This passage naturally divides itself into two paragraphs, one asking certain questions, the other dwelling upon the difficulty of answering them. The words "These questions," at the beginning of the second paragraph point back to the first paragraph. They supply the missing link between what precedes and what follows. I. Reference is often made to "the child's imagination," as if all children were equally gifted with the power of personifying objects and of changing in fancy their own personality. This supposition is altogether too sweeping; for many children have so little imagination that they look at everything from a severely practical point of view, and many others who join in games in which imagination plays a great part do so almost entirely in imitation of their playmates. There are children, however, who do not imitate others, but who have imagination, the real actor's instinct, - as when a boy says to his brother," Play you're a horse, and I'll drive you." With some, this desire to play they are something or somebody else begins at a very early age. II. People often refer to "the child's imagination" as if all children were gifted with the same great powers of personification of objects and fancied changes of personality. This is altogether too sweeping; many children have so little that they look at everything from a severely practical point of view, and many others who join in games where imagination plays a great part, do so almost entirely in imitation of their play mates. In some children the desire to "play they are somebody else" begins at a very early age. It is not merely imitation but the real actor's instinct when a boy says to his brother " Play you're a horse and I'll drive you." In this passage as originally written, the connection between the second paragraph and the first is far from plain. By re-arranging the second paragraph, and by inserting 'however," we show what the connection really is. 66 Make every paragraph a UNIT. Make the transition FROM PARAGRAPH TO PARAGRAPH as plain as possible. We have seen that a paragraph is something more than a sentence and something less than an essay; and that it is an important means of marking the natural divisions of a composition, and thus making it easier for a reader to understand the composition as a whole. We have seen that in an ideal paragraph the sentences fit into one another as closely as the nature of language permits, and that taken together they constitute a whole. We have seen, too, that an ideal paragraph begins with the word or words that are most closely connected with what precedes, and ends with the word or words that are most closely connected with what follows. If a paragraph complies with these fundamental requirements, it matters not whether it contain one sentence or twenty. In paragraphs, as in sentences, differences in subject matter and in manner of presentation necessarily result in differences of form; in paragraphs as in sentences, the principle of unity faithfully applied leads to variety. To write a single sentence in which proper words shall be in proper places is no slight task; to write a single paragraph that shall be good at all points is far from easy: but to write a succession of paragraphs that shall fulfil all the conditions of excellence is what few students of the art of composition can expect to accomplish. It is only by constant practice under intelligent and stimulating criticism, and by constant study of the best work of the best authors, that even moderate success can be achieved. INDEX I. II. and II. I., signification of, 32. A or an, 32-33; a, an, superfluous, 34; Abbreviated forms of nouns, good Ablative absolute, 205. About for almost, 131. Above, as adjective, 130. Accentuate, in French sense, 185. Accident, as verb, 185. Adverbs, defined, 3; inflection, com- Affaire du cœur, 181. Ain't, 81. Accredit, for credit, 109; for impute, All for each, 70. 109. Accurate for accurately, 120. Actions for acts, 53. Active or passive voice, 235-238. ADDISON, JOSEPH, 138, 176, 193. 12; inflection, comparison, 19-20; Admire, for be delighted, 79; for won- Advance or advancement, 54. Antagonize, 110. Antecedent, defined, 10; lack of, Any one or either, 69–70. Anybody else's or anybody's else, 43. Arose for rose, 109. Arrive to for come to, 185. ds, for who, 60; for so, 132; for that, As though for as if, 156. At, for to, 142; for by, with, 143. At present or at the present, 35-36. Au diable, 182. Au fait, 182, 183. Au grand sérieux, 182, 183. AUSTEN, JANE, 139, 218, 237, 281. Avocation for vocation, 54. Aware or conscious, 130. Awoke for awaked, 93. Back of for behind, 143. Balance of the day, 29. Barge for omnibus, 28. Bas-bleu, 29. BEACONSFIELD, Lord, 237, 288. Beaten for beat, 91. Beau idéal, 182. Behave, 77-78, 123. Being built or building, 236. Being made or making, 236. Between or among, 143. Big words. See Words. Bookish words. See Words. Both, for each, 125; of three or more, BROWNE, SIR THOMAS, 176. 195. BROWNING, Robert, 161, 190, 237. But, for and, 153; in double negatives, By, redundant, 150. BYRON, LORD, 188, 189, 190. Cablegram, 57. Can or may, 82-83. Can but or cannot but, 161–162. Captivate for capture, 109. CARLYLE, THOMAS, 254. Carry for bring or fetch, 110-111. Case, of nouns, nominative, objective, CICERO, 205. Claim, to, 111. CLARENDON, Lord, 291. |