The practical system I-II. [antikvár]

PREFACEAs this book has passed from edition to edition, it has undergoneso many changes that its present form bears but little resemblance to itsfirst. These changes mark the author's endeavours to construct a systemwhich, with the least effort on the part of both student and teacher, willgive the student the most practical fundamental knowledge of thelanguage and at the same time keep this knowledge on a strictly gram-matical basis. In attaining this end, the following have become the chiefcharacteristic features of the work.Style. That the student may first of all learn to express himselfin a simple uniform English, the reading-pieces here have been freed ofall those higher literary phrases and extravagances that would tend tomar the uniformity of the student's style of expression. The reading-pieces are also so written as to give them the desired grammatical orphraseological content.Vocabulary. Only such words have been employed as are usedin every-day speech. At the same time, as many as possible of thosewords and expressions necessary in common social intercourse havebeen included, with the hope that while no lessons have been inserteddealing with such special features of life as travelling, shopping, etc.,the broadness of the student's knowledge when he has finished thisbook will seldom leave him at a loss for expression in whatever ofthese situations he may find himself.Treatment of the Verb. As the tenses of the verb constitutes thestudent's greatest difficulty, the verb receives very special attention inthis work. It is introduced in all its tenses and forms, and these arepresented to the student as early as possible that he may learn their cor-rect uses before his mind has received premature and false impressions.Repetitive Exercises- To accord the student the opportunity ofthoroughly drilling himself in the uses of the verbal constructions andother idiomatic phrases, these formations are constantly repeated invarious combinations in the groups of expressions that go to make uppart of the lessons. If these groups appear rather long, it is to beremembered that their content is for the most part not new matter, butonly a repetition of constructions learned in previous lessons. Theserepetitions are carried out entirely systematically; for example, must"