ENGLISH COMPOSITION

FOR HIGH SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES

BY

FREDERICK HENRY SYKES, A.M., PH.D.

TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

1905

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART I.-NARRATION.

CHAP. I.-FABLES, LESSONS I-III.

Capital Letters, pp. 2, 5, 9.

CHAP. II.-HOUSEHOLD TALES, LESSONS IV-VIII

Italic Letters, pp. 13, 14. The Paragraph: Mar-

gin, pp. 15, 20; Indentation, p. 15. Punctuation:

Period, pp. 18, 19; Comma, pp. 23, 24, 28, 29, 33, 34.

CHAP. III.-STORIES FROM THE BIBLE, LES-

SONS IX-XI ....

Punctuation (continued): Quotation Marks, p. 39;

Apostrophe, pp. 39, 40; Semicolon, pp. 42, 43; Co-

lon, p. 48; Dash, pp. 48, 49.

CHAP. IV.-CLASSICAL MYTHS, LESSONS XII-

XIX..

Punctuation (continued): Exclamation Point, p. 53;

Interrogation Point, p. 53.

The Sentence: p. 60;

Simple, p. 63; Complex, p. 64; Compound, p. 67;

Long and Short Sentences, p. 70.

CHAP. V.-STORIES FROM ANCIENT HISTORY,

LESSONS XX-XXIII

The Sentence (continued): Interrogation, p. 78; Ex-

clamation, p. 78; Loose Sentence, p. 82; Periodic

Sentence, p. 82; Compromise, p. 83; Balanced Sen-

tence, p. 87.

PAGE

I

II

37

51

76

CHAP. VI. LETTER FORMS, LESSONS XXIV-

-

XXVII..

Correspondence: Business Letters, pp. 89-92; Busi-

ness Forms-Bill, Check, Receipt, Note, pp. 92-94;

Letters of Friendship, pp. 94-97; Formal Letters,

p. 97; Social Forms, Telegrams, pp. 98-100.

The Paragraph: Unity, p. 103; Topic Sentence, p.

104; Continuity or Method, p. 108; Explicit Refer-

ence, p. III; Parallel Construction, p. 115; Transi-

tion, p. 118; Proportion, p. 121; Rhythm, p. 121.

CHAP. VIII-STORIES FROM MODERN HISTORY,

LESSONS XXXIV-XXXIX.

The Paragraph (continued): Climax, p. 125. The

Sentence (continued): Order of Words for Clear-

ness, p. 129; Inversion, p. 132; Order of Words for

Force (Sentence Stress), p. 137. Correct English:

Vulgarisms, p. 141; Barbarisms, Solecisms, p. 142;

Improprieties, 146.

CHAP. IX.-BIOGRAPHY, LESSON XL...

Correct English (continued): Taste, p. 152.

CHAP. X. EMBELLISHED INCIDENT, LESSONS

XLI-XLII

Narration: Its Laws-Introduction, Sequence, Cohe-

rence, Choice of Details, p. 157; Climax, Dénoue-

ment, p. 165; Conclusion, p. 166.

PAGE

89

ΙΟΙ

123

150

154

PART II-DESCRIPTION.

CHAP. I.— PLANTS, SHRUBS, TREES, LESSON

XLIII...

Description: Its Laws-Introduction: Statement of

Theme Definition, p. 171; Scientific Description,

p. 171; Continuity of Details, Fulness, p. 172.

169

PAGE

CHAP. II.-BIRDS AND INSECTS, LESSON XLIV. 173

Description (continued): Embellished Description,

p. 175; Salient Characteristic, p. 176.

CHAP. III.-ANIMALS, LESSON XLV....

Description (continued): Particular Description,

P. 180.

CHAP. IV. NATURE LANDSCAPE, LESSONS

--

-

XLVI-XLVIII

....

Description (continued): Point of View-Fixed or

Travelling, p. 183. Style: Cardinal Qualities-

Clearness, Force, Taste or Beauty, p. 188; Other

Qualities, p. 189. Clearness: Choice of Words,

p. 189; Ambiguity, p. 192.

CHAP. V.-NATURE AND NATURAL PHENOM-

ENA, LESSONS XLIX-L. . . . . . . .

Style-Force: Clearness, Simplicity, p. 197; Order

of Words, Brevity, Amplification, Contrast, p. 202.

178

182

195

... 205

......

CHAP. VI.-BUILDINGS, LESSONS LI-LII .............

Style-Force (continued): Figures of Speech-Inter-

rogation, Exclamation, Climax, Contrast, p. 210;

Simile, Metaphor, Synecdoche, Metonymy, p. 211.

CHAP. VII-PERSONS,

HISTORICAL, FICTI-

TIOUS, REAL, LESSONS LIII-LVI. 214

Style-Force (continued): Figures of Speech_(con-

tinued), Hyperbole, p. 215; Litotes, Epigram, Irony,

p. 216. Style-Beauty: Picturesque Epithet, Fig-

ure, Quotation, Symmetry, p. 225.

CHAP. VIII.-ASSEMBLIES, GAMES, ETC., Les-

SON LVII.

CHAP. IX.-VILLAGES, TOWNS, AND CITIES,

233

LESSONS LVIII-LX

237