Written English is the art of putting words together in order to convey
our thoughts to others. Good composition conveys our thoughts correctly,
clearly, and pleasantly, so as to make them readily understood and
easily remembered.
To express ourselves well we must first have something to say. If we
have not been able to come to any definite conclusion about a subject,
we should be silent.
We must next choose the right names for the things or actions of which
we are going to speak. This is not always easy, for we are apt to talk
loosely of quantities and qualities; to say there are “thousands” when
there are only hundreds, to call an event “marvelous” when it is only
unusual, or to refer to “ages” when there are only years.
Again, we must arrange our words in the right way, so that they shall
fit one another and combine to make good sense, just as we must put
bricks or stones together properly to make a building stand. All
language is a construction; it is the building or binding of words.
There are many forms of written English, or composition--from a simple
letter to the most elaborate treatise--but all are made up of the same
elements, namely: words, sentences and paragraphs. It is essential,
therefore, that these elements be thoroughly mastered at the outset.
Beyond this comes the matter of style, the essentials of which may be
summed up in four words: _Accuracy_, _Clearness_, _Strength_ and
_Grace_.
_Accuracy_ and _Clearness_ are requisite in all kinds of writing to
insure the faithful presentation of thought.
_Strength_ and _Grace_ are more especially applicable to the higher
branches of prose composition and to poetry.
=Grammatical Connections.=--No expression can form part of a good
composition unless it be constructed in accordance with correct grammar.
Every sentence is inaccurate which gives wrong forms of the parts of
speech, or violates the rules of syntax. The most common errors are of
two kinds:
(1) Errors in the use of single words or forms.
(2) False concords, that is, wrong genders, numbers, cases and tenses.
(See Right and Wrong Use of Words.)