and unimportant, with _and_. Discriminating writers place
minor ideas in subordinate clauses, consign still less important ideas
to participial or prepositional phrases, and omit trivial details
altogether.

Childish: I went down town and saw a crowd standing in the
street, and wanted to know what was the matter, and so I went
up and asked a man.

Right: When I went down town, I saw a crowd standing in the
street, and since I wanted to know what was the matter, I asked
a man. [Two clauses are subordinated by the use of _when_ and
_since_. This change abolishes two _ands_. The words _went up
and_ are struck out. One _and_ remains, and deserves to remain,
for it joins two ideas which are truly coordinate.]

Main idea not emphasized: I talked with an old man and his name
was Ned.

Better: I talked with an old man named Ned. [A participial
phrase replaces a clause. The name is now subordinated.]

Main idea not emphasized: Developing is the next step in
preparing the film, and it is very important.

Better: Developing, the next step in preparing the film, is
very important. [An appositional phrase replaces the first
predicate.]

Main idea not emphasized: They began their perilous journey,
and they had four horses.

Right [emphasizing _perilous journey_]: With four horses they
began their perilous journey. [A prepositional phrase replaces
a clause.]

Right [emphasizing _having the horses_]: When they began their
perilous journey, they had four horses. [A subordinate clause
replaces a main clause.]

Capable of greater unity: The frog is a stupid animal, and may
be caught with a hook baited with red flannel. [Is the writer
trying to tell us _how to catch frogs_, or merely that _frogs
are stupid_? Coordination makes the two ideas appear equally
important.]

Right [emphasizing _frogs are stupid_]: The fact that the frog
can be caught with a hook baited with red flannel proves his
stupidity.

Right [emphasizing _how to catch frogs_]: The frog, being
stupid, will bite at a piece of red flannel.

Exercise.

1. Men were sent to Panama and could not live in such
unsanitary conditions.

2. When a letter came and it bore a familiar handwriting, I
always opened it eagerly.

3. West Hickory is the name of th