IMPORTANCE OF THE PREDICATE VERB 157 Read carefully the letter on page 156. Notice the form used in addressing the principal. When the teacher dictates this letter, write it as correctly as possible. A Request Talk over in class some request that you wish to make of your principal, or of your Board of Education. Think of something that your class needs and wishes to ask for. Write a letter asking for this article. A committee of the class may select five of the best letters to be mailed. Subject Substantive and Predicate Verb Select the complete subject and the complete predicate of each of the following sentences. Also select the subject substantive and the predicate verb of each sentence. I. The town mouse visited the country mouse. 2. Many little children live in crowded city houses. 3. The three sons rode away. 4. The older brothers reached home early. 5. Each day brought new pleasures. 6. A little artist paints the window panes. 8. The merry clown delighted the children. Importance of the Predicate Verb You have noticed that it is the predicate verb that tells what the subject does or what the subject is. You cannot find a sentence that does not have a predicate verb. It is the verbs that make our stories Look up the word control in the dictionary. Notice the small line placed between the syllables con and trol, con-trol. This mark, called the hyphen, is used to show the division of words into syllables. Whenever in your writing you wish to put part of a word at the end of a line and the rest on the next line, you must be sure to divide the word between syllables and to place a hyphen after the syllable at the end of the line. A word of one syllable, as straight, breadth, should never be divided. Notice the hyphens at the ends of lines on pages 153 to 155 of this book. Copy the following words and then look them up in the dictionary. Place a check opposite the words of one syllable. Show by hyphens where the other words may be divided into syllables and mark the accented syllables. Then pronounce each word aloud. XII. PARAGRAPHS The Topic Sentence Writing is divided into paragraphs. Each paragraph should tell about one topic. Read the following paragraphs and tell what each is about: My dog has many cunning little ways. When I first awake in the morning I open the door of my bedroom, so that she can come in. She jumps up to my bed and licks my hands, and barks, as much as to say, "It's time to get up." At the table she sits beside me. Sometimes I feed her if she begs for it. She begs by sitting on her hind legs and holding up her right forepaw. She can shake hands with her right paw. When she holds out her left paw she looks very much ashamed because she has made a mistake. Alnaschar, my fifth brother, was very lazy, and, of course, wretchedly poor. On the death of our father we divided his property, and each of us received a hundred drachmas of silver for his share. Alnaschar, who hated labor, laid out his money in fine glasses, and having displayed his stock to the best advantage in a large basket, he took his stand in the market place, with his back against the wall, and waited for customers. A very wicked giant named Grendel lived near King Hrothgar's hall. This giant hated light and everything that was good. When he saw the bright lights shine out from the hall and heard the laughter ring out, he grew so angry that he wished to destroy the hall and all who sat in it. This desire grew upon him until at last he crept out of his dark den into the hall and killed thirty of Hrothgar's warriors. Try to find a sentence in each paragraph that will tell what the paragraph is about. This is called a topic sentence. A sentence that expresses the main thought of a paragraph is called a topic sentence. Exercise Find the complete subject and the complete predicate, the subject substantive and the predicate verb of each of the following sentences: 1. The king wept for his men. 2. This giant hated light. 3. The Danes suffered from their terrible enemy. 4. The king made a great feast. 5. A wicked giant wished to destroy the hall. STOP 7. A servant came out. 8. He asked where they came from. 9. The sweet-voiced minstrel sang many songs. LOOK LISTEN' Correct Usage Have It is correct to say "I have a pencil" instead of "I've got a pencil." It is correct to say "I have no pencil" or "I haven't any pencil"; but it is never correct to say "I haven't got no pencil. BUILDING A PARAGRAPH 161 Answer the following questions, using have, haven't any, or have no in your answers: 1. What have you in your hand? I. 2. Have you any paper? 3. Has Frank a bicycle? 4. Have they a baby sister? 5. What has Lucy on her desk? 6. What has the teacher in her hand? 8. Have you a dog? 9. Has your mother a washing machine? 10. Has your little sister a new doll? Consulting the Index of a Book Look in the index of a reference book on geography for the following topics: Rainfall on the Pacific Coast The Houses of the Philippines Boatmen on the Volga Gathering Ivory The Cultivation of Rice Look in the index of your textbook on hygiene for the following topics: Care of the Teeth Prevention of Tuberculosis Building a Paragraph Insects as Disease Carriers Use one of the following sentences as a topic sentence on which to build a paragraph. Give your paragraph |