A LETTER TO STUDY

99.66

211

There are commas after " boots,' skates," "balls," and "books," to separate these words in a series from each other, because the connecting word "and" is omitted.

XIV. A GEOGRAPHY TEST

Write an answer to each of the following directions or questions. Each answer must be a complete sentence. Be sure to separate from each other the words in a series when the connecting word is omitted.

1. Name five farm products of the United States. 2. Name three forms of water you have seen.

3. Name four of the occupations of the people in your own town.

4. Name five ways in which you may travel.

5. Which are the spring months?

This little test is given to show you, not only that your knowledge of language can be used in your other studies, but that it should be so used. A child who, in answer to the first question above, writes "potatoes apples pears hay corn" has not answered the question. He has simply written five words that make no sense.

XV. A LETTER TO STUDY

One morning Thomas Jones, a pupil in a sixthgrade class in Boyton, received the following letter:

16 Mill St.

Dear Tom,

Branchville, N. Y.
May 6, 1924

Our teacher has asked us to write a short composition on a city or town in which we have really lived. As my happiest days were spent in Boyton, I should like to write about that town. But the town has grown so since I moved away that I am not sure of my facts. If it will not take too much of your time, will you please tell me what you can on any or all of the following topics:

How did the town get its name?

What are the chief occupations of the people? If there is any manufacturing, what things are made? What crops are raised by the farmers around Boyton?

Is there any place of historic interest or any interesting history story connected with the town? If so, please tell me about it.

Are there any foreigners in your school? If so, from what countries do they come?

If you will help me out, old friend, I shall be very grateful, and if at any time I can do something for you, it will give me great pleasure.

Sincerely yours,

John Thomas

Give reasons for the use of every capital and

of every mark of punctuation in the heading.

WRITING A LETTER

213

What is the topic in the first paragraph? in each of the other paragraphs?

If this letter had been sent to you, instead of to Thomas Jones, how would you answer each question about your own town?

XVI. WRITING A LETTER

Let us suppose that the letter on page 212 was written to you, and that you had to answer it.

What heading would you make?

How many paragraphs would your letter require?

You need not make topics for your paragraphs. John has given you topics in his letter.

What will you say in your first paragraph? Can you not say something to show that you, too, remember the happy days you spent with John in Boyton, and that you will be glad to help him?

What will you tell him in your second paragraph? in your third? in your fourth? in your fifth?

Suppose you did not know anything about one of John's topics, would it be polite to make no reference to it? Would it not be better to

write something, as: "I do not know of any place of historic interest in our town"?

In which paragraphs of your letter will you have to apply the rule for the use of the comma with words in series when the connecting word is omitted?

What might you say in your last paragraph ? Would it not be well to express a hope that the information you give may be what John wants?

Write an answer to John's letter. Keep your book open at John's letter while you write and answer it paragraph by paragraph.

XVII. THE CONVERSATION PARAGRAPH The first two paragraphs in the story The Two Merchants, on page 129, are:

A Persian merchant, who had to go on a long journey, carried his treasure to a neighbor, saying: "My friend, I know that you are an honest man. Here are a hundred pieces of silver. Will you keep them for me until I return?"

66

Certainly," replied the neighbor. “I will guard them with great care."

In both paragraphs the writer is discussing the care of the treasure. In the first paragraph he has placed the conversation of the first merchant and the words that make the meaning of the conversation clear.

THE CONVERSATION PARAGRAPH

215

In the second paragraph he has given the conversation of the second merchant and the words that tell who is speaking.

In stories containing conversation, a paragraph is usually given to the words of each speaker each time that he speaks.

When very brief descriptions or explanations accompany the words of a speaker, these descriptions or explanations are included in the paragraph with the speaker's words.

In the first paragraph of The Two Merchants, what are the speaker's words? What explanation accompanies them?

In the second paragraph, what are the speaker's words? What explanation accompanies them? Read the story, The Two Merchants (page 129), telling the reason for each paragraph division; that is, give the topic of each paragraph. Try to give each topic in a complete sentence, thus:

(1) A Persian merchant, about to set off on a journey, intrusted his treasure to a neighbor.

(2) The neighbor accepted the trust.

(3) Hoping the merchant would never return, he stole the treasure.

(4) After several months, the merchant called for his treasure.