A

DRILL Book

- IN THE-

Elements English Language.

THIRD EDITION. REVISED.

By EDWARD CONANT, A. M.,

PRINCIPAL OF THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, AT RANDOLPH, VT.

RUTLAND, VT.:
PUBLISHED BY THE TUTTLE COMPANY.
1887.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1887,
BY EDWARD CONANT,

in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

PREFACE.

This edition of A Drill Book in the Elements of English has been prepared at the urgent solicitation of teachers who have used the earlier editions, for sometime now out of print, and who allege that they find no satisfactory substitute for it.

The work is meant for a drill book in elements. It is designed to help forward such a study of the English language as will enable one to read at least modern English authors with enjoyment, and to express clearly one's own thoughts.

Questions, directions, and model exercises, have been subjoined to a part of the text at the beginning of the book, to indicate modes of handling words and sentences. Very few of the questions and directions lead to exercises usually called grammatical, as such will be sufficiently suggested by a proper study of the grammar.

TO TEACHERS.

The essential part of this book is the text of the selections. Whatever else it contains has been introduced to facilitate the study of that text.

THE SENTENCE

is the proper unit of speech, and so is the first thing to be treated in the study of language. Beginning with the lesson entitled The Sentence read over with the class the groups of words, and see that the distinction among the groups is well understood by the pupil. Then let him write out such groups as are sentences, and form other groups, some making sentences, and some not making sentences.

THE USES OF SENTENCES

should be considered next, and the lesson bearing that title treated in the same way. When the pupils have become able to form and to recognize sentences of the several classes, they should learn the definitions of the first two lessons.

WORD ANALYSIS

tends, first of all, to promote accuracy in pronunciation and spelling, and is an important exercise.

The method inserted and illustrated has been for many years in actual use, with good results.

THE SCANNING

of the simpler forms of poetry is very easy. It is also very useful as leading to a better knowledge of the accentuation and construction of words, and to an observation of the musical or unmusical effect of words and combinations. Scanning is best learned by imitation. Let the teacher select an easy passage from some poem in the book, as for example, the first lines of "The Lady of Shalott," and scan to the class, then with the class, then let the class scan without the teacher; and, in due time, let each pupil scan the passage by himself. After a few exercises of this sort, the lessons relating to scanning may be studied with advantage.

ROOTS,

prefixes and suffixes are best studied in connection with the text of some good author.

To begin the study of these, let the teacher read over with the class the text of the lessons entitled A Sentence with Questions, Elisha and Joash, Solomon's Request and An Address, observing in the notes what words are given as having prefix or suffix, and the parts of such words. Then find in the tables the several prefixes, roots and suffixes, and their meaning. After going over these lessons in this way, let them be often reviewed, the teacher calling for the prefix, root, primitive, or suffix of a word, and the class, or a pupil, responding with the part and its meaning. When these lessons have been gone through with many times in this way, the class should be set to learning the prefixes and the suffixes, such exercises as are above described being kept up meanwhile.

The writing of words and their parts on the blackboard, as they are presented in the notes referred to, is a good exercise for a class.

To my fellow teachers, and others, who have favored me with suggestions, my thanks are herewith presented. Their approval is the reason for the appearance of this edition.

RANDOLPH, Aug., 1887.