Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition · Lesson 3–4 · Part 1: Part I: The elementary course
2. The sentence and the declarative sentence
Goal: Your child knows that a sentence is a group of words making complete sense, follows the book's directions for writing one, and can tell a statement from a question.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and a pencil (or a slate)
What's in the book
Lesson 3 asks questions about a piece of chalk. Lesson 4 defines a sentence and a proposition, gives the directions for writing sentences, and defines declarative and interrogative sentences, with jumbled words to arrange into sentences.
The lesson, step by step
Review
Ask: What is an object? What is a word? Let your child answer in the book's words if they can.
Talk about chalk
If you have chalk (or a crayon), hold it up. Ask the kind of questions the book asks: What color is it? Is it tough or brittle? Can you see through it?
Each answer your child gives in full is a sentence: "Chalk is white."
The new idea
Read the definition together:
A Sentence is a group of words making complete sense.
Say"Chalk is white" makes complete sense. "White chalk" doesn't. It leaves us waiting.
Give a few more pairs and let your child say which one is a sentence.
Directions for writing
The book gives rules for writing every sentence. Read them together:
Begin each sentence with a capital letter.
Spell each word correctly.
Place an interrogation point [?] at the end of every question.
The book also says to end statements and commands with a period, and never to split a syllable at the end of a line.
Two kinds so far
Read:
A Declarative Sentence is a sentence used in stating a fact.
An Interrogative Sentence is a sentence used in asking a question.
Say"The window is open" tells. "Is the window open?" asks.
Unscramble the words
The book gives groups of words to arrange into sentences. Try a few aloud first, then write them:
Iceland, very, is, in, it, cold.
Lesson, an, this, easy, is.
Lemons, where, grow, do.
The first ones become statements, the last a question. Check the capital letter and the end mark.
Check together
Read each written sentence aloud. Does it make complete sense? Does it start with a capital? Does it end with the right mark?
Use it today
In today's reading, find one sentence that tells and one that asks. Read them aloud.
Afterwards
On another day, finish the rest of the jumbled-word groups in Lesson 4. The book's note says to keep making up new groups until longer sentences come easily.
Tip
When your child writes, say the three checks out loud every time: capital, spelling, end mark. Soon they'll do it on their own.
Answers to the book's problems
Possible arrangements (other orders can also be right): Declarative: It is very cold in Iceland. This is an easy lesson. Cherries are ripe in June. Our house is under the hill. Good scholars are always happy. The boy's little red cap fell into the river. The snow is very deep in our lane. The farmer plants corn in the spring. I like to skate when the ice is very smooth. Interrogative: Where do lemons grow? Is John's brother sick to-day? Was it very cold yesterday? Does your aunt live over the river beyond the toll-gate? Is not writing a pleasant exercise? Were you not at school yesterday? May I pick this white rose?
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.