Book I. SENTENCES GOOD AND BAL Chapter I. CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SENTENCE A WELL-CONSTRUCTED sentence consists of " 'proper words in proper places." In such a sentence, words that conform to the requirements of good use and express the exact shade of meaning intended are so arranged that each clause, each word, helps to carry the sentence as a whole into the reader's mind. Such a sentence has five merits: — 1. It conforms in all respects to the established usage of the language: it has CORRECTNESS. 2. It is completely and immediately understood by every one who knows the meaning of the words employed: it has CLEARNESS. 3. It is so framed as to produce a strong impression on the reader it has FORCE. 4. It is so framed as to be agreeable to the ear: it has EASE. 5. It expresses but one principal thought, and expresses that thought as one: it has UNITY. Sentences possessing all these merits in due measure are rare. In the effort to be grammatically correct, an inexperienced writer may become obscure or weak or clumsy; in the effort to be clear, he may become diffuse or stiff; in the effort to be forcible, he may become obscure or harsh; in the effort to acquire ease, he may become flippant, or weak and wordy; in the effort to make every sentence a unit, he is in danger of becoming artificial, and of sacrificing substance to form; in the effort to succeed in all respects, he may fail in all, for he may forget his subject in himself. If he forgets himself in his subject, if he knows what he wants to say, and fixes his attention on what he is saying rather than on forms of expression, his sentences will, to a great extent, make themselves. It is wiser to write with fury and correct with phlegm than to write with phlegm and correct with fury.1 1 See Pope's Essay on Criticism. Chapter II. CORRECT AND INCORRECT SENTENCES To be correct, a sentence must not only contain no word that does not in all respects conform to the requirements of good use, but it must also follow the English idiom in the collocation of words and of groups of words. He Translation-English. — In translating from foreign languages, a student should give English equivalents for foreign idioms, as well as for foreign words and phrases. should say "We were admired by all the Greeks," not "We by all the Greeks were admired;" "A German who lived on a boat had made a fortune by selling milk in Philadelphia," not " A German who lived on a boat had through the milk business in Philadelphia made a fortune." I. Give glory to me, to him, to my children, and to my august wife. The presence of a multitude of citizens prevented the Numidians from scaling the walls. They put to flight and scattered some who were half asleep, and others who were in the act of taking up arms. The best plan seemed to be to go to Nestor and ask him if he could think of some way of averting destruction from the Greeks. Do not destroy me. II. Give me, him, my children, and my august wife, glory. A multitude of citizens was there which prevented the Numidians scaling the walls. They put to flight and scattered a part half asleep and others taking up arms. This plan seemed best, to go to Nestor, if perchance he might arrange some plan that destruction should not come to all the Greeks. Do not you destroy me. |