COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC FOR SCHOOLS BY ROBERT HERRICK, A. B. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AND LINDSAY TODD DAMON, A. B. INSTRUCTOR IN ENGLISH IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CHICAGO SCOTT, FORESMAN AND COMPANY 1899 Edve T 768.99.415 HARWARD COLLEGE LINBADYRY GIFT OF SEONG LAD COMPASMPTON COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY SCOTT, FORESMAN & CO. PRESS OF PREFACE. Certain beliefs that the authors of Composition and Rhetoric for Schools hold in reference to the teaching of English composition have influenced them in preparing the present text-book. 1. In the earliest years, the critical side of teaching should be subordinated to the constructive, stimulative side; the pupil should be encouraged to write freely and even unconsciously at first, to form habits of thought and of invention before his expression is minutely criticised and pruned. For this reason a preliminary course (Part I) of constructive work has been provided. To these chapters nothing has been admitted of a negative or minutely critical nature. The processes of work that a conscientious writer follows are described, as closely as possible in the natural order in which these processes occur in a writer's experience. 2. Much, if not all, of the usual freshman course of rhetoric in colleges can properly be included in the secondary course in English without requiring more time than is already devoted to the subject. In view of the fact that only a small percentage of the students of secondary schools enter college, it seems desirable to present to the high-school pupil all the elementary facts of style, such as usage, clearness in sentences, paragraphing, etc. Many of the best text-books designed for schools, however, are purposely incomplete in treatment; they take for granted that the student will pursue a further course of instruction. |