III. Let the learner practice upon words and sentences containing difficult sounds or combinations. EXAMPLES. Thrifty, blotch'd, milk'd, prob'dst, begg'dst. Pluck'dst, boast'st, wrong'dst, prostrate, hush'dst. Thou splitt'st the unwedgeable and gnarled oak. When Ajax strives some rocks vast weight to throw. Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone. The battle lasts still. The hosts still stood. He could pay no one. He could pain no one. moved me. His crime moved me. Wastes and deserts. sand deserts. His cry Waste And gleaming, and streaming, and steaming, and beaming. And curling, and whirling, and purling, and twirling. Advancing, and dancing, and prancing, and glancing. Delaying, and straying, and playing, and spraying. Lucubration, lugubrious, incalculably, disinterestedly. Apocrypha, agricultural, astrological, chronological. He gave him good advice which he did not heed. He came at last too late to be.of any service. The magistrates stood on an elevated platform. A good deal of disturbance seemd about to follow. No one dared do what ought to have been done. Co-extensively, necessarily, ordinarily, apologetic. Apocalyptic, congratulatory, expostulatory, ecclesiastical. Spirituality, compatibility, dietetically, authoritatively. Annihilation, colloquially, collaterally, appropriate. A thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call. than all other acts laid the ax at the root. crackling, crashing thunder down. The act more Then rustling, Thou hast not asked riches, or wealth, or honor. Thou hast not asked long life, but hast asked wisdom. The magistrates ought to prove the charge. The magistrates sought to prove the charge. On both sides an ocean exists. On both sides a notion exists. He proposed an amicable adjustment. The ceremoniousness of his incommunicability is inexplicable. Most hypocritical was the counter-revolutionary movement. His extraordinary untractableness shows no disinterestedness. I never saw such a saw as this saw to saw with. I say that, that that that man said is not that that I said. When a twister atwisting would twist him a twist. For twisting a twist three twists he entwists. If one of the twists untwists from the twist. The twist untwisting untwists the twist. Robert Rolly rolled a round roll round. A round roll Robert Rolly rolled round, round. Where rolled the round roll Rolly rolled round? QUESTIONS.-To what subjects does the art of speaking well require attention? What is articulation? What fault must be avoided 1st? 2d? 3d? 4th? 5th? (Give examples under each.) What is necessary to insure a good articulation? What method of practice is recommended 1st? 2d? 3d? (Give examples under each.) II. INFLECTION. INFLECTION is an upward or downward slide of the voice. The rising inflection is an upward slide, and is denoted by the acute accent, thus, (): as, Has he gone? Will you come ́? The falling inflection is a downward slide, and is denoted by the grave accent, thus, (`); as, Where will you go`? What has happened? The circumflex is the union of the two slides on the same syllable, and is marked thus, (~), where the voice commences with the falling and ends with the rising inflection; or thus, (~), where the order is reversed; as, They require us to be frugal, While they revel in luxury. A MONOTONE is the utterance of successive syllables in one unvaried key, and is denoted thus, (-); as, Be ready, Gōds, with all your thunder-bolts. MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES. Shall we stay, or go`? Do you say yes ́, or no`? Is he an enemy, or a friend? He must be a fool to do that. O the grave! the grave! it būries ēvery error ! True case in writing, comes from art, not chance", Who can hold fire in his hand, By thinking on the lofty Caucasus` ? What must we do now? Did you say at', or hat? Must we submit? I said at`, not hat". Does Cæsar most deserve fame ́, or blame? RULES FOR INFLECTION. RULE I.-Sentences and clauses which make complete sense, require the falling inflection. EXAMPLES. It is true, my liege: you are the most powerful of kings`. We are all your slaves: we kiss the dust of your feet. He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. RULE II.-Emphasis generally requires the falling inflection. EXAMPLES. Awake, ye sons of Spain: awake`, advance`. RULE III.— Interrogative sentences and clauses, which can not be answered by yes or no, generally require the falling inflection. EXAMPLES. Who discovered America`? Who are these? What must I do? Where are the wise? Exception. When questions like the preceding are repeated, they take the rising inflection; as, Who discovered America? Who are these? REMARK. Although emphasis generally requires the falling inflection, it is sometimes denoted or aided by a change of the natural inflection, in which case the rising is used for the falling, as in the preceding example. RULE IV. Where the sense is suspended or incomplete, the rising inflection is generally used. EXAMPLES. The sunset hues, so bright, so beautiful, have vanished. Hubert, Hubert, save me. 3. Formal terms of address; as, My lords and gentlemen, I ask your attention. RULE V.-Negative sentences and clauses usually require the rising inflection. EXAMPLES. This is not an isolated case". We are not left alone to meet temptation". Exceptions.-1. Emphasis; as, Do you say they are fighting? They are not fighting. 2. General propositions; as, Thou shalt not kill. RULE VI.-When a sentence closes with the falling inflection, the rising often precedes it, for the sake of harmony. EXAMPLES. Death comes to the king, and to the beggar`. Every sorrow is hushed', every pang is extinguished`. Exception.-Emphasis; as, Every man, every woman, every child was slain. RULE VII.-Interrogative sentences and clauses which can be answered by yes or no, generally require the rising inflection. EXAMPLES. Will you deny it? Can you resist such motives? Exception.-Emphasis; as, Will you deny it? Can you resist such motives? RULE VIII.—Interrogative exclamations, and words repeated as a kind of echo to the thought, require the rising inflection. EXAMPLES. Who believes it? Who does not believe it? And this man is called a poet. A poet! Why, he is a mere writer of doggerel. Ha! laugh'st thou, Lochiel, my vision to scorn? |