+Example+.—This man is to be pitied. He has no friends.
1. This man has no friends, and he is to be pitied. 2. This man is to be pitied, because he has no friends. 3. Because this man has no friends, he is to be pitied. 4. This man, who has no friends, is to be pitied. 5. This man, having no friends, is to be pitied. 6. This man, without friends, is to be pitied. 7. This friendless man deserves our pity.
1. The ostrich is unable to fly. It has not wings in proportion to its
body.
2. Egypt is a fertile country. It is annually inundated by the Nile.
3. The nerves are little threads, or fibers. They extend, from the brain.
They spread over the whole body.
4. John Gutenberg published a book. It was the first book known to have
been printed on a printing-press. He was aided by the patronage of John
Paust. He published it in 1455. He published it in the city of Mentz.
5. The human body is a machine. A watch is delicately constructed. This
machine is more delicately constructed. A steam-engine is complicated.
This machine is more complicated. A steam-engine is wonderful. This
machine is more wonderful.
You see that short statements closely related in meaning may be improved by being combined. But young writers frequently use too many ands and other connectives, and make their sentences too long.
Long sentences should be broken up into short ones when the relations of the parts are not clear.
As clauses may be joined to form sentences, so sentences may be united to make paragraphs.
A +paragraph+ is a sentence or a group of related sentences developing one point or one division of a general subject.
The first word of a paragraph should begin a new line, and should be written a little farther to the right than the first words of other lines.
+Direction+.—Combine the following statements into sentences and paragraphs, and make of them a complete composition:—
Water is a liquid. It is composed of oxygen and hydrogen. It covers about three-fourths of the surface of the earth. It takes the form of ice. It takes the form of snow. It takes the form of vapor. The air is constantly taking up water from rivers, lakes, oceans, and from damp ground. Cool air contains moisture. Heated air contains more moisture. Heated air becomes lighter. It rises. It becomes cool. The moisture is condensed into fine particles. Clouds are formed. They float across the sky. The little particles unite and form rain-drops. They sprinkle the dry fields. At night the grass and flowers become cool. The air is not so cool. The warm air touches the grass and flowers. It is chilled. It loses a part of its moisture. Drops of dew are formed. Water has many uses. Men and animals drink it. Trees and plants drink it. They drink it by means of their leaves and roots. Water is a great purifier. It cleanses our bodies. It washes our clothes. It washes the dust from the leaves and the flowers. Water is a great worker. It floats vessels. It turns the wheels of mills. It is converted into steam. It is harnessed to mighty engines. It does the work of thousands of men and horses.