Just when any one of these or any other word should be used, this book cannot tell you, as that will depend on what you want to describe. Whenever you are in doubt about what word to use, ask your teacher. 2. You must form the habit of consulting a dictionary. Suppose you want to avoid the use of the word "awful" another word often overused and misused but cannot think of a suitable word in its place. Look up "awful" in a dictionary; there you will find some, or all, of these words: fearful terrific frightful horrible dreadful appalling shocking terrible Probably some one of these words will express your meaning. Copy the following overworked adjectives. Find the meaning of each in the dictionary. After each write as many words as you can that mean the same. grand lovely cunning elegant Are you in the habit of overworking any of these adjectives? XXI. A LETTER ABOUT BOOKS Suppose a friend who used to go to school with you has written you about the books he has DESCRIPTIONS TO EXPRESS BEAUTY 247 read. He doesn't know what book to read next, so asks you to tell him about the most interesting book you have read. Answer your friend's letter, trying to make your description so interesting that he will want to read the book you tell him about. Of course you must give him the exact title and the name of the author of the book. You may address your letter to some real friend, or to John or Mary Richards, who lives at 158 Union Boulevard, Jacksonville, Alabama. Be sure to arrange the heading and close of your letter just right. If you have any doubt in this matter, look back to to Section VI, Chapter Twelve. XXII. DESCRIPTIONS TO EXPRESS BEAUTY 1 Write a short description of one of the following objects or scenes. Try to make your description accurate, but at the same time, try especially to bring out the beauty of that which you are describing. You can do this by selecting the right nouns and adjectives, and perhaps by making comparisons. Get a clear picture in your own mind, then try to make your readers see that picture. 1 Note to the teacher: For suggestions, see Manual, page 190. A flower (Choose your A bird (Choose one) XXIII. DESCRIPTIONS TO MAKE CLEAR In the last exercise you tried especially to bring out the beauty of that which you described. In this exercise you are to try especially to make your description clear; to be clear, it must be accurate and complete. You will need here, also, to select your nouns and adjectives with care, but you will find that you need nouns and adjectives quite different from those used in your description to express beauty. Write a brief description of any one of the following objects. Make your description just as clear and exact as you can. CHAPTER TEST XXIV. CHAPTER TEST 249 1. You have learned about three of the eight classes of words, or Parts of Speech. (a) A word that names a person or thing is called a noun. (b) A word used for a noun is called a pronoun. (c) A word used to limit or describe a noun is called an adjective. 2. From the following sentences select the nouns, the pronouns, and the adjectives, and write them in three columns. One cold night in winter a little boy looked up at the shining stars. "How bright and beautiful they are," he said; "I never saw such golden stars before." Before beginning to write, find a pronoun that is used for stars; find two pronouns used for boy. 3. Write five adjectives that may be used to describe each of the following nouns : 4. Make as many comparisons as you can to bring out the full meaning of the adjectives and nouns that you have written under (3). For instance, you may have written, "light snowflakes" and "blue violets"; these you might change into such comparisons as the following: The snowflakes were as light as down. The violets are as blue as sunlit pools. 5. Make comparisons of things that are like the adjectives and nouns that you have written under (3), as: The petals of the blossoms fell light as snowflakes. Baby's eyes are as blue as violets. |