OF THE ART OF EXPRESSION. BY J. H. GILMORE, A.M. PROFESSOR OF LOGIC, RHETORIC AND ENGLISH IN THE Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Stereotyped and printed by 117 Franklin Street, Boston. PREFACE. THIS little book has grown, in the author's class-room, out of an attempt to supplement the defective early training of his pupils. Those pupils had, when they entered college, some practical acquaintance with English composition, and, from their study of Latin and Greek, a fair knowledge of General Grammar. English Grammar, many of them had never studied at all few, if any, of them, as the author conceives it should be studied. It was necessary, then, to superinduce upon a knowledge of those general elements of Grammar which are common to the English, the Latin and the Greek, a knowledge of those particular elements of Grammar which are distinctively characteristic of the English tongue. Further than this: it seemed desirable to give the student, at the very outset of his college course, a few brief and practical suggestions with reference to Style, Figurative Language, etc., which might be serviceable till the thorough and systematic study of Rhetoric could be taken up. To these purposes the author's "Art of Expression " is devoted. While it may, possibly, be useful in the college classroom, it is more likely to be useful to instructors who desire some simple manual of English on which to condition candidates for admission to college. It is hoped, however, that it will not be found ill adapted to general use in academies and high schools and wherever, in fact, a review of English Grammar from a Logical and Historical stand-point is desired. The book is, as its name indicates, a mere outline designed to be amplified and extended by oral instruction. To those who desire helps in the work of amplification, the author would especially recommend: Morris's Outlines of English Accidence, Angus's Handbook of the English Tongue; Latham's English Grammar; Rushton's Rules and Cautions in English Grammar; Abbott's Shakspearian Grammar and How to Write Clearly. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, Jan. 1, 1876. 3 INTRODUCTION. 1. Define Grammar, indicate its relation to Rhetoric, and give the general name under which both may be included. Grammar may be defined as the art of correctly expressing our thoughts. It lays the foundation for Rhetoric, which superinduces, upon mere correctness of expression, Clearness, Energy and Elegance, and teaches how to adapt correct expression to the purposes of Enlightenment, Conviction, Excitation and Persuasion. Both Grammar and Rhetoric may be included under the general name of THE ART OF EXPRESSION.1 1 Whenever there is a decided transition in the thought (as above) we should indicate it to the eye by "making a new paragraph." This is done, in writing, by beginning the sentence which marks the transition on a new line and about one fourth of the distance from the left of the page. The following mark [T] indicates to reader, or printer, that a paragraph should have been made at a given point. The importance of paragraphing can hardly be over estimated. It calls the reader's attention to important transitions in the thought; and gives to one's productions a lively and attractive appearance. We instinctively shun, as dull, a book with unbroken pages. The close of every sentence within a paragraph is marked by a period [.]; the clauses of a sentence are separated by a semicolon ;; the members of sentences are indicated by commas before and after them [......,]. The colon [:] is less frequently used now than formerly. It is still employed, however, to introduce a direct quotation, or a summary of facts, and (instead of the period) to separate short sentences relating to the same subject. The use of the interrogation mark [?] and the exclamation mark [!], in place of the period, is obvious. The dash [-] is used where expansion is given to a thought already expressed; where an abrupt break is made in the discourse; and, also, to lengthen a comma, semicolon, or period. Parenthetical matter (or matter which does not strictly pertain to the subject) is indicated - according to its degree of irrelevance as follows: |
