The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-04-30
ACQUIRE ART OF
CORRECT SPEAKING
BY Giving the Matter Little Thought
and Study You May Master Grammar
in a Short Time. Essential in all
Business.
HELPS FOR BEGINNERS
By Sherlock

this article to present the readers OF
this paper the basic fundamental
principles of this subject. This is
a discussion primarily for the stud
ent body of our night school and
not for the teachers, and does not
presuppose on the part of the read
er any knowledge of the subject
that is. in its completeness.
The necessity for some knowledge
of grammar in all business endea-
vors. is now fully recognized by all
who are engaged in the commercial
world today, whether merchant,
manufacturer. salesman. or clerk, or
in any other capacity. Just as no
lawyer is properly prepared to prac-
tice without a knowledge Of legal
Jurisprudence and Technology and
just as no physician is capable of
practicing without a knowledge of
medical science. so is no one quite
fully prepared for successful busi-
ness career without knowledge of
the fundamental principles of
grammar" 1t is for those students
who have failed earlier in life to
grasp this training that this article
is intended. 1t is for those who
feel the need of this study but lack
the initiative to get to it, and it is
hoped that the perusal of this ar
ticle will serve as an incentive to
many. You can elevate your posi-
ton by possessing thorough
knowledge of English grammar.
This article is in no sense crit
icism of the excellent and scholarly
work that is being conducted in our
school on this subject. but is in re-
pouse to demand for treatment
explanatory in nature of which moth
ing has previously appeared.
What is Grammar?
Grammar is the treatment of
words in their relations as used for
the expression of thought. There
is no grammar of mere list of
words as given, for instance, in a
dictionary. Grammar does not con-
slider words except as used in con-
nection with other words to express
some meaning beyond that of the
individual words. Words as used
for the expression are divided into
classes called parts of speech. A
combination of words expressing a
complete thought, as mar needs
food, is called sentence. There
fore, grammar may appropriately be
taught and studied under two divi-
sions, viz: The Parts cf Speech
and the Building of the Sentence.
That is all there is of grammar so
far as this article is concerned.
Every language contains many
words, each differing from every
other either in meaning or usage.
The words of the English language
number more than three hundred
thousand. But 1t is found that
all these words can be arranged un-
der eight classes or groups which
are called parts of speech. A part
of speech is class or group of
words associated according to this
meaning and use. A single word
belonging to any one of these class
es is also called part of speech.
The division of words into the
classes or groups so designated is
not an invention or fiction of gram
marlans but is based upon real diff
ferences in the nature and use of
the various words which seem to
establish general law of language.
Parts of Speech
Once professor remarked to me
that: 1t was not essential for men
to know parts of speech to know
grammar. Just as long as the ex-
preston sounded right to the ear it
was dramatically correct" This
man is highly respected in his COM
munity for his proven ability as a
master of grammar however. l am
at issue with this learned gentle
man in respect to his views on this
particular point. Grammar as a
means of correct writing and speak
ing is practical art" and in mas
tering it nothing should be over
looked or termed unnecessary. For
instance, boy goes iuto carpen-
ter shop. and at once is taught the
names of perhaps thirty tools, which
he must retain by arbitrary memory.
Then he is instructed how to use
each tool for specific purpose. He
is not set out to find out by expert
ment how saw differs from a