

He had a fork on his shoulder, a graceful and polished tool.

Jays called in the thickets, where the maples flamed amid the green oaks, with irregular splashes of red and orange.

A workman who knows the masterpieces of his craft simply cannot work as if he were ignorant of them.

*Having never submitted to anything requiring industry and patience, although she is quick and clever, she does nothing remarkably well.

been received, we may mention that we have been told of several instances in which cabmen have driven soldiers to the barracks without charge.

Doubting the truth of Magua's statement, Hawkeye concerted with Uncas and Chingachgook a plan to capture him.

He had on his shoulder a fork, a graceful and polished tool.

Jays called in the thickets where, ainid the green oaks, the maples flamed with irregular splashes of red and orange.

A workman who knows the masterpieces of his craft cannot possibly work as if he were ignorant of them.

Never having subjected her industry and patience to the test, she is, despite her quickness and cleverness, unable to do anything thoroughly well.

22. Modifiers at the Beginning of the Sentence.In consequence of the faulty methods employed in teaching English grammar, the beginner is apt to imagine that the normal order of words in the sentence is: grammatical subject, verb, object. Such an order not only makes the sentencestructure intolerably monotonous, but also interferes with clearness, force, and ease.

In the matter of clearness it is instructive to note the frequency with which the best writers begin the sentence with a modifier, especially with an expression of time or of place. Such an arrangement leaves the body of the sentence free for the clear statement of the verbal action. For example, the opening of Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker consists of four successive sentences, each beginning with an expression of place:

« AnteriorContinuar »