Higher Lessons in English Part 37

COMPOSITION--COMPOUND SENTENCE.

+COMMA and SEMICOLON--RULE.--_Independent Clauses_, when short and closely connected, are separated by the+ +comma; but, when the clauses are slightly connected, or when they are themselves divided into parts by the comma, the semi-colon is used+.

+Remark+.--A parenthetical clause may be set oil by the comma or by the dash, or it may be inclosed within marks of parenthesis--the marks of parenthesis showing the least degree of connection in sense. See the last three sentences in the preceding Lesson.

+Examples+.-- 1. We must conquer our pa.s.sions, or our pa.s.sions will conquer us.

2. The prodigal robs his heirs; the miser robs himself.

3. There is a fierce conflict between good and evil; but good is in the ascendant, and must triumph at last.

(The rule above is another example.)

+Direction+.--_Punctuate the following sentences, and give your reasons_:--

1. The wind and the rain are over the clouds are divided in heaven over the green hill flies the inconstant sun.

2. The epic poem recites the exploits of a hero tragedy represents a disastrous event comedy ridicules the vices and follies of mankind pastoral poetry describes rural life and elegy displays the tender emotions of the heart.

3. Wealth may seek us but wisdom must be sought.

4. The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong.

5. Occidental manhood springs from self-respect Oriental manhood finds its greatest satisfaction in self-abas.e.m.e.nt. [Footnote: In this sentence we have a figure of speech called +Ant.i.thesis+, in which things unlike in some particular are set over against each other. Each part shines with its own light and with the light reflected from the other part.

Ant.i.thesis gives great force to the thought expressed by it. Sentences containing it furnish us our best examples of +Balanced Sentences+. You will find other ant.i.theses in this Lesson and in the preceding.]

6. The more discussion the better if pa.s.sion and personality be avoided and discussion even if stormy often winnows truth from error.

+Direction+.--_a.s.sign reasons for the punctuation of the independent clauses in the preceding Lesson_.

+Direction+.--_Using the copulative and, the adversative but, and the alternative or or nor, form compound sentences out of the following simple sentences, and give the reasons for your choice of connectives_:--

Read not that you may find material for argument and conversation. The rain descended. Read that you may weigh and consider the thoughts of others. Can the Ethiopian change his skin? Righteousness exalteth a nation. The floods came. Great was the fall of it. Language is not the dress of thought. Can the leopard change his spots? The winds blew and beat upon that house. Sin is a reproach to any people. It is not simply its vehicle. It fell.

Compound sentences may be contracted by using but once the parts common to all the clauses, and compounding the remaining parts.

+Example+.--_Time_ waits for no man, and _tide waits for no man_ = _Time_ and _tide wait for no man_.

+Direction+.--_Contract these compound sentences, attending carefully to the punctuation_:--

1. Lafayette fought for American independence, and Baron Steuben fought for American independence.

2. The sweet but fading graces of inspiring autumn open the mind to benevolence, and the sweet but fading graces of inspiring autumn dispose the mind for contemplation.

3. The spirit of the Almighty is within us, the spirit of the Almighty is around us, and the spirit of the Almighty is above us.

A compound sentence may be contracted by simply omitting from one clause such words as may readily be supplied from the other.

_Example_.--He is witty, _but he is vulgar_ = He is witty _but vulgar_.

+Direction+.--_Contract these sentences_:--

1. Mirth should be the embroidery of conversation, but it should not be the web.

2. It is called so, but it is improperly called so.

3. Was Cabot the discoverer of America, or was he not the discoverer of America?

4. William the Silent has been likened to Washington, and he has justly been likened to him.

5. It was his address that pleased me, and it was not his dress that pleased me.

A compound sentence may sometimes be changed to a complex sentence without materially changing the sense.

+Example+.--_Take care of the minutes_, and the hours will take care of themselves = _If you take care of the minutes_, the hours will take care of themselves. (Notice that the imperative form adds force.)

+Direction+.--_Change these compound sentences to complex sentences_:--

1. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

2. Govern your pa.s.sions, or they will govern you.

3. I heard that you wished to see me, and I lost no time in coming.

4. He converses, and at the same time he plays a difficult piece of music.

5. He was faithful, and he was rewarded.

+Direction+.--_Change one of the independent clauses in each of these sentences to a dependent clause, and then change the dependent clause to a participle phrase_:--

+Model+.--The house was built upon a rock, _and therefore_ it did not fall = The house did not fall, _because_ it was built upon a rock = The house, _being built_ upon a rock, did not fall.

1. He found that he could not escape, and so he surrendered.

2. Our friends heard of our coming, and they hastened to meet us.

+Direction+.--_Using and, but, and or as connectives, compose three compound sentences, each containing three independent clauses_.

LESSON 78.

COMPLEX AND COMPOUND CLAUSES.

+Introductory Hints+.--_Sun and moon and stars_ obey. Peter the Great went _to Holland, to England_, and _to France_. _I came, I saw, I conquered_.

Here we have co-ordinate words, co-ordinate phrases, and co-ordinate clauses, that is, words, phrases, and clauses of equal rank, or order.

Leaves fall _so very quietly_. They ate _of the fruit from the tree in the garden_. Regulus would have paused _if he had been the man that he was before captivity had unstrung his sinews_. Here just as the word modifier _quietly_ is itself modified by _very_, and _very_ by _so_; and just as _fruit_, the princ.i.p.al word in a modifying phrase, is modified by another phrase, and the princ.i.p.al word of that by another: so _man_, in the adverb clause which modifies _would have paused_, is itself modified by the adjective clause _that he was_, and _was_ by the adverb clause _before captivity had unstrung his sinews_. These three dependent clauses in the complex clause modifier, like the three words and the three phrases in the complex word modifier and the complex phrase modifier, are not co-ordinate, or of equal rank.

_Mary married Philip; but Elizabeth would not marry, although Parliament frequently urged it, and the peace of England demanded it_. This is a compound sentence, composed of the simple clause which precedes _but_ and the complex clause which follows it--the complex clause being composed of an independent clause and two dependent clauses, one co-ordinate with the other, and the two connected by _and_.

a.n.a.lysis.

The +clauses+ of +complex+ and +compound+ sentences may themselves be +complex+ or +compound+.

insects ---------- ` ` ` ` ` `which | are admired ` ` `=====|============= ` ` | '

` ` ' x ` ` .....

` `which | are decorated ` ======|=============== ` | '

` 'and ` ........

` which | soar '

hour | had pa.s.sed =========|============= The |` '