The practical system I-II.

Előszó

PREFACE
As this book has passed from edition to edition, it has undergone
so many changes that its present form bears but little resemblance to its
first. These changes mark the author's endeavours to construct a system
which, with the least effort on the part of both student and teacher, will
give the student the most practical fundamental knowledge of the
language and at the same time keep this knowledge on a strictly gram-
matical basis. In attaining this end, the following have become the chief
characteristic features of the work.
Style. — That the student may first of all learn to express himself
in a simple uniform English, the reading-pieces here have been freed of
all those higher literary phrases and extravagances that would tend to
mar the uniformity of the student's style of expression. The reading-
pieces are also so written as to give them the desired grammatical or
phraseological content.
Vocabulary. — Only such words have been employed as are used
in every-day speech. At the same time, as many as possible of those
words and expressions necessary in common social intercourse have
been included, with the hope that while no lessons have been inserted
dealing with such special features of life as travelling, shopping, etc.,
the broadness of the student's knowledge when he has finished this
book will seldom leave him at a loss for expression in whatever of
these situations he may find himself.
Treatment of the Verb. — As the tenses of the verb constitutes the
student's greatest difficulty, the verb receives very special attention in
this work. It is introduced in all its tenses and forms, and these are
presented to the student as early as possible that he may learn their cor-
rect uses before his mind has received premature and false impressions.
Repetitive Exercises- — To accord the student the opportunity of
thoroughly drilling himself in the uses of the verbal constructions and
other idiomatic phrases, these formations are constantly repeated in
various combinations in the groups of expressions that go to make up
part of the lessons. If these groups appear rather long, it is to be
remembered that their content is for the most part not new matter, but
only a repetition of constructions learned in previous lessons. These
repetitions are carried out entirely systematically; for example, „must" Vissza