A COMPENDIOUS GERMAN GRAMMAR (CLASSIC REPRINT)

Excerpt from A Compendious German GrammarA. Careful distinction of the contents of the book by variety of type, according to their degree of immediate importance, has been attempted throughout. Especially, I have meant to put into the largest type (sm. Pica) just about so much as the scholar ought to learn carefully and thoroughly in his first course of grammar-lessons, preparatory to reading. This a class should acquire, according to the age and capacity and previous training of its members, in from twelve to twenty-five lessons, and should then at once be put into reading, while the grammar is taken up again, and such part of what was before omitted is learned as the judgment of the intelligent teacher shall direct. It is solely as auxiliary to the first course of lessons that the Exercises are intended - to furnish, namely, to the teacher the opportunity of drilling his pupils in the practical application of the more important rules and principles while they are learning them, or gaining practice in parsing, subject by sub ject, instead of leaving the whole work to be taken up at once when reading is begun. While believing that they will be found valuable in this way, I would not press their use, but would leave it to each ones decision whether to employ or neglect them.Nothing has been put in the largest type after the subject of conjugation is finished, nor anything anywhere in syntax