4. Write the following words and use each in a sen

6. Write six sentences about the little pine tree.

7. Compare your written sentences with those in the book. In this way you can correct your own mistakes. Then the teacher will wish to read your papers to see if you have really found your mistakes.

STUDY 9

IS AND ARE

Now the day is over,

Night is drawing nigh,

Shadows of the evening

Steal across the sky.-Baring-Gould.

What is said about the

What is said about the day? night? In the last two lines the thought is: The evening shadows are coming across the sky. What is said of the shadows? The shadow is stealing across the sky. The shadows are stealing across the sky. The days are growing longer. The night is growing shorter.

Notice that we use is when we speak of a day, and are when we speak of days.

Is should be used in speaking of one person or thing. When only one person or thing is spoken of it is called singular.

Are should be used in speaking of more than one person or thing. When more than one person or thing is used in a sentence it is known as plural.

Examples: There is a place. There are places.

Say something about the following objects, using is or are as needed :

1. Tell where the sun sets.

2. What about the shadows at sunset?

3. Tell about the sky. How it is when clear; how when cloudy?

These three sentences tell about one subject. They should be written in one paragraph.

A paragraph is made of a group of sentences about one subject or topic. In writing conversation or dialogue,. the speech of each person is often written as one paragraph.

WAS AND WERE

The bird was on the wing.

The birds were on the wing.
The boy was sailing his kite.
The boys were sailing their kites.
The mountain was steep and rugged.
The mountains were steep and rugged.
The girl was spinning at the wheel.
The girls were spinning at the wheels.

Was is used with one person or thing, were with more

than one.

HAS AND HAVE

The dog has a bone.

The dogs have bones.

The tree has long branches.

The trees have long branches.

The bird has beautiful wings.

The birds have beautiful wings.

Has is used with one person or thing, have with more than one.

Notice that is, was, and has are used in the singular.

Notice that are, were, and have are used in the plural.

STUDY 10

WINTER

The frost is here,

And fuel is dear,

And woods are sear,

And fires burn clear,

And frost is here

And has bitten the heel of the going year.

Bite, frost, bite!

You roll up away from the light,

The blue woodlouse and the plump dormouse,
And the bees are still'd, and the flies are kill'd,
And you bite far into the heart of the house,
But not into mine.-Alfred Tennyson.

Exercises

1. Copy these stanzas, being careful of the capitals and markings. Ask what the marks are if you do not know.

2. Notice that still'd and kill'd have each dropped a letter. This is shown by the mark ('), called apostrophe. The word bite has three forms: