Not one of the four groups of words above, if taken alone, expresses a complete thought. Now combine the four groups into two, thus: (1-2) My brother James has a new bicycle. (3-4) Mary and Jane are visiting their aunt. Each of the two new groups expresses a complete thought. A group of words expressing a complete thought is called a sentence. A sentence is a group of words expressing a complete thought. EXERCISE 1 (1) Tell which of the following groups of words are sentences and which are not. Combine the groups in such a way that each new group shall be a sentence: 1. A giant by the name of Hercules 2. Went in search of golden apples 3. Guarded by a dragon with a hundred heads 5. And carried a mighty club in his hands 6. He came upon some beautiful young women 7. Weaving flowers into wreaths 8. They tried to get him to go back to his mother 10. And let it fall on a rock nearby (2) Write a sentence about each of the following 2. How a Sentence is Marked. Examine the following sentences: (1) I have a gold watch. (2) When did you get your new hat? (3) What a beautiful country this is! Note that each of the foregoing sentences begins with a capital letter. Note, also, that the first sentence is followed by a period (.), the second by an interrogation point (?), and the third by an exclamation point (!). A sentence begins with a capital letter and is followed by a period, an interrogation point, or an exclamation point. In written language, sentences usually occur in groups called paragraphs, thus: Have you ever heard of the golden apples that grew in the garden of the Hesperides? Ah, those were such apples as would bring a great price! But not so much as a seed of those apples exists any longer. Children used to listen, open-mouthed, to the stories of the golden apple-tree. Young men, who desired to do a braver thing than any of their fellows, set out in quest of this fruit. Many of them returned no more; none of them brought back the apples. No wonder that they found it impossible to gather them! It is said that there was a dragon beneath the tree, with a hundred terrible heads, fifty of which were always on the watch while the other fifty slept. There are two paragraphs in the foregoing selection. Note that the first line of a paragraph is indented, that is, has a wider margin than the rest of the lines. A paragraph is a group of closely related sentences. EXERCISE 2 (1) Point out the sentences in the two paragraphs above. (2) Copy a paragraph from one of your books and point out the sentences. (3) Study the picture "End of Day." What is the calling of the man? What has he been doing? Write a paragraph on how you imagine he has spent the day and see that your sentences are properly marked off. Point them out. |