1894 printing of 1890 copyrighted text. Revised and enlarged edition. Author is credited with a B.A. and as editor of Goldsmith's "Deserted Village," Cowper's "Task," etc. Preface (dated 1891) states text addresses lack of texts that ably deal with the theoretical part of composition and offer a sufficient amount of practice. It proceeds on the simple method of laying down a few principles at a time and then illustrating them with a variety of exercises. Chapters cover: the sentence, punctuation, style (diction, formation of sentences, construction of paragraphs), variety of expression, figures of speech, qualities of style (perspicuity, picturesqueness, force, pathos, the ludicrous, the aesthetic), letters, the plan, kinds of discourse, versification, correcting compositions, and proof-reading and marking. The Schultz Archive copy is roughly the complete 338 page text.
1988 printing of 1877 text, new matter copyrighted 1988. Introduction discusses the publication history of the text, and explicates some of Whitney's insights and innovations. The intro compares Whitney's text to the writings of his contemporaries, such as E. A. F. Maetzner, Samuel Greene, John Ash, Thomas Harvey, and Alonzo Reed and Brainerd Kellogg. Whitney's preface states that the pursuit of correctness in writing should be a secondary or subordinate purpose, and is best sought indirectly. It advocates constant use and practice, under never-failing watch and correction. Schultz Archive copy includes Downey's introduction, the original preface, TOC, and the first 23 pages of the text.
A grammar handbook that features a wide array of exercises to stimulate young minds. Illustrations, letter composition, and other techniques commonly featured.
