Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-03
TIE STUDY OF COMPOSITION.

Teachers Il. presenting tho principle
OF conference 10 pupils studying the
science anil art OF composition will
lind that procept and example must go
band in hand. Perhaps tue hest way
fDr the teacher TO fix in the pupils
mind the meaning and scope of co.
heronce is to bring out the principle
daily by illustrative example, and 10
lead the pupil to detect cases of
coherence aud CAGES Of incoherence 10
sentences markedly different from those
employed in the original presentation
OF the principle,
Let ua say that the pupil has learned
what coherencD means, and how the
principle is applied in the management
of adverbs and adverhial phrasus.
Having gone thus far, the pupil easily
detects and corrects errors such as
those in the following sentences |;
wanted, a black. aud tan terrier, by a
lady with close cropped ears, " Re
freshmenis will be served after the next
dance, in the library, =" 81 only wish
to mention these four cases. ="
Wien pupil picks out eaeily such
errors, then put on the hoard and ask
him TO correct such sentences us this.
the whole assembly, which showed
itself 10 every look and feature. Here
the most striking error lies in the fact
that the relative clause, (which showed
itHelf in every look and feature. y is
thrust out of place. Tho pupil knows
that conference requires that words,
phrases and clauses be placed where
they belong, that is as near as may be
fp fla 49, ~
course that the principle applies not
only to adverbs and adverbial phrases,
but rs well to relative clauses. He
needs only to be reminded that the
principle is of general application in
order for him to see that in the SEN
tence just quoted the relative clause
must come Immediately after "ioy,"
and that in order that this may be pos
aible, the adverbial phrase Through.
out the assembly," must be placed
"diffused. - The sentence as thus
corrected will read, 1T diffused
throughout the assembly secret joy,
which showed itself in every look and
feature.
Tho pupil should DO required to
point out second aliverbial phrase
the sentence. The teacher should also
point out that this sentence and others
like il, are valuable as showing that a
single word or phrase tut of place may
do tho double harm of misleading the
reader as to its own relation in the
sentence and OF coming between parts
that are related ami should be side by
side.
Although conference ia a rhetorical
principle, a sentence may be incoherent
ny reason of being ungrammatical.
Here il such a sentence both men
lived till 1870, though neither wrote
much during the last 20 years of their
lives" II their lives'' be changed
TO Ibis life,'' the sentence becomes
grammatical and coherent.
twill require little ingenuity on5the
part of the teacher to present great
variety OF sentences illustrating co.
herence and incohersnce, and the
teacher must bear in mind that clsar
comprehension OF the principle by the
| pupil depends upnn q multiplicity and
variety of examples The teacher is
referred TO Raub's Rhetoric, used in
the public schools, as the readisst
source nf such illustrative examples.
Any good text book on Rhetoric would
furnish such examples.
1t is quite plain from what hae thus
far been said on this subject that only
those pupils that ars skilled in the
analysis Of sentences can easily grasp
and apply the principle OF Conference.
Pupils not thus skilled should be
thoroughly drilled in sentence anaiysia
for few lessons before the subject Of
coherence is taken up.
The next Of these articles will dis.
cuss tho management of pronouns.
Teachers must bear in mind that it is
the intent of the writer not to make
these discussions exhaustive, but to
present merely few broad principles
illustrated by comparatively simple
cases. The more detailed application
OF principles, and the more difficult
cases will be brought to the attention
Of students after they have entered
| Delaware College.