Précis-writing recommends itself. While it is especially valuable to candidates for the Civil Service Examinations, it is of great utility to students generally. But skill in analysing and condensing subjectmatter can only be gained by regular and frequent practice. The same may be said of skill in composition. "Write much; write frequently," says Dr. Johnson, "and success is certain." Experience proves that boys stand in need of much help in their first attempts. And until they have acquired a certain facility in sentencemaking they cannot, and therefore should not, be expected to write continuous prose on any subject. A lesson in composition two or three times a week, will soon tell on all other written work; and where boys have access to a suitable library they should be encouraged to avail themselves of it, since there is much to learn by careful reading of good authors. My obligations are due to the various authors, especially Angus, Abbott, Morell, Fowler, and Currie, whose works I frequently consulted in preparing this little manual, which I trust will be found useful for the purpose for which it is intended. READING, October, 1874. EXERCISES IN DICTATION. GENERAL RULES FOR SPELLING. 1. Final consonants-when doubled. Monosyllables ending in a consonant preceded by a vowel, double the final consonant on the addition of a syllable beginning with a vowel: as, sob, sobbing; hot, hotter; swim, swimmer; acquit, acquittal. 2. Final consonants-when not doubled. If the word ends in more than one consonant, the final is not doubled: as, teach, teaching; exhaust, exhaustive. If more than one vowel precede the final consonant, it is not doubled: as, dear, dearest; spoil, spoiling. [Exception: wool, woollen]. 3. The final y-when retained. a. Words ending in y preceded by a vowel retain the y: as, journey, journeys; pulley, pulleys; play, played; annoy, annoyance. b. The Pres. Participle ending ing preserves the y. reply, replying; pity, pitying. B 2 y C. EXERCISES IN DICTATION. Monosyllables ending in y, seldom change the : as, joy, joyful; way, wayward; 4. The final y-when not retained. Words that end in y, preceded by a consonant, y into i when a letter or syllable is added: change the as, study, studious; easy, easiest; society, societies; remedy, remedied. 5. Final e-when retained. a. It is retained when preceded by c or g soft: as, peace, peaceable; change, changeable; outrage, outrageous. b. It is retained before a suffix beginning with a consonant: as, as, C. home, homely; tire, tiresome. It is retained when preceded by another vowel: hoe, hoeing; eye, eyeing; decree, decreeing. 6. Final when dropped. a. The e is dropped before the present participle ending, as, love, loving; judge, judging. b. It is dropped before able or ible, except when palate, palatable; sense, sensible. 7. Some words ending in 11, lose one 1 when a well, welfare; all, withal; syllable [In many compound words the ll is retained] : |