Notes of Lessons: English Grammar, Class IV

Notes of Lessons: English Grammar, Class IV

[We have thought that it might be of use to our readers (in their own families) to publish from month to month during the current year, Notes of Lessons prepared by students of the House of Education for the pupils of the Practising School. We should like to say, however, that such a Lesson is never given as a tour de force, but is always an illustration or an expansion of some part of the children’s regular studies (in the Parents’ Review School), some passage in one or other of their school books.—Ed.]

Subject. English Grammar • Group: Language • Class IV • Time: 30 Minutes

By Hyacinth M. Ring
The Parents’ Review, 1914, pp. 635-636

Objects

I. To interest the girls in the Analysis of sentences.

II. To increase their power of reasoning, and to make them think.

III. To make them prompt and attentive.

IV. To give them practice in and understanding of general and of detailed analysis.

Introduction

What do we mean by analysis of sentences? Answer.—Breaking them up, to show how their parts are related.

Analysis comes from a Greek word, meaning “resolving,” or breaking up into component parts.

We learn to analyse sentences, that we may fully understand English compositions.

Step I.—Example. When he heard this, the general, who was in command of the army, decided that it had better retreat.

Get from the girls the general analysis.

A Principal Sentence. The general decided.

How many subordinate clauses, are there?

Three. Will you give them to me and tell me their worth?

(a) When he heard this—telling when the general decided.
(b) Who was in command of the army—telling which general decided.
(c) That it had better retreat—telling what the general decided.
(a) Subordinate adverbial clause of time, modifying “decided.”
(b) Subordinate adjectival clause limiting, “general.”
(c) Subordinate noun clause, object of “decided.”

Step II.—How many different clauses do we have in Analysis?

Adverbial, doing the work of an adverb.

Adjectival, doing the work of an adjective.

Noun, doing the work of a noun.

What is the chief work of nouns in a sentence?

To form a subject, or object, for the predicate.

Change the example, we have had about the general, making “what he decided” the subject instead of the object.

That the army had better retreat was the decision of the general, when he heard this.

Step III.—Practice in easy general analysis, that the girls may be able to pick out the different clauses quickly, and classify them according to their work in the sentence. Insist on prompt careful work.

  1. I will let you see the book (which I am reading), sub: adjectival, limiting “book.”
  2. Go to meet them (when they arrive), sub: adverbial of time, mod: “go.”
  3. I used to walk (if the weather were fine), sub: adverbial clause of condition, mod: “used to walk.”
  4. Do your work (as you were directed), sub: adverbial clause of manner, mod: “do.”
  5. I know (that he is reading a book), sub: noun clause, object of “know.”
  6. (After he came) all went wrong, sub: adverbial clause of time, modifying “went wrong.”
  7. There’s not the smallest orb (which thou beholdest), sub: adjectival clause mod: “orb.”
    (But in his motion like an angel sings), sub: adjectival clause limiting “orb.”
  8. A substitute shines brightly (as a king [shines]), sub: adverbial of degree, modifying “brightly.”
    (Until a king be by;) and (then his state, sub: adverbial of time, mod: “shines.”
    Empties itself) (as doth an island sea).
    Principal, sub: adverbial of manner mod: “empties.”
    Into the main of waters.
  9. (That she plays well) cannot be denied, sub: noun clause subject of “cannot be denied.”