it is narrow and specific, we must intensify our treatment of it accordingly, making our composition detailed and particular. Of course, with much time and space in which to speak or write about a broad subject, we may be as exhaustive in its treatment as with a more limited one. No two subjects are quite alike in their demands for time and space and, if they were, our knowledge of them would probably vary greatly. PLANNING THE COMPOSITION Types of Planning. Since the composition thought is so much broader and bigger than any other, it stands in much greater need of careful organization into parts or divisions. A large building requires a good deal more material, a good deal more careful framework in its construction, than does a smaller one. It behooves us then to be most careful and precise in our outlining or planning or shaping of the material we accumulate for a composition subject. We have seen the method of such planning in Chapter II. We may follow the handful of questions for almost any subject, using those questions as main points. We may use the Formal Plan Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion — and answer all these questions under the three heads indicated. Again, if we are giving an account of incidents (Narration), we may use either the above-mentioned type, or we may use the main events of our story as the main divisions; or, if we are picturing something, we may, if we do not care to use the Formal or the Question Plan, divide our material into General View, Detailed View, and Impression. Lastly, in Explanation, we may follow these headings Definition — Origin (Sources) - Kinds (Parts or Manufacture) - Uses Effects (Results), or we may, as in the other cases, use the Formal or the Question Plan. There are only two neces sities in this matter: that there should be a plan, and that the plan should fit the subject. The Paragraph Outline. Our plan, whatever may be its type, must be worked out, when it comes to the actual writing, by means of paragraphs. Hence it is often well to make a paragraph outline before we set pen to paper on the composition itself. When the plan has been made, or while you are still thinking over the subject, you decide into how many paragraphs it should be divided. This done, write the topic sentence for each paragraph. As a result, you will have a series of topic sentences, each one ready to be developed into a paragraph; and the points to be contained in each paragraph may then be jotted down. To illustrate, take the following subject: THE CAUSES OF JOHN'S FAILURE Par. I. It seems a strange thing perhaps for such a fine fellow as John Blank to fail. a. Who is he? b. What are his failures? c. Three reasons for failure. Par. 2. He is undertaking to do too much. a. Studies. b. Music. c. Dancing. d. Athletics. e. Contests. Par. 3. Such popularity as his must be resisted to some degree, or it will do positive harm. a. Too many friends. b. Tries to please them all. c. Invitations. d. Wide and varied interests. Par. 4. But with all his activities and in spite of his deserved popu larity, John is oftentimes too easily discouraged to succeed. a. Illustration of this. b. Comparison with others. c. The difficult subjects. Par. 5. It is in this way that his failures are to be accounted for. a. Not stupidity. b. Not laziness. c. Not "hard luck." d. But these three. In such an outline as this, the work is so nearly complete that when the time comes to write the composition there is little to do save to expand the topics into sentences. The form, of course, may vary as we proceed in the work. We may, for instance, make our topic sentences summary sentences, if we wish, building our topics up to them in each case, as follows: a. b. C. Par. 1. The reasons for his failures I take to be these: namely, his outside interests, his popularity, and his tendency to be easily discouraged. a. b. C. d. Par. 2. No fellow of John's age can undertake so much without some failures. a. b. C. d. Par. 3. While such popularity may be highly pleasant and richly deserved, no fellow, I care not who he is, can survive it successfully. a. b. C. Par 4. Hence it can be seen readily enough, that John is often too easily discouraged. a. b. C. d. Par. 5. I conclude, then, that he fails because of these things, and not because of stupidity or laziness or mere "hard luck," as perhaps some of his teachers believe. The Paragraph Outline must be Based upon a Plan. The paragraph outline, of course, must have a plan of development. For that reason, it is well at first to begin by making a plan by heads and subheads which will show what are the main, and what the minor, points of your composition. Any one of the methods suggested in the paragraph on " Types of Planning" may be used. Then you may very readily conclude which of these points will make whole paragraphs, which only part paragraphs, which several paragraphs, and make your paragraph outline accordingly. Notice the example which follows: (Outline by heads and subheads, using Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion.) I. Introduction. MOUNTAIN CLIMBING 1. Difficulties must be surmounted. 2. Dangers may be met. 3. Preparations must be made. II. Discussion. 1. First find the best side of the mountain to approach. a. Discover the best path, if there is one. 2. Take the first part slowly and drink little water. 3. Avoid fallen timber or brush in the approach to the peak. 4. Get to the peak, if possible, before you stop for lunch. 5. Don't run down the trail. III. Conclusion. 1. Every mountain presents special conditions. a. My experience on Mount Marcy is an illustration of the way to climb. The (Paragraph Outline taken from the above plan. numbers in parentheses refer to the first outline, and represent the heads and subheads which might be borrowed to make topic sentences. Fill out this condensed plan.) Judgment to be used in Paragraphing. Notice that the relationship between these outlines is very flexible. The first determines the plan, but the number of paragraphs for each given heading depends entirely upon the amount of your |