TARBELL'S LESSONS IN LANGUAGE BY HORACE S. TARBELL, A.M. SUPERINTENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PROVIDENCE, R.I. SECOND BOOK BOSTON, U.S.A. PUBLISHED BY GINN & COMPANY 1894 PREFACE. THIS book has been prepared for the use of pupils of the higher grammar grades. It contains a treatment of two main subjects: Grammar, or the science of the sentence; and the elements of Composition, or the art of writing. In the part which treats of Grammar are included analysis and punctuation; in that which treats of Composition are included the conventional forms of epistolary, social, business, and parliamentary writing; and practice in the art of writing, for which abundant material is supplied by exercises in the selection and arrangement of words, in description, narration, reproduction, paraphrase, and essay-writing. These subjects are arranged, as in the first book, in the order in which the pupil can best study them, and not in the deductive order in which an adult might find most pleasure. To spend some years upon composition, often called language study, and then other years upon technical grammar, ignoring their connection and mutual helpfulness, does not produce the best culture nor prove an economical use of time. It is only when week by week of his school life the pupil is learning and applying, having constantly in hand something to study and something to write, that his mental needs are best met, and his progress best secured. That the pupil should pass from the easy to the difficult has been considered of greater importance than that cognate subtopics should be considered in connection. iii The pupil has been considered first, what he needs, what he can do, what he will enjoy; next the teacher, his convenience, the lightening of his work, the furnishing of all that he will need for the work of his class; and lastly, the subject, that it be treated clearly, definitely, and with reasonable fulness. The plan of this book, the continuity and relation of its several parts, may be learned more fully by consulting the Directions to Teachers. A book which provides for the synchronous study of several subjects must be arranged with lessons in close succession upon different lines of work, or the lessons must be selected, now here, now there, throughout the book. This may be done in reviews, but is perplexing in advance work. Though prepared to follow Book I., this book is still sufficiently complete in itself to be a one-text-book course, covering the pupil's entire range of language work below the secondary school. A personal word here may be pardoned. Amid the engrossing duties of my position I could not have found time to prepare this series had I not been constantly aided by my daughter, Martha Tarbell. To Joseph C. Jones, Superintendent of the Schools of Newton, Mass., I make acknowledgment of many helpful suggestions during the preparation of the work. NOTES TO TEACHERS. THE lessons of this book should be studied in the order in which they occur; but reviews should be conducted by subjects, that the logical relation of the parts of each subject may be perceived and comprehended. Some of these subjects should be kept in constant review, while others need not be reviewed at all. The lessons in grammar are 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 21, 23, 27, 31, 35, 40, 43, 47, 49, 54, 58, 63, 65, 67, 71, 72, 75, 81, 85, 89, 94, 98, 101, 105, 108, 112, 118, 121, 125, 129, 131, 135, 138, 142, 149, 152, 154, 160, 166, 172, 176, 179, 181, 184, 187, 190, 193, 196, 198, 202, 206, 209, 212, 218, 225, 230, 234, 237, 240, 245, 248, 253, 259, 262, 267, 276, 288, 294, 297, 300, 304, 308, 313, 318, 321, 332, 335, 338, 340. For lessons in rhetoric, punctuation, and other subjects, see Index. These references will be useful in reviews and examinations. An abundance of work in composition has been provided. It is expected that the teacher will use this material as the needs of the class require. Some of the topics for compositions may be treated orally and others in writing; some may be assigned to one part of the class and others to another part; some may be deferred to a review and others may be omitted altogether. The usual marks of correction are given on page 29, and pupils should be trained to use them from the first in the correction of papers. If it be desired merely to indicate errors without making corrections, S may be used in the margin to indicate an error in spelling, G in grammar, P in punctuation or capitals, and R in rhetoric or style. A teacher should not undertake to correct every paper that his pupils write. If he does, his burden of work becomes too heavy to be borne, or the pupils have much less practice in writing than they need. V |