like magic last night.
128. Homer describes a race of men who--from the gods.

SWIM.
129. I once--three-quarters of a mile without stopping.
130. Having--the river, the fugitives plunged into the forest.

EXERCISE XLI.

_Illustrate by original sentences the proper use of the past indicative
and the past participle of each of the following verbs, thus: A swallow
FLEW into my room, but before I recovered from my surprise it had FLOWN
out again. Give to the sentences variety:_--

Awake, beat, begin, beseech, blow, bid (to order), bid (to offer), break,
burst, choose, come, dive, do, drive, eat, flee, fly, flow, forget,
freeze, get, go, hang, lay, lie (to recline), plead, prove, ride, rise,
run, see, set, sit, shake, shoe, show, speak, slay, steal, take, throw,
wake, write.

CONTRACTIONS.[71]--Some writers hold that in careful writing
contracted forms should be avoided; but all are agreed that in
conversation some contractions, if correctly used, are natural and proper.
The conversation of a person who never said "can't" for "can not," "don't"
for "do not," or "doesn't" for "does not," would seem stiff. Care should,
however, be taken not to use plural contractions for singular, or singular
for plural. _Don't_ is a contraction of "do not," _doesn't_ of "does not."
The proper contraction of "is not" is _isn't;_ of "are not," _aren't.
Daresn't_, if used at all, should be used only when "dares not" might be
substituted. _Ain't_ is a gross vulgarism.

[71] "Foundations," pp. 81-82.

EXERCISE XLII.

_Insert the proper contraction (doesn't, don't) in each of the blank
places_:--

1. It--- seem possible.
2. The captain--- know what it is to be afraid.
3. John says he--- understand the problem on page 266.
4. Why--- she come?
5.--- it seem strange that they--- come?
6. Waldo--- improve in penmanship as fast as he should.
7. It--- look like pure water.
8. Why--- he answer?
9. The boy will fail, but he--- seem to care much.

MAY (MIGHT) or CAN (COULD).[72]--_Can_ and _could_, which denote
"ability" or "possibility," are often wrongly used in the place of _may_
and _might_, which are the proper words to denote "permission."

[72] Ibid., pp. 82-83.

EXERCISE XLIII.

_Fill the blanks with the right words:_--

1. ---- I leave the room?
2. You ---- go to the concert, but I doubt whether you ---- get a seat.
3. ---- we by searching find out God?
4. ---- I have some more lemonade?
5. ---- I have another piece o