He learned to write. 
  The masts of the ship were cast down. 
  He entered the lists at the head of his troops. 
  He is the merriest fellow in existence. 
  I regard not the world’s opinion. 
  He has three assistants. 
  The depths of the sea. 
  She trusts too much to servants. 
  His attempts were fruitless. 
  He chanced to see a bee hovering over a flower.

4.  Omitting or mispronouncing whole syllables.

Examples.

Correct is improperly pronounced

Lit’er-ar-ry         lit-rer-ry
co-tem’po-ra-ry      co-tem-po-ry
het-er-o-ge’ne-ous   het-ro-ge-nous
in-quis-i-to’ri-al   in-quis-i-to-ral
mis’er-a-ble         mis-rer-ble
ac-com’pa-ni-ment    ac-comp-ner-ment

EXERCISE

  He devoted his attention chiefly to literary pursuits. 
  He is a miserable creature. 
  His faults were owing to the degeneracy of the times. 
  The manuscript was undecipherable. 
  His spirit was unconquerable. 
  Great industry was necessary for the performance of the task.

5.  Blending the end of one word with the beginning of the next.

EXAMPLES

  I court thy gif sno more. 
  The grove swere God sfir stemples. 
  My hear twas a mirror, that show’ devery treasure. 
  It reflecte deach beautiful blosso mof pleasure. 
  Han d’me the slate. 
  This worl dis all a fleeting show,
  For man’ sillusion given.

EXERCISES. (18)

  The magistrates ought to arrest the rogues speedily. 
  The whirlwinds sweep the plain. 
  Linked to thy side, through every chance I go. 
  But had he seen an actor in our days enacting Shakespeare. 
  What awful sounds assail my ears? 
  We caught a glimpse of her. 
  Old age has on their temples shed her silver frost. 
  Our eagle shall rise mid the whirlwinds of war,
  And dart through the dun cloud of battle his eye. 
  Then honor shall weave of the laurel a crown,
  That beauty shall bind on the brow of the brave.

II.  INFLECTION. (18)

Inflection is a bending or sliding of the voice either upward or downward.

The upward or rising inflection is an upward slide of the voice, and is marked by the acute accent, thus, (’); as,

   Did you call’?  Is he sick’?

The downward or falling inflection is a downward slide of the voice, and is marked by the grave accent, thus, (’); as,

   Where is London’?  Where have you been’?

Sometimes both the rising and falling inflections are given to the same sound.  Such sounds are designated by the circumflex, thus, (v) or thus, (^).  The former is called the rising circumflex; the latter, the falling circumflex; as,

  But nobody can bear the death of Clodius.