English: Composition and Literature (Classic Reprint)

Master the building blocks of effective writing with a clear, practical approach. This edition lays out a rational method for teaching English composition, focusing on constructing wholes rather than endless drills. It explains how to blend intellect and feeling to produce confident, expressive writing, and it shows how to study the forms of discourse step by step.

This guide argues that beginners should start with short narrative and then move to description, before tackling exposition and argument. It emphasizes practicing through whole, meaningful exercises that tie language to ideas, and it explains how to balance paragraphs, sentences, and word choices to serve the whole work. Punctuation, literature’s role in composition, and the critique of common methods are discussed to help teachers and students choose effective techniques.

• How to structure study around wholes first, then parts like paragraphs and sentences


• Ways to develop spontaneity in narration before description, with gradual skill-building


• Practical guidance on the forms of discourse: narration, description, exposition, and argument


• Insights into literature's value for improving writing and the role of language in shaping thought

Ideal for readers of classic writing instruction and teachers seeking a clear, time-tested approach to composition and rhetoric.