The Analysis of Sentences (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 Excerpt: ... and life is new. 17. A week had passed, Since the great world was heard from last. 18. So, when in darkness sleeps the vale, Where still the blind bird clings, The sunshine of the upper sky Shall glitter on thy wings 19. It was the very witching-time of night that Ichabod pursued his travels homeward, along the sides of the hills which rise above Tarrytown, and which he had traversed in the afternoon. 20. I cannot feel that thou art far, Since near at need the angels are. LESSON XXXV. CLASSIFICATION OF SENTENCES. The way is now prepared to make a partial classification of sentences. 1. A sentence expresses a complete thought. This does not mean all that can be said about a subject, but such a statement, complete in itself, as a writer or speaker chooses to make. 2. The proposition is the basis of the sentence; the simplest possible sentence contains a proposition, and this defines a simple sentence as one which has but one proposition. 3. The proposition in any sentence may be modified or unmodified. Very few sentences are found containing only unmodified propositions, but the number of modifications does not affect the kind of sentence; this depends on what is essential to its structure, namely, the propositions. 4. The kind of sentence depends on (1) the number of propositions it contains, and (2) their relation to each other. 5. The sentence, life is short and art is long, contains two propositions and is, therefore, not simple; so, also, the sentence, that life is long which answers life's great end. 6. These sentences are alike in the number of their propositions, but they differ in two respects. (1) By the omission of the conjunction and, 'the first is made into two simple sentences with no change of meaning; the second cannot be so treated. The reas..