Mother. The rope-maker wants
Children. Hemp and tow.

Mother. The pretty, little, busy, working bee makes

What a number of words! but do they form a complete sense, or must you add more? What is wanting?

Children. That which it makes.

Mother. Just so.

Let me add as many words as I please, if I do not express what it makes, the sentence will remain incomplete. But as soon as I add "honey," the sense is complete. Why?

Children. Because you have expressed what the bee makes.

Mother. Now let us go through the various changes with this sentence.

Sentences in which the accusative is followed by the dative case.

Mother. The master gives

Of whom do I say something?

Does the sentence express what he gives?

It therefore is incomplete. Why? What must be added to complete it? Children. What he gives.

Mother. He gives a lesson.

You know now what he gives; but does the sentence express to whom he gives the lesson ?

This I am going to express.

The master gives a lesson to the scholar.
What words have been added?

Children. The words "to the scholar."

Mother. Who is the agent or active person

in this sentence?

Children. The master.

Mother. What do you say of the agent?

Children. He gives.

Mother. What does he give?

Children. A lesson.

Mother. To whom does he give the lesson? Children. To the scholar.

The children of the first class repeat.

The master gives a lesson to the scholar. Mother. Express this interrogatively.

Children. Does the master give a lesson to the scholar?

Mother. In an address.

Children. Master, give a lesson to the scholar!

Mother. In an address joined with a question. Children. Master, do you give a lesson to the scholar?

Mother. Change it now, through all times, in the affirmative order only.

Children. The master gives, gave,

Mother.

Has, had given,

Will give, a lesson to the scholar.

The scholar returns thanks to the

master for the lesson received.

Repeat this interrogatively, through the different times.

Children. Does, did the scholar return thanks to the master for the lesson received?

Has, had the scholar returned thanks, &c. Will the scholar return thanks, &c. Mother. Who is the agent in this sentence? Is it the master?

What is said of the scholar?

To whom does he return thanks?

Sentences containing the several cases, and enlarged by additional adjectives and adverbs.

Mother. The spring presents to the inhabitants of the earth, herbs and flowers.

Children repeat.

Mother. Of what do I speak?
What does it present?

To whom does it present something?

By what words are the inhabitants more fully described?

Are there no other inhabitants but those of the earth?

1

Change this sentence through various times and forms.

Now I am going to add to some words of our sentence, another explanatory word. Of what did I say something?

Children. Of the spring.

Mother. This is the chief word of our sen

tence, and we will denote or mark it by the word mild.

Now do so.

Children. The mild spring.

Mother. What does it?

Children. Presents.

Mother. Here I shall add, how, or in what

manner, it presents: kindly.

Children. The mild spring kindly presents.

Mother. To whom does it present?

These we shall call joyful.

Children. The mild spring kindly presents to the joyful inhabitants of the earth.

Mother. What does the spring present?

For herbs and flowers, you will surely find a suitable word of quality.

Children. Beautiful, fragrant, sweet, useful. Mother. Repeat to me the entire sentence. Children. The mild spring kindly presents to the joyful inhabitants of the earth, useful herbs and sweet flowers.

If the children of the first class should not be able to repeat sentences of this length, the mother should by no means force them; for every, forced fruit is unnatural, and scarcely ever retains its full flavour.

Sentences in the active state may be likewise expressed in the passive state, without altering the sense.

Mother. The boy beats the girl.

Children repeat.

Mother. Who is the agent, or active person?

What is he doing?

On whom falls the action?