1897 printing (the sixth edition, revised and enlarged) of the 1891 copyrighted text. The author is credited as Professor of Rhetoric and English Composition in Columbia College (University?); formerly Associate Professor of English in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Carpenter claims that the exigency of his text is the fact that most students learn more easily from the comments the instructor makes because her/his examples are familiar to the student and s/he uses literature that is more relevant to the students than what is usually found in texts. Each section contains a fairly detailed exercise that includes explanations, examples and systematic exercises for the students. The exercises often emphasize correcting errors. The chapters cover words, sentences, paragraphs, whole compositions, qualities of style (clearness, force, elegance). Barrett Wendell is credited as a primary influence. Wendell, McElroy, A. S. Hill, David Salmon, and Genung are referenced. The Schultz Archive only includes brief excerpts, but they are good quality.
1902 printing of the 1900 copyrighted work. The first high school course was initially published separately in 1899. The author is credited as Professor of Rhetoric and English Composition in Columbia University. This text by Carpenter builds on his previous Exercises in Rhetoric and English Composition that was published roughly 10 years prior. Based on the conclusions of the committees of ten and fifteen, the author is working from the conclusions that students in high school should received the same rhetorical training as those in college; that training should be at least two years; the first course should focus on words and the structure of sentences and paragraphs, and the second should focus on the main principles of exposition, narration, description, and (perhaps) argument; that students have abundant practice in applying principles; that correctness, clearness, directness, and simplicity of style should be emphasized. The author credits Barrett Wendell and F. N. Scott as influences. Exercises are provided throughout.The appendix also includes suggestions for "home reading" and "words frequently misused." The Schultz Archive includes the complete text (although it is missing pages 246-53), and it is good quality.