*The pronoun it, having a forward reference, is followed by a verb in the singular even when the noun or pronoun to which it refers is plural; as, "It is they." "It was my brother and my sister who were here."

Explanatory Notes.

1. "It is he," "It is she," "It is I." These are the correct forms. Rule.*The noun or pronoun which follows the verb "to be," is in the same case as the noun or pronoun which precedes the verb "to be." In each sentence "It" is in the nominative case; consequently, "he," "she," and "I," must be in the nominative case. Dr. Latham, the English grammarian, says that me might be used as a quasi-nominative; but other grammarians do not agree with him.

2, 3, 4. "I think it was he," "I think it was she," "I think it was I." These

8.

Here they come! Yes, those are

they; or, *It is they.

9. He supposed it to be me.

10.

11.

Do you believe it to be him? Whom did she understand it to be? (She understood it to be whom?) 12. "Who did you say called?" 13. "He is a man who you may think is your friend, but he is your enemy."

14. "Here is the man who they said, would purchase the estate."

are the correct forms. "He," "she," and "I," must be in the nominative case, because "It" is in the nominative case. Rule. The noun or pronoun following the verb "to be," is in the same case as the noun or pronoun preceding the verb "to be."

Note. "It," is not the object of the verb "think."

Rule. "When the verb think is used transitively in the sense of one's opinion; in one's judgment or estimation, it never has an object in a pronoun."

5. "It could not have been they," is correct. "They" is in the nominative. case, because "it" is in the nominative case. See Rule under 2, 3, 4.

6, 7, 8. Application of the same rule; viz., "The noun or pronoun, etc." Note. In each of these examples, "It," is in the nominative case; consequently, the pronoun following the verb "to

be," is in the same case.

9. "He supposed it to be me," is correct, and not, "He supposed it to be I."

Rule. A noun or pronoun following the verb "to be," is in the same case as the noun or pronoun preceding the verb "to be." "It" is in the objective case, consequently, "me," and not "I," is correct. "It," is in the objective case because it is the subject of the infinitive mood "to be."

Rule. The subject of the infinitive mood "to be," is in the objective case. 10. The same rule obtains in the sentence:-"Do you believe it to be

him?"

11. "Whom did she understand it to be?" is correct. The sentence transposed is: "She understood it to be whom?" The same rule applies; viz., The noun or pronoun following the verb "to be" is in the same case as the noun or pronoun preceding the verb "to be." "Whom," is in the objective case because "it," is: "It" is in the objective case because it is the subect of the infinitive mood, "to be."

Note. The infinitive mood, "to be," is the only part of the verb, "to be," that is preceded by the objective case; and in consequence it is the only part of the verb, "to be," that is followed by the objective case.

12. "Who did you say called?" is correct, because, "Who," is the subject of the verb, "called," and not the object of the verb, "did say." The sen

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tence transposed is: "Who called, did

you say?"

13. "He is a man who you may think is your friend, but he is your enemy." This form is correct, because, "who," is the subject of, "is," and not the object of, "think." Note.-"When the verb, think, is used transitively in the sense of one's opinion, in one's judgment or estimation, it never has an object in a pronoun.'

14. "Here is the man who they said, would purchase the estate," is correct, because "who," is the subject of, "would purchase" and not the object. of the verb, "said."

*An apparent exception to this rule. occurs when a noun of pronoun in the possessive case follows the verb to be; as, "This is mine." It is her's. This is explained by the following rule: "The forms, mine, thine, our, yours, theirs, and sometimes his and hers, though possessive in form, have come to be used only in the nominative and objective cases. They are in reality substitutes for a noun and its possessive modifier."

To read the English language well, to write with a neat, legible hand, and be master of the first rules of arithmetic, so as to dispose of at once, with accuracy, every question of figures which comes up in practice, I call this a good education. And if you add the ability to write pure grammatical English, I regard it as an excellent education.-Edward Everett.

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A shrewd county superintendent a few years since, in a western Indiana county, in discussing the work of one. of his teachers, said, "His conduct of a recitation reminds one of a group of girls throwing snowballs at a barn door. If they hit the door or even the barn it is struck in spots few and far between."

The fault of missing the point imputed to the subject of this remark is not so uncommon as to make the man unique in the teaching profession, but it is common enough to suggest the need of attention to preparation on the part of the teacher.

Without enlarging discussion on the subject of method there are some things a teacher of any subject should have well in mind. He should have his subject well in hand, i. e., he should know what he should teach, how he should teach, and whom he is teaching. It is worth while to give consideration to the person taught, his age, stage of progress and mental and physical ability. Much work is attempted that is poorly adapted to the ability or mental development of the child. Teaching over the heads of the children or beyond their comprehension is a fault that should be avoided

as vigilantly as feeding bright, observing boys and girls on the pabulum of babes. Adaptation of work to the learner is of vital importance. Preparation can never go too far. The teacher who becomes satisfied with the amount and quality of his work has reached a serious danger point, both for himself, and for the pupils whom he may teach. Stagnation for himself means lack of interest and enthusiasm on the part of the pupils. Plans of work, outlines of courses of study for the day, for the term and for the whole course of instruction should be thought out. Courses of study prepared by others, such as are prepared by superintendents of cities, counties or the state, should be studied so thoroughly as to make them the teacher's own in working efficiency.

It is easy to notice in chapter 3 of The Teaching of Geography that the phases of geographical knowledge correspond to the phases or stages of mental development given by writers on psychology and method. Observational geography engages the mind in the sense perception phase. Representative geography, reproduces, enlarges, modifies and finds expression for the observed facts of the earlier phase.

Rational geography brings the facts and relations of geographical knowledge under the test of reason. Not that all the later phases have not appeared in connection with the first or observational phase, but that the rational phase may become pre-eminent, and turning back upon the earlier phases, bring them under the tests of judgment and reason. The social phase requires the highest exercise of the reasoning and judgment. As geography is said, in chapter 4, to depend in a very important degree on the other physical sciences, here, it reaches out into the field of philosophical science. Fortunate and capable is the teacher who comprehends the correspondence of the phases of his subject-matter, with the stages of mental growth in the children he is called to teach. The teacher should see the relations, and the unity in his subject. He should know how to supplement, illustrate, and vitalize the subject-matter, where to place emphasis, and where to leave. it off. He should adapt his work to the age and ability of his students. He should be fertile in devices and illustration, clear and thorough in presentation of work. A complete assimilation of President Sutherland's ideas will greatly add to the efficiency and interest of the teacher's work.

references offered in this book. These facts, however, should not discourage the teacher from a judicious and liberal selection of new ideas, and plans, for the improvement of his work.

Comparison of a geography textbook (copyright date 1868) resurrected from attic retirement, with the best text-books now in use, illustrates the striking difference between the old, and new ideas of geography teaching. It gives a whole course in one book (according to its preface). This preface further states that "no attempt has been made at diffuse explanations, such as fill the pages of so many recently published works on this subject, "which is not designed to take the place of the teacher, but to afford him. aid in carrying on the work of instruction, a portion of which at least should emanate from himself." The thrust at "diffuse explanation" indicates that even then the idea of progress was abroad and must be met. The reference to the need for supplementary work by the teacher is excellent. Not much live work can be done by the use of such a text-book unless the work is vitalized, amplified and made interesting by the teacher. In this book so-called fundamental facts are set forth under the form of question and answer. A discussion of physical features consists of a few pages of stiff and formal definitions, each with its appopriate question before it. According to it, "a volcano is a mountain with an opening in the top out of which is thrown fire, smoke and melted. matter called lava." A picture representing a volcano shows a cone so impossibly high and steep as to be ridiculous. The questions and answers seem to have been framed with the intent to

avoid and discourage original thought. No relation seems to exist between different statements. Isolated and lonely facts follow each other in serried col

Unless the teacher vitalize, supplement and amplify, scant and uninteresting, indeed, must be the result. The memory by sheer effort and grasp, unaided by reason, relations of cause and effect, or any association of ideas, is depended on to grasp and hold the material presented in its pages.

Contrast with such a text-book the up-to-date, well illustrated, well organized and accurate books now supplied by many of the best publishing houses. Add the further help to be gained by books, now numerous, on the teaching of geography, and take note of the advantages of the new over the old views and methods. The teacher of today has little excuse for half-century old methods, when the whole impulse of educational progress is urging him forward.

But he is, as the old text-book quotation suggests, a very important factor in the educational process, whether texts be good or bad. Instruction with the best texts improves under his skillful management. Even the poorest can not dampen his ardor or make his work altogether ineffective. He can supply missing data, add illustration and explanation and, above all, make the work attractive by new and original methods of presentation. These things President Sutherland's book will greatly aid him in doing. He may do field and laboratory work, and work out as completely as possible or desirable, the details of home geography. He may draw upon the sciences as fully as is necessary for material to illustrate, amplify and explain. See

The Teaching of Geography, chapter 4. A difficulty that may rise to perplex the student and teacher is the question of how far geography extends into each of the sciences to which it is related. But this is a question that is puzzling to the geographers. The periphery of geography is not a line but a zone. One may go out from the central thought as far as he needs to go, in order to find its reciprocal relations with other facts.

There are many geographical facts that bear in a vital way on the subject of farming but we believe that the teaching of agriculture is a very different thing from the teaching of geography. Botany, zoology, astronomy, and chemistry furnish facts that are distinctly geographical, but each of these sciences has a great body of facts that are not geographical at all. Astronomy is depended on to explain changing seasons, knowledge of which is necessary to explain the climatic conditions of the earth. But even the moon, popularly supposed to affect the weather, is not mentioned in an explanation of the change of seasons. bearing on climate does not even get the recognition of honorable mention. from the scientist.

Its

The obverse view of the relation of geography to agriculture is of great importance. If a man were thinking of leaving Indiana, for example, to live in the Canadian northwest, there would be several questions he would, or should, consider. Almost certainly soil, temperature, and rainfall will be thought of. If he could locate in the "gumbo" or fine sedimentary soil of glacial lake Agassiz south of lake Winnipeg, how fortunate he would be, but the price of land there compares well