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A Practical Method.
Aristotle's method, though perfect in theory, has failed in practice.
Franklin's method is too elementary and undeveloped to be of general
use. Taking Aristotle's method (represented by our standard textbooks
on rhetoric) as our guide, let us develop Franklin's method into a
system as varied and complete as Aristotle's. We shall then have a
method at the same time practical and scholarly.
We have studied the art of writing words correctly (spelling) and
writing sentences correctly (grammar).* Now we wish to learn to write
sentences, paragraphs, and entire compositions _effectively_.
*See the earlier volumes in this series.
First, we must form the habit of observing the meanings and values of
words, the structure of sentences, of paragraphs, and of entire
compositions as we read standard literature---just as we have been
trying to form the habit of observing the spelling of words,
and the logical relationships of words in sentences. In order that we
may know what to look for in our observation we must analyse a _little,_
but we will not imagine that we shall learn to do a thing by endless
talk about doing it.
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