BROWN'S LANGUAGE LESSONS WITH GRADED EXERCISES IN ANALYSIS, PARSING, CONSTRUCTION, AND COMPOSITION AN INTRODUCTION ΤΟ GOOLD BROWN'S SERIES OF ENGLISH GRAMMARS BY HENRY KIDDLE, A.M. Late Superintendent of Schools, New York City NEW YORK WILLIAM WOOD AND COMPANY PREFACE. THE publication of this little manual is due to a demand, on the part of teachers who use Goold Brown's admirable system of English grammar, for an introductory work simpler and more elementary than the "First Lines," and supplied with more copious written exercises, and a system of diagrams for the illustration of sentential analysis. In compliance with this demand, the book has been divided into easy lessons, and the development system has been more fully carried out in the presentation and elucidation of the whole subject. The work has, in this manner, been divested of the character of a formal treatise while the logical order of the topics has been still preserved. Nor is it a mere epitome of Brown's larger work, "The Institutes of English Grammar," but is to be regarded as a series of simple Language Lessons, involving the rudimentary principles, definitions, and rules of English Grammar, with abundant practice in their use and application, by means of both oral and written exercises, thus forming an introduction to the study of the larger work. In all the lessons, the aim has been to divest the subject of the arbitrary and abstract character which has too often been given to grammatical study, and of which much complaint has justly been made. This has been avoided by developing in the mind of the pupil, by means of an easy and almost obvious analysis of simple examples, the ideas and distinctions designed to be imparted, after which formal definitions may properly be given. Thus every lesson, with its illustrative exercises in analysis and construction, becomes a step in training the pupil in the science and art of verbal expression, or language, and in leading him to the acquisition of correct habits in both speaking and writing. This is at present a very great desideratum in elementary education, not to be attained, as some think, by the abolition of what they are pleased to call "technical grammar," and the substitution of an arbitrary, hap-hazard method of practice, with no guide, principle, or rule, but by initiating the pupil into the knowledge and constant ap plication of principles and rules, appealing at every step to his intelligence, and thus affording him that development of mind of which the rational study of grammar is so effective an instrument. The system of diagrams employed in this work is designed to present clearly and forcibly, through the eye, the component parts of the sentence and their relations to each other, every relation being distinctly indicated by a special sign. This system has the advantage of complete perspicuity, so that the pupil, easily recognizing the relations indicated, may read the sentence as readily from the diagram as in its ordinary form. Hence, it will be found devoid of that complexity which, in most cases, has so greatly detracted from the value of this method of illustration, the diagram being often made more difficult to understand than the sentence which it is intended to explain. This method of graphically presenting the analysis of sentences, as soon as it has become familiar to the pupil, invariably becomes extremely fascinating to him, and serves to impress upon his mind those distinctions without a knowledge of which language can never be to the mind a definite means of expression, nor can ever be used with entire accuracy and clearness. In the principles, rules, and definitions, the system of Goold Brown has been followed, with a very slight departure, for the sake of simplicity; and it is believed that, by this publication, that author's timehonored work may be rendered more valuable and more satisfactory to teachers and the general public. NEW YORK, September 1, 1889. |