~=Adjectives= used substantively are given thus: ~der Alte; (kein) Alter~; [_pl._] ~Alte; die (keine) Alten~; see also ~Besonderes~ and ~das Neue~. Irregularity in the formation of the comparative and superlative is shown thus: ~alt, älter, der älteste; nah, näher, der nächste~.~ ~=Adverbs.= Since most adverbs are identical, in the positive and comparative, with the uninflected adjective, the English equivalents of German adverbs are omitted when they can be derived by adding _-ly_ to the English adjective.~ ~=Verbs.= The principal parts of regular weak verbs are not listed. Of all strong or irregular verbs, however, and of all weak verbs compounded with another than one of the inseparable prefixes, ~be-~, ~emp-~, ~ent-~, ~er-~, ~ge-~, ~ver-~, ~zer-,~ the principal parts are given in full. Further peculiar or irregular forms are indicated after the following model: ~sterben~ (infinitive), ~stirbt~ (3rd pers. sg., pres. ind.), ~starb~ (3rd pers. sg., past ind.), ~stürbe~ (3rd pers. sg., past subj.), ~ist gestorben~ (past participle, with ~ist~ to indicate the inflection of the perfect tenses with ~sein~ instead of ~haben~).~ ~=Idioms= are listed under the appropriate title-word.~ ~=Parentheses=, in addition to their ordinary use, enclose material that may be included in, or omitted from, the translation, or indicate an alternative form or rendering.~ ~=Square brackets=, in addition to their use in place of parentheses within parentheses, enclose explanatory material, grammatical notes, and directions as to pronunciation.~ ~=Italic= type is used to call attention to explanatory material and grammatical notes.~ ~=Bold-faced= type is used within a paragraph to emphasize the contrast between the English construction and the German.~ ~=Small capitals= warn against mistakes commonly made by students whose mother tongue is English.~ ~=...= indicate an incomplete quotation.~ ~=Figures= refer to page and line of this Reader.~ ~=Pronunciation.= It is assumed that the reader knows the rules for quantity as indicated by the orthography. Whenever a word deviates from these rules or is for any reason likely to be mispronounced, its pronunciation is indicated by the customary signs of length of vowel and of accent or, when necessary, by respelling, the letters in this case having the value usual in German (or English, as may be indicated by the type,) unless a different quality is specifically mentioned. In most instances the quantity of a vowel is marked only in the first form but is to be understood as holding good for all inflected forms unless something to the contrary is indicated. In an unaccented syllable the sign of length of vowel indicates quality rather than time, save for the vowel ~a~. A vowel before ~ch~ is to be pronounced as short unless it is marked long.~