The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-05-31

ing obtained interest in the class, the
next thing is to proceed to practical
work. Most Of our grammars con-
tain . great number Of exercises in
false syntax,' and most Of them
make the mistake Of saving that al
tho sentences given are wrong. /
deem this an error. False syntax"
should be combined with correct
syntax- When the pupil goes into
business for himself be viii not find
his wrong sentences Labeled 90 He
will be expected 10 avoid errors
without any notes Of admirationD
affixed.
But we must take our books as We
find them. Are you teschins from
work with diagram system in IT,
Ii so, ''use il a. lot abusing IT," |
have already expressed nv opinion
of diagrams rather fully.
See to it that your pupils know
the definitions. Some persons say
that ''there is no use Of child's
committing a lot Of definitions
which he does not understand /
do not take this in its broad sense.
| know that ! learned many n def
milton that ! did not understand at
the time-many of them not for
years after ] know, too, that learn
ing these definitions never did me
any harm. See 10 it, then. | repeat,
that the definitions are properly
earned-understandingIy IL posi-
ble-but learned.
/ have seen whole class CT per-
sons who considered themselves
good grammarians, and were, puz-
zled by the question, define orthog-
raphy, etymology, syntax and pros
ody." n. B. Not Of what do they
respectively treat, but what are they.
Can you tell? | hope so, but if not
overhaul the book and when found,
make a note OF it. as Captain Cut
tie would say.
You want your pupils TO have de-
clensions, comparisons, conjugations,
principal parts, etc, at their tongues
end. You can only do this by pa
tient drill month after month. Prae-
tice them in writing synopsis OF
verbs. | know from experience that
more persons fail in this than in any
other single point of grammar. Do
You wish to test a fellows knowledge
of the verb? Send him to the board
to write q synopsis through all the
modes and lenses and both voices.
If he does it correctly he knows the
verb. Practice them on more than
the first person, singular, although
that is the main one. Many a boy
and girl fail to recognize the change
from shall to will in the future lenses.
Another point is the infnitive. 1t
is the worst handled portion of
grammar. | have drilled class OF
young men and ladies patiently for
five months, and had number OF
them fail on the last day of the term
before the examination.
'Let me go home.p How many
of my readers will fail to parse this
sentence God knows, and / know,
too, that great many will fail.
There is a special rule. "After the
active voice of the verbs do, bid,
dare, let, make, need, see, hear, feel,
and perceive, the proposition to is
omitted before the infinitive. have
spent more time in special drill on.
that one rule than on any other.
Parsing is 4 matter that can only
be acquired by careful drill. Day
after day parse say half an hour.
No teacher can do justice to a gram
mar class in less than an hour. Much
is to be done too by citations from
authors. Elegant extracts" NAV
be made, and their beauties pointed
out to your class. But if You wish
to select an essay parsing lesson,
never attempt to find it in Milton. /
tell you, my friend, there is no essay
parsing in John Millions works.
Grammar is taught in order that the
youth may apply it in after life, and
4 you do your duty your pupil will
at once that he has been
aging up q store of knowledge to
use in the time to come. | might
enter into the discussion of particu-
ars; might take up certain classes
IF sentences, but to do so would be
out of place here.
Ny Iext chapter viii be on arith-
netic.