Higher Lessons in English A work on english grammar and composition by Kellogg, Brainerd, Reed, Alonzo, 1899-

The first of these parts we call the +Subject+ of the sentence; the second, the +Predicate+.

Now, if the sentence, composed of two parts, expresses the thought, there must be in the thought two parts to be expressed. And there are two: viz., something of which we think, and that which we think of it. In the thought expressed by _Spiders spin_, the animals, spiders, are the something of which we think, and their spinning is what we think of them. In the sentence expressing this thought, the word _spiders_ names that of which we think, and the word _spin_ tells what we think of spiders.

Not every group of words is necessarily a sentence, because it may not be the expression of a thought. _Spiders spinning_ is not a sentence. There is nothing in this expression to show that we have formed a judgment, _i.e._, that we have really made up our minds that spiders do spin. The spinning is not asserted of the spiders.

_Soft feathers_, _The shining sun_ are not sentences, and for similar reasons. _Feathers are soft_, _The sun shines_ are sentences. Here the asserting word is supplied, and something is said of something else.

_The shines sun_ is not a sentence; for, though it contains the asserting word _shines_, the arrangement is such that no assertion is made, and no thought is expressed.

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LESSON 3.

A TALK ON SOUNDS AND LETTERS.

We have already told you that in expressing our ideas and thoughts we use two kinds of words, spoken words and written words.

We learned the spoken words first. Mankind spoke long before they wrote. Not until people wished to communicate with those at a distance, or had thought out something worth handing down to aftertimes, did they need to write.

But speaking was easy. The air, the lungs, and the organs of the throat and mouth were at hand. The first cry was a suggestion. Sounds and noises were heard on every side, provoking imitation, and the need of speech for the purposes of communication was imperative.

Spoken words are made up of sounds. There are over forty sounds in the English language. The different combinations of these give us all the words of our spoken tongue. That you may clearly understand these sounds, we will tell you something about the human voice.