the way in which each is spoken of to give clearness, strength, and beauty to the description. Observe that the same thought which Bryant expresses about the rivulet remaining unchanged and continuing to flow, although people grow old, Tennyson expresses in the lines, "Men may come and men may go, But I go on forever." If possible pay a visit to a stream of water in the park, or some other place near by, and with these two poems in your mind, watch and listen to the water, and note what you can see and hear in it. Read other poems about streams of water, and give special attention to the manner in which these materials. are treated by poets in giving their thoughts about particular streams of water. LESSON XII A LETTER may You have all seen running water in a brook or river. Perhaps you live near a stream of water, and have spent many hours on its cool, grassy banks. You havé listened to the sound of the water rippling over the stones, you may have watched it as it flowed gently along, or as it rushed rapidly, and can recall in your own experience many pleasures similar to those of which the poet speaks. VERBS-TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE 145 Write a letter to a friend, giving an account of an excursion to a river or lake, or of some picnic enjoyed upon the banks of a river; or you may write of a spring freshet. Speak of the sound, motion, and appearance of the water, and tell how they contributed to your enjoyment. LESSON XIII VERBS-TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE 1. The hunters killed the wolf. 2. Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith. 4. The wrecked sailors swam to the shore. What action is expressed in the first sentence? object receives this action? What What action is asserted by the second sentence? Toward whom is this action directed? What action is expressed in the third sentence? Is the action confined to the deer or does it pass over to another object? From these examples, you learn that there are verbs that express action that passes over from the actor to some other object, and others that express action that is confined to the actor. A verb that expresses action that passes over to, or is directed toward, some object, is called a Transitive Verb. The word or words that name the person or thing which receives the action is called the Object. L A verb which expresses action that is not directed toward an object, or which merely asserts state or condition, is called an Intransitive Verb. Select the verbs in the following sentences, tell whether they are transitive or intransitive, and name the objects of the transitive verbs:· The snail carries his house about with him. The golden splendor of autumn fills us with delight. Cooper, the novelist, wrote many interesting stories about Indians. Still sits the schoolhouse by the road. Softly the gentle showers fall. Rosa Bonheur painted animals with wonderful exactness. The eagle flew to his nest on the crag. Admiral Sampson captured the Spanish fleet. Make five sentences containing transitive verbs. Make five sentences containing intransitive verbs. Some verbs have both a transitive and an intransitive use. Examples The birds fly. The boys fly the kite. The baby sleeps sweetly. He sleeps the sleep of the innocent Mary speaks slowly. The teacher speaks many languages. Select verbs in your reading lesson, tell the class to which each belongs, and give the object of those that are transitive. THE COPULA 147 LESSON XIV THE COPULA Victoria was a good queen. In this sentence an assertion is made by the use of the word was. This word does not express action, but by its use to connect or couple Victoria with a good queen, an assertion is made. A word which is used to join a subject with the part of the predicate that explains or describes it, is called a Copula. Is, am, was, are, has been, have been, and other forms of the verb be, are copulas. Appear, seem, become, feel, remain, and a few other verbs that are used to assert the relation between the subject and the part of the predicate that modifies or explains it, are called Copulative Verbs. Bryant was a poet. What is the predicate of this sentence? What word in the predicate explains or identifies Bryant? What part of speech is it? When a noun is used in the predicate with a copula or a copulative verb to explain the subject, it is called a Predicate Noun. Select the predicate nouns in the following: New York is a great city. The Indiana and the Oregon are our largest battleships. Miles Standish was captain of Plymouth. Jefferson and Hamilton were wise statesmen. Hawaii is now a territory of the United States. Garfield had been president only four months when he was assassinated. Millet was a noted artist. The ancient Greeks were famous soldiers. The moon is round. What is the predicate of this sentence? words in the predicate describe the moon? speech is it? Which of the What part of When an adjective is used in the predicate with a copula or a copulative verb to describe the subject, it is called a Predicate Adjective. Select the predicate adjectives in the following: The contented man is always happy. The bark of the birch tree feels smooth. The poet's heart was as happy and gay as the dancing daffodils. The sky seems bluer to-day than usual. Only the good are truly great. The song of the nightingale is sweeter than that of any other bird. The nineteenth century has been remarkable for invention and discovery. The war between America and Spain was short but decisive. Select or construct sentences containing copulative verbs. |