LESSON VIII. THE CLEAR SENTENCE. The chief principle governing the thought of a sentence which aims at clearness is the principle of Unity; every sentence should have one leading idea, and one alone. I. In order to keep to one idea in the sentence avoid changing the subject often. EXAMPLES. Incorrect Form. Pen had formed an acquaintance with a cheery fellow-passenger, and this was as they came along the road, and he was in a shabby cloak, and talked a great deal about men of letters, for he was very familiar with them, and he was in fact the reporter of a London newspaper. The little creature had somehow confounded his passage among the intricacies of these lordly chimneys, and he had alighted upon this magnificent chamber, and this had been done by means of some unknown Correct Form. "As they came along the road, Pen had formed an acquaintance with a cheery fellow-passenger in a shabby cloak, who talked a great deal about men of letters, with whom he was very familiar, and who was in fact the reporter of a London newspaper." Pendennis. "The little creature, having somehow confounded his passage among the intricacies of these lordly chimneys, by some unknown aperture had alighted upon this magnificent chamber and, tired with his tedious aperture, and he was tired with his tedious explorations, and as there was exhibited a delicious invitement to repose, he could not resist it, and he crept between the sheets very quietly, laid his black head upon the pillow, and slept like a young Howard. He re-formed his line of march, and the soldiers were commanded to unsling their firelocks and fix their bayonets, and an advance and rear-guard were formed, and each consisted of a non-commissioned officer and two soldiers, and he gave them strict orders to keep an alert lookout. explorations, was unable to resist the delicious invitement to repose which he saw there exhibited; so creeping between the sheets very quietly, laid his black head upon the pillow, and slept like a young Howard." Essays of Elia, Praise of Chimney-Sweepers. "He re-formed his line of march, commanded his soldiers to unsling their firelocks and fix their bayonets, and formed an advance and rear-guard, each consisting of a non-commissioned officer and two soldiers, who received strict orders to keep an alert lookout." Rob Roy. II. Avoid crowding too many ideas into one sentence. Write as many sentences as there are main thoughts. EXAMPLES. Incorrect Form. I had seen also for the third time the most wonderful of all Alpine birds, which was a gray, flutter Correct Form. "I had seen also for the third time by the Chartreuse torrent the most wonderful of all Alpine ing, stealthy creature, and it was about the size of a sparrow; but it was of colder gray and more graceful, and haunts the sides of the fiercest torrents, this one, by the way, was by the Chartreuse torrent, and there is something more strange in it than in the sea-gull, which seems a powerful creature; but this small bird is silent and tender and light, and almost like a moth in its low and irregular flight, and it almost touches with its wings the crest of waves that would overthrow a granite wall and haunts the hollows of the bleak, cold, herbless rocks that are continually shaken by their spray, and it has perhaps the nearest approach to the look of a spiritual existence I know in animal life. birds, birds, a gray, fluttering, stealthy creature, about the size of a sparrow, but of colder gray, and more graceful, which haunts the sides of the fiercest torrents. There is something more strange in it than in the sea-gull, - that seems a powerful creature; but this small creature, silent, tender, and light, almost like a moth in its low and irregular flight, almost touching with its wings the crest of waves that would overthrow a granite wall, and haunting the hollows of the bleak, cold, herbless rocks that are continually shaken by their spray, has perhaps the nearest approach to the look of a spiritual existence I know in animal life." Præterita. III. It is equally necessary to avoid putting each idea into a separate sentence. Study to see which is a main thought; then group with it in one sentence the ideas naturally belonging with it. EXAMPLES. Incorrect Form. But I want to tell you the outward history of the French Academy. First of all I must give a very few words to this history. About the year 1629 eight or nine persons formed themselves into a sort of little club. The members of this little club were to meet at one another's houses and discuss literary matters. They were fond of literature. || Their meetings got talked of. Cardinal Richelieu heard of them. He was then minister. He was all-powerful.|| He had a noble passion for letters himself. He had a noble passion for all fine. culture. For these reasons he was interested in what he heard of the nascent society. He was a man in the grand style if ever man was. He had the insight to perceive that this was a potent instrument of the grand style. Correct Form. [Notice that the original passage consists of seven sentences, one for each main idea.] "But first of all I must give a very few words to the outward history of the French Academy. About the year 1629, seven or eight persons, fond of literature, formed themselves into a sort of little club to meet at one another's houses and discuss literary matters. Their meetings got talked of, and Cardinal Richelieu, then minister and all-powerful, heard of them. He himself had a noble passion for letters and for all fine culture; he was interested by what he heard of the nascent society. Himself a man in the grand style, if ever man was, he had the insight to perceive what a potent instrument of the grand style was here |