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Plain English Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the Plain English novel. A total of 116 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : Plain English.by Marian Wharton.FOREWORD Every generation has added a little to the stor
Plain English.by Marian Wharton.FOREWORD Every generation has added a little to the store of truth of which the human race has possessed itself throughout the long sweep of the centuries. Every truth expressed and preserved by those who lived in the past,
- 1 Plain English.by Marian Wharton.FOREWORD Every generation has added a little to the store of truth of which the human race has possessed itself throughout the long sweep of the centuries. Every truth expressed and preserved by those who lived in the past,
- 2 Two cla.s.ses have always existed.To which cla.s.s do you belong?Join your cla.s.s in the struggle.In every one of these six groups of words we have a complete thought expressed. Each of these groups of words we call a sentence.+15.+ +A sentence is a grou
- 3 SPELLING LESSON 1 +Spelling is the process of naming or writing in proper order the letters of a word.+ There is nothing that marks us so quickly as lacking in the qualities that go to make up a good education as our inability to spell the words most comm
- 4 This is an a.s.sertion expressed as an exclamation.Oh! Why should war continue?Here we have a question in the form of an exclamation.Come! Keep your courage up.In this, we have a command, an imperative sentence, expressed in the form of an exclamation.+An
- 5 WORDS THAT a.s.sERT +27.+ After the primitive man had invented names for the things about him, probably his next step was to invent words of action. He very naturally wanted to tell what all of these various things _did_. So the words that tell what thing
- 6 2. The _man_ has a boat.3. The women _pa.s.s_ this way.4. They held the _pa.s.s_ for hours.5. Little children _work_ in the mines.6. The _work_ of the world is done by machinery today.7. The armies will _cross_ the bridge.8. He built a _cross_ of rude sto
- 7 Yours for Education, THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.WORDS ADDED TO NOUNS +33.+ When man began to invent words to express his ideas of the world in which he lived, we have found that probably the first need was that of names for the things about him. So we have nou
- 8 +43.+ +A p.r.o.noun is a word that is used in place of a noun.+ These p.r.o.nouns are very useful little words. They save us a great deal of tiresome repet.i.tion. Notice the awkwardness of the following: The workers will succeed in gaining the workers'
- 9 Can you find a word in this sentence which is a connective word besides the preposition _for_? Did you notice that little word _and_? The noun _men_ and the noun _women_ are both subjects of the verb _struggle_, and they are joined by this little connecti
- 10 Exercise 6 Mark the interjections in the following sentences. Notice those which express emotion and those which imitate sound.1. Oh! Is it possible.2. Hurrah! We have good news at last.3. Whirr! Whirr! goes the giant machine.4. Come! Keep up your courage
- 11 Yours for Education, THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.CLa.s.sES OF NOUNS +59.+ We have learned that the words in a sentence are cla.s.sified according to the work which each word does. The words which a.s.sert are called verbs; the words which are the names of thing
- 12 1. learn learning 2. invent invention 3. choose choice 4. defend defense 5. try trial 6. judge judgment 7. read reading 8. please pleasure 9. elect election 10. move motion +66.+ An abstract noun is also the name of a condition. These nouns are derived fr
- 13 man men goose geese ox oxen woman women foot feet mouse mice brother brethren tooth teeth child children louse lice +77.+ Proper nouns, when made plural, generally follow the same rule as common nouns. Thus we write: All the Smiths, the Joneses, both the
- 14 The possessive form of nouns is made by adding an apostrophe and _s_, ('s); thus, _day's_, _lady's_, _girl's_, _clerk's_.To plural nouns ending in _s_ add only an apostrophe; thus, _days'_, _ladies'_, _girls'_, _clerks'_.When plural nouns do not
- 15 The following table gives the digraphs most commonly used: ng--as in _ring_, _tongue_ ch--as in _church_ and _much_ ch--k as in _chasm_ ch--sh as in _chagrin_ th--as in _then_, _those_ th--as in _thin_ and _worth_ ce--sh as in _ocean_ ci--sh as in _specia
- 16 The corn grows.The farmer grows corn.In the sentence, _Corn grows_, _grows_ is a complete verb. You could not say _The corn grows--what?_ for it does not grow anything. It merely grows, and the verb _grows_ in this sense is a complete verb. But in the sen
- 17 Exercise 4 Complete the following sentences by adding an object or a complement.1. Perseverance in your study will bring.......2. The great need of the working cla.s.s is.......3. We shall never acknowledge.......4. By the sweat of no other's brow sh
- 18 SPELLING LESSON 5 We often have two vowels used in the same syllable as a single sound, as _ou_ in _round_, _oi_ in _oil_, etc.+A diphthong is a union of two vowels to represent a single sound different from that of either alone.+ Sometimes we have two vo
- 19 1st person--I call. We call.2nd person--You call. You call.He } 3rd person She } calls. They, or } call.It } The men } The man } +105.+ You notice in this table we use the expressions _first person_, _second person_, and _third person_. _I_ and _we_ indic
- 20 DOING DOUBLE WORK +113.+ We have found now three forms of the verb, the _simple form_, the _s-form_, and the _past time form_, and, in addition, the _I-form_, or the first person form of the verb _be_. There are no other real verb forms, but there are two
- 21 When there are two consonants following the vowel, divide between the consonants, as for example, _in-ven-tion_, _foun-da-tion_, etc. Never divide a digraph, that is, two consonants which are sounded together as one sound, as for example, _moth-er_, _catc
- 22 10. You will soon see the reason.11. You shall never want for a friend.12. They shall some day see the truth.13. We will not fight against our cla.s.s.14. We will stand together.PERFECT TIME +121.+ Past, present and future, being the three divisions of ti
- 23 You will have earned your money before you get it.I shall have worked thirty days when pay-day comes.Can you not see a difference in saying, _I shall work thirty days when pay-day comes_, and _I shall have worked thirty days when pay-day comes_? The first
- 24 Future Perfect _Singular_ _Plural_ 1. I shall have seen. We shall have seen.2. You will have seen. You will have seen.3. He will have seen. They will have seen.Exercise 3 Read carefully the following quotation. All of the verbs and verb phrases are writte
- 25 Idealism Pledge Ache Acre p.r.o.nunciation +Sat.u.r.day+ Idle Idol Mutual Wealthy Neighbors PLAIN ENGLISH LESSON 8 Dear Comrade: You have often read the words _organic_ and _inorganic_ but did you ever stop to think of the meaning of these words? We say a
- 26 Past Perfect Progressive _Singular_ _Plural_ 1st. I had been seeing. We had been seeing.2d. You had been seeing. You had been seeing.3d. He had been seeing. They had been seeing.+140.+ +The future perfect progressive describes an action which will be prog
- 27 _Singular_ _Singular_ I see. I am seen.You see. You are seen.He sees. He is seen._Plural_ _Plural_ We see. We are seen.You see. You are seen.They see. They are seen.Note that the only change in the verb form in the present ACTIVE is the _s-form_ for the t
- 28 They will have seen. They will have been seen.+146.+ But these are not all the phases of time which we can express. We have progressive, continuous action. So each of these six time forms has a progressive form.+PRESENT PROGRESSIVE+ +Active+ +Pa.s.sive+ _
- 29 Exercise 4 Underscore all the verbs and verb phrases in the following quotation.Write all the time forms of the transitive verb, _lose_, as the time forms of the verb _see_ are written in the foregoing table.When we study the animal world and try to expla
- 30 THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.PARTICIPLES +147.+ We have found that the verb has five forms, made by internal changes in the verb itself,--the present time form, the s-form, the past time form, the present participle and the past participle.We have also found
- 31 _To be_, or not _to be_, that is the question._To have_ and _to hold_ is the problem.He likes _to travel_.You note in all of these infinitives _to_ is used with the simple form of the verb.+153.+ _To_ is generally omitted after verbs like _help_, _hear_,
- 32 Notice carefully the use of the infinitives in the following sentences.Underscore all infinitives.1. To remain ignorant is to remain a slave.2. Teach us to think and give us courage to act.3. Children love to be praised, but hate to be censured.4. To obey
- 33 Handkerchief Headquarters Lawsuit Lockout Bookkeeper +Wednesday+ Motorman Newspaper Pasteboard Postage-stamp Postmaster +Thursday+ Salesman Second-hand s.h.i.+rtwaist Sidewalk Staircase +Friday+ Trademark Time-table Typewriter Tableware Sewing-machine +Sa
- 34 You should be with us in this fight.They should never fear defeat.+172.+ _Ought_ could be used in all these sentences and express practically the same meaning. _Should_ used in this way implies obligation.Exercise 2 Study carefully the following sentences
- 35 He ought to pay us our wages.This means, _He owes it to us to pay us our wages now_.He ought to have paid us our wages.This means, _He owed it to us to pay us our wages some time in the past_.+180.+ The present infinitive is used with the helping verb _ou
- 36 Do you hear the children weeping, O my brothers?Political freedom can exist only where there is industrial freedom.Political democracy can exist only where there is industrial democracy.Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow.If there is anythi
- 37 +185.+ The verb is perhaps the most difficult part of speech to master because it has more form changes than any other part of speech.In this lesson we are going to emphasize the most important things to remember in the study of the verb and also call att
- 38 +191.+ Do not use one verb for another of similar form but different meaning. The following are the most common of these: +Lay+ (incomplete verb, requires an object) meaning to place or to put; as, _to lay the book down_. Princ.i.p.al parts: _Present_, la
- 39 +201.+ +Do not say _says I_ or _thinks I_.+ Says I, "Will you go?"Says he, "That's what will happen."Thinks I to myself, "I'll show you."These are incorrect. Say instead: I said, "Will you go?"He said, &qu
- 40 There are but few rules which can be learned to aid in the spelling of English words. The spelling of words must be largely mastered by concentration and effort of the memory. It will help you to memorize the correct spelling if you will write each word a
- 41 +The word for which a p.r.o.noun stands is called its antecedent.+ KINDS OF p.r.o.nOUNS +204.+ The Latin language has had a great deal of influence upon English. Many of our words are taken from the Latin. You remember that all of the names of our parts o
- 42 Form sentences of your own containing all these p.r.o.nouns.POSSESSIVE FORM +211.+ You will note in these sentences above that we have used the p.r.o.noun _my_ and _your_ and _his_ and _her_ as _my principles_, _your friend_, _his rights_, _her freedom_.
- 43 Agreement +219.+ p.r.o.nouns are very agreeable members of the co-operative commonwealth of words. They strive to agree with their antecedents.Sometimes we do not allow the p.r.o.noun to agree, and then our sentence is incorrect.+A p.r.o.noun must agree w
- 44 G.o.d said, "Thy hands are pure. Lift up thy robe."I raised it; my feet were red, blood-red, as if I had trodden in wine.G.o.d said, "How is this?"I said, "Dear Lord, the streets on earth are full of mire. If I should walk straigh
- 45 Words that end in a double consonant or any two consonants, keep the two consonants, no matter what suffix they take; as, _indent_, _indented_; _skill_, _skilled_, _skillful_.The only exception to this rule is when the addition of the suffix throws the ac
- 46 +An interrogative p.r.o.noun is a p.r.o.noun used to ask a question.+ RELATIVE p.r.o.nOUNS +232.+ There is one other cla.s.s of p.r.o.nouns which plays a great part in our speech and is a wonderful help to us. For example, suppose I want to tell you sever
- 47 +10.+ +Remember that _me_, _him_, _her_, _them_, _us_ and _whom_ are always object forms+. Never say, _They charged he and I too much_. Say, _They charged him and me too much_. In an attempt to speak correctly and follow the niceties of English, this mist
- 48 8. She brought it to me.......9. If......and I join you, will you go?10. They must not quarrel over......and me.Exercise 6 Complete the following sentences using the correct form of _they_, _them_, or _themselves_ in the blank s.p.a.ces: 1. They gave.....
- 49 Some words ending in silent _e_ retain the _e_ before the suffix beginning with a vowel, to prevent a change in the p.r.o.nunciation or to preserve the ident.i.ty of the word. Notice the following words: peace peaceable courage courageous singe singeing c
- 50 Study them carefully and determine which are qualifying and which are limiting adjectives. Note that the possessive nouns and possessive p.r.o.nouns are _not_ adjectives. _Its_ in the phrases _its cruel fangs_ and _its savage claws_, is a possessive p.r.o
- 51 7. I had to take a--an upper berth.8. He joined a--an union.9. It is a--an unique book.10. He is a--an unruly member of society.11. He told a--an untruth.12. He wears a--an uniform.13. It is a--an honor to be chosen.+253.+ When a singular noun is modified
- 52 "Is it so with all?" he asked."It is so with all," answered the weaver, "with the young as well as with the old, with the women as well as with the men, with the little children as well as with those who are stricken in years. The
- 53 So these words are p.r.o.nouns when they stand alone to represent things--when they are used in place of a noun. They are adjectives when they are used _with_ a noun to limit or qualify the noun. For example, I may say, _This tree is an elm, but that tree
- 54 DESCENDING COMPARISON +271.+ The change in form of adjectives in the positive, comparative and superlative shows that one object has more of a quality than others with which it is compared. But we also wish at times to express the fact that one object has
- 55 4. In stating a comparison, avoid comparing a thing with itself. For example; _New York is larger than any city in the United States_. In this sentence, when you say _any_ city in the United States, you are including New York; so you are really comparing
- 56 Relief Achievement Reprieve Lien Siege PLAIN ENGLISH LESSON 16 Dear Comrade: We have been tracing the development of written speech in order that we might have a clearer understanding of our own language. We have found how our earliest ancestors communica
- 57 slowly here now gently loudly never soon carefully n.o.bly down seldom easily Use the following adverbs in sentences to modify adjectives: quite very more too most less nearly so Use the following adverbs in sentences to modify adverbs: too very quite les
- 58 +289.+ You can always distinguish between adjectives and adverbs by this rule: Adjectives modify _only nouns_ and _p.r.o.nouns_, and the one essential characteristic of the adverb, as a limiting word, is that it is _always_ joined to some other part of sp
- 59 Synonyms are words which have the same meaning. For example: Allow, permit; lazy, idle.Our spelling lesson for this week contains a list of most of the commonly used h.o.m.onyms. Look up the meaning in the dictionary and use them correctly in sentences. Y
- 60 5. I will be able to speak more effectively when I have studied the subject.6. Those who argue most ably are those who are in complete possession of the facts.7. He needs to take a course such as this very badly.8. I am too weary to go farther today.9. Th
- 61 _Only the address can be written on this side._ We mean that nothing but the address can be written on this side._The address can only be written on this side._ We mean that the address cannot be printed, but must be written._The address can be written on
- 62 _Really_ is the adverb form of the adjective _real_. You might have said: I am really glad to know it.But never use _real_ when you mean _very_ or _quite_ or _really_.+We use the adjective _some_ many times when we should use the adverb _somewhat_.+ For e
- 63 12. I looked quick--quickly in the direction of the sound.13. The sun is s.h.i.+ning bright--brightly today and the gra.s.s looks green--greenly.SPELLING LESSON 17 In our study of adjectives we have found that we use them to express some quality possessed
- 64 6. _Sensible_ men readily understand their economic slavery.7. _Intelligent_ people will not always submit to robbery.8. _Senseless_ arguments cannot convince us of the truth.USED AS ADVERBS +301.+ These phrases may be used in the place of single adverbs
- 65 But this is not all. You can readily see that the use of a different preposition changes the meaning of the sentence. It means quite a different thing to say, _The boys are hiding in the bushes_, and to say, _The boys are hiding beyond the bushes_. So the
- 66 _In the dark_ one night I lay _upon my bed_. And _in the dark_ I dreamed a dream. I dreamed G.o.d took my soul _to h.e.l.l_.And we came where h.e.l.l opened _into a plain_, and a great house stood there. Marble pillars upheld the roof, and white marble st
- 67 +Guilty+, of (not for). He is guilty _of_ the crime.+Incentive+, to (not for). It is a great incentive _to_ action.+Receive+, from, (not of). Received _from_ John Smith, thirty dollars, etc.+FRIDAY+ +Infer+, from, (not by). I infer this _from_ your remark
- 68 The man went _under_ the house.The man went _without_ the house.The man went _into_ the house.The man went _by_ the house.The man went _beyond_ the house.The man went _to_ the house.enemy city soldiers cannon man machine woman factory children school gove
- 69 Would you say: The invention of gunpowder, or gunpowder's invention?The destruction of Louvain, or Louvain's destruction?The siege of Antwerp, or Antwerp's siege?The boat's keel, or the keel of the boat?COMMON ERRORS +322.+ Preposition
- 70 The price is _below_ cost.There were _under_ fifty present.Say instead: The price is _less_ than cost.There were _fewer_ than fifty present.+326.+ Do not misuse _over_ and _above_. These prepositions have reference only to _place_. They are incorrectly us
- 71 There are a few prepositions which might really be called derivative prepositions.1. A few prepositions are formed from verbs. These are really participle prepositions, for they are the present participles of the verbs but have come to be used like prepos
- 72 Note that these sentences are made up of two or more simple sentences combined; and each of these simple sentences is called a clause, and each clause must contain a subject and a predicate.Exercise 2 Rewrite the following simple sentences, using conjunct
- 73 1. John and Henry are going home.2. Music and painting are fine arts.3. The grounds and buildings of our public schools have cost millions.4. The time calls for brave men and women.5. We struggle for truth and freedom.6. Will you study English or arithmet
- 74 ADVERBS +340.+ +Co-ordinate conjunctions are also used to connect adverbs.+ This gives us the power to describe the action expressed in verbs without the tiresome repet.i.tion of the verb. For example: He spoke _fluently_ and _eloquently_.Exercise 7 In th
- 75 1. Those words will inspire us to dream and to dare.2. We shall learn to produce and to distribute.3. To be or not to be, that is the question.4. Puffing and panting, the great engine pulled up to the station.5. A cringing and trembling coward fears to de
- 76 +Tuesday+ Honest--Deceitful Fearful--Fearless Punctual--Tardy Identical--Different +Wednesday+ Thoughtful--Thoughtless Rich--Poor Attentive--Inattentive Industrious--Lazy +Thursday+ Quickly Lovely Clearly Cleanly +Friday+ Homely Truly Courtly Nearly +Sat.
- 77 +354.+ +Adverb clauses of manner.+ These clauses will answer the question _how_, and are introduced by such subordinate conjunctions as, _as_, _as if_, _as though_, etc.Study _as though_ you were in earnest.Come _as if_ you had been called.Do _as_ I say,
- 78 9. If _we_ knew the facts we could not be misled.10. Inform yourself before _you_ seek to teach others.11. We must unite in order that _we_ may possess power.12. It is more than the _heart_ can bear.13. May you have courage to dare ere _you_ have ceased t
- 79 These noun clauses are used in apposition.Exercise 3 Complete the following sentences by inserting the appropriate conjunctions and p.r.o.nouns in the blank s.p.a.ces: 1. Can you tell......Germany has a million fighting men?2. Would you be pleased......th
- 80 We have practically finished the study of the different parts of speech.We are now in possession of a knowledge of the tools which we need to use in expressing ourselves. We are ready to make practical application of this knowledge in writing and speaking
- 81 16. Attention is the stuff that memory _is made_ of.17. A great writer has said that grace _is_ beauty in action; I say that justice _is_ truth in action.18. If we do not _plant_ knowledge when young it will give us no shade when we _are_ old.19. You can
- 82 5. Liberty _for_ me _and_ slavery _for_ you means slavery _for_ both.6. The greatest thing _in_ the world _is for_ a man to know _that_ he _is_ his own.7. Nothing can work me damage _except_ myself.8. He _that_ loveth maketh his own the grandeur _which_ h
- 83 Our list of words in this week's lesson contain some of the most common words which we use ending in _ible_ or _able_. The words for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all end in _able_; the words for Thursday, Friday, and Sat.u.r.day will end in _ible_.
- 84 Exercise 1 Mark the interjections in the following sentences. Which express surprise? Which joy? Which sorrow? Which disgust?1. Alas! We shall never meet again.2. Bravo! You have done well.3. Pshaw! Is that the best you can do?4. s.h.i.+p ahoy! All hands
- 85 +394.+ +We have a number of words which we use to introduce our sentences.+ They are such words as, _so_, _well_ and _why_. These are ordinarily adverbs, but when they are used merely to introduce a sentence they retain little of their adverbial force. Fo
- 86 Law, martyr, society, education, inventor, commander, freedom, Eugene V. Debs, Karl Marx, Kaiser Wilhelm, The Balkan, Lawrence, Colorado, Calumet.ABSOLUTE CONSTRUCTION +399.+ We have found that every word in a sentence bears some relation to every other w
- 87 Note the spelling of the following words: Autumn, solemn, column, kiln, hymn, condemn.+THURSDAY+ We have a number of words containing a silent _b_. Notice the spelling of the following words: Doubt, debt, dumb, limb, thumb, lamb.+FRIDAY+ A number of words
- 88 The busy, industrious men with families work hard.The busy, industrious men with families work hard in the factory.Our simple predicate, _work_ is now enlarged. It is modified by the adverb, _hard_ and the adverb phrase, _in the factory_. So our complete
- 89 The tailor made him a coat.+409.+ _Coat_ is the _direct_ object of the verb _made_. But we have another object in the p.r.o.noun _him_. We do not mean that the tailor made _him_, but that the tailor made him a _coat_. _Coat_ is the direct object and _him_
- 90 Peace will be.......Poverty is.......Fill the blanks in the following sentences with a phrase used in the predicate complement.His service was _for his cla.s.s_.Socialism is.......The workers are.......The message shall be.......The government is.......Th
- 91 "Br--r--r--r--r--r--r--r--r--."18. What _are_ the _machines saying_?19. _They are saying_, "We are hungry."20. "_We have eaten_ up the men and women. (There is no longer a market for men and women, they come too high)-- 21. _We ha
- 92 Little child _lives_ are coined into money.Defenseless, helpless _children_ suffer most under capitalism.Every neglected _child_ smites my conscience in the name of humanity.The thrilling, far-sounding _battle-cry_ shall resound.Note that in all of these
- 93 Can the _work_ be accomplished quickly?Must our _youth_ end so quickly?+423.+ +The real subject comes after the verb when we use the introductory word it.+ As for example: It will not be safe _to go_._To go_ is really the subject of the sentence. _To go w
- 94 I like _to study_.He asked _to go_.I want _to learn_ all that I can.In this last sentence, the infinitive, _to learn_, is the direct object of the verb _want_. The object of the infinitive, _to learn_, is _all that I can_. All of this taken together with
- 95 _Good_ books are helpful.Adverbs may be placed either before or after the verbs they modify, thus: The men _then_ came _quickly_ to the rescue.The adverb _then_ precedes the verb _came_, which it modifies; and the adverb _quickly_ is placed after the verb
- 96 Excuse Excuse Abuse Abuse Grease Grease Sacrifice Sacrifice Device Devise +Tuesday+ Intent Intend Advice Advise Relief Relieve Cloth Clothe Reproof Reprove +Wednesday+ Ascent Ascend Strife Strive Mouth Mouth Grief Grieve Bath Bathe +Thursday+ Exile Except
- 97 This is a _compound_ sentence, formed by uniting two simple sentences.Both of the clauses are independent and are of equal rank. Neither depends upon the other. They are united by the co-ordinate conjunction _and_. We can combine these sentences in a diff
- 98 The men supported the party _which fought for their rights_.Here the clause, _which fought for their rights_, is an adjective clause introduced by the p.r.o.noun _which_, and it modifies the noun _party_, which is the object of the verb _supported_.3. +An
- 99 Adjective, _conscious_.Adjective phrase, _in the ranks_.Adjective clause, (_none_).+Complete subject+, _Conscious solidarity in the ranks_.Modifiers of the predicate: Adverb, _now_.Adverb phrase, _in our day_.Adverb clause, (_none_).+Direct object+, _free
- 100 --_Lincoln_.Exercise 9 In the following poem find all of the a.s.sertive, interrogative and imperative sentences. Mark all of the simple sentences and all of the complex sentences. Mark all of the dependent clauses and determine whether each is used as a