2. Rewrite the following piece, correcting according to the notes and references:

THE old swimming-hole-I [shall or will? 21] not soon forget it; so cool, so secluded, so quiet, and more extremely (18) grateful (2) after the long dusty walk one must take to arrive at (5)a it.

C

About a mile south of the villiage b the road, which thus far leads (23) straight down the declivity (5), bends sharply to the left and crosses the small (5) © river by an old wooden bridge. A short distance above the bridge is a dam, over which the water precipitates itself (5) in a broad thin sheet, and by the side of this is one of those rustic establishments (5)d which serve the various purposes of gristmill, sawmill, and lathe. Turning off of (9) e the main road after we cross the bridge, a side road is followed (19) up the river a little ways (9) past the dam, and then just beyond a stately old gambrel-roofed residence (5) we leave this road in turn and cross f a stile and skirt the river by a footpath through the field. We are now in a pasture, whose (15) cows are grazing peacefully or laying (4) down under the large old trees that are scattered hither and yon (13). Quite (4) a ways (9) from the stile we come to a glade whose (15) trees, blending (2, 6) round us, enclose (6) the view; and there at our left, down a little hill,h is the river, looking deep and still, and with a splendid (1, 9) grassy bank. The opposite bank is [lined, bordered? 2] with brush (9) and low trees, and not a thing (1) is in sight, though the mill and several houses are not far away. What an elegant (9) place for a refreshing plunge during (2) the early morning, or at the end of a sultry July day!

k

The consideration (5) of the old swimming-hole brings up lovely (2)1 [remembrances, memories, recollections? 2] of the [jollity, sport, diversion, pastime, entertainment? 2] us (16) boys were accustomed (6) to have there of the spring-board and our feats of diving from it, of the swimming contests up

and down the stream, of the good (1) m times we have had (23)a splashing water, of the keen races up the grassy slope to the imminent peril of our bare feet.X Nothing that I enjoyed (22)" since can quite take the fun's place (15) that we had there. As I return (5) to the locality (5) the environment's (13) (15) quiet beauty is the same, but the spring-board was (22) gone, and the swimming-hole seemed (22) "to have fallen into innocuous desuetude” (11, 13).o It must be still in use, however, for here approaches (6) a party of juveniles (4, 11),P and they too seem to be enjoying the pleasures of existence (5) in their way as well as we ever did. All [imagination, fancy? 2], to think they are experiencing (4)a so much fun; for nothing can be quite so unexampled (18) as the world was when I was a boy!

NOTES TO THE ABOVE.-There is no call in the above simple sketch for any but the simplest language. a. Say simply "reach."-b. The manner of writing this word represents a very common mistake. Correct it. -c. Think of the simplest and most idiomatic way of expressing these; anything more sounds like a touch of affectation. d. The word "establishments" is not only somewhat pretentious but too general; use a word expressing a specific kind of establishment. —e. "Off of" is a vulgarism. -f. Instead of the principal verb "cross," use the present participle, and see how much better it sounds.—g. This is a very common vulgarism. — h. Is there not a word a little more specific than "hill" that were better used here?—i. “Brush" is a provincialism for shrubbery, or bushes. — j. Too absolute an assertion; there are many things in sight, though not buildings.—k. Is the adjective needed at all? —1. The word "lovely," just the word many would naturally use, says virtually nothing at all that is definite. —m. Specify some particular aspect of good; the word here is too general.—n. Think of the difference between preterite and perfect tense, and consider in each of these cases which is correct. -o. Many think that such a well-worn phrase improves the style; does it sound congruous here?-p. Say "youngsters."-q. The word "experience," as verb, is much misused.

II. PLACING OF MODIFIERS.

In

In studying what to do with any sentence-element, we are to think not so much of its form as of its office. form it may be a word, a phrase, or a clause; 1 whatever it is, so far as government and arrangement are concerned, it moves all together as one element of structure. As to office, three functions are open to it, as we have seen; it may be a principal element, or a modifier, or a connective.

The greatest difficulties in making any sentence clear arise in the arrangement of its modifying elements.

A modifier is either an adjective or an adverb. It is an adjective when, joined with a noun or pronoun, it expresses such modification as we associate with persons or things, such as quality, quantity, number; or it may be a mere pointing out. It is an adverb when, joined with a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, it expresses such modification as we associate with acts or states, such as manner, degree, time, or place.

The fact that the English is an uninflected language, that is, has practically no endings for case, gender, and the like, makes right arrangement especially imperative. For as there is nothing in the form of a word to show what is its office, whether nominative or objective, correspondingly more dependence must be placed on the order of words, so that they may infallibly be reckoned with the elements to which they belong.

1 For definitions of these terms, see above, p. 50.

2 As to office, then, the article the, an, a, and the adjective pronoun this, that, these, those, the former, the latter, are to be reckoned as adjectives. 8 Virtually nothing. The pronouns have case-forms, and nouns have a possessive; but these do not help much in ordering a sentence.

I.

The

Rules for clear Arrangement of Modifiers. rules for arrangement may best be summed up in the advice to "look before and after," making sure in each case, before you leave it, that there is no ambiguity. Many cases cannot be pointed out by general rules ; only good sense and the habit of watchfulness will keep the writer from falling into error.

24. Between a word and its modifier do not put anything that can steal the modification.

If a phrase or clause, coming between a noun and its adjective, contains a noun, this noun may steal the adjective. If a phrase or clause, coming between a verb and its adverb, contains a verb in any form, this verb may steal the adverb. Such cases as these are the chief cause of error in arrangement. addition may indeed be another modifier of the same word, so that the question is as to the order of two modifiers; but, in such case, be careful not to put them so that the one may modify the other.

The

EXAMPLES. The following sentences will illustrate various forms that an intercalated modifier may assume to steal another modification. The corrected order is placed beside the erroneous

one.

I. MODIFIERS OF NOUNS.

A noun coming between. Locke was an unquestioned

man of genius.

The annual parents' meeting

was held last night.

Locke was a man of unquestioned genius.

The annual meeting of parents was held last night.1

1 It will be noted that the right order requires sometimes a recast in kind

of expression as well as in arrangement.

A prepositional phrase coming between.

Please receive a ticket from the attendant torn from the book.

An exhibition of drawings by lady amateurs well worthy of inspection.

A clause coming between.

It is not easy to find any system of instruction, except that followed by architectural students of the best class, which at present may be relied upon.

2. MODIFIERS OF VERBS.

Please receive from the attendant a ticket torn from the book. An exhibition, well worthy of inspection, of drawings by lady

amateurs.

It is not easy to find any sys tem of instruction that1 at present may be relied upon, except that followed by architectural students of the best class.

The adverb joined with the wrong one of two verbs.

Do you take the medicine I send you regularly?

I scarcely ever remember to have had a rougher walk.

His last journey was to Cannes, whence he was never destined to return.

Do you take regularly the medicine I send you?

I scarcely remember ever to have had a rougher walk.

His last journey was to Cannes, whence he was destined never to return.

An adverbial phrase coming between. This necessitated his being parted from the books which he loved for a time.

A clause coming between. He bought the house which he inhabited for his own residence.

The major believed that Stanley was dead owing to the absence of news.

1 See below, Rule 35.

This necessitated his being parted for a time from the books [that 2] he loved.

He bought for his own residence the house [that] he inhabited.

Owing to the absence of news, the major believed that Stanley was dead.

2 See below. Rules 35, 58.