The study of rhetorical principles in the first year should be confined to the consideration of the simpler principles of sentence and paragraph construction. In connection with the study of grammatical construction of sentences, the violation of the principles of sentence unity and sentence coherence in the pupils’ written work will offer opportunity for enlarging upon the application of these principles. If, in the first year, pupils can be taught to express simple ideas in sentences the parts of which are logically connected, much will have been accomplished. In paragraph construction unity and coherence must also be emphasized; that is, the pupils should be taught that the paragraph consists of a series of closely related sentences developing a single topic. The unity of the paragraph as emphasized by the part of the definition referring to the single topic, and the principle of coherence, as brought out by the idea of a series of related sentences, constitute the important points regarding paragraph construction to be developed in the first year. The simplest principles of narration, such as the choice, order, and connection of incidents, may be emphasized and developed in the pupils’ composition work. Examples of the application of these principles will be noted constantly in the short stories read in class. During the second semester the elementary principles of description can be developed from the reading, and pupils can be led to add a descriptive element to their narrative themes, or even to write short descriptive themes. After studying the descriptive methods used in the portrayal of a character or scene in the story read in class, the pupils may very naturally be encouraged to write descriptions of persons or places with which they are familiar. The knowledge and application of these principles of composition, thoroughly mastered, is all the rhetoric that is necessary for the first year. 4. Theme Writing