stage directions, as they are called, printed in italics. "Gets the girls ready for bed," in the first play, is an example. Consider whether there are enough of these in each play to make the story perfectly clear. If not, where would you insert others? d. In addition, study the plays sentence by sentence to determine whether the writers have always (1). used the correct end punctuation, (2) put the apostrophe in contracted words, and (3) set off appositives, names of persons addressed, and well with commas. Are any words omitted? What other mistakes do you discover?

e. In which respect do you think these plays are better -in substance or in form? That is, in the actual stories themselves or in the accuracy with which they are written?

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITING PLAYS

162. Having read and criticized some plays, you should now write plays for yourselves. The question is, where to get the stories? Some hints follow: a. Use some story you have read or heard.

b. Make a play from one of the pictures in the book. c. Make a play from some picture you have seen in a book or on the cover of a magazine.

d. Think of some incident in your own experiences, and change it enough to make a play with a surprising outcome.

You will need some help in determining the form of your manuscript. Follow the instructions given below:

a. Underline the title.

b. Write the list of characters below the title.

c. Write a brief description of the scene, below the list of characters.

d. Write the name of the speaker in the middle of the page; give each name a whole line to itself and draw two lines under it.

e. Do not use quotation marks unless one of the speakers quotes somebody else. A play is different from a story in this respect.

f. The stage directions must be underlined once. If they occur within a speech rather than before it or after it, they must be underlined once and inclosed within parentheses.

g. If a play has more than one scene, such headings as Scene I and Scene II must be used, and a description must be given under each. If the second and other scenes are in the same place as the first, write The Same instead of repeating the description.

CRITICISM OF THE PLAYS

163. Exchange plays and judge them as you did those printed in the book. At least one should be copied on the blackboard and criticized carefully. Perhaps you will find one or two that will be suitable for the school paper. Perhaps one will be so good that some of you would like to learn the words and act the play before the class.

CLAUSES

164. Read the following groups of words:

1. "if you would only spare my life"

2. "that the lion was caught by some hunters"

3. "when the mouse piteously entreated"

4. "of whom he earnestly besought his life"

Each one of these groups of words has a verb. What is it? Each has a subject. What is it?

Do you not see that although each group has a verb and a subject, not one is complete, that is, not one expresses a complete thought? Each one, indeed, must become a part of a sentence in order to have any meaning. Thus

1. "If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness."

2. "It happened shortly after this that the lion was caught by some hunters."

3. "He caught him and was about to kill him, when the mouse piteously entreated."

4. "A bat falling upon the ground was caught by a weasel, of whom he earnestly besought his life."

The meaning of these groups of words is now clear and certain. It is seen that each of them depends upon the rest of the sentence for its meaning. Such groups of words are called subordinate clauses, or, sometimes, dependent clauses.

The main parts of the sentences, that is, "I would be sure to repay your kindness," "It happened shortly after this," "He caught him and was about to kill him," and "A bat falling upon the ground was caught by a weasel," are called principal clauses.

Sometimes there are two subordinate clauses that are joined by connective words, as in the following sentence: If the water is warm enough, and if the other boys will go, I will go swimming to-morrow. Again, there may be three or more subordinate clauses, thus: If the water is warm enough, if the

go

other boys will go, and if mother does n't object, I will swimming to-morrow. In these cases the subordinate clauses are separated by commas; they are in series.

165. What do you notice about the punctuation of the example sentences in section 164? Are all the subordinate clauses separated by commas from the principal clauses? How do you account for the difference? Read the sentences aloud in a very natural manner, and determine whether your manner of reading explains anything.

166. Reconsider a composition previously written, and determine what sentences have subordinate clauses. Read some of them aloud in class.

EXERCISE IN GRAMMAR

167. In the passage that follows, consider whether the principal clauses are accompanied by subordinate clauses, and if so, by how many. Tell what are the predicates and subjects of both kinds of clauses. Note, however, that subordinate clauses may begin with other words than those that begin the subordinate clauses in the example sentences of section 164. Some of these connective words are if, as, where, why, while, after, though, although, so that, who, and which.

"There was once a gentleman who married for his second wife the proudest and haughtiest woman that was ever seen. She had two daughters who were of her temper, and who were, in fact, just like her in every way. The husband also had a daughter, who was sweet and good beyond example. She inherited her disposition

from her mother, who had been the very best woman in all the world.

"The wedding was hardly over when the stepmother flew into a violent passion: she could not endure the good qualities of the young girl, because they made her own daughters appear the more detestable. So there were put upon the child the most unpleasant duties of the house: it was she who washed the dishes and scrubbed the stairs, and who cleaned the bedrooms of the mother and her two daughters. And when night came, she had to sleep in the garret upon a miserable bed of straw, while her stepsisters had decorated bedrooms, beds of the very latest fashion, and mirrors in which they could see themselves from head to foot.”

PERRAULT, Cinderella

Two MISTAKES IN THE USE OF SUBORDINATE

CLAUSES

168. The second sentence in the quoted passage is, "She had two daughters who were of her temper, and who were, in fact, just like her in every way." If you will consider the two subordinate clauses that begin with "who" you will see that they are joined by the connective word "and," which always joins two words or groups of words that have the same function, or use, in the sentence. The two subordinate clauses in the sentence given are therefore correctly used. But the sentence might have been written thus: She had two ill-tempered daughters, and who were, in fact, like her in every way. In this sentence "and" does not join two subordinate clauses, for there is only one clause there. The sentence is therefore incorrect. Many people make this mistake,