One great lack in oral and written compositions is life and interest, and in your study of the mechanical features of sentence and paragraph making, you should never lose sight of the fact that the real purpose of it all is to make you interesting talkers and writers. You ought by this time to be convinced of the necessity of being able to speak with grammatical correctness, so that your listeners will not be diverted from what you have to say by the way you say it. You have also studied enough about the unity, coherence, and emphasis of sentences and paragraphs to understand that, without due attention to each of these points, you cannot expect to write either correctly or interestingly. But while writing, you should put aside all thought of grammar or emphasis, and try only to say what you have in mind with simplicity and directness.

Just because you do not always know precisely how you are to express what you wish to say, it is not wise to stop and wonder whether you can express it at all. As soon as your thought comes, begin to write. Begin as naturally as you can - with the subject of the sentence, with the expression that will emphasize the main thought, or with whatever will best connect the sentence with what may have been said before. Do not worry about the middle or the end. With your goal clearly in mind, press steadily toward it. A good beginning and perseverance ought to bring a good ending. Above all, think vigorously and write rapidly, so that your sentences may have smoothness and life.

Exercises

401. Make a careful study of the sentences in the following paragraph. Read them aloud. Point out all expressions that have life.

Rikki-Tikki

Rikki-tikki was bounding all around Nagaina, keeping just out of reach of her stroke, his little eyes like hot coals. Nagaina gathered herself together, and flung out at him. Rikki-tikki jumped up and backward. Again and again she struck, and each time her head came with a whack on the matting of the veranda and she gathered herself together like a watch-spring. Then Rikki-tikki danced in a circle to get behind her, and Nagaina spun round to keep her head to his head, so that the rustle of her tail on the matting sounded like dry leaves blown along by the wind.

He had forgotten the egg. It still lay on the veranda, and Nagaina came nearer and nearer to it, till at last, while Rikki-tikki was drawing breath, she caught it in her mouth, turned to the veranda steps, and flew like an arrow down the path, with Rikki-tikki behind her. When the cobra runs for her life, she goes like a whiplash flicked across a horse's neck.

- Kipling, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" in "The Jungle Book."

402. Does the construction of each of the following sentences emphasize what is important? Can you improve either sentence ? Does the paragraph contain an example of climax ?

Nearer and nearer came the cloud; and the red glow turned to purple and the sun went out of sight; and still it came nearer, that whirling cloud-canopy of fine powdered dust, rising to right and left of the road in vast round puffs, and hanging overhead like the smoke from some great moving fire. Then, from beneath it, there seemed to come a distant roar like thunder, rising and falling on the silent air, but rising ever louder; and a dark gleam of polished bronze, with something more purple than the purple sunset, took shape slowly; then with the low roar of sound, came now and then, and then more often, the clank of harness and arms; till at last, the whole stamping, rushing, clanging crowd of galloping horsemen seemed to emerge suddenly from the dust in a thundering charge, the very earth shaking beneath their weight, and the whole air vibrating to the tremendous shock of pounding hoofs and the din of clashing brass.

- F. M. Crawford, "Zoroaster," chap. v.

40S. Write a paragraph giving a picture of the grace and agility of a squirrel, or of some other animal.

404. After reading carefully a full account of the appearance of some character in a story, describe this person in your own way. You may use as much of the language of the book as you remember, but you are not to refer to it while writing.

405. In a similar way, give an oral account of the appearance of some person. Make your picture as lifelike as possible.

406. Write a letter to a real estate dealer, giving an accurate description of the kind of furnished cottage you wish to hire for the summer. (Consult Chap. VIII for help in making your letter correct in form).