Practical Grammar and Composition - Part 15
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Part 15

NOTES.--The following exceptions in the use of _sit_ and _set_ are, by reason of usage, regarded as correct: _The sun sets, The moon sets, They sat themselves down to rest_, and _He set out for Chicago_.

_Lie_, meaning to deceive, has for its princ.i.p.al parts, _lie, lied, lied. Lie_, however, with this meaning is seldom confused with _lie_ meaning to recline. The present participle of _lie_ is _lying_.

Compare the following sentences, and note the reasons why the second form in each case is the correct form.

WRONG RIGHT Awake me early to-morrow. Wake me early to-morrow.

He was awoke by the noise. He was woke (waked) by the noise.

He has fallen a tree. He has felled a tree.

I have laid down. I have lain down.

I lay the book down (past tense). I laid the book down.

The river has raised. The river has risen.

He raised in bed. He rose in bed.

I set there. I sat there.

I sat the chair there. I set the chair there.

EXERCISE 34

_Form an original sentence showing the proper use of each of the following words:_

Lie, lay (to place), sit, set, sat, sitting, setting, lie (to recline), lie (to deceive), lying, laying, rise, arose, raised, raise, fell (to topple over), fallen, felled, awake, wake, awaked, woke, falling, felling, rising, raising, waking, awaking, lain, laid, lied.

EXERCISE 35

_Correct such of the following sentences as are wrong:_

1. Let sleeping dogs lay.

2. The sun has sat in the golden west.

3. He has laid in bed all morning.

4. He will sit out on his journey this morning.

5. Let him sit there as long as he wishes.

6. He sat the chair by the table.

7. He awoke everybody at daylight.

8. He laid down to sleep.

9. Let him lie there until he wakes.

10. The shower has lain the dust.

11. The curtain raised because it was raised by his orders.

12. The river has risen four feet.

13. Falling trees is his amus.e.m.e.nt.

14. To have been awaked then would have been sad.

15. To have waked then would have been sad.

16. Waking at dawn, they renewed the journey.

17. He has set there all day.

18. He lay the papers before the judge.

19. The judge laid the papers aside.

20. Lieing in the shade is his most strenuous occupation.

EXERCISE 36

_In the following sentences fill the blanks with the proper forms of the verbs indicated:_

SIT AND SET

1. I ---- in that seat all the evening.

2. Please ---- here until I return.

3. He was still ----ting there on my return.

4. The sun ---- in the west.

5. He ---- out for home yesterday.

6. ---- down and rest awhile.

7. James ---- down and talked to me.

8. He was engaged in ----ting out flowers.

9. I ---- the bucket on the rock above the bridge.

10. Last evening we ---- at the table for more than an hour.

11. ---- here until I call my mother.

12. ---- the lamp on the table.

13. He has ---- there all day.

14. The chair was ---- by the desk.

15. I usually ---- up until twelve.

16. She ---- the hen on some eggs and she remained ---- there.

17. She told me to ---- there, and I ---- down.

18. By whom has the lamp been ---- there?

19. I ---- my chair by the window and ---- there all the afternoon.

20. How can she ---- still for so long?

21. The moon ---- at twelve.

LAY AND LIE

1. I ---- down this afternoon to rest.

2. I ---- in bed until late every morning.

3. I have frequently ---- in bed until eleven.

4. He always ---- his books on the desk.

5. He just now ---- his books on the desk.

6. He has ---- them there every morning.

7. His books have sometimes ---- there all day.

8. His books have sometimes been ----ing there before I arrive.

9. After he ---- down he remembered that he had left a letter on his desk.

10. Will it not be well for you to ---- down for a while?

11. I ---- on the gra.s.s yesterday for an hour or more.

12. I have ---- down and feel much better.

13. Now I ---- me down to sleep.

14. The scene of the play is ---- in rural Pennsylvania.

15. The tramps ---- behind the barn waiting for dawn.

16. I had ---- down to rest before (set or sit) ting out on my journey.

17. The floor was ---- by an expert carpenter.

18. She told me to ---- the matter before the teacher.

19. ---- down, Fido.

20. When we are weary, we ---- down.

21. Who ---- that on the table?

22. He has repeatedly ---- about the matter.

23. He ---- without the slightest hesitation.