Elementary Composition · Part 5

Exercise 37.--Change the following indirect quotations to direct quotations:--

1. The fir tree wished it were tall enough to go to sea, and asked the stork to tell it what the sea looked like; but the stork replied that it would take too much time to explain.

2. The little boy asked his grandmother whether the swarm of white bees had a queen bee and she replied that they certainly had.

3. Rip asked in despair whether nobody there knew Rip Van Winkle, and some one answered that he stood leaning against a tree yonder. Rip looked, and beheld a precise counterpart of himself as he went up the mountain. The poor fellow was now completely confounded and wondered whether he was himself or another man. In the midst of his bewilderment, the man in the cocked hat demanded who he was and what was his name. Rip replied that he was not himself but somebody else, and that he could not tell who he was.

Exercise 38.--Write from dictation.

1. A little daughter of a clergyman was not feeling well, and had to be put to bed early.

"Mother," she said, "I want to see my dear father."

"No, dear," said her mother, "father is not to be disturbed just now."

Presently came the pleading voice, "I want to see my father."

"No, dear," was the answer, "I cannot disturb him."

Then the four-year-old parishioner rose to the question of privilege.

"Mother," said she, "I am sick woman, and I want to see my minister."

2. One night my friend put up at a small country hotel. The next morning, at breakfast, the landlord said to him, "Did you enjoy the cornet playing in the room next to yours last night?"

"Enjoy it!" my friend replied, "I should think not. Why, I spent half the night pounding on the wall to make the man stop."

"It must have been a misunderstanding," said the landlord. "The cornet player told me that the person in the next room applauded him so heartily that he went over every piece he knew three times."

CHAPTER IV

WORDS

16. How We Learn Words.--We have now for some time been studying about combinations of words, but we have said very little about words themselves. This was the proper course to follow, for in our native language we need to be told about combinations of words more than about words themselves; about these we cannot help finding out much by ourselves. Indeed, it is life that teaches us words,--life and association with our fellows. We could scarcely avoid learning rapidly the names which the people who speak our language have given to the multitude of actual things which we see and touch, and the common words which are customary to express our feelings and thoughts with regard to these objects. As we grow older and wiser, and particularly if we associate with persons of intelligence and information, and read widely in books of all sorts, we become rapidly acquainted also with a great mass of words that have grown up to express the most abstract thoughts and the most delicate shades of feeling.

Life, then, and association with our fellows, and reading will bring to our knowledge, in due course of time, all the words we shall ever need to use. There are a few hints to be given, however, which will be of service to you in this process of learning the customary words which the people of our race and nation use to express their thoughts and feelings.

17. The Size and Character of the English Vocabulary.--We use the word vocabulary to express the total number of words used by a person or group of persons. The English vocabulary, then, is the total number of words used by the people who write and speak English. There are more than three hundred thousand such words collected in our dictionaries, and the number is being added to every year. No single person would be acquainted with all these words, for many of them have been used only rarely, or only among little groups of people, or in connection with sciences not understood by the people at large. The number of words that an intelligent and educated person would understand when he saw or heard them is not often more than sixty thousand; the number of words that such a person would himself use is very much less--probably not, as a rule, more than twenty thousand.

A great many of our words come from the Latin language, and you will be greatly aided in your study of English words if you can learn something of that language.

18. Increasing One's Vocabulary.--It is clear, then, that you will greatly increase your vocabulary as you grow older and wiser. It is also true, in general, that as your vocabulary grows you will grow, to some extent, in knowledge of the world. It will be worth while for you, therefore, to get into the habit of learning new words. This could, of course, be done by reading the dictionary (and the dictionary is by no means an uninteresting volume to pick up from time to time), but the more natural way is to reach this result by cultivating the habit of attention to words. You might begin the habit by noticing accurately the names of things you see or handle,--of tools and implements, birds, animals, and flowers; the names of different colors and shades; the names applied to persons to describe their duties and occupations.

Exercise 39.--Write as many words as possible that name:--

1. Various trades and professions. 2. Vehicles used on land. 3. Boats (from a man-of-war to a flatboat). 4. Buildings--(a) churches, (b) public buildings, (c) educational buildings, (d) buildings used for amusements. 5. Parts of a bicycle. 6. Tools. 7. Birds. 8. Flowers. 9. Colors. 10. Musical instruments.

Exercise 40.--After each of the following nouns place a verb that describes the sound made by the animal mentioned.

Sheep, owls, sparrows, goats, oxen, frogs, hens, bears, horses, robins, roosters, doves, lions, parrots, ravens, monkeys, elephants, snakes.

Exercise 41.--Notice the following words which might be used in describing some one's appearance:--

Eyes: bright, dull, sparkling, clear, heavy, close-set, shifting, narrow, honest, gentle, penetrating, keen, kindly, expressive, lovely, hard.

Forehead: noble, high, receding, low, broad, narrow, well-shaped.

Figure: muscular, wiry, broad-shouldered, well-proportioned, slender, thick-set, stout, short, tall.

1. Make a similar list to describe a person's disposition, ability, conversation.

2. Make a list of the descriptive words used by Longfellow in The Village Blacksmith.

Exercise 42.--Find as many descriptions of winter as you can. Make lists of words used by the authors in describing it. Make lists of words that you might use in describing the following: a picnic; Christmas night; the weather; the character of Washington; an old house; a shell; a feather; a sunset; Mount Washington; a lily-of-the valley; your favorite walk.

Exercise 43.--The same scene may look very different to you at different times,--for instance, a piece of woods which you visit in company with some merry boys and girls in search of spring flowers, and the same woods in which you wander alone, having lost your way.

Select from the following list adjectives which you might use in writing the first description; the second.

Things described: path, leaves on the ground, birds, squirrels, trees, brook.

Descriptive words: lonely, crisp, solitary, chattering, moaning, merry, mournful, timid, scolding, shady, romantic, charming, singing, sweet-voiced, warning, sobbing, dismal, gloomy.

Exercise 44.--Compare the following: 1. New York Harbor seen by a citizen of New York who is returning home after a long absence in some foreign country. 2. The same viewed by a homesick Norwegian girl who has left all her friends in Norway.

Select some of your descriptive words from the following, adding as many others as you feel that you need: inhospitable, gloomy, cold, hard, welcome, joyous, sad, bright, glorious, fearful, lonely, pathetic, homesick.

Exercise 45.--1. The village bell is ringing. Describe the way it sounds to you on the following occasions:--

Calling to church service on a clear, sunny Sabbath morning; tolling for the death of a dear friend; ringing in celebration of a victory (suppose that we are at war with another country); ringing to celebrate a wedding; ringing "the old year out, and the new year in." [Read The Bells, by Edgar Allan Poe, before writing.]

2. Write a paragraph telling how you felt when you heard that you were to have some unexpected pleasure.

3. Imagine yourself living on the morning of April 15, 1865. Describe your feelings on learning of the death of Lincoln.

19. Synonyms.--Synonyms are words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

EXAMPLES: Liberal, generous; face, countenance.

A knowledge of synonyms will be valuable to you in several ways. First, it will enable you to avoid the too frequent repetition of a word. By using synonyms, then, you add variety to your writing.

"When the walk is over there is abundance to think about; and the ramble reviewed at night before the andirons is a repetition of the day's enjoyment."

If you will substitute walk for ramble in the preceding sentence, you will see how much the sentence loses by not using the synonym.

Exercise 46.--In each of the following fill each blank with an appropriate synonym of the italicized word in the same sentence:--

1. Be astir at ----, then, and receive the greeting of that lover of the dawn, the blackcap. 2. The ---- thickened, so that now you waded through a condensation of gloom. 3. The thrush filled every lone pathway with its sweet music, and I wondered that the world should hear so little of this woodside ----. 4. The sobering silence of the night was the subject of our conversation, when suddenly a sad, sweet song broke the ----. 5. In the city these conditions are not so well marked; but beyond the ---- limits, nature still rules. 6. It was just the day for a ramble, and I was off early for an all-day ----. 7. The gale died away, and he tried to go northward again; but again came the ---- and swept him back into the waste. 8. And what became of the little ----, the poor boy in the pretty town of Marbach? 9. He comes up the stairs ---- and opens the door noiselessly. 10. When the first week had passed, the queen took little Eliza into the country, and but a short month had ---- when the king had entirely forgotten his little daughter.

Exercise 47.--In the following use a synonym in place of one of the underlined words:--

1. He has many wealthy friends, although he is not a wealthy man himself. 2. At his first glimpse of the countenance, Ernest did fancy that there was a resemblance between it and the familiar countenance upon the mountain side. 3. Celia considered that it would be unsafe for two young maids of rank to travel in their rich clothes; she therefore proposed that they should dress like country maids. 4. When the servant of the house of Montague met the servant of the house of Capulet, a quarrel ensued; and frequent were the quarrels from such accidental meetings. 5. Portia dressed herself and Nerissa in men's apparel, and putting on the apparel of a counselor, she took Nerissa with her as clerk and set out for Venice. 6. Portia now desired Shylock to let her see the bond; and when she had read it she desired him to be merciful. 7. The importance of the arduous task Portia had engaged in gave her courage, and she boldly proceeded to perform the task she had undertaken. 8. The lady expressed great sorrow at hearing this, and said she wished to see the father of Helena, a young lady who was present. 9. The mourners sat in silence, with only a smothered sob now and then to break the silence. 10. She tried to comfort the sorrowful girl, but could think of nothing that would comfort her.

Exercise 48.--1. Give one or more synonyms for each of the following words. Consult your dictionary.

Dawn, neglect, perform, astonish, collect, bestow, appeal, destroy, attend, grieve, joy, brilliance, gloomy, happy, gentle, calm, excitable, fond, sweet, simple, just, honorable, gloaming, bewilder.

2. Rearrange the following list, putting together all words that are synonyms:--

Crime, smite, maid, fault, fervent, labor, reverence, ardent, instantly, respect, fraternal, quickly, work, glowing, entreat, toil, honor, brotherly, beg, venerate, beseech, gloaming, waste, importune, twilight, squander, glitter, shine, glisten, sparkle, offense, girl, strike, lass, sincere, faithful, transgression, true, desire, wish.

A knowledge of synonyms, then, is valuable, since it enriches your vocabulary and enables you to give variety to your writing. There is still another way in which this knowledge may be useful to you, There is generally some slight difference in meaning, even in words classed as synonyms, and a wise choice will enable you to express your thought with more exactness.

EXAMPLE. "I frantically begged a knot of sailors not to let them perish before our eyes."

In the dictionary you will find the following synonyms for beg, with an explanation of the different shades of meaning: ask, entreat, beseech, implore, supplicate.

"One asks what he feels he may fairly claim; he begs for that to which he advances no claim but pity; entreat implies a special earnestness of asking, and beseech, a still added and more humble intensity. To implore is to ask with weeping and lamentation; to supplicate is to ask, as it were, on bended knees." (Standard Dictionary.)

It would be better, then, to write,--

"I frantically implored a knot of sailors not to let them perish before our eyes."

Exercise 49.--Choose one of the synonyms given in each of the following sentences. Consult your dictionary to get the different shades of meaning.

1. They were making out to me, in an [agitated, excited, disturbed] way that the lifeboat had been bravely manned an hour ago, and could do nothing.

2. The thunder was loud and [ceaseless, incessant, continuous].

3. I was [perplexed, confused, distracted] by the terrible sight.

4. The excited voice went [calling, crying, clamoring] along the staircase.

5. I was [tired, fatigued, exhausted] with traveling and want of rest.

6. I made a most [awkward, ridiculous, absurd, grotesque] appearance.

7. A man is sometimes more [generous, liberal, open-handed] when he has but a little money than when he has plenty.

8. Dost thou love life? Then do not [squander, waste, spend] time.

9. He [continued, admonished, warned, counseled, advised] me not to let so good an offer pass.

10. The eagle listens to every sound, [looking, gazing, glancing] now and then to the earth beneath.

Exercise 50.--Fill the blanks below with words from the following groups of synonyms:--

I. Large, colossal, great, big, commodious, huge, vast, capacious, immense, spacious, huge.

1. Joan of Arc rode at the head of a ---- body of troops. 2. Our world itself is a very ---- place. 3. If a ---- giant could travel all over the universe and gather worlds, all as ---- as ours, and were to make first a heap of merely ten such worlds, how ---- it would be. 4. I pushed aside the heavy leathern curtain at the entrance, and stood in the ---- nave. The ---- cupola alone is sixty-five feet higher than the Bunker Hill Monument, and the four ---- pillars on which it rests are each one hundred and thirty-seven feet in circumference. The awe I felt in looking up at the ---- arch of marble and gold did not humble me. 5. The old lady drew a package of peppermints from her ---- pocket. 6. He lived in a ---- mansion with ---- rooms.

II. Tiny, little, small, diminutive, minute.

1. The Lilliputians were a very ---- people. 2. Each ---- point was carefully explained. 3. I met a ---- cottage girl. 4. Far away in the forest, grew a pretty ---- fir tree. 5. The lame boy was so ---- that they called him ---- Tim.

Exercise 51.--Consult your dictionary to get the exact meaning of each word in the following two groups of synonyms. Insert words in the blanks, using each word but once.

1. Funny, odd, strange, queer, grotesque, peculiar.

2. Brave, bold, daring, fearless, courageous, reckless.

1. He told us of many ---- happenings. 2. The bird has a ---- cry. 3. We laughed at the ---- story. 4. What an ---- stick he is, to be sure. 5. ---- faces were carved over the door. 6. It is a ---- coincidence. 7. He was a ---- bad man. 8. The ---- soldier was foremost in the fray. 9. The ---- deed was applauded. 10. He is a ---- man, and never considers consequences. 11. He seems to be perfectly ----. 12. The fireman received a medal for his ---- act.

Exercise 52.--Do you see any difference in meaning in the pairs of words given below? Write sentences using each correctly.

Artist, artisan; healthy, healthful; bring, fetch; applause, praise; propose, purpose; in, into; distinct, clear; few, little; defend, protect; thankful, grateful; right, privilege; occasion, opportunity; custom, habit; brutal, brutish; temperance, abstinence; exile, banish; excuse, apology; duty, obligation; doubt, suspense; price, worth; interfere, interpose; surprised, astonished; flexible, pliable.

20. Accuracy in the Use of Words.--Accuracy in the use of words comes from practice. It is better to blunder by using a word without a complete knowledge of its meaning than to be afraid to use any but the commonest words. Some words sound very much alike and yet have very different meanings, and some words are so nearly alike in meaning that it is almost or quite impossible to define the difference between them, though we may perhaps feel it. All that we can do, then, is simply to go on learning, using new words as fast as we get fairly well acquainted with them, and depending upon our teachers and older friends to point out to us when we are wrong.

What we must avoid is the stupid habit of using words thoughtlessly, after the manner of the blundering Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan's Rivals, who said:--

I would by no means wish a daughter of mine to be a progeny of learning; I don't think so much learning becomes a young woman.... As she grew up, I would have her instructed in geometry that she might know something of the contagious countries; but above all, Sir Anthony, she should be mistress of orthodoxy, that she might not misspell and mispronounce words so shamefully as girls usually do; and likewise that she might reprehend the true meaning of what she is saying. This, Sir Anthony, is what I would have a woman know; and I don't think there is a superstitious article in it.