Swim.
129. I once—three-quarters of a mile without stopping.
130. Having—the river, the fugitives plunged into the forest.
EXERCISE XLI.
Illustrate by original sentences the proper use of the past indicative and the past participle of each of the following verbs, thus: A swallow FLEW into my room, but before I recovered from my surprise it had FLOWN out again. Give to the sentences variety:—
Awake, beat, begin, beseech, blow, bid (to order), bid (to offer), break, burst, choose, come, dive, do, drive, eat, flee, fly, flow, forget, freeze, get, go, hang, lay, lie (to recline), plead, prove, ride, rise, run, see, set, sit, shake, shoe, show, speak, slay, steal, take, throw, wake, write.
Contractions.[71]—Some writers hold that in careful writing contracted forms should be avoided; but all are agreed that in conversation some contractions, if correctly used, are natural and proper. The conversation of a person who never said "can't" for "can not," "don't" for "do not," or "doesn't" for "does not," would seem stiff. Care should, however, be taken not to use plural contractions for singular, or singular for plural. Don't is a contraction of "do not," doesn't of "does not." The proper contraction of "is not" is isn't; of "are not," aren't. Daresn't, if used at all, should be used only when "dares not" might be substituted. Ain't is a gross vulgarism.
[71] "Foundations," pp. 81-82.
EXERCISE XLII.
Insert the proper contraction (doesn't, don't) in each of the blank
places:—
1. It—- seem possible.
2. The captain—- know what it is to be afraid.
3. John says he—- understand the problem on page 266.
4. Why—- she come?
5.—- it seem strange that they—- come?
6. Waldo—- improve in penmanship as fast as he should.
7. It—- look like pure water.
8. Why—- he answer?
9. The boy will fail, but he—- seem to care much.
May (might) or can (could).[72]—Can and could, which denote "ability" or "possibility," are often wrongly used in the place of may and might, which are the proper words to denote "permission."