ADDRESS AND SALUTATION OF LETTERS 241 22. By following this plan we shall reach the ore if there is any ore. 23. Though I am no judge of such matters I'm sure he's a talented man. 24. The visitor has killed all kinds of big game if we may believe his stories. 25. It is best not to swap horses while crossing a river. LESSON 42 DESCRIPTION OF A PAINTING EXERCISE 42 On the opposite page is a reproduction of the wellknown picture by Leutze, "Washington Crossing the Delaware." Read in your history, or in other reference books, the account of how Washington crossed the ice-filled river and surprised the enemy at Trenton. Write a description of the picture. LESSON 43 ADDRESS AND SALUTATION OF LETTERS The inside address consists of the name of the person or firm to whom the letter is written and the names of the state and town or city to which the letter is sent. In addition to the name of the place, there should be a street address, rural route, or post-office box. The proper title should be given the person addressed, as in the following illustrations. The inside address may also be written without punctuation at the ends of lines. In letters of friendship, the inside address may be omitted, but it should always be written in business letters; and there is a good reason for writing it in all letters. If through accident the envelope should be destroyed or the direction on it rendered illegible, the address on the inside would make it possible for the post-office department to forward the letter to its destination. The form of salutation depends upon the relations existing between the writer and his correspondent. In letters of friendship or family letters there is little difficulty about the salutation. In business letters, "Dear Sir" is the form usually employed in addressing a man. "Dear Madam" is the salutation for a woman, whether married or unmarried. "My dear Sir" and "My dear Madam" are more formal salutations than those which omit my. "Gentlemen" or "Dear Sirs" is the form used in addressing a firm or a body of men. "Kind Sir," "Kind Friend," and "Friend Brown" are not in good use. "Dear Friend" should not be used in a business letter. It is customary to use, after the salutation, a colon in a formal business letter and a comma in a friendly letter. EXERCISE 43 1. Write a letter, ordering some book that you would like to have. 2. Write a letter to a relative, thanking him for a birthday present. 3. Suppose that you have moved to another town and are required to have a copy of your grades, or record, at your former school before you can be classified in the new school. Write a letter to your former teacher, asking for the necessary information. Mention the fact that you inclose a stamp for her reply. LESSON 44 THE ORDER OF MODIFIERS Place adverbs where there can be no doubt as to the words you intend them to modify. WRONG I only bring forward a few things. RIGHT I bring forward only a few things. The Chinese live chiefly upon rice. In using a participle, be careful to leave no doubt as to what you intend it to modify. WRONG A poor child was found in the streets by a wealthy and benevolent gentleman suffering from cold and hunger. RIGHT A poor child suffering from cold and hunger was found in the streets by a wealthy and benevolent gentleman. Place phrase modifiers where there can be no doubt as to what you intend them to modify. WRONG That small man is speaking with red whiskers. RIGHT That small man with red whiskers is speaking. The adjective clause should be placed as near as possible to the word it modifies. WRONG Solomon was the son of David who built the Temple. RIGHT Solomon, who built the Temple, was the son of David. The order of words, phrases, and clauses is very important in English. Always place modifiers in such a THE ORDER OF MODIFIERS 245 way that the meaning will be clear. Also, arrange modifiers so that the sentence will sound smooth. EXERCISE 44 Change the order in the following sentences where it is necessary to make the meaning clear or to improve the sound. Punctuate your sentences. 1. Hath the Lord only spoken by Moses? 2. He must have certainly been sick. 3. The honorable member was reproved for being intoxicated by the president. 4. A gentleman will let his house going abroad for the summer to a small family containing all the improvements, 5. With his gun towards the woods he started in the morning. 6. Seated on the topmost branch of a tall tree busily engaged in gnawing an acorn we espied a squirrel. 7. The Knights of the Round Table flourished in the reign of King Arthur who vied with their chief in chivalrous exploits. 8. The town contains fifty houses and one hundred inhabitants built of brick. 9. On Monday evening a lecture by Governor Hanly was delivered at the old brick church on prohibition. 10. Suits ready made of material cut by an experienced tailor handsomely trimmed and bought at a bargain are offered cheap. 11. My brother caught the fish on a small hook baited with a minnow which we had for breakfast. 12. The speaker was addressing the crowd as I came in with great eloquence. |