CONTRACTED SENTENCES. Sentences may be contracted either by ellipsis or by abridgment. Ellipsis is the omission of one or more words necessary to complete the sense and construction of the sentence. The omitted words are said to be understood. Thus, the expression, Prepare to study is equivalent to Do you prepare to study, or Prepare you to study. In the expression, "Who invented the steam-engine? James Watt," the answer is equivalent to James Watt invented the steam-engine. All chance, direction which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good.-Pope. 3. Reading maketh a full man; conversation, a ready man; writing, an exact man.-Bacon. 4. For strength is born of struggle, faith of doubt, Of discord law, and freedom of oppression.-Bayard Taylor. 5. We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths; 6. Knowledge dwells 7. In heads replete with thoughts of other men ; Leaves have their time to fall, And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath, And stars to set; but all, Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death.—Mrs. Hemans. Abridgment. Sentences may be contracted by abridging clauses to phrases. 66 Thus, 1. "I go to school that I may improve" = I go to school to improve. 2. "When I had finished the letter I took it to the office" =Having finished the letter, etc. Exercise. Abridge clauses in the following sentences: 1. I know that he is a faithful officer. 2. When the sun had risen we began our work. 3. A man who is wise will avoid evil. 4. When we heard the storm approaching we began our preparations to return. 5. Speak well of the absent whenever you have a suitable opportunity. 6. When our lessons had been recited the teacher requested us to walk home with him. 7. The farmer while he sat in his easy-chair smoked his pipe of clay. 8. They listened to the speech which the orator made, that they might learn the facts. 9. We claim that all Nature is our own. Transposition. In analyzing sentences, elements should be placed in their natural order. Exercise. Transpose the elements in the following sentences, so that they may stand in their natural order: Thus, 1. When the robins came we know not = We know not when the robins came. 2. Nothing useless is, or low.-Longfellow. 3. Each thing in its place is best.-Longfellow. 4. He's true to God who's true to man.-Lowell. 5. How easy it is for one benevolent being to diffuse pleasures all around him!—Irving. 6. In this country every one gets a mouthful of education, but scarcely any one a full meal.-Parker. 7. Westward the course of empire takes its way.-Berkeley. 8. If you would be pungent, be brief.-Southey. ANALYSIS. In the Analysis of Sentences the following important principles should always be kept in mind: 1. That Adjective elements are used to limit nouns and pro nouns; 2. That Adverbial elements are used to limit adjectives, verbs, participles, and adverbs; 3. That Objective elements are used to limit transitive verbs in the active voice, when the limiting element represents the object upon which the action terminates; 4. That Articles, Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections are not limited. Remark. That part of an element which is limited by other words is called the basis. Directions for Analysis. 1. Read the sentence aloud. 2. Tell whether simple, complex, or compound. 3. Tell whether declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory. If a simple sentence 4. Name the logical subject. 5. Name the simple or grammatical subject. 6. Name and classify the modifiers of the simple subject. 7. Name and classify the modifiers of the modifiers. 8. Name the logical predicate. 9. Name the simple or grammatical predicate. 10. Name and classify the modifiers of the simple predicate. 11. Name and classify the modifiers of the modifiers. 12. Name and analyze the independent parts, if any. If a complex sentence 1. Name the principal clause. 2. Name the subordinate clause or clauses. 3. Analyze each clause as in simple sentences. If a compound sentence 1. Name the members. 2. Name the connectives. 3. Analyze each member as in simple or complex sentences. Remark.-I. When analyzing, arrange inverted expressions in their natural order. 2. Ellipses may be supplied when necessary to the construction. Models for Simple Sentences. 1. Yonder sunset is very beautiful. Yonder sunset is the logical This is a simple declarative sentence. subject; the simple subject, is sunset, which is modified by the adjective element yonder; is very beautiful is the logical predicate; is beautiful is the simple predicate, of which beautiful is the attribute, and is the copula; beautiful is modified by the adverbial element very. 2. A tall waving willow stood in the little meadow. This is a simple declarative sentence. A tall waving willow is the logical subject; the simple subject is willow, which is modified by the adjective elements a, tall, and waving; stood in the little meadow is the logical predicate; the simple predicate is stood, which is modified by the adverbial element in the little meadow, of which meadow is the basis, modified by the adjective elements the and little. 3. The gentle rain refreshed the thirsty flowers. This is a simple declarative sentence. The gentle rain is the logi cal subject; the simple subject is rain, which is modified by the adjective elements the and gentle; refreshed the thirsty flowers is the logical predicate; the simple predicate is refreshed, which is modified by the objective element the thirsty flowers, of which the noun flowers, the basis, is modified by the adjective elements the and thirsty. 4. In what year did Cornwallis surrender? This is a simple interrogative sentence. The natural order of the sentence is, Cornwallis did surrender in what year? Cornwallis is the simple subject, and is not modified; did surrender in what year is the logical predicate; the simple predicate is did surrender, which is modified by the adverbial element in what year, of which year is the basis, modified by the adjective element what. The natural order of the 5. What a piece of work is man! This is a simple exclamatory sentence. sentence is, Man is what a piece of work! and is unmodified. Is what a piece of work is the logical predicate; the simple predicate is is piece, of which piece is the attribute, and is the copula; piece is modified by the adjective elements what, a, and of work; of the phrase of work, the basis, work, is unmodified. |