Publications of The University of Texas Publications Committees: GENERAL: FREDERIC DUNCALF C.H. SLOVER J. F. DOBIE G. W. STUMBERG J. L. HENDERSON A. P. WINSTON H.J. MULLER OFFICIAL: E. J. MATHEWS KILLIS CAMPBELL C. F. ARROWOOD C. D. SIMMONS E. C. H. BANTEL BRYANT SMITH The University publishes bulletins four times a month, so numbered that the first two digits of the number show the year of issue and the last two the position in the yearly series. (For example, No. 3201 is the first bulletin of the year 1932.) These bulletins comprise the official publica­tions of the University, publications on humanistic and scientific subjects, and bulletins issued from time to time by various divisions of the University. The following bureaus and divisions distribute bulletins issued by them; communications concerning bulletins in these fields should be addressed to The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, care of the bureau or division issuing the bulletin: Bureau of Business Research, Bureau of Economic Geology, Bureau of Engineering Research, Interscholastic League Bureau, and Division of Extension. Communications concerning all other publications of the University should be addressed to University Publications, The University of Texas, Austin. Additional copies of this publication may be procured from the University Publications, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS ~ No. 3225: Jaly 1, 1932 THE ENGLISH BUILETIN NUMBER 14 PUllLl8HllD •Y THI: UNIVllR91TY POUR TIMU A MONTH, AND l:NTl:Rl:D A• HCOND-CLA99 llATTl:ll AT THI: P08TOl'PICI: AT AU8TIN, TDA9, UNDa THI: ACT 01' AUGUST a4, 1e1a The benefits of education and of uaeful knowledKe, ll'enerally diffused throull'h a community, are eaaential to the preaervation of a free ll'overn• ment. Sam Houaton Cultivated mind ia the guardian reniu1 of Democracy, and while ll'Uided and controlled by virtue, the nobleat attribute of man, It ia the only dictator that freemen acknowledge, and the only aecurity which freemen deaire. Mirabeau B. Lamar PREFACE The present number of the ENGLISH BULLETIN con­tains matter that should be of value to the secondary schools and the colleges alike. There is considerable mis­understanding over the State as to the exact nature of the course in freshman English at the University, and the best preparation on the part of the high school to meet successfully the requirements of that course. Some schools ape the methods and even employ the same textbooks used at the University. This is a practice the college teacher greatly laments, for the freshman gets the idea that his college English is nothing but a hurried repetition of his high-school course. All that the college teacher expects his freshman to have at the beginning of the course and all that the high school should undertake to give him is the mastery of the fundamental elements of composition­-spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence-structure, and the simpler notions of unity, coherence, and emphasis as applied to short and unambitious themes. The more funda­mental matters of organization and careful, consistent thinking in the larger elements of composition should be left to the college course. In Part I of the present Bulletin Dr. Annie Irvine ex­plains in detail the nature of English I at The University of Texas. Part II gives in more detail than any previous report the results of the Freshman Classification Test. Mr. J. L. Neu, Chairman of the Committee, has so arranged his report that it shows the performance of each school in each of the five phases of the test. By a study of the report any school can determine wherein its own peculiar weakness or strength lies, and can direct its future energies accord­ingly. Committee on ENGLISH BULLETIN: David Lee Clark, Chairman Jacob Lorenz Neu Annie Irvine Leonidas Warren Payne, Jr. TABLE OF CONTENTS PARTI Freshman English at The University of Texas___________________ 7 PARTII Report of the Committee on the Freshman English Test at The University of Texas____ ____ _____ _ ________________l6 I. Freshman English Test, Sept.ember 24, 1931_ ________16 II. Results of the Freshman English Test for 1931_ _ __20 III. Remarks on the Results of the Test for 1931______________30 VI. Specimen Themes ----------------81 PART I FRESHMAN ENGLISH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS There is a fairly well-established tradition throughout our State that the Freshman English course at The Uni­versity of Texas is a veritable pons asinorum. It is no un­common thing to hear an ex-student declare: "I thought I never would pass English I ; I took that course four times, and then the teacher passed me to get rid of me. I sure did major in Freshman English." Since the course is pre­scribed for all first-year students, the number of failures each year is, of course, comparatively large; but statistics show that the percentage is not so high as in certain other freshman courses. Nevertheless its reputation, exaggerated though undoubtedly it is, may have some justification in the really serious difficulties which it presents to students poorly prepared for college work. I believe that the difficulty of our Freshman Composi­tion course is, to some extent, due to a misunderstanding on the part of the students and on the part of the high schools from which they come, as to the purpose of the course and the best preparation for it. I know English teachers in high schools who make desperate efforts to "coach" their students for good grades in college by imi­tating as closely as possible the general plan of procedure, the assignments, and even the textbooks used in English I. Such a method, of course, defeats its own purpose. Fresh­man Composition in college was never intended to be a repetition or a review of high-school English, and the stu­dent who looks upon it as such soon finds himself in diffi­culties which he cannot even understand. Themes which were graded A or B in high school are now returned with D or E; assignments are, apparently, the same; the stu­dent naturally concludes that his high-school teacher "didn't know anything," or else that his University in­structor is ''hard-boiled." In either case he becomes thor­oughly discouraged; the very fact that he thinks that he has already had the work precludes the possibility of a fresh interest or a real understanding of its nature. On the other hand, there are students who fondly im­agine that College Composition will at last free them from the petty and mechanical details of writing and will en­able them to soar straightway into those artistic realms to which they properly belong. Such students have been told that they have "originality"; and when they are as­signed a four-page theme on "Making Friends in College," for example, they seize the opportunity to impress the teacher with a ten..page "story" of how a poor working­boy in college is snubbed by his former sweetheart, but by a series of brilliant successes in athletics, in society, and in the stock market, soon becomes the idol of the school, and has the short-sighted co-ed groveling at his feet, whence he graciously restores her to her proper place in his heart. If the instructor has the time and the patience to read it through, the poor little Cinderella tale is re­turned with correction tnarks "thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks in Vallombrosa" ; and the discour­aged author is at a loss to understand just what is wrong with himself--or with the course. Between these extremes there are many other mistaken notions of the purpose of Freshman English. Some stu­dents are disappointed because they have expected prac­tical drill in the strictly utilitarian kind of writing they may be interested in-business letters, advertising, feature stories, and reports of various kinds. Still others expect to be assigned themes with scholarly titles, such as "The History and Development of the English Language," "The American Indian," or at least "The Judicial System in Pennsylvania." Such subjects, they think, would give them an opportunity for "research work"-in the library-and would be ever so much easier than trivial ones, like "My Home Town" or "Traditions in The University of Texas," about which there is really nothing worth saying. They, too, soon become discouraged with English I. The English Bulletin But, no doubt, the most discouraged of all is the instruc­tor himself. Between him and his students, making it impossible for him to reach through to help them, are these various walls of misunderstanding with their solid foundations of preconceived ideas. Patiently he sets to work to tear down these walls; meanwhile time flies, and the end of the year finds him far short of what he has hoped to accomplish. What has the instructor hoped to accomplish? In other words, what is the purpose of Freshman English? In The University of Texas, English I is primarily a course in composition. It is not a course in grammar, although in­struction in grammar is often necessary to supplement or clarify instruction in the principles of composition. It is not a course in literature, although literary prose models are assigned for class study and for outside reading to help the student in his own writing. It is a course designed to give the college student training in the three fundamentals of good writing: straight thinking, adequate expression, and good form. Throughout the course the emphasis is on the forming of good habits in thinking and writing rather than on artistic creation. The purpose of the course is fufilled if the student masters the definite assignments and acquires some degree of skill in accurate and force­ful writing, although there must always be, of course, especial commendation for any sign of literary merit. In some colleges a definite program of study is laid down for all sections of Freshman Composition, and rigidly ad­hered to by all the instructors : exactly so many recitations and assignments allotted to the study of sentence struc­ture, outlining, paragraphing, etc., in a fixed order deter­mined on beforehand. In The University of Texas, how­ever, it bas always been the policy of the English Depart­ment to leave each instructor comparatively free to carry out his own methods of teaching. Such a plan, we believe, is highly desirable, and challenges the very best efforts of the teacher. Not all the students need be subjected to the same mechanical routine; they receive the benefit of more personal and specialized training. But although the program of study may be varied to fit the needs of the different classes, the work of all the sec­tions is coordinated and unified by the use of the same textbooks and by adherence to the same general rules re­garding the amount of material covered, the number of themes required, the assignment of outside reading, con­ferences with students, etc. The result is that all the sec­tions of English I keep a uniform standard and cover sub­stantially the same amount and kind of work. One of the texts required in English I is a College Hand­book of Composition, which may be considered an authority on good usage in matters of sentence structure, diction, spelling, punctuation, and other mechanics of writing. If the student's preparation for college English has been ade­quate, he will need only a brief survey of the handbook in class, with such explanation and suggestions from the in­structor as will enable him to use it readily as a reference book for any difficulties which he may encounter in his own writing. If, on the other hand, he brings with him to college a careless or slovenly habit of writing, he will need a more intensive study of the handbook and a thorough drill in the exercises which most books of this kind, fore­seeing such a contingency, generously provide. A certain amount of time in English I, perhaps a month, may legiti­mately be given over to such drill; it is then expected that the student will continue his own training in the mechanics of writing by an intelligent use of the book for reference and by unremitting vigilance in his efforts to overcome any bad habits which may have persisted in his written work. But any handbook presupposes a knowledge of the funda­mentals, at least, of English grammar. If a student does not have this foundation, then he has no business in any course of college English. It is true that he may, with diligent application, learn by rote the rules for correct writing, and even the proper corrections in the drill sen­tences; but he has no means of applying the rules to his own sentences. Suppose that a student comes into English I knowing nothing of predication, of the various coordinate and subordinate relations between words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence, or even the difference between phrases and clauses ; that he habitually picks the first word or group of words in a sentence as "the subject" and the rest of them as "the predicate"; or that he is unfamiliar with the various inflected forms of the verb. What shall it profit that student to learn that his own language may be made clear and forceful by turning the childish and loosely constructed predications into properly subordinated phrases and clauses? Or to be told that a parallel arrange­ment of similar parts of a sentence will add clearness and conciseness to his writing? Or to be warned against the ambiguity of a "dangling participle," or against the illiter­ate mistake of lack of agreement between subject and verb? How can he hope to master even the simple and mechanical rules of punctuating coordinate or subordinate elements of a sentence, when he has only a hazy notion, or no notion at all, of what constitutes such elements? It is such stu­dents, without a fundamental knowledge of grammar, who swell the number of failures in English I and seriously retard the work of other students in their class who are better prepared. It is such students that the Freshman English Test was designed to weed out, and that the "zero," or sub-college, English course offered here a few years ago was intended to salvage. To what extent such a course succeeds in its purpose, and to what extent a college may be justified in offering such instruction even if it does suc­ceed, are problems outside the scope of the present discus­sion. The fact remains, however, that a student without sufficient training in the fundamentals of grammar has no place in English I. Another textbook required in Freshman English is a College Rhetoric. Its purpose is quite different from that of the handbook; it is to be used, not for reference, but for systematic study. It deals, in part, with the same elements of composition-words, sentences, and paragraphs-as does the handbook, but from a different point of view; it is concerned with the actual construction of these elements and the principles underlying the most effective use of them rather than with the errors most often found in their use. The rhetoric also furnishes the basis for a study of the composition as a whole, the various forms of discourse, and problems of style less elementary and mechanical than those treated in the handbook. In other words, the college rhetoric presupposes a familiarity with the principles of good usage in language and a fairly correct habit of ex­pression, and aims to add power and skill to the student's writing; and, if he is not unduly hindered by ignorance of these fundamentals, he usually advances with little diffi­culty and with a good deal of interest and enthusiasm into the more complete mastery of expression which he will have need of in his other college courses and in his future social, business, or professional environment. The college rhetoric, then, supplemented by explanations and sugges­tions from the teacher, forms the basis of the necessary instruction in the theory of the art of composition. Since the ability to explain clearly is of primary impor­tance in any business or profession, a large part of this instruction is devoted to exposition. Especial attention is given to analysis of material, careful planning of the whole composition according to the fundamental principles of structure, and various methods of developing and combin­ing expository paragraphs. The instructor is free to adapt the textbook material to the needs of the class. He may choose to make the approach to the whole composition by way of the word, the sentence, and the paragraph; he may reverse the order ; or he may vary the arrangement in any way that experience has taught him is most helpful to the class, whether his method coincides with that of the text­book or not. The main purpose of the course, as has been said before, is to train the student in clear thinking, ade­quate expression, and good form; and the material in the rhetoric is but one means of accomplishing this purpose. After a very thorough study of exposition, the student passes on to a briefer consideration of other types of dis­course which are usually regarded as more literary: the personal essay, description, and narration. These are studied not only because they are, after all, closely related to exposition and often employed in its service, but also because it is a part of the purpose of English I to develop in the student a sincere and intelligent appreciation of literary prose of all kinds. Still another textbook required in English I is a volume of prose models, used throughout the year as the need for it arises. These models include formal and informal es­says, examples of argumentation, and specimens of de­scription and narration chosen for their excellent literary style and for their power to stimulate the student's in­terest. They serve to supplement the necessarily brief il­lustrations included in the rhetoric; they furnish material for an intensive study of diction, sentence structure, and paragraph development, as well as for training in outlin­ing the whole composition; they form the basis for class discussion to train the student in logical thinking and in literary appreciation; and they are often the inspiration for the student's own themes. Some of the most profitable work in English I, I believe, is done on these prose models, which often open up to the college freshman new interests and a broader outlook on life. Along with his study of the textbooks, the student in our Freshman Composition course is required to read outside of class about twelve hundred pages of standard literature each semester. It is highly desirable that the student should form early in his college life a habit of reading worthwhile books which are not a part of his regular school work; and it is felt that this requirement of "Parallel Reading" in connection with the Freshman English course will help him to form such a habit. It will, at least, broaden his literary background to the extent of four or five good books during his first year. I have dwelt thus at length on the texts used in English I because I think that they indicate, to a certain extent, the somewhat complex nature of a course in college composi­tion and the many-sided problem which it presents. Each of them helps to round out the study of composition : the rhetoric for theory and principles of composition, the prose models for illustration and analysis of these principles, and the handbook for correction of bad habits of form. Far more important than the study of the texts, however, is the actual practice in theme writing, which forms a large part of the year's work. Each week the student is expected to hand in a theme four or five pages in length. These themes are not turned over to an assistant, but are graded by the instructor himself, who carefully marks the errors and writes a brief criticism on each theme. He then reads several of them to the class and encourages general dis­cussions to bring out the good and bad qualities. The themes are afterwards returned to the students for cor­rection. Once every two weeks each student meets his teacher in a personal conference, which is regularly sched­uled outside the class period. At this conference the in­structor goes over all the student's written work with him to see that he has made the proper corrections, and gives him whatever help, advice, or criticism he needs. The subjects assigned for themes in Freshman Compo­sition are usually intended to discourage mere summaries, paraphrases, or echoes of ideas which the student comes across in his reading, and to encourage independent think­ing within the range of his own experience and interest. He may be asked to write simple expositions based on his school work, his hobbies, his diversions; on his observa­tion of people around him as individuals or as types; on his knowledge of the natural world and his interest in animal life. His attempts at essay writing may take their inspiration from reminiscences of his childhood, compari­son and interpretation of human behavior among his ac­quaintances, or the effort to clarify his own beliefs, ideals, and general attitude toward life. For his argumentative essays he should undertake subjects of which he has some direct knowledge, such as current problems of campus life. His practice in description should be limited to what he can observe first hand; and his narrative writing need not extend beyond the most interesting of his own personal experiences or what he has heard of the real experiences of others. The range of subjects in such fields as these is prJ1Ctically unlimited; and the opportunity for developing skill in self-expression is far greater in this kind of prac­tice than in the more imitative kind. I have known stu­dents who showed considerable facility in writing as long as they were piecing together the ideas of other people; but when they were asked to express their opinions on even the simplest subjects, or to relate something which had actually happened to them, their sentences would become childishly immature and inadequate. For this reason we try to give the student in English I constant practice in writing from his own personal knowledge and experience. Two things are consistently demanded of the themes : first, that the content be interesting, well organized, and ade­quately expressed ; and second, that the writing be satis­factory in form, i.e., in such matters as spelling, punctua­tion, and sentence structure. Both are necessary ; success in the one cannot compensate for failure in the other. Such is the general nature of the Freshman English course as it is given in The University of Texas. In its almost boundless possibilities for instruction, it calls forth the teacher's ingenuity, enthusiasm, and sympathetic guid­ance. For those students who are not what we commonly refer to as "college material," for those who are unable or unwilling to devote a reasonable amount of time to the work, and for those who have not had adequate prepara­tion in grammar or a fairly correct habit of speaking and writing, the course can accomplish little. But for the freshman whose intelligence, preparation, and industry are equal to the demands, Freshman Composition will always be not only a very useful course, but also one of the really cultural forces in his college experience. PART II A REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE FRESHMAN ENGLISH TEST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FRESHMAN ENGLISH TEST September 24, 1931 I. Spelling (15) A. Write the plural of each of the following: thief motto solo q. valley Mr. (lh point for each) B. What is one rule for the spelling of words ending in y preceded by a consonant? Give two examples to illus­trate the rule. (3 points) C. (a) Write the past tense of lead pay lose choose (b) Wr.ite the present participle of write die (112 point each) D. What is the general rule for the spelling of words in ie and ei? Give two examples and one exception. (3 points) E. What happens to (a) monosyllables and to (b) words accented on the last syllable ending in a single con­sonant preceded by a single vowel when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added? Give an example of each. (3 points) Spelling grade____________________ II. Punctuation (25) Punctuate the following sentences : (1 point each) 1. We tried to convince him but we couldn't. 2. We sent for the doctor for we were really uneasy. 3. Have you seen Fritz Leiber the actor? 4. Julius Caesar who conquered Gaul wrote a military report. 5. Ill tell you what well do. 6. They will not I think wait till noon. 7. John White whom I first called came at once. 8. The hyacinths being in full bloom breathed an in­cense skyward. 9. Frances called out to Dorothy can you guess what's in my lunch-box? 10. Don't mind me I'm all right. 11. What an outrage exclaimed Miss Day I'll never go to that store again. 12. He is only a child hence we must excuse him. 13. There are several reasons why I am tired tonight I got up early this morning and I have been work­ing in the garden all day. 14. Once inside the man breathed more easily. 15. I rang the bell Charles looking sheepish opened the door. 16. The book which John lent me yesterday is in­teresting. 17. Henry Esmond which John lent me yesterday is interesting. 18. I'm sure he won't he isn't brave enough. 19. John asked have you read The House of Seven Gables? 20. The things I like best are these studying writing themes and standing examinations. 21. Wherever I go she whispered I shall wish that you were with me. 22. If you have lost your book buy another one. 23. Who was it that said Give me liberty or give me death? 24. When you go to Italy be sure to visit Naples. 25. Lancelot who was in love with Guinevere was Ar­thur's best knight. Grade for punctuation_______________ ___ III. Grammar (30) A. The directions given below apply to the following sentence: He who has acquired ascendency by brilliant suc­cess against the enemy and has thereby fascinated the people might, in some countries, establish his power. 1. Classify the sentence as to form. (1) 2. Name and classify the clauses. (2) 3. Point out a prepositional phrase and in­dicate its use. (2) 4. Point out a verb phrase. (1) 5. Give the part of speech and the use of each of the following words : Part of Speech who brilliant ascendency enemy thereby (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) Use (1)(1) (1) (1) (1) B. In the sentences below strike out the incorrect forms: (1 point each) 1. One of the most important questions that (con­front, confronts) the American people is eco­nomic readjustment. 2. Either this book or that one (are, is) wrong. 3. Everybody in the room (was, were) clapping (their, his) hands. 4. There had been a misunderstanding between John and (he, him). 5. (Whom, who) do you want to see? 6. He was a man (who, whom) we thought was honest. 7. We learned that they (were, are) coming to­morrow. 8. He said he had intended to (call, have called) your attention to the error. 9. If he (were, was) absent, he would be missed. 10. The boys behaved very (bad, badly) at the meeting. 11. This peach tastes (bitter, bitterly) . 12. I (will, shall) expect you Monday. 13. It will be necessary for John and (me, I) to leave in the morning. Grade for grammar____________________ IV. Sentence Structure (30) The sentences below are incorrect. You are to answer both (a) and (b). (a) Using the following list of errors, place in the margin opposite each sentence the number that indicates the error. The Engli,sh Bulletin 1. Comma blunder (comma fault). 2. Sentence fragment (period fault). 3. Lack of agreement between subject and verb. 4. Dangling (hanging, unrelated) participial phrase. 5. Misplaced phrase or clause. 6. Faulty comparison. 7. Double negative. 8. Unrelated thoughts in a sentence. 9. Lack of parallelism. 10. Faulty (vague or ambiguous reference of pronoun) . ( 1 point each) (b) Correct each sentence. (Do not rewrite.) ( 1 point each) 1. Bernard Shaw is an Englishman, and he writes interesting dramas. 2. While playing ball last Sunday, the Presby­terian minister passed by. 3. On account of illness and because he had poor training in high school, the student failed in three courses. 4. A bale of cotton won't hardly buy a rayon dress. 5. He talked over his problems with his friends, they all gave him much excellent advice. 6. The father together with his wife and five children were at the circus parade. 7. The Joneses think they have the best radio in the neighborhood. Because it is the loudest. 8. Fred Smith had been to five different colleges, which made him collegiate. 9. Johnny Williams thinks his opinion is of more importance than the dean. 10. The man sold pencils on the corner with one eye. 11. Entering the campus, the new chemistry building is seen. 12. A rain having f alien in the night. The next day was much cooler. 13. The library contains many thousands of vol­umes, nobody has read them all. 14. Each of the six children were sent to college. 15. We lived three miles in the country. This caused us to miss school often. Sentence-structure grade___________________ _ Results of the Classification Tests for 1931 The figures following the names of the schools give, in their respective columns, the following data: I. Number of students. II. Number of students failing in the tests. III. Number students failing in spelling. IV. Number of students failing in punctuation. V. Number of students failing in grammar. VI. Number of students failing in sentence -struc­ture. VII. Number of students failing in the essay. VIII. Number of students failing in the one and pass­ing the other. IX. Number of students failing in both. X. Number of students failing in English I at th e end of the first semester. [[ ' \ [[ l v VI \Ill IX x lll~ [\' - - Bay City 1 2 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 Beaumont 4 4 3 3 1 2 1 0 ~ 2 - - 2 Bellville 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 ,__ 2 Belton 1 2 2 2 2 5 0 0 1 r '-­ - - Big Spring 2 6 3 1 1 6 1 3 0 0 ~ - ·­ --·­ ·­ Blackwell 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 . ­ - Bogata 2 3 2 1 2 2 3 3 3 1 .. - Bonham 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Borger 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ~ --1-­ Bowie 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - Brackettville 1 1 0 --0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - Brady 3 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 -,___ -· - ·­ Breckenridge 2 2 3 0 1 1 1­ 1 1 3 . Brenham 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 - Brownsville 4 2 2 1 1 3 3 1 3 1 - - --·-­ 1 1 Brownwood 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 - - - 0 0 Bryan ,__ 0 2 --1 0 0 0 0 0 - - - 1 1 1 1 0 1 Buckholts 1 1 1 0 - 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 Buda - 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Buna 1 1 - 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 -1 Burnet - 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Byers 0 0 - - 2 2 4 2 1 3 Caldwell 5 3 3 3 - 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 Cameron 3 - - 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 Canyon - -----f-­ 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 Carthage 3 ~ - - 2 2 1 2 1 2 --2 --0 1 2 Celina --,_ - 0 0 0 --0 --0 1 0 1 0 0 Childress - - --0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 Chillecothe - - ·-·­ 2 2 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 1 Chilton - 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 Cisco .,___ - 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 Clarksville IV v VIII II III VI \'Ill IX x ~ --- 2 2 Eagle Pass 0 1 06 0 1 0 0 -- 2 Eastland 3 2 3 6 0 --0 7 3 3 - Edgewood 11 1 0 1 0 1 1 1. 1 -I-­ - -- - Edna 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 - - 4 2 4 El Campo 5 6 58 6,__ 7 2 - 14 4 1 3 3 0 0 Electra 3 3 - - 2 2 0 1 2 1 0 Elgin 1 0 0 - Eliasville 1 0 1 11 1 0 1 0 1 ~ 3 -~ - - 21 2 1 El Paso 5 3 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Ennis 3 -- 22 1 0 1 0 1Fairfield 2 1 0 - - 1 Falfurias 0 0 0 1 1 1 01 0 - 2 21 Farmersville 3 3 0 3 3 13 - - 1 0 0 0 Fayettville 1 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1 11 1 0 1 0 1 Flatonia 1 1 -- - 1 1 0 1 1Floresville 1 1 1 0 1 -- 0 0 01 0 1 0 0 0 0 Fort Stockton - Fort Worth: ~ - - Central High 13 4 8 0 3 5 4 6 1 - 4 Handley 1 0 0 0 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 0 North Side 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 - - Polytechnic -­ 7 4 4 0 3 5 1 2 - 1 - 1 Stripling 3 2 2 1 0 2 2 0 - 2 - 1 Fredericksburg ---­ 4 1 1 0 1 3 1 2 - 0 - 1 Freeport 4 1 1 1 2 2 0 1 - 0 - 1 Gainesville 3 2 2 2 2 3 1 1 - 1 - 1 Galveston 27 15 20 -­-­ 3 11 16 5 12 4 - 2 Georgetown 6 - 4 - 3 -­ 3 1 4 2 2 2 - 0 Giddings 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 i--- Gilmer 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 - -----'-----1-­ 00 12 1 10 02 1 Gonzales - 21 1 32 22 34Goose Creek 3 ,_ VII \Ill IX x 111 v VI I II IV - 0Graham 2 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 - 0 Granbury 1 0 11 1 1 1 1 1 - 2 2 1 0 0 Granger Grand Prairie 2 1 0 1 0 2 1 Grapeland 4 0 0 0 04 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 11 Gulf 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 - 1 1 1 Hamilton 1 1 1 1 0 Gunter 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Hamlin 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 Harlingen 1 1 13 3 3 2 2 2 Haskell 4 4 2 4 5 9 3 21 2 11 1 1 33 3 I-- Hempstead 0 1 0 0 Henderson 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 2 23 3 3 13 3 - Hereford 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 01 - - 1Hillsboro 1 1 1 0 11 1 1 1 ,_ Hondo 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 0 1 - Honey Grove 1 1 1 01 1 1 1 1 0 - Houston: Jefferson Davis 2 -1 -­ 1 0 2 1 0 1 0 Milby 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 John H. Reagan 0 0 4 2 46 5 6 2 2 2 Sam Houston 3 10 8 5 5 6 9 1 7 41 -- San Jacinto 21 31 17 13 18 24 149 8 8 - Humble 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ,_ -----,_-- Hutto 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 00 --- - Jacksonville 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jefferson 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 - Jewett 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 - - Jourdantown 0 1 01 0 1 0 0 0 0 - Junction 1 11 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 - - Karnes City 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 ,_ - Kaufman 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 - I II Ill IV \ VI Vil VIII IX X --1-­ 3 2 2 1 1 3 0 2 1Mercedes 0 Merkel 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mesquite 10000100 0 1 ---__,__,___,__ Mexia 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 --1------­Miami 2 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 ------,_ -­ Midland 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 ___,___ -­ Mineral Wells 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 ____,_______,_ Mission 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 --,___,___,_--__,___,__,__ Montgomery 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 ,__ ---­ Moran 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 _______,____,__,,___ -­ Mount Pleasant 3 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 -------1---~------1----Nacogdoches 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 Naples 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 -'-- Nederland 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nevada 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1----1---11--1-----------­ New Braunfels 7 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 1 ---_,___,________ ----­North Texas Agric. Coll. 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 --1--_1-_I---------­ Odessa 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 ,_ -­ Orange 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---1-----­ Palestine 7 6 5 2 3 6 2 4 2 4 __,_____,_­ Palo Pinto 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 ----------1-----J_ _ _J__ _ _ ,_____,_ _j_ ­ Paris 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 ----------1-------1-_J_--l--l--______,___ ­ Pecos 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 O ----------1------1--L-_J__--___,___,__ Pharr 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 ----------1---1---1---1--·---1-----­ Plainview 3 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 O 1 ----------1----1--1----1----1------------ Pleasanton 2 1 0 0 1 1 O 1 O 1 __,______ Port Arthur 4 2 3 2 2 2 2 O 2 1 __,______ Port Lavaca 2 2 2 1 0 2 1 2 1 O -----------l------1--1-____ ,_-------­ Prairie Lea 1 0 0 0 0 1 O O O O ----------1---J__,______ _ _______ Quanah 2 2 2 1 1 2 O 2 O 1 ,______ Quitaque 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -----------1--_J___,___,I_ _ ----1----­ Ranger 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 '------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-------­ I I II Ill IY \' \"I VII Ylll IX x - - Rankin 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 - Raymondville 1 11 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 - Reagan 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 - - - Richmond 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - - Rising Star 1 1 . 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 - - Robstown 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 - Rock Springs 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I---­ - Rockwall 2 2 1 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 -­- - ~ - - Rogers 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 - 1 - 1 Roscoe 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 - - Rosebud 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 -­ - Rosenberg 2 2 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 - Round Rock 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 0 0 - Rusk 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 -­ - Sabinal 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 - Sabine Pass 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 - - San Angelo 5 --­ 3 3 --­ 3 3 3 0 3 0 - 0 San Antonio: -­ - Alamo Heights -­ 4 4 2 1 3 3 0 4 0 - 2 Brackenridge 15 4 4 --­ 2 5 1 1o ~H 1 1 ~fain A Yenue 35 7 1 4 7 13 5 6 3 4 - - t--­-­- San Benito 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 San ~1arcos -­ 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 0 0 o ~0 1 0 1 San Saba 3 2 2 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 Saratoga 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 i--­- 1 - 1 Schulenberg 5 2 4 1 2 3 1 1 1 I­-­- 1 Sealy 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 - 0 - 0 Shamrock 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - Sharyland -­ 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 -­- 1 Sherman 6 3 4 3 2 4 2 1 2 2 -­ - ~ - -­ - Slocum 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 -­ -~ - Smithville 9 7 6 1 51 I 6 1 6 1 1 VI Yll I 11 111 1\ \ 2 0 1 1 2 1 2 Snyder 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Sonora 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 Sour Lake I­ 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Spur -­ 1 0 0 1 3 1 3 Stamford State Home - State Examination S. T. C. Sterling City ______, ,_ 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 Sugar Land Sulphur Springs _____, Sweetwater Tahoka Taylor Teague Temple Texarkana Texas City Thorndale _,_ Thornton Throckmorton Timpson Trinity Troy Tulia Tyler Uvalde I-1----1­ 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 ---I---<----1---1---+-'-+---­ Stephen F. Austin, 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 -­2 - -1 1 - -1­1 2 --­1 -­2 - -1 0 ------1~-i---1---1--1---+--~-­ 1 0 1 -1----1­ 3 1 1 --~-----­ 3 3 3 2 2 2 - 4 3 3 !­ 1 1 1 --~ 1 1 1 1­ 2 0 0 1 1 1 ---1---1--­ 8 7 3 1 -----1--­ Van Alstyne 1 1 Vernon 1 1 Victoria 4 4 ·waco 13 8 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 ~ 2 3 3 1 4 3 - 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 - 8 7 6 6 3 8 2 --1---1---l---t---l--I 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 2l11020 1 0 0 0 -+-----­ 0 1 0 -1 0 2 2 - 1 3 -'-­2 0 2 -1 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 -1­1 0 1 6 5 3 7 4 1 1 1 2 0 __,_____ 1 1 1 1 0 0 4 2 3 9 4 4 1 0 1 0 ---'­ 4 1 1-­ 8 3 \Ill - _ 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 1 5 0 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 3 1 1 1 3 5 I' 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 0 0 1 3 1929 1930 1931 1,179 1,067 1,138 Number failing in test__________ 448 391* 558 665 Percentage·----·--······ 38.03 33.16 62.53 58.43 Number failing in the essay____ 226 221 208 228 Percentage ---------­ 19.18 19.18 19.49 20.03 Number failing in one and passing the other_______ 368 343 396 478 Percentage ---····­-­ 31.24 29.09 37.11 42.00 Number failing in both__________ 153 122 181 185 Percentage ----·······-··· 12.98 10.34 16.96 16.20 Number failing in English I at the end of the first semester. 299 Percentage --------······--·-----------···-·····-26.27 •The number of students failing to make 60 on the teat. The number of students ~b«ween 60 and 69 was 266. Thus the number al students failing in the test (wftli 60 u t.he pU8lq grade) was a.&7, or 64.8 per cent. Remarks on the Results of the Test for 1931 1. The higher percentage of failures on the first part of the test is to be accounted for by the large number of failures in spelling and sentence-structure--659 and 672 respectively. The spelling test this year differed from that of the preceding years in that it involved a knowledge of the rules for spelling certain classes of words. A majority of the students had no knowledge of these rules. The test on sentence-structure did not differ from that of the pre­ceding year. The large number of failures in this section is to be accounted for by the inability of the studevts to follow the instruction they were given; namely, to answer both (a) and (b). 2. Though the percentage of failures on the first part of the test is higher than that of the preceding years, the number of students making high grades has increased. In 1930 twenty-one students representing thirteen high schools made a grade of 90 or more on the objective test; in 1931 forty-eight students representing thirty-two high schools made a grade of 90 or more. The greater number of students of high rank and their wider distribution indi­cate that the high schools of the State are giving more at­tention to remedial work in English. In fact, a number of schools over the State have estab­lished courses in corrective English, thus requiring stu­dents, before they are certified for graduation, to give satisfactory evidence of their proficiency in such funda­mentals of English as spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence-structure, and vocabulary building. The Commit­tee thinks that this is a commendable step and would like to encourage other schools to take a similar step. 3. An examination of the themes written for the 1931 test reveals a weakness that was pointed out last year by Mrs. Corrie Walker Allen (The English Bulletin, Number 13, page 63); namely, paucity of vocabulary: "Depend­ence upon slang or trite phrases is common, but the chief difficulty lies in inadequate command of forceful words and their synonyms." The Committee is convinced that vo­cabulary building is one of the essentials in the attempt to improve the composition work in the high schools. Specimen Themes The following themes were written by students, without previous preparstion and before they had received any instruction in writing in the University, during a period of fifty minutes. The first two papers are representative of the writing of students who made high grades on the objective test (spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence-structure) and in the first semester's work. Both papers, though they contain a few obvious errors in punctuation, diction, and sentence-structure, are acceptable as to mechanics, organ­ization, and expression. The third paper is representative of the writing of stu­dents who failed in the Test and the work of the first semester. Theme I MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE UNIVERSITY My first impression of the University was conceived, not on seeing the buildings, but on my arrival at the railroad station. I had been riding almost all day, each mile of my journey carrying me farther and farther away from the kind friendly people at home. It was like a new world to me as I stepped from the train onto the station platform, crowded with a bustling group of college men and women. Words of greeting filled the air around me, but none of them were directed toward me. Notwithstanding this fact, I did not feel alone and lost as one might suppose, but, instead, I felt as though I was a part, just a very small part, of it all. On the following days my first impressions began to round themselves out into clear ideas of University life. think that one might not consider the first four days too long a time in which to continue the formation of first im­pressions. At any rate I do not feel that my impressions were fully made until Saturday night. The event of that night I consider as the crowning atfair of the opening of the University. By means of it I became aware of what a great institution I was really entering. From the first I had felt that I was a minute particle in the great university life, and on All-College Night such a feeling was greatly strengthened. I was with no one I knew, and yet I felt as though I was among friends. After the various individuals had been introduced to the fresh­men, I seemed to know and like them already, although they had never heard of me. Throughout the length· of the program my impression of friendliness continued to grow, and at the last it seemed to reach its highest point when the assembled crowd rose and sang together "The Eyes of Texas." The singing of the University song was, for me, the climax of the night as well as of my first week in col­lege. That song seemed to cover all that I could not begin to express about my impression of the University of Texas. It was then, and always will be, for me the spirit of the University. It was putting the underlying spirit of the school into words of beauty. In short, my first impression of this great University was one of friendliness, of understanding, and of consid­eration, even for freshmen. Behind all this, however, there continues to ring the one thought through my mind, "The eyes of Texas are upon you, Till Gabriel blows his horn." Theme II MY TRIP TO AUSTIN Aside from the business side of the proposed trip to Austin, we had been looking forward to something of a vacation excursion. This phase is made known in order that readers can see what might of been as well as what was. Elviry, despite her seven or eight years absence from Mr. Ford's Detroit stables, was put in the pink of condi­tion: her cylinder head had been cleaned, her joints greased, and four quarts of genuine, first-hand lubricating oil put in her hungry stomach (a sort of a "bracer" or "tonic,'' you understand); further, she had been reshod to the extent of a secondhand tire costing seventy-five cents. So my partner and I were eagerly awaiting the next morn­ing when we, skimming past the city limits of "Cowtown,'' might keep skimming all the two-hundred miles to Austin and have, withal, a rich, creamy experience. When day dawned, inspiring and beautiful, we were in a Fort Worth filling station, five minutes from home, un­choking a clogged gas-line. But it was not long until we were on our way, and, had it been so ordained, we would have made a non-stop trip to Austin in ten hours to have averaged twenty miles per hour. As it was, we took the trip rather leisurely, stopping at intervals for such things as two flat tires accompanied by a jack that wouldn't work, a broken fan blade, and a defec­tive spark plug. Also we tried to start at those same inter­vals on a discharged battery. To even an amateur mechanic, it is perfectly clear that quite some trouble and incon­venience can be attached to cranking a Ford on its mag­neto. As sort of a side trip, we went through Cameron Park, Waco, and became stranded between two hills, neither of which Elviry felt disposed to climb. Let it suffice to say that both our religion and patience were at a vanishing point. But perseverance was victorious, for after cooling the motor to some degree, we finally backed out. From then on things went pretty well. However, when the purple hills surrounding Austin were no longer purple, but dark, we came creeping in with a burned-out clutch. Undoubtedly a serious traffic situation was averted only by the unusual width of Congress A venue. But we were in Austin, so we didn't care. Theme III MY MOST INTERESTING EXPERIENCE My most interesting experience, happen last year about August 6, 1930. I was in Houston Texas, and a friend of mine offered me a job in Illinois. I left Houston on August 6, 1930, and arrived in St. Louis Missouri on August 8, 1930. I stayed there two days looking over the big city. I seen lots of pretty buildings, but I did not like their narrow streets. On August 8, 1930 I went to Newton Illinois, where I was supposed to start my work. I was checking pipe for a pipe line Co. The first couple of days I didn't have any pipe to check, so I went out and look over the country. The farmers there raised corn. They wanted to know what cotton looked like, most of them had never been out of the state. My job took me from town to town. I would see new people, and in each section the people would be a little different. The railroads were not hauling much freight at that time. They were very glad to see all of this freight of ours coming in. Lots of days I would see a train, with about 6 cars of freight and the rest would be pipe. Most of the agents in these town, were very glad to help me, they would put the pipe in a place were I could get to it. This bunch that I worked with were young and full of pep. They would work all day, and at night would want to run around and look over the country. We would go to different town nearby to see picture shows, basket-ball games. We seen Athen High school of Athen Texas play Braziel Indiana one night. We seen a very good Game. The boys from Athens were the first bunch that I had seen from Texas in about four month's, and I sure was glad to see them. I left Indiana about Dec 20, 1930 and came to Okla., and worked about a month there. Then I went back to Houston. I think is my Most Interesting Experience be­cause It was something new every day, and I Never did get tired of it.