2. Many years ago there was a cold rain-storm in June for comfort a fire was built on the open hearth instead of in the air-tight stove that stood before it all went well until the night was well advanced suddenly a struggle was heard and suppressed cries after a brief silence there was a shuffling of feet at the doorstep the men went out with a lantern but no one was to be seen the windows were then searched but there was nobody near them the matter was discussed in whispers again and again the noises were heard at last when everybody was roused to a high pitch of excitement the long stovepipe heated by the flames upon the hearth parted at a joint and out flew a sooty and bedraggled little owl no one was superstitious then but suppose the owl had made its way back to the chimney and by this way escaped would not every person present have had vague uncanny feelings would not the house from that time have been haunted
Exercise 3.—1. Write a short passage containing the phrases and clauses used in Exercise 1.
2. Write a short passage containing the following phrases and clauses:—
About noon—going toward my boat—on the sand—the print of a man's naked foot—as if I had seen a ghost—up to a rising ground—to look around—so frightened was I—behind me—every now and then—fancying every stump to be a man.
2. Simple, Complex, and Compound Sentences.—According to the custom or grammar of our language, we may group our words in sentences in three ways. Sentences are, from the point of grammar, of three kinds: simple, complex, and compound.
A simple sentence consists of a single clause.
Examples. The man fell. The birds sing most sweetly at morning and at evening.
The subject or the predicate of a simple sentence, or both, may, however, consist of several parts.
Examples. The man and the child fell. The man slipped and fell. The man and the child slipped and fell.
A complex sentence contains one independent or principal clause and one or more dependent or subordinate clauses.