First French composition

Preface

The story of First French Composition can be told in a few words. We could not find for the teaching of elementary French composition a book that contained enough very simple material. So we made one.

One reason, we think, that formal written-work has not been taught earlier, for a longer period, and better in our high schools, is that teachers have realized the book for their purpose did not exist. These words should not be construed to mean that there are not several excellent composition-manuals in the field — we say merely that in our opinion they do not offer a goodly amount of extremely simple, natural, and concrete material.

We shall not be content unless First French Composition is found to be a most practical book for use during the second year of French in secondary schools, even in those which have only a two years' course. It is not " graded" in the sense that it begins with easy words and phrases and ends with long puzzle-sentences which illustrate every conceivable manner of syntactic difficulty. First French Composition is easy at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. It aims to give the student constant opportunity to write, and write, and write the sort of simple idiomatic French sentence that he must know before he can work out long problems in philosophical diction. It is practice that makes perfect, and to practise a thing means to do it over and over again — and then yet again.

No one, we imagine, will be sorry to have copious Exercises in Conversation throughout First French Composition as an integral part of each lesson. Other sorts of Memory Exercises and the Grammar Review will also be found neces-

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IV PREFACE

sary to any class, if the experience of our colleagues and ourselves at the University of Chicago may be considered a safe guide. Our book, like other composition-manuals, is intended only for students who have learned at some time the prime essentials of simple French. But we do not take it for granted that a student has retained fresh in his mind these essentials, just because he has learned them once upon a time. He should learn them twice upon a time, at least, and have them well in mind while practising his first formal course in the writing of easy French.

Our thanks are due to Professor Hamilton F. Allen, of Washington and Jefferson, for his aid in the preparation of the book. It would not have appeared at the present time and in its present shape except for his kindly helpfulness.

Philip Schuyler Allen Franck Louis Schoell

The University op Chicago October 23, 1919

Contents

PAGE

Division into Syllables ix

Use of Capitals ix