.... - ...... - ll A_N DBOOI\_ OF CO~IPOSITION
A COMPENDIUM OF RULES
REGARDING

GOOD ENGLISH, GRAMMAR,
SENTENCE STRUCTUHI~, PARAGRAPHING,
MANUSCRIPT ARRANGEMENT,
PUNCTUATION, SPELLING,
ESSAY WRITING, AND
LETTER WRITING

BY

EDWIN C. WOOLLEY, Pn.D.
ASSISTANT l'HOFIC,Sfl(lll OF

1cH:1,is11

1:-1 Tiii•:

\ JN IVl\ HSITY OF WI SCONSIN

D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS
BOSTON

NEW YOIUC

C IIlCAG O

.. .

r

I

COPYRIGHT,

BY D.

c.

1907,

HEATH

IA5

& Co.

I WILL not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them. Yea, I
think it meet to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.
- ll PETER i. 12, 13.

PJtEFJ\CE

PREFACE
Tms manual is designed for two uses. It may be used
by students of composition for reference, at the direc:
~10n of the instructor, in case of errors in th emes. Second,
it may ?~ used for ind ependent reference by persons who
~ave wn_trng of any kind to do and who want occasional
mformat'.on on matter? of good usage, grammar, spelling,
punct~~t10n, paragrapbmg, manuscript-arrangement, or letter-wntmg.
·

~rst,

1'he ai_m of the book is not scic11tific, Lut practical. The
purpose is to make clear the rules in reo-ard to which many
people make mistakes. No mate1fal
been put into the
book for the sake of formal completeness. 1\fany statements that wo.uld be essential to a treatise designed to
exhaust the subjects lwro discusse1l (<L treatise, fo r instance
on grammar, or c01nposition -structurc, or punctuation)
11a~e been omitted because they concern matters about
which the persons who may use the book do not uee<l to be
told . In the knowledge and the observance of the rules
fixed by good usage and suggested by common sense for
the expression of thoughts in English and the representation
o~ them on paper, there are many widely prevalen t deficiencies, some natural enough, some very odd, but all shared
by many people. The purpose of this manual is simply to
help correct some of these deficiencies.
Some of the rules in this book; makin(J' n o m ention of
exceptions, modifications, or allowable ~lternatives, may
perl~aps be charged with being dogmatic. They are dogmatic-:-- purposely so. Suppose a youth, astray a11<l confused m a maze of city streets, asks the way to a certain
pl~ce. If one enumerates to him the several possible routes,
with _c omments and admonitions and cautions about each,
he will probably continue astray and confused. If one
sends him peremptorily on one route not mentioninrr permissible deviations or equally good ~lternative way~, the

ha;

jy

v

chance is much greater that he will reach his destination.
Likewise, the erring composer of anarchic ~iscourse can
best be set right by concise and simple direct10ns. This is
one r eason for the stringency of some of the rules. There
is anoth er r eason ; let me use another parable in exp_laining
it. A student of piano-playing is held rigidly, durmg the
early period of his study, to ce_rtain rul~s of fi~1g e r movem ent. Those rules are so111et1mes vaned or ign ored by
musicHtns. But the student, i11 order to progress in the a rt,
mu st for a certain time treat the rules as stringent and
invari:tl>le · the variati ons and exceptions are stud iecl only
at a la.ter 'stage of his progres!'l. So, in acquiring skill in
th e art of co mpositi on , it is neceRsary for mos t students to
observe ri aidly and invariably rul c!'l to \Y hich 1nasters of the
a r t make bexceptions. I beli eve th a t Hul es 63, 69, 78, 08,
\HJ, 112, and 115, for exampl e, shou ld be so treated by most
apprentices in con1pos iti1111.
.
.
A word abo ut th e literary 01.J ligat1ons I 11ave m currc:J.
Sn far as conce rn s rn y i11d P-ll t.t·d 11 ess to that gn·at c1 1111n1 1111
fund of grammatical a1Hl rh etori cal 1loetrine on wldch he
wl111 will 111 ay d1·aw, it may t1'ul y be said of rn e, as it Las
been said. of llolller,
"What he lhon:;ht h e might req uire
11 0 we nt n111l tuok."

To individual authors I may owe debts of which I am not
aware · for wh en a man has accumulated a store of thoughts,
so me from individual writers, some from many writers in
common, and some, perh aps, from his own psychic processPs, he in evitably forgets the sonrce of many eleme nts
of th e mass. I know , however , that my thanks are due to
] 'rnfpi:;sors Adam s Sh erman II ill, 'Vil li n.m Dwig ht Whitn ey,
Alph onso G. Newcomer, J ohn Du ncan Quacke nbos, Fred
Ne wton Scott, and J oseph Villiers D enn ey, for a munber of ideas suggested by my acquaintance with their
works.
I g ratefully acknowledge here my ~blig~tion to ~rofes~or
Frank Gaylord Hubbard, of the Umvers1ty of 'V1s<.:o nsm,
and to Miss R ose M. Kavana, of the Medill Hi g:h School in
Chicago, who gave me much acute and valuable criticism

vi

PREFACE

during the preparation of the manuscript ; and to several
gentlemen (unknown to me) who, at the instance of the
publishers, suggested some much-needed emendations before
the book went to press, and also during it.~ passage through
the press. Though the book is probably not what Captain ·
Costigan would call a "meritorious performance," it is in
many respects nearer that character than it would be but
for the generous aid of these known and unknown counselors.

E. C. W.
MADISON, WISCONSIN,

October 15, ,1901.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
PAGE

I

THE COMPOSITION OF DISCOURSE
INTR ODUCTOR y: THE STANDARD OF GOOD USAGE
DI CT I ON

Improprieties
B arbarisms .
Contractions .
Misuses of pronouns
Rh etori cal ornament
Trite ness .
Affectation
Mi xed fi gures of speech
Tim STitU CTU HE OF S1rnTE NCES
Some fund amental errors
Grammatical agreement
Matters of case
Adj ectives and adverbs .
Matters of voice
Mat.tors of tense
Heforcnce
Dan gli ng m odifiers
Unity
Order of mcm bcrs .
Incorrect omissions
Coordirnition .
Subordination
Parallelism
Logical agreement
Negation
R edundance .
Repetition of words
Euphony
Variety .

1
1
3
3
4
4

5
6
6
9
11
12
12
14
16

19
20
20
23

26
29
32
37
41
47

49

53
54

55
56

58
59

1 For detailed sy nopsis of the numbered rules and of the exercises, eee
pages x-xx.

vii

viii

TABLE O:F CONTENTS

TnE

STRUCTURE

counsE
Unity
.
Organization .
Coherence

lL

OF

LARGER

UNITS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
OF

Dis-

PAOB

PAGE

The terms Introduction, Conclusion, and Body
Over-minute subdivision .
Certain illogical practices .

59
li9

G2
GG

IV.

PUTTING DISCOURSE ON p APER
SPELLING

LEGIB ILIT Y

AnnAN<:EMENT ov 1\lANuscnu'T.

Pages
Paragraphs
.
.
.
.
l\1.c~h.auical rnarks of a pa ragraph :
:
D1v1s10n of a composition into paragraphs
Verse
Extended quotations
Tabulated lists
ALTERATIONS IN MANUSCRIPT
PUNCTUATION

The period
The comma .
The semicolon
The colon
.
The question mark
The dash
.
l'arenthesis marks
Brackets
.
Quotation marks
The apostrophe
The hyphen .
.
Miscellaneous rules
SYLLABICATION

•

ABBREV IA TIO NS •

.

THE REPRESENTATION OF NUJllDERS •
CAPITALS
ITALICS

III.

ANALYTICAL OUTLINES
The form of the titles
Numbering and arrangem~nt of the titles:

77
77
78

V.

LETTEH-\VIUTING .
Ordinary letters (written in th e first person)
Formal notes in the th i rel person
Sundry lllPf'hanical dirPct ions .
The en vclope

98

ns

rn1rnx

90
90
90
95

122
122
123
12G
12G
J 35
137

141

A GLOSSARY OF MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY
EXPllESSIONS
143

A . - Exercises fo r breaking certain baJ
habits in writing and speaking
Exercises chiefly in grammar .
E xerc ises chiefly in sentence-structure
Exercises chiefly in spelling
Exercises chiefly in punctuation
APPENDIX B . - A grammatical vocabulary, explaining
grammatical and other technical terms used in this
book
Arr1rnmx C. - A list of words that are often mispronounccd.

18

78
85
87
87
88

l:X.

ArrE:S-IJI x

173
173
180
187
191

196

219
227

!)8

100
101
101
106
107
107
110
112
113

I

I

:i

116
118

121
121
12J

'I

i

- --

SYNOPSIS OF Nul\1 "n1mED RULES

THE RTRUCTllBE Ol•' SENTEN CES

So~c
fund_nm ental I erro;; mi•tak~n fo~ sentenc~s (24)
Subordrnnte e emen
- . ( ~)

DETAILED SYNOPSIS OF THE NUMBERED
RULES
I. TUE COMPOSITION OF DISCOURSE

Good
Usage

l'AGS
Goon USAGE
1
The true standard ; good usage defined (1)
False standards .
.
1
Colloquial usnge (2 a)
1
'I'he u s;ge of rec~nt fi ction° (2 d)
Limited usng., (2 IJ)
Usnge in isolated instances (2 e)
Newspaper usage (2 c)
Means of learning good usage (3)
•
•
•
.
.
3
Inclusion of words in a dictionary not decisive (3, note)

INTRODUCTORY : TnE STANDARD OF

0

Diction

DICTION

3
Errors regarding pnrts of speech (hnpl"Oprfetles)
•
•
.
.
3
The g e neral rule (4)
Adjec tives used as nouns (4f)
Nouns used ns verbs (4 a)
Adj ectives nscd as adverbs {4 g)
Nouns used as adverbs (4 IJ)
Down (4h)
Plenty (4 c)
Per cent. (4 i)
T!tem (4 d)
.Near by ( 4j)
Verbs used as nouns (4 c)
Unauthorized formations 1ind contractions (barbarisms)
4
· Curre nt (5)
Extemporized (6)
. , .. T,h~ C9,1:1.t.r_l!Ctf~\ 1.<!n~t. ~sn't, etc. (7)
•
•
;• • I' ·
4
Mis uses ">f p'.el!Ttl)i 8 • , ·' •
•
•
•
•
5
Indefinite yon (8)
Intensives
Indefinite they (9)
.Misuse in general (12)
Iadetlnito it (10)
"Yourself and guests" (13)
Indefinite tltat and tltoae (11)
Rhetorical ornament •
Triteness
6
1Iackneye1l phrnRe,, (14)
A<ivlco on lltcrnry ornnrnont (14-, 11ot.n)
Hnck11 oyct! qnotntlo11R, 1llluslo1rn, 1111<1 prov erbs (15)
NowRpnp or mn1111 oriR111s
Nlc lrnaming states and cities (111 a)
·
Current newspaper rhcto1·ic (16 IJ)
Strnlnlng for 110\·clty (lH c)
Oonulno and sham humor (le;, note)
.Affectation
Hlgh-llown langu age (17)
Advice rega1·ding plain English (17, note)
Poetic diction (18)
The hi storical present (19)
Initials and blankR for names nad dntes (20)
Advantage of using names in narration (20, note)
"We" and "the writer" for I (21)
The editorial 1ve (21)
Mixed figures of speec h
Incongruity with whnt precedes (22)
Figures not carried out (23)

x

•

PA'i~ Structure
12 of

Sentences

E lements wit.bout cons~ruction 2 o
Uncompleted constru.ctio~~ (~-~,Lento complement (27)
Sentence used 11s Rllb,Jcct cl P ]>red lento complement (28)
1V li en or 11'11.ere cl11usc use a 8
.
•
•

Grmnn1ntlcfll ng-r(•Pt1i c 11t

Numbers enclosed In parentheses refer to rules

•

Xl

14

8ub(ect an<! verh
i
words (29 a)
Ucrwrnl rule (2!))
Subject obscuJ'C<l ~Y i~te~;~'t~~:ftcd by witii, etc. (29 b)
Number of tho su .JCC n
, (2') c)
Subjects joined by or or not
' tnntlvc (::10)
v erh atfrnctcd hy l'redicate subs
11iet1.wd of correction (32)
Each, eve1·y , etc. (31)
•
•
•
•
16
Matters of case •
Subj ec t of a finite verb
Genernl rule (33)
t (33 a)
JV ho not affected by he 8tfY~, ~ ~y prccc<ling words (33 b)
Who nnd v:hoeve1· n:it a ec ~ verb (34)
Predicate snb s tnntive with a fim~e of an infinitive (35)
Subject and predicnte comp)cmci(~ )
A ppositi vcs (37)
Object of" verb or" preposition 3)H
Tit.an whom (38, note)
A s ub sta nti ve nftcr than or as (3 8
Th o poRscsslv o caso
( 'I)
Nouns not d cs li;:nntlngJ?cr~f:s s~~;se (40)
l'osscs slvc cnse In nn o .J CC v ( l)
J>ossess lve case with gerum1s 4
19
A.d,icctlves ~nd nilvT'bs st~ It iook.~·bea.~tifui (42)
Exprcss1uns amt ogou t llold it stecidy (43)
Expressions ann1ogous o
20
Matters of voice
•
•.
• l •( 44).
•
•
Awkward u se oft.h e P!lssive. vo(';l'"')
V ngne use of the pass1ve voice o
20
Mntters of tense
•
•
'Shall nnd 1cill
Interrognllvfl sentences (48)
Expec tnti o 1~ (46)
Indirect <Jnotations (49)
Dctcnnl1111t1on (47~
t'
t statements (50)
Shall and should rn con rngen
''
rastlJ11dat1·1l
tense (lit )
Misu sed for th o past-porfect (o2)
t ("'I)
J'c·rft•c t tc•11 s<1
p,". ,.r.,~ t l11 ll11IU1·<' ml s11,cd for prc<o n t'(u3)
l'l~ l'l'l!ci co1i'IIIL10 1rnl 11d s 11s<~< I fol' prc so 11 _,
A J11tcl1J·ono118 participl es (51)
23
RefPrc nco ·•
•
•
•
•
• ")
. U11cPrt11i11 or lu<llcro11 s rcf~renco (oo
!II e lhod of correction (liG)
( )
W enk rcfe 1·encc of thi.9 nnd tliat 5 7
Remote reference (08)
.
t (" )
Hefercnce to a word not promm e n '.''9
Reference to a word not expressed (60)
Anteced ent in parentheses t61)
26
Dangling modifiers
J>nrticipl es
General rule (62)
I
(63)
J>arti ciple introd11cing a sentence or cause
M ct.hod of correction ( H4) "
Participle preceded by th1ia (60)

xii
Structure
of

Sentences

SYNOPSIS OF NUMBERED RULES

SYNOPSIS OF NUMBERED RULES

Gerund phrases
PAGE
Gen eral rule (G6)
G erund phrase introducing a sentence or clause (67)
M ethod of correction (68)
Elltptlcal clau ses
G eneral rule (G9)
Method of correction (70)
E lltptlcal clau ses In titles (71)
Unity • •
•
.
Gen eral rule (72)
29
Unrelated t houghts (73)
.Uni ty sec nrcd l>y r ecasti ng ( 7.1, note)
S t rn1g_v eom ponn r! ec n lcncc' (7·1)
Straggli ng- sente n ces (75)
U nil.y S<'C t1re d in n lo ng- FC'llfrnc(~ hv ,,.n01l 0rrraniz:.i+iuu ("",. . .
1wLu )
"
" "
Change uf t he point of view in a senten c"e (7G) 0

Order of parts
•
•
Position of modifiers
G enera l rul e (77)
P~sitlon ef the advPrb.• 011 l y. almost, etc. ( 78)
.1\11splacnd e lirnsce (7H)
l'o sitl o n of r da 1i1·" <'!1111scs (80)
f3 q 11 i11ti 11 i; 111 od illcrs (81_)

32

1:m:er! tl 1 u ti!~ [io s il ~on o f rn od lt1c r s (82)
1 o sft.1o n o1 tl~err;(rn:f'· , ho1c(',1·n·, <•t f' . (8:1)
Repn rn t lon nt cn<>r d 111 nte 111 0<.liJicrs (8'.l)
t!plit lt1finitives (85)
Sm ooth ord er
Of Individual sente nces (86)
O f consecutive se ntences (87)
Forcible ord er
Strong close (88)
. E ndi_ng a sentence with a preposition (88 note)
Clunactzc order (89)
'
Incorrect omissions
• 37
U se of words in a d ~uble capa~ity '
Auxiliaries (90 a)
·
To be u sed a s bo th principal and auxiliary verb (90b)
Prln clpal vcrh s (90 c)
Oth er modi fie rs (!}O eJ
Tha n and a11 cla uses (90 d)
No uns (!}Of)
To (Jn a 11 to, in r e(Jard to, etc.) (90 fl)
Omissi on of articles and possessives (91)
Omission of prepositions (92)
Un comple ted comparison s (93)
Ooortlinatlon
•
•
•
•
41
U ngrarrnnatkal coordination
<:lencral rule (94)
"Antl which" (95)
.
Method of correction (9G)
Illogical coordination (97)
Advice regarding excessive coordination (97 no te)
So, then, and also used for connecting verbs (9S)
Th e so habit (99)
Consecutive but's andfor'.9 (100)
Method of correction (101)
Clearness of coordination
General rule (102)
Repetition of prepositions (103)
Repetition of the Infinitive-sig n (104)
Repetition of subortlinatlng co njunctio ns (105)
Subordination
•
•
47
•
•
O verlapping clauses and phra~es (i06>°
Contrasted with coordinate d ependence (107)
0

0

Xlll

Misu se of w h en clrmses
G eneral rnle ( 108)
B11bordl11 ntl on of a s tnte rn cnt of priuclpnl Importance (109)
Ups id e-do wn subordination (110)
Parallcl! s m .
.
•
.
.
O c ncrnl rulo (111)
Correlatives (112)

PAGE

Structure
of
49

Sentences

lmp r op('r 11 so u f pnrnllPli s rn

llll s le1ul111 i; pnrnllcli s lll ( ll:l )
.Jn n et.Inn of lncongTn o u s s nb s tnntl vcs (11 ,1 )
Dl " l1JJl! nr elem ents in th o form of a se ri es (111'>)
Met ho<l of correc ti on (116 )
Logical ng-rccmcnt 0f m embers •
(; c11crci l ru le (l 17)
lllug ica l cuiuvari:strn s
Other o r else in a tha n or a 11 clause
Wh e n necessary (118)
Wh en Incorrec t (119)
The of phrase limiting a superlatlve (120)
N egatio n
•
•
.
llo 11 !df' ll<'i:n li,·c (1211
lncmTPc t 1lt'gati o11 with hardly, only, etc . (l~!Z}
HPdirnd:inrr
.
.
.
.
T1111 to logy ( 1 ~?:!)
l' lf' o1111"'n ( 12,I)
\Vor<lin"'" (12i>)
RcpPtl!.1011 of word~
.
.
.
.
.
l~e p elitio u w ith (:l innge o f 1n eun h 1g (126)
Awkward repetiti o n (127)
Method of correction (128)
A w kward av oidnn ce of r e petition (129)
Btrnlnlng for Ry non y m s (129 , note)
Cnrcles s r ep e tition of the conjunc tion tha t (130)

.

Euph ony
•
•
.
.
•
•
Co ncurrence of like sounds (131)
The absolute con stru cti on
Ab solute prono un s (132 a)
V ar!ety (133)

53

54

.

5G

58
Latinistic phrases (132 b)

TnE R T R UCT U RF. OF LARGER U N 1rs OF D1 sc o uRsE

59

59

Unity of n whole comp os ition
59
Ge nernl rule (134)
A Rhort essny 011 a lnrgo snhject (13ri)
S hiftin g t.ho t c11 Re 111 11nrrnt!o11 (l:Hl)
S hifting the point of view 111 nnrrat.l o n (137)
8hifting t he te nse 111 il escr!ptlon (138)
Shifting tho subject by varying noun s and pronoun s (139)
Organlzntl o n
.
.
•
.
•
•
•
.
.
.
.
G2
O e n!'rnl prlnclpl o: 1·lnss lfi c11tlon and ar rnngcm e 11t of materlnl ( 140)
l'11r ts ml s plncrnl (1 4 1 )
Uni ty aud compl et en ess of each part (142)
C oh erence .
•
•
.
•
•
•
65
At th e beg inning of a composition (143)
Be twee n parts
Dis tin ct Introducti on of a new part
'I'h e prin ciple (144)
M ean s of m nrkin g th e b eginn ing of a new part
Trnnsition se ntences nnd paragraph s (144 a)
Conn ective phrases (144 b)
Placing k ey-word s at t he beginnin g (144 c)
In trod nctl o n of n s tat em e n t of con sequ e nce (145)
Introdu ctio n of an abatement (l4G)
Intro<ln ctlnn ofa contrns tlng part (147)
Introduction of a contradictory statem ent (148)

Structure
of

Larger
Units
Ii

,1

' I'

xiv

SYNOl't:ilS OF NUi\UlEH.ED HULES

SYNOl'SlS OF NUJ\UH<: IU-:D HULES

PAOE

II. PUTTING DlSCOUHSE ON PAPEl:

Spelling

SPELLING

61

(197)

Ma11u-

sc1·ipt.

.

Arrangeme nt of
Manu-

script

.

Pnrngrnphing in accordnnce with chnnge of topic
'!'h e prin ciple (198)
.
. (l )
Paragraphing where there 1s no chnnge of topic 99
Parag rnph unity
Th e principle (200)
The prncticnl rule (201)
Pnrn"rnphing for emph asis (~02)
Pnrngrnphing- for en~o in rc:'H~ rng
Too i11frcqu c 11t p:irngTaplnng
Th o principle (203)
l'racli cnl 1'11 les
Entlro 11eglcct of parngraphlng (2 04)
l'arngrnph s l.oo lo!rg (20o)
Ton frcqnc·nt pnrngrnphrng
The principle ( :~OG)

LEGTnlLITY

73

Crowding
Space between lines (165). Space between words (166)
Extra space after p eriods, SPmicol o ns. e tc. (167)
Crowding marks of punctuatio n (168)
Crowdiug nt the bottom of a pnge (169)
Gaps between lette rs (170). Obliqu e position of and (171)
Dots and cro ss-strokes
N eglect (172). Placing at random (173)
Ornamenta l crnss-strokes (174)
Shape of quotation mar·k s and apo s trophes ( 17o)
Shape of Homan numbers (176). Conspicuous ornament (177)

Arrangement of

Clen nrnl I'll le (I !l2). !Jialog11 0 (1 !)3)
t:lpcclu l 111 cchu1Jical 1llrectlo1JS
Ind e ntion nfter a quotntlon (194)
IIHl entlon r1fte r he said (l9GJ .
Grouping of related parts
Th e principle (196)
t
Th e prac tical rule: Improper pnrngrnpblng of mlnu e parts

PAOq

Doubling final consonants
General rule (149). Application to verbs (150)
Dropping finn l e
General rule (151). .Application to verbs (152)
Cmtraueous, noticeable, and auulogous derivatives (153)
Finni y changed to i
Nouns (154). Verhs (155)
Final ·ie chnnged toy (156)
Plurnl s ending in s nnd e8 (157)
Present third singu lars ending ins and es (158)
R ec.ei?Je, believe, etc. (lo9)
.P1'inci7wl nn<l vr·inciple (160)
Oh and 0 (lGl)
A list of words that aro often rnlsspellc<l (162)
Incorrect uniting of sepnrnte wonllf (1H3)
Incorrect division of single words (164)

Legibility

xv

l'raclknl r11le R

.

,_,

S hort eo mposit.ions not pnrngrnphctl t20 ')
Gen eral caution (208)
Writing ver so
.
.
•
.
L eft- o ver pnrts or li~l CS (~09)
Gro upin g of words rnto hncs (210)
Se tting quotccl verse apa rt o n the pnge (211)
Ext.e nd er! quotation s of prose; se t apnrt (212)
'l'nbulat.rrl li s ts .
lii<l enti o n (21 a)
'l'abulntc1l rnatter to be set apnrt on the page (214)

85
87
87

ARRANGEMENT OF llrANUSCltlPT

The m a nu script as whole (178)
Unr11 le1! paper. Hinck Ink
Only on e sid e of paper to he used
Manuscript not to he rolled
Pages •
.
•
.
Page-numbers (l 79)
Title
Po~itlon (180). Space below (180)
Margin
. At tbe top (181), At the left side (182)
Paragraphs .
.
•
M echanical marks
Indention
Of ordinary rnrag rnph s (183)
Of nurnbere< p:u-ngrnphs (184)
lrrPgnlnr Ind e ntion 085)
I nrll'ntlon in th e 111i1i s t of a pnrngmph (186)
In correct spacing-out of n 1!1Jc (187)
Division of a corn pos ition Into pnr:rgrnphs
l'arng'l'nphing ns an nid to clcarnnss
Th ~ f111 1d :1111 C' n l al p r i11 c ip l1· 1,,188)
Separation o f di stin c t parts
General rnle (18!})
Parngrnphs of in trodu ction nnd conclusion (190)
Pnmgrnphs of transition (191)
Direct quotations

ALTF.l l ATI O NR lN ~I AN USC IUl'T

77

Jnsrrtinn (2 1 1)).

88 Alt.era-

l ' rnsi11·e (216) .

C ha11 g-rH In p11r11gTaphi11~
N c w 1>:11·ai:raph (2 lfl)

.

tions in

Tran s po sition (217)

l\Ia 1111-

,

seript

Canceling n parngrnpll dr visron (219)

77

PUNCTUATION'

•

Th e peri od •
.
.
•
.
. , ·.
•
• )
Close of a sentence (220 a), Abbrevrntrons (220 b
Th eDirect
co mma·
· a) ·
·
· et!c
· · mem·b ers• (22'1 dl ·
n1ldress· (221
Pnrenth
Appos iti,-es (221 b)
G e?gr!lpbrcal nam es (22 L c )
Absolute phrnses (221 c).
9o~> rd 1nate clau ses (22lfJ
D e pe nd e nt clau ses preceding prrncrpal clause s (221 fl)
D is tin ct pau ses (221 h)
•
To prevent mi s tak en junction (221 ~)
Jl etwrPn ndjcdiv es (222)
l\C"forf\ thn (,0 11j11n ct.i o n inn snrf r• (22:J)
Jtc• lrlc·t.lve 111111 non -re • lrictivo c li111 se• (224)
With l11t r ri•' c tion s (22o)
llc f'orn direc t quotations (226)

78

18
•I

90 Punctua90 tion
90

lT1111 cc c ~s ~arv n ~ n
111 g1 :1H·ra ! ~ ;!;..! ·; )

1l<'f'oro a s<'rir• (228)
Before a that o r how cla use (229)
Th e " commn fault" (230)
Th e semicolon
•
.
.
•
.
.
Betwce u clauses of n compound sentence

95

XVI

Punctuation

SYNOPSIS OF NU.MllERED HULES

SYNOPSIS O.F NUMBEIUm IWLES
PAOlt
When no connectives nro used (231 a)
With tho ndverbs then, therefot·e, etc. (231 b)
With and, but, etc., In certnfn cnses (231 c)
In a simple or complex sentence
Between Involved members that nre coordinate (231 d)
Used Instead of a comrnn, to prevent obscurity (231 e)
Incorrect use In place of a comma (232)
The colon (233) •
,
•
•
•
•
•
98
The question mark
•
•
•
.
.
.
98
Alter a direct, not nn Indirect question (234)
Use nnd misuse with pnrentheses (235)
The dnsh
•
•
.
•
•
•
.
.
•
98
Interruptions (236 a). With a comma (236 b)
With pnrentbetic mntter (236 c)
Before a RUmmnrizing word (236 d)
Before nn expression hnvlng the effect of an aftertho111'ht (236 e)
Before a sente11ce-member set apart on the page (23G f)
Indlscrimlnnte use In pince of commas, periods, etc. (237)
Parenthesis marks
.
.
.
.
.
100
Relative position of other marks (238)
Misuse of comrnns in addition to pnrenthesls marks (23!))
Misuse offnrenth esis mnrks with matter not parenthetic
Genera rule (240)
Incorrect u se for em phasis (240 a)
Incorrect use with a word disc ussed (240 7J)
Incorrect use with a llternry title (24001
Incorrect use with letters and symbols (240 d)
Incorrect use for canceling (240e)
Brnckets (241) •
•
•
•
•
101
Quotation r11arks .
•
101
Use with 'fllotntlons
lllrect, not Indirect quotations (242)
Incorrect 01t1lsslon (243)
Incorrect use In the midst of a quotation (244)
Relative position of a question or exclamation mark
The qu estion or exclamation mnrk first ( 245 a)
The quotation mark first (245 b)
No comma or pel'lod In addition (245 c)
Quotations within quotations (246)
Quotations of several paragraphs (247)
Use with technical t erms (248)
Omission in the case of familiar technical terms (248, note)
Use for apology with slang and nicknames
General rule (249)
Errors
Good English mistaken for slang (24!)a)
.
Inappl'opl'!ntc npology In n humorous con text (24!) b)
SnndryNicknam
misu seses that nro virtually propel' nam es (249 c)
With the title at the head of a composition (2GO a)
With prop er nn1JJe s (2GO b)
With proverblnl phrases (250 c)
With words coined extern pore (250 d)
For emphasis (2f>O e)
For labeling humor (200/)
Without any reason (250 g)
The apostrophe •
•
•
•·
, toll
Possess! ve case
General rule (251)
Nouns ending Ins (252)
Misuse with the adjectives iU!, yours, etc. (253)
Use and misuse with contractions (254)
Use and misuse In forming plurals (255)

XVll
PAGE

Tlrn hvph cn
·
·
With co rn pound words t b h hened (256)
Word s thnt should no e YP
To-day, to-.mo1"row, etc. (2~?') of the hyphen (258)
In word-b l'eak lng; correct ~os1 wn
•
.
•
Mi scellnn eous rule s of punctuation •
•
.
259
Pun ctnntion with snch as (
)
that is and i .e. (260)
P1111d11ntion wlt.h na.mel'!/, viz., e.(lJ
'

,

107

Punctuation

• 101

Quol.ati<lll8 with Raid 1t.~.1t1l.<'l'j1oluto
Said he excluded (2(,1 a)

"d ~ (261 b)
M.a;·ks after the words prncc<llng sai ie
Mal'k s after said he
Whe n to use a period (261 c)
When to use a semicolon (261 d)
Corn ma in nil other cases (261 e)
Capltnllzlng
. .
f
Said he not cap1tahzed (261 ) .
"d he (
1 g)
26
WhC'n to capitalize the part followini;- Bf~ ( 26 ?)
Marks not to be placed at th e bcglllulllg ot a 111c
,.
8YLLAIHCATION

•

'

•

•

:

•

•

•

a)

Divi Rion in accordance with pronunmat10n (263
l'l'e nx cs (263 b ). Suffi xes (263 c)
Donbl ecl conso nants (263 d)
Th o cllgTnph8 th, 11(7, ch, sh, etcl. <7r(i~k I)
}' Innl l e not to bo set npnrt by tse
J\·lo11o s.y ltnbl es (264)
t t b sot npnrt. (2(Jfi)
A Hyllablo of one lct.ter no o ob .
Id d (26())
Too frequent word-breaking to e nvo e
A JIBltfl:VfATtONR

Jn elegaut In gcnernl (267)
In certain connections
(268)
A Llirevlntlons that are proper on 1Y
.
Ahbrevlntlon of the titles of persons (269)
T1rn RF.PRESENTATION OF NuMDEns
•
•
Dates, folios etc., and house numbers (270)
Sums
_mon$ey110 t t o b e u sed for sums less
Theofsign
( thnn
1 b)n dollar (271 a)
The
exl?ressi
on"
.OOd"
notts~
~~eu:i°!n
i~nd
figures (271 c)
A sum ID do 1lnrs an cen
"'

. 113 Representation of
Numbers

W

A sum in even d ollar~ orfa sum
c~ii~ures
for all (271 d)
Such sums occurrrng requen y
"'
Isolated mention of such a sum
A sum In cents to be spell ed out (271 e)
A sum 111 eve n dollr,rs
d to be spelled out
A number expressed In ono or two wor s
271

A <11 umber
f) requ 1r Ing rnore than two words -- figures (271 /)
Other 1111111 Lel'S
fl
(272 a)
Numb ers occurring fr eq ue nt1y- gures
Numbers Isolated or fr~111
two woi l1" to be s pell ed out (272 b)
Numh~rs requmug
expre~sel more
onetb~~
es (2 72 b)
Numbers
• t\\o words( fit;ui
)
Ages nnd houl's of the day to be spelled o n t 2 73
Parentbetic repetition of numbe_r~
Im ro JCr in literary compos1tions (274)
)
Pofit1Jn of the parenthesis when it Is used (274

1

CAPITALS

•

Proper names
General rule (275)

116 Capitals

'!

!
'
i.

'

i

xviii
Capitals

SYNOPSIS OF NUMBERED RULES

~filllOS

Of

lllOllth s

:N1u110/'4 of MCILHOllR

Italics

RIH] o( cJa_VR of lhf' \\'(•c•k (27i>)
OX('.C!fll.t~d (270 rt)

SYNOPSIS OF NUMBERED RULES

Representation of Italics fn rnan~scri;t (2~4)
Titles of literary and artistic productions
General rule (285)
Tltl es beginning with tlie
Incorrect omiss ion or exclusion of tlte (28G)
Tlie C<;>rrectly flxclu<led from titles o f pm·indicnls (287)
Names ofs_l11ps (2~8)" \~'ords discuss<' d (:-!8!)) . Foroii.: 11 words ( 2!>0)
Uso ancl 1111susc ol 1tal1cs Jor c111plrnsis (2!1 l)
Improp er n•o for labeling hu11101· or I rony (2fl2)

• 118

Ill. ANALYTICAL OITTLINES

121
121

NUMDER! NG AND ArtrtANGEMENT OF TITLES
Correct method (294)
Irregular nligurn en t of titles (295)
T11E TITLES Introduction, Oo11cl1ision, nnd Body
Misuse of I_nfrod?I-ction and OonclttRion (29G)
B ody or Di8c1tssw1~ not to be used (297)
Ov1rn-M1NUTE sun1>1v1RroN (298) .

~r Discussion

CERTAIN ILLOGICAi, l'RA OT ICES
Part of a title written like n subtitle (299)
.
.
•
S econd or third subtitle written ns if it w e1·e the Jirs t (300)
A coordinate title written liken subtit le (301)
A subtitle written liken coiirdlnnto title (302)
Main title written as If It were the first subtitle (303)

. 122

123

IV. LETTER-WRITING

Letters in
the first
person

PA.OF.
Tnr·orr,.•·f 011d"'ln11 of Sl·1 ·rrl. (:IO!l)

.Not·tlt, ~out//., otc. (27G b)
Titles of porso nR (27G)
Common -noun cle 111 cnts of proper nnmes (277)
Wonls of rnco or langung-o (278)
Words fn lltcrary titles (27U)
lle1<l nnfng of n so ntonco or 'luotutlon (280)
A q11ot11tlo11 thnt ls not n ROUtn ncc (280)
Ileglnnlng of llnes of poetry (281)
Misuses
Use after a semicolon (282)
Use without good r eason (283)
ITALI CS

Analytical FORM OF TITLES (293)
Outlines

XlX

l'AOP:

ORDINARY LETTERS (In th e first person) 126
Th e b ending
.
Definition (304)
126
The add r ess to precede the dnte (304)
The address
lu &ulli cieut adclrnss (305)
Street direction to precerlo nnmo of clt.y (30H)
Hon se 111unhcrs
To he writt.u11 i11 ,\mi.Jc figures (:107 I
Not to h~ precerlerl hy t.li o sig n #· etc. (307)
N11111hcrs
(308) ol stroots: those less t!Jau uno humlred to be si1ollerl out

The 1lalu
•
Nn11w, 110!. nnmhrr. of tho 1n o 11t.h (.110)
Co111pJ,,to 1111111bnr of the year (:.1.10)
N11111h1•rA 1101. to be spe ll ed out (,Ill)
'j'.,mi11111L1011H 'Iii.I, •I, 1·J. , "11il th 11ot to he us ed (312)
.A hhrovlr1!.1011R not. f.o be u•crl (313)
l'oHl!.1011 of tlin ontirn hcndlng
Orn11pl11g of tho hc1u1!11g Into lln cs (314)
Position In tho letter
Correct po sition (31G)
Separation or repetition of members (316)
The salutation
.
In busin ess le tters
Correct forms (317). Misuse of .Afessrs. (318)
In letters of friendship
Correct forms (319)
"Dear fri end,"" Friend John," etc. (320)
Inr.nrrrd u so of n nnnw In plnce of the snlutnt10n (321)
AL.L.reviati ons 11 0L to Lie used (322)
l'1111<"111 ntin11 132:1) . P os iti on (32'1)
'Th o cor11plirn<·nf:1ry ('In .<: ('

.

Jn h11si11t· ~:-; li ·! li'r." (a:..!O)
I n l1·t!l'r" p f fr h, 111!:-liip (:_~~H )
Y uknr (' ] 1! :-; 1·:-> (:t:!-;)
]'o~ lti1111 nnd p1111ct.11nt.ion (!12R)
}' o~ ltlon of prf' t't•diru:r word~ C:-J2H)

Tho i1 "ido address
.
.
.
.
Esse 11tlnl to 11 complete letter (330} .
0111lssln11 of st.reet direction s pern11 ss1hl e (33~)
In correct use of n nnme without n11 ;idrlress .t.1.12)
Improper omission of the nrlrlressee s title (333)
A bbrcvintions not to be used (333)
Position
.
In co mm ercinl letters: nt th e beginning (33'1)
In other letters: at the end (33'1)
Ll ternry Rty le
.
.
.
•
;
Certa in v11lgari•n1R common In letters
b
E!Hplolfq (: t :u;,11., , "Y1111rR." "voor .~nv.o;" (:130 )
"Yours n :l.:cin.:d , "

11

yutlr.:-i at lia11d

Letters In
tho first

person

• 129

• mo

•

rl!

• 183

(3 .tOc )

"l n repl)' "w ou ld sny" (33(; <l)
" I woulil sn r" or ,., will sny" or "can say" (335 e)
"Snme" (33G fJ . " l'l en.c" (335 O)
"Please flnrl e ncl osed" (33G h)
"($JO) ten dollars" (33(; i)
A bbrevintlon of tbe nnm e of n city (335j)
Partlcfpinl closes nnd "and oblige'' (33G k)
The use of the pronoun I
Permissible at the beginning of n letter (336)
Monotonous use (337)
M ethod of avoiding this fault (337)

'i

,.

FORMAL NOTES TN TH E THIRD PERSON •
.
.
·
•
•
• 185
No bending, •nlutntion, comvli111e11tury close, in si d e nddress, or sigua·
t11re 1338)
Co11sisle11t 11 se of the third pcrso11 (338)
Abbrcl'intlonR not to be used (338)
Nu111b erA to loo Apellerl o ut (:J:J8)
BuNnnv MF: OllAl'I OAL l>11tF.CTIONS
Wrltl11ir 111nl t•r lal R
Ink (339), l'nper (3'10)

,

LBT

F ormal
nntcs in

the third
pc !'SOil

r
xx
Sundry
meclmulca l directions

SYNOPSIS OF TILE l~XERCJSgs
F orm o f pnpcr (340)
l•'our-p1Lgo ahceta. l<'lnt •hentR
Quality uf /"'f>Cr (340)
No rul ng. 'l'extm·e anti co lor
Arrnug0me11 t of matter on png"" (341)
Margin at top. Margin at left
I~ cgili ilily . I'arngrnvl1i11g
The order in which to u se the pages
Flat sheets (342 ). .!Toul'-page s l1eets (343)
Folcli11g anti Cllcluoing
Four-page sheets (344)

SYNOPSIS OF THE EXEIWISEt:l
L. Chnngo of 11 lo i

S!Jellings

8hcctR of fil l! cu 11ll11 crcial ,,izo (:l4H)

The

Tnx

In city,

L V. " F inaly" nn<l nnnlogou s mrn-

Tho J'unuumeutal vrinciplo underlying Rules 344-346 (347)

envelope

ll S

ciU1J8
,
I
· 111
L L Clrnn~e uf !I lo • ns n ' ' . •
1'1'li(~/'4
l"
Lil. CJ hnnge of ie to Y ns In .ie ,
hJiny
d
LI II. Plurals ending in 8 an es
LIV. Prc scnl llii['(l singulars end ing in s 1Lnd es
.

Small-sized sheets (345)

ENvF.r.()rF.

141

"

.

L VI. "Accidently," oc?as10n 1y,
n1111 n11:d11g!111~ rni~<.:.pcll11 1 ?::-1
L VI[, Th e c ndin ~s le nm~ el
LYI!f. Tir o ndj<'cllvo "'." lrng.fnl
LT X . Thi~ n1l}·d h ·1· i·11<l i11g 1)1(8

,,

·i
'I

LXlX . .Accc-Jil iu1 u e,;;cept

i

I' l'

i ('.t~

191 J'u nctuaTlw

""-"11n11ci

f.11dl ._,

nnd tlir c1111fn11n.dini: <ii .suli~1Jdl­

DETAILED SYNOPSIS OF TILE EXERCfSES
173

EXERCISES CHIE F L Y IN GRAMMA R

Grammar

T, II. Lay nnrl lie
l I l, l V. Raise aud 1'ise
V - VIJ. Sttnndsit
VIII. L11y, lie, 1·aiAe., riRe, .~e t,
nnd Rit
IX. T>on~ n11cl srrn
X. W1'ofr, 1·n.ve, 1·orfe, d1·01·e

XI. Nun 111l."'nscd fo1· 1·an
XI I. B c(la11,

sa n(J,
ranv, d.·r a n k, ran

8pran(J,

XI I I . Rrolce, f1·oze, tore
XIV. 11"11010 , tlwow, blow
XV. Went for (lone
XVI, XVII. "Had ought"

X\-111. "Youw~ ·'"
XIX. A!!rec rn e1Jf. of n·rb s \\'iLh
s nlijccts
XX. C ortcorll of Nf('ll . ('l'1 ' J'.'f, etc.
XXl.XXll.

ever

.

r:irf' or l :11llfl!l\g~

.

tion

,

LXXIX. Gellcral exercise lll .sJ!C~­
ing-, rrnn .... t nnti ng- , ('tlpit~hztno,
italic izi ng, and Jlarngrnphwg

!i
I

Who11r11 ho1!1

f/S

XX I \T, General cxcr·cl se In cl c ter1nlni11g cn~c- fonn s

XX V. Adj<'ctivos
mi s nscd
1ulvm·bs
XXVL Mis usoo f Nke
XXVII. Sltall-n.nd will

for

180

XXXVII. Prnctice in s ecuriug
variety of snbord inntio u
XXX VIII. Th e so habit
XXXIX. Paralleli sm
XL. Organizatio n of long sente nces
hy m eans of parallelism
XL!. False paralleli sm
XLIT. L ogical agree rn ent
X LUI. Double negative
XLIV. In correct n egation with
hardly, only, e tc.

EXER CISES Cll!EFLY IN SPELLING

XLV, XL VI. Doubling final consonants
XL VII. Dropping finale. D erivatives other than verb-forms

Jl:tt0 elc11!('ll ! " \ \" lt.h ~cn 1 t'll<'C'~

L:\ \_ \-. I~ l'c:t ri(·tiq~ nnrl 11(\TJ-Jf'. slrictive cl au ses
LXXVT. !lli'1ise of com mas bl'fore
so , then, etc .

LXX\"11.
fiencra l exercise in
p1111rt nation
<Jf
L.\ .\. \" 111. (' 1q,jfnli1,i11g \\"Orde

X. . .X. / [[. 1, r ono11 11 ~ nf!P r titan nn<l

E XER CISE CHIE F LY IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

XXVIII. R eference of pronouns
XXIX. Dangling participles
XXX . Dangling gerund phrases
XXXI. Dangling elliptica l clauses
XXXII. Order of sente nce-memb ers
XXX I I I. P ositio n of only, almo8t,
XX XIV. Split Infinitives
XXXV. Correlatives
XXXVI. False coordination

Spelling

]

'I

LX X. Affect and ejfe~ t .
J,XX! , LXX II. I'1"111c•1p11l nrnl
princ·i11le
.
.
LX XI I I. Advise, adv·1ce, demBe,
d

I·

Spelling

Punctnntl on (.149)
LXX I \'.

structure

L X . Th o n<lv c rh f'l' c flx al
Ju\. I. lt cc:cil;e,. {;f/1e1 ; ~ , t•lc • .
LX I l.
/Jis11ppNU' n111l d1'11j1 71oi II t
·
t
LX l l I. P1·ojessor,profession, e c.
LX 1 y . J'l'eccde, proceed, etc.
LX V. BusineBB
LXYT. .l ose anrl l oo.<c
LX \"II. Lead u11d ltd
LXVII I. To. too, t wo

Th0 R11pcrscripti0n

Sundry direction• (~48).
Affixing the stamp (350)

Sentence

-. :

XX I.
PAGE

l'AOE

Flat ohccts

r

i1

XL VIII.
in(!

187

Dropping fin al e before

XLIX. Coura(leous, noticeable,
and analogous derivatives

,,

11

I'

IIANDBOOIC OF COlVlPOSITION
I. THE COMPOSITION OF DISCOURSE
The Standard of Good Usage

1. English discourse employing worrls generally approved by G_<?~d nsagc, and Clllployi11g them in t11e senses
nnd in the grnmmatical functions an<l combinations generally U)l]Jl'O\'CU liy g~_<:>.:l_ usafil, is calkJ gooJ Euglish.
English disconrse employing words llot~rncrnlly npprovcrl
by gf!~1-~!~~t,g£i_ or employing worJs in senses and in grarnm~ttical fuJJctiuns :wJ combinaLiuns nut gcncr:11ly rtpJiroYcd
by go()U__ll§_agel. is called U<Ld Englis~. Hy 11oorJ_JfJHJ.W~ is Good
11s1tqf',
meant the 11c:::1gc .L'.Cll('r:tlly ohscrvc1l i11 the writings of the tleiiacd
b est English anthors an<l iu the speech of well-educated
pc1•plc.
2. Heganling questions of guocl or Lad E nglish, there
arc scn:ral curnmu11 crrc•rs :
(a) 'l'hc snppositi nn thnt an expression rnrrent in
~~~~~~-:--=--.-~-......-1-.....-_...,.:~~r-T".'.'"--r-:-----~
CU!lllll(_)ll ('Oll\'Cl'S:di1111 JS t!1c·rPhy 111·111cd to
lie g1101l
-~J igl_i_sh.
If c111Tcrn~y in co111111011 CIJ H\'l'rsation were a
valid test, s111:h exprcs:o:ions as ~i 11 't, '' 11 I says," "ti~
fellows," "he laid down," "you hadn't ought," and"
\Vr.nt" wo11lrl he gnor . '1 11g rn 1.
---Zb) The supposition that tl1c nsagc of a number of
well-edncated persons with whom one is acquainted
proves whether or not an expression is good English.
It sho1tl1l be rc111c111bcrccl tl1 at (as the fnrcgning rlefinition of good usage implies) the true standard is the
1

lliiRtaken
standards:
{jolloqnial
llSHge

Limited

usage

i

II
;i

. -.

2

THE ST AND ARD O:F GOOD USAGE

. usage in which the niqjorily of wcll-cdncatc'l people,
iuclu<ling the writers of u11<lis1mted literary merit, agree j
not the usage of a relatively small number of well-educated
persons. Some well-educated people say "he !lon't" a 1ul
"proven" j but these expressions arc none the less hail
English, for the majority .of wcll-c<lucatc<l people, iucluJing the writers of good literature, reject them.
(c) 'l'he supposition that an expression current in the
Newspaper usage newspapers is thereby proved to be good English.
Onr
newspapers a re almost universally characterized by
provincial and vulgar diction. (There are a few honorable exceptions.) An expression like "Rev. Clifford has
proven himself a hustler" is no more j nstifi ed by the
wi<le currency of s imilar expressions in the newspapers
than "has went" is justified by wide currency iu conversation. General 11ewspaper usage has nothing whatever
to do with good English usage. (Of. Rule 16 and the
note to Rule 129.)
The usage
( d) The supposition that the employment of an
of recent
expression
by r ecent writers of popular fiction proves
fiction
that the expression is good English. A writer does not,
merely by l >< ~ i ng popular, take rank nn1ong- the l1cst
Engli sh authors j s 11ch rank can be taken only upon the
general judg ment of scholars aml cri tics, as well as of
the readi11g public, an<l only after that jmlg ment has
endured a sufficient length of time to become es tabli shed.
The student will <lo well to rely for indications of what
is good usage, not on recent writers, about whose literary
rank he may make mistakes, but on authors of whose high
rank he is sure, - such authors as Addison ' Irvin 0'
O' Bmke ,
Macaulay, De Quincey, Mill, Matthew Arnold, Ruski11,
Emerson, Holmes, Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot,
Hawthorne, Poe, Stevenson. But, in consulting even
such authors as these, he should b eware of another com·
mon error regarding good usage; viz.,-

3

DICTION

( e) _Tho _s11 1position that a single instance of the use
of a word by one o
1c es ' ng ts i aut 10rs proves the
~<J. to be goo<l Eng lish. A wor<l must be shown tobe
in general 118e a11;011g snch authors, in onler to be proved
good Engli8h. 'l'lic wor<l "vim" can be found in the
works of Stevenson, but it is nevertheless bad English.

Isolated
Instan ces
not deeisive

3. From the foregoing considerations it follows that Mea ns of
l earnin g
in order to know by direct evidence what is good and good usage
what is ba<l English, one must have a wide acquaintance
with English literature and a wide - in fact, an international - acqua in tance with people of the best education.
Lacking such acqnaintancc, one must look to trnstworthy
books on gra111n1ar, rhetoric, composition, an<l other
subjects in vol vi 11g discussion of good usa.gc, n nd to goo<l
dictionaries.

.

NoTE. - Regarding the use of a dictionary for determining questions of good or bad English, a mistaken idea is
often held, -viz ., the supposition that the inclusion of a
word in a dictionary proves the word to be good English.
In consulting a di ctionary for the standing of a word, one
onght to observe, 11ot merely wh eth er the word is in tbe
di nl. ion :i.ry, 11111. w llt't.l1 e r, hcdng tlwro. it. iR rna.rlw!l 01.JRO•
lute, f-;l:1.11g, Low, V11lgar, Lneal, or Colloqnial. Jf it is so
mark c!l, it iR either Lau English or English not in good literary stlt11U.i11g.

Inclusion
of a word
in a dictionary is
not
decisiv&

Diction,

Inipropri'.eties an(l Barbarisms

4. Avoid the vulgarism of using a ·word to fulfill the
office of a part of speech to which it does not belong.
(Such misuse of a word is called an impropriety.) R emember that(a) SuiciclP., suspicion, wire, an d clerk are nouns, not
verbs. (b) Days, nights, mornings, evenings, aftern oo ns,
times, an<l places, are nouns, not adverbs. (c) Plenty is a
noun, noi an adjective or an adverb (see the Glossary).

Error
regarding
parts of
speech

4

DICTION

(d) Them is a pronoun, not an adjective; to say "them
boys" is like saying "him boy." ( e) Combine, invite,
steal, and try are verbs, not nouns. (f) Canine, equine,
f eline, hmnw, military~o c ql; and~ are adjecLives,
not noti'iis. (g) Real, some, this, that (see these four words
in the Glossary), any, good, and considernble are adjectives,
not adverbs; and in modern prose friendly and cowardly are
adjectives, not ad verbs . (h) D ow n is an adverb, not a verb
(see the Glossary). (i) Per cent. is an adverb phrase, n!(lt
a noun (sec the Glossary). (j) Near by is a n adverb p hrasb,
not an adj ective (see the Glossary).

MISUSES O.F PRONOUNS

hlisuses of Pronou,ns

8. In formal composition, avoid using you indefinitely; Ind efinite
you
use, rather, the passive voice or the pronoun one.
Crude : You should not use they indefinitely.
Right : Th ey should n ot be used indefinitely; [or] One
should not use they indefinitely .

.··'\

'

9. Amid w~irrg they ind efinitely; use t he pass ive voi ce, Irnlefinite
or l'C<"a s t tli c Hc ntc ru:c otl1 c rwi sc.
th ey

5. The use of current worcls coined without authority
Unautliorized forfrom
worcls in good standing is a violation of goocl usage.
mations
Such unauthorized fornrntions are called barbarisms.
Amon g th em a re " enthtrne " (see the Gl osf'ary) , "bnrrrlor- .
~'" "jell" (fo r the verb to .ielly), "electrocute," "electrocution," "tas_ur" (for ta~ul), "l~" (for homelike), "news ~· ," "rU!,.!:sic: ia11.JJ," "cmnp l 1~ctc1 l" ("<'C lhn
Glossary), "prern ut:•LiHi '' (fur prr:vc11/1rr), '.:J.ll.y.." (for
ill), " overly (see the Glossa,ry), "cablegµm" (say t dr> gram ,cabl e tel egram, or cable m e8.0fl:JP,) ; a rnl the cnnt.rnctions "_pl!..oto," " auto, " " pQQn_e," " g:~ " " pan ts, "
"most" (for almost ), a nd "way" (for awrrf)).
· - --

--

-The standing of a word uepends, not o n the
nature of its formation, but solely on its acceptance or n onacceptance by good usage (see Rules 1 a nd 2). "Baseballist" and "cheesery" are bad English, th ough they are
formed aft~r the analogy of pian~ and c~, which are
good English.
'

Extemporized formations

6. Except as a humorous device, do not use words of
your own coining, without ascertaining from a dictionary
whether they are authorized. (See the note to Rule 3.)

NOTE.

Crn<l c : Th ey make bricks i11 Fostoria.
H.igh t: Bricks are rna,de in Fostoria.

Crn clo : Th ey had a co lli sion orr tho electri c road .
Hight: There was a cul li sio11 ; [or] A collisi() tJ oc:c11 rred.
Crude: Th ey dorr ' t h :L1·e rl'd-lJirLls in \Y iscon sin , cl o
t hey?
Tii ,c: ht: Tl1rrr rirr nn rrrl -hir1l s in \Yh r' n n~in , rnr tltn" "
[ o r] n oel-birds arc not fo1111r l in \\ri s<'o nsin, are I hey ?

10. Excc: pt in impc:rso nal ex pressio ns, s nch ns it fftins , Jrnl cfir1ite
it
it semns, it is cold, d o not use it without a 11 teccclc11 t ; rcc:r.st t·llC' sc11tr111·r.

--

Analogy
not
decisive

C rncl c : Jn the n otice on the bull etin board it says the

)
I

Contrctct ions
Inappropriate in
formal
composition

7. The

contractions~

5

drill is helcl at four.
Ri ght : The notice on th e bulletin b oard says t he drill
is l1chl at fllnr .
Crurl c : Tn fiarlan<l's ,1111onrr thr> Corn Rows it gi\'cs a
d rsc riptinn of life nt11 <>t1g t he farm e rs.
Right: Garland's Among the Co rn R ows gives a description, etc.; [ or] Jn Garl and' s Among th e Co rn
R ows there is a desc ription, etc.
Crnclc: Docs it say "Fn ir Oak s " on tk 1t car?
Hight: Is tlrnt car marked "Fair Oaks" ?

11. The use of a d emonstrative adj ec tive (especially lllclefinite
and
that or th osr,) that seems t o anticipate a rcln.tivc cla nse that
those
but is n ot cohlpletetl by su ch a clause is a colloquiali sm
uot proµcr in formal com position.

isn't; haven'i, etc., are not

appropriate in formal composition. They h.re proper in
conversation and in composition of a colloquial style.

\

I

6

DICTION
Wrong : I observed that the building was one of those
rambling old mansions.
Right: I obse rved that the building was a rambling old
mansion; [ or] ... one of those r a mbling old mansi ons
that one often sees in New England towns.

Misuse of

intensives

12. D o not u se the intensive pronouns rnyse(!; ldnise f:f,
yourself, etc., unless emphas is is n ecessary; u se the si mple
personal pronouns I, he, you, et c.
·wrong: My wife a ncl myself will go.
Right : My wife and I will go .
Wrong : This is for you a nd m yself.
Right: This is for you and me.

"Yoursdf and

guests"

13. Es pecially avoid exp ress ion s lik e "yoursf'lf a1Hl
gncs ts," "myself antl urut li c r. " Say " .)" Ul l a11d yuur
gues ts," " my brother an<l I."

Rhetorical Ornament
Trit eness
Overworked

for mulas

14. Avoid. such trite rhetorical expressions as the following:
favor with a selection
rend er a vocal solo
re rnl i ti rm
di scourse sweet nrnf'i c
r epast
do justice to a dinn er
songht his dow ny conch
wended their W<ty
enjoyable
in a pleasing manner
untiring effurts
all in all
some one has said
specimen of humanity
had the pri vilege
r epl ete with interest
tho.s e present

in evide nc e
last but not least
ahrrn.st. nf th e 1i111 r.~
wns th e rec ip ie nl. o f
rve rvthin!C wrnl. alo1w
nir·plv
0

•
the ~tude;;t body
rloonH'rl tn disn.pp0in t11 wn t
was an i1 u pn:ss i rn sigli t,
marle a pretty pictm·e
completed th e sce ne
n est.Jell a1t1ung the hills ur
among the trees
like sentinels guarding
all nature seemed
all nature clothed in a robe
each nnd every
on this particular day

HllETOlUCAL ORNAMENT
long-felt want
it seems ( in narrath·e)
fair maidens
al ong - - lin es ( e. (1., along
agricul turnl lines)
alo11g th e lin e of
along these lin es
as luck would have it

7

the proud possessor
in t ou ch with
social fun ction
.
waited in breathl ess suspense
order out of chaos
t hose wi th whom we come
in contact
imbued with

Non~. - Literary ornament is good when it is attractive Litera ry
arn.l apprnJJriate. nut the writer who uses such expressions ornament
as those in th e forego ing li st or those m enti oned in Rule 15
uses ornament that is displ easiug ; and th e writer who Jrags
such expressions in to a matter-of- fact c0ntrx1·, where any
o rirn.m P. nt is incongruous, commits a double offense against
g"<ld ta.sf.(\

15. A void hackn cyctl qu otations, Ii tcrnry allusions, Hack neyed
fj lllli :l a nd prnnTbs, s 1wh ;rn t. lt c following:
tin :,, alln11

M<'lh"rl in lii s 111:HlJ1 ('.SS '
1\-!011;1rd 1 n f Hll I ,.:11rvPy
R :1 d<lt •J' lillt \ Yi SP J'

s io n s, n111l
pr o \· e rbs

Cupid has been busy
Variety is the spice of life
T11 e h cc;l lai t1 l 'la1Js of rni cc an<l mr n, etc.
All work and. 110 play, etc.
Never p ut. off ti ll Ln-1 1J orrow , Ptc.
l\ l:i.kc h:iy IYl1 i le tl1t ~ fill ll s liilll'S
,\II is nn t gnl d. cir'.
\V!Jp11 i .~~ nnrnn rr is hlisl" , f'f.<' .
l\ l 11s ic l1 :tt.lt chanm:, "I.e.

16. O l1 vio11 s effor t tn dccnratc one's style with str iking plirnscolo.i.:;y is a lt n.clrneycd ne ws paper m a 1111 c ri s m
(cf. Huie 2 c). 'l'li is effort appears particularly in the
following objectiouaule practices :
(a) The tediou sly h abitua l designation of States a nd
cities by th eir ni cknames ( e.rf. , "the Bn ck eye State,"" the
Snnflnwrr ~t.atr," "the Gophf'f St:itr," "th e Cream
City,'' e t c.). This practice becomes esp ecia lly obj ection-

i
II

".!'
NPWS ]':tj>i · r

lll:L1111rris111 s ;

,I

Nickn am es o f

Stntcs and
citi!'S
I '

I.

i•

I

DICTION

RHETORICAL ORNAMENT

able when the nickname is obtru<lcd, as it often is, at a
place where no name at all is nec<led; e.g.,

Affectation

8

Vulgar: He arrived in Boston yesterday. Many citizens of the Ilub were gathcrcu to meet hi111.
Right: He arrived in Bosto n yesterday. Many citizens
were gathered to meet him.
Current
11ews-

paper
rhetoric

Straining
for novelty of
phrase

Genuine
and counterfeit
humor

(b) The regular employment of miscellan eous cnrrent
verbal orna ments, such as "fat al affray, " "fo'\tic encounter, " "struggling mass of humanity, " "scantily
attireu," " knights of the pen" (for reporters), " the
officiating clergyman," "tie<l the knot," " pachyderm "
(for elephant), "equines" (for horses), "canines " (for
dogs), "felines'' (for cats), etc.
(c) Obtrusive straining for novelty of phrase.
Vulgar : The football warriors of the Ha.dger State
pla.y the \Vi11uy City's squad of pigski;1-chasers
afternoon .
H.ight: The "Wisconsin football team will play
Chicago tea.m this afternoon .
Vulgar : The gnests spent the even in g in doing
"I igh t fan tasl.ic" a,ct.
Right: The guests spent the evening in dancing.

will
tltis

17.

9

Do not use high-flown language for plain things.

llad: To keep the horse healthy you must be careful of
his environment.
Right: To keep the horse healthy you must be careful
~f his stable.

1-Iigh-

flown

language

N OTB . - ~howy la.n gna.ge, like showy dress, is in bad Plain
Euglish
taste. Th e essence of ar tistic lan guage, as of everything
a rtistic, is not almncl:wt orn an 1c n t h u t :t.l'prnpri:ttc11Pss.
Straining for high-soundin g expressions to r eplace plain
English nrnkPs a style weak an rl crude. Call a Jpg a, leg,
not a limb; ca,11 a, book a bonk, not a,n effor t ; ca,11 a letter
a lett.1 . r, not a kin<l favor; ca,11 socks socks, not hose ; call
a house :t house, not a resi dence; say "I went to bed ," not
" I retired" ; " I got up," not " I arose."

18. In prose avui11 the use of wonls s11i tell only to dicti
Poetic
on
p oetry, snch as dwelt, oft, oftentimes, ofttimes, morn,

tl1e

amhl, 'micl, 'midst, o'er, 'n eath, 't is, 'tu:as.

the

19 . The present tense, when it is nsed in relating The hi storil';\ 1
past eveHts, is calle<l the historical present. The hi s- prcscn t
torical present, like other intense aml 1111nsual figures of
speech, is proper only in an abnmlantly emotion al style,
in which highly figurative language seems spontaneous.
In a plain, straightforward narrative, containing little
that is imaginative, the introclu ction of the hist orical
present is in congruous; it produces the effect either of a
bald artifice or of a crude affectation.

NOTE. -The jocular purpose with which the above-mention ed mannerisms are often practiced furni shes no justification of them. Hackn eyed and tawdry English, wl;atever
its purpose, is still hackneyed and tawdry. In condemning
the jocular use of these forms of expression, good taste does
not condemn humorous writing ; it condemns the crude and
obvious counterfeiting of humor. A comic account of a
football game or of an evening party is commendable if th e
humor is genuine and entertaining ; but in say in g "squad
of pigskin-ch asers" for footb all team, "did the light fantastic act" for clanced, "the Hub" for B oston, or "Indefatigabl e knigh ts of the pen dogged his steps as far as his
hostelry " for R eporters fallow ed him to his hotel, - in such
language there is only a <lull pretense of humor.

Bad : He shouted to attract h er attention, but she went
on toward the danger not hearin g his warning. Lashing his horse and riding swiftly toward h er, he
shouted again. This time she hears. She stands
still aml a,waits him. Ile lifts her to his saddle and
rides frantically toward the hut. [Throughout this
passage the past tense should be used .]

I

I'

I

I
I

10
Initials
and
blanks in

place oi

names

IUlETOJUCAL OIWAMI.:NT

DICTION

20. 'l'he custom of designating persons anJ places in
a story by initials and dashes, and of represeutiug dates
in a similar manner, is obsolete; it suggests affectation.
Naturalness and distinctness are gained by using complete names and dates.
·
Objectionable : I was sitting by the fire with my
B- at his home in S-, one evening in 18~.
Preferable: I was sitting by the fire with my
Bowman at his home in Surrey, one evening in

friend
,
friend
1803.

NoTJ!:. - In narrative composition, definiten ess, clearness,
Names for
characters and smoothness are gained by calling the characters by
in a story
name as soon as they are introduced.
Awkward: Two sisters were dining at our house. One
of them chanced to remark that the other one could
not endure strawberries. Now there was a dish of
strawberries on the sideboard.
The sister about
whom the remark had been made could see this dish,
but the other sister could not. The one who could see
it made desperate efforts with her eyebrows and her
feet to stop the other one, who, however, continued
to expatiate on her sister's odd avers ion. vVhen the
dessert was served, the chagrin of the s iste r who had
made the unfortunate disclosure was amusing to sec.
Improved: Two sisters, :Fanny and .l \rary Davis, were
dining at our house. Fanny chanced to remark th at
Mary could not endure strawberries.
Now, there
was on the sideboard a dish of strawberries, which
Mary (the strawberry-hater) could see, but which
Fanny could not see. Mary made despe rate efforts
to stop her sister, who, however, continued to expatiate on Mary's odd aversion. When the dessert was
served, the chagrin of the indiscree t :Fanny was
amusing to see.
"The
21. In mentioning yourself do not use the pretentious
writer"
and
inept expressions "we" and "the writer" ; use
and "we"
for I
plain, straightforward I, niy, and nie. The use of 11;e
in an edit9rial which purports to be the utterance of a
board of editors is entirely proper. The use of we for

,,\;
l\' '

11

designating n.n individual speaker or writer is an affecta-

i-~~~;\'~-e

i

'~ 'I
.

' I ·.

'

'

tion.
Bad:. vVe have selected for our text the second verse of
the Epistle of Jude.
Right : I have selected for my text, etc.
Bad : When quite a child we adopted the Graham
system for dyspepsia. . . . 'Ve partook of [ see the
Glossary] but one meal in twenty-four hours. • • ·
Thus we passed most of our early yearn.
Hight: '"-'hen a mere child I ad.opted the Graham
system of treatment for dyspepsm. • . . I took but
one meal in twenty-four hours. • . • Thus I passed
m ost of my early years .

\·

JJiixed Fiyures of Speech
Incon22. Do not use a simile or metaphor which is incon- gruity
gruous with the expression preceding.

with what

precedes
Jncoiwnious metaphor: The ofliccrn must enforce disciplin e among the raw material. . . .
Hight: The officers must enforce d1sc1plme among the
new men.
Incongruous metaphor: Vve got some oil for tl~e whe~l
at a farmhouse, and thus our hotbox was mpped m
the bud.
Right : At a farmhouse we got some oil for the wheel
and thus prevented a hotbox.
Incongruous metaphor :. He must conduct his business
on an honest foundation.
Right: Ile must conduct his business in an honest
manner; [ or] He must build his business on an
honest foundation.
Bad : The probe of the Fond du Lac grand jury has
netted five corrupt officials.
·
.
Jlirrht: The probe of the Fond du Lac grand Jlll'Y has
;evealed five corrupt officials ; [ or] The drag net of
the Fond du Lac grand jury has caught five corrupt
officials.

'
I

I

i
'I

I;
!

12

STRUCTUHE OF SENTENCE~
Bad: With his fortun e blown to the four winds all his
ambition was crushed.
'
Right: All h!s ambition was, like bis f~rtuu e, blown to
the four wmds ; [ or] In the ruin of his fortun e his
ambition was crushed.

Figures
23. When a simile or m eta1Jl10r has b een used, the
not carried
out
expression following it should carry out the figure should not (1) embody an incougruous figure or (2) be
incongruously literal.

Ba~: The fresl1man algebra cou rse is a r ocky and
difficult road to travel. But whe ther we like it or not
we are r equired to wade through it. [Th e fi a ure
embodied in" rocky road" is n ot carried out b/the
.figure embodied in "wade tlirough. "J
R1g~1~: The freshman course in a lgebra is a rocky a nd
ditli cult road t o travel. But whe ther we like it or not,
we are required to travel it.
Bad: Tt nrnd e a deep impreiis ion on my m!nd wli idi I
sha.11 ne ver forget. [Th e figure embod i(·d in " i 111pression " is n ot carried out by th e liteml expression
" forget."]
Right: It made a deep impression on my mind which
will never be effaced.
'

Structure of Sentences

Some Fundamental Errors
Subordinate elements
mistaken
for sentences

24. Subordinate scntence-elcmc11ts should not be capitalized and punctuated like independ ent sentences. (See
Exercise LXXIV.)
A. "\-Vrong: It offers a course for those who wish to
study painting. At the same time affordina oppor0
tunity for li terary study.
Right: It offers a course to those who wish to study
painting, at the same time affording opportunity
for litera ry study.

B. ·wrong : Among her suitors were two she favored
mos t.

One a college student, the other :i, capitalist.

SOl\lE .F UNDAMENTAL ERRORS

13

Rirrht: Among her suitors were two she favored most;
~nc a college student, the other a capitalist.
C. 'Vronrr: The care of oil lamps requires every day some
nn fi<ly and disagreea.ble la bor. While electric lights
give th e housekeeper no trouble.
HiirhL: Th e c:iro of oil larnps rc<Jnircs every d:iy some
~11tidy and di sagrceal.Jlc labor, while electric lights
give th e h ousekeeper no trouble.

25.

Do not use a w ord, phrase, or cla use without El ements
witl.JOU t
proper g rnnuuatical cons truction.
syntax
· Bad : The resonator responds in a manner analogous to
that which on e tuning fork responds to a n other.
,
Right: The resonator r esponds in a ma nner anal ogous
to tlmt in w hich one tuning fork responds to a noth er •
Ba<l: That's all I w:i11t, is a chance to test it thoroughly.
[ " rs,, has 11 0 ::;ul.Jjed.J
H.i <~ ht: Th :it's all I w:int- :i, chance to test it thoroughly
fc;pp Hnl r. 2Rli r]; [nr] All I wan t i!'l :i, chan ce to tes t
it thoroughl y.
"\-Vrorw: Th ere were so me people wh om t could n ot tell
whe~h er th ey were English or Am erican. [" 'Vhom"
h as no construction .]
Ricrht: Th ere were some peopl e about wh om I could
~ot tell wh ether they were English or American .

26. Do not begin a grammatical construction and Sentences
or SC llleave it unfini shed.
tence-eleleft
natl: The fact that I had never before studied at home, ments
UllCOffif Wafl at :i, Joss wh:i,t to do with V:LC:Lllt periods. [ T he pleted
noun "fact" with its appositive modi lier "that . .•
home " is left without any co nstruction.]
Right : The fact that I lrnd never before st udi ~d at home
mad e me fe el at a loss as to what to do with vacant
periods.
Bad: The story t ells how a young German, who, h av..;
inrr settled in Dakota, r eturns to 'Visconsin and there
m~rri es rtn old schonlm ate. [Th e clause beginning
"hnw n. ynnn g CT Prman " is ldt nnfinisheri; "Gernmn" (m odifi ed by the clause "who ••. schoolmate ") has no construction. ]

',

l;
I

14

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES
Right: The story tells how a young German, having
settled in Dakota, returns to WisC1msi11 and marries
an old schoolmate.
Wrong: Any man who could accomplish that ta8k, tlio
whole world would think he was a he ro. ["Man "
with its modifier "who . . . task," is left witho~1t
any construction.]
Right: Any man who could accomplish that task the
whole world would regard as a hero.

Sentence
as subject
or predicate complement

27. The use of a sentence (except a quoted sentence)
as the subject of fa or was is a crudity.
, Crude: I was detained by business is the reason I am
late.
Right: I was detained by business; that is the reason
I am late.

A similar fault is the use of a sentence (except a qnoted
sentence) as a predicate substantive after is or was.
This fault may be corrected by changing the sentence to
a substantive clause.
Crude: The difference between them is De Quincey is
humorons and Macaulay is grave.
Hight: The difference lrntwPcn them is that 1>e Quincey
is hnmorous and Macaulay is grave.
When or
wher·e

clause for
predicate

28. Do not u se a when or where clause in place of a
predicate noun j use a noun with modifiers.
Ilad: Intoxication is when the brain is affected by the
action of certain drugs.
Right: Intoxication is a state of the brain, caused by
the action of certain drugs.

UOUll

Agreeme11t of
subject
and verb
Intervening words

Grammatical Agreenient 1

:"-29. A verb

should agree in number with its subject.
(a) Be careful not to make a verb agree with a word
intervening between it and the subject, instead of with
the subject. (See Exercise XIX.)
1

For definitions of grammatical terms see Appendix B.

GRAMMATICAL AGREEMENT

15

I

"

Wrong: /I. new order of ideas :uul principles have been
institute11.
Right: A new order of ideas and principles has been
ins ti tu tell.

(b) Words joined to a s11Qjcct hy with, touether wWi, Numher of
the snbject
incl mli11v, as well as, or no less them, do not affect the not affected by
number of the subject.
with, etc.
·w rong: The captain, as well as the mate and the pilot,
were fri ghtened.
.
Hi ght: Th e captain, as well as the mate and the pilot,
\\'as frighten'e d.

"

(c) Two or more singular subj ects joined by or or nor Subjects

joined by
require a s ingular verb.
or or nor
\Vron g: Neither he n or she are here.
Right: Neither he nor she is here.
\Vron g : One or the other of those fellows have stolen

I

m!tt: One or the other of those fellows h as stolen it . .

30. A verb agrees with its subject, not with its predi- Incorrect

agreement
catc 1101111.
with a
predicate
vVrong: The m:tin part of this 1rnichine are the large 1101111
roll! : r~.

]light: The 111:tin part of tltis rn:ll:liin c is the large
rollers.
\Vro11g: Oak, brass, and steel is the material of the
structn re.
Hight: Oak, brass, and steel are the material of the
structure.

""- 31. ·Each, eve1·y, either, neither, some one, somebody,
any one, anybody, ei:ery one, cveryboriy, no one, nobody,
one, and a person accord with singular, not plural, verbs
and pronouns.

\' I

I~l
R ach,

every, etc.

(See Exercise XX.)

vVrong: Every one opened their window.
Right: Every one ope11cd his window.
Vfrong: Each of the suspected men were held.
Right : Each of the suspected men was held.

I

16
~~~~~~i;

STIWCTUirn OF SENTENCES

"-. 32.

In correcting violations of Rule 31 recastina0 is

often advisable.

'

Wrong : Everybody there objected and declared they
thought it barbarous.
·
Right : All the people there objected and declared they
thought it barbarous.

Matters of Case
Nomina33. The subj ect of a verb (excep t of a11 infinitive· see
tive case
Rule
35) should be in the nominative case.
'
for subject
(a)
This
rule
holds
of
the
prononn
who
when
an
exWho not
affected by ~ression like he says intervenes between the prononn and
he says,
its verb. (See Exercise XXT.)
etc.
W ro.ng : Tlic man ·whom I thought was my friend deceived me.
Right: The man who I thought was my friend deceiv ed
me.
["'Vito" is the subject of "was" · " [
thought " is a mere parenthesis.']
'
Wrong: Whom did they say won?
Right: Who tlitl they say won?
:,{~~ierr

not affectedd.by
prece
mg
words

. \. ,..r'/:--~

,,)!

(b) The pronoun who or whoever, when it is the subject of a finite verb, should not be attracted into the
objective
case by a verb or a preposit1'011
.
·
·
preceding the
clause mtroduced by the who or whoever. (See Exercise

XXII.)
"""."rong: Scntl whomever will do the work.
R1!Sht: Sen~ whoever .will do the work. [" W'hoever"
is the si:bJect of "will do," not the object of "send."
The obJect of "send" is the implied antecedent of
"whoever."]
"'.'rong: The question of whom should be leader arose.
Right: The question of who should be leader arose
[" 'Vho" is the subject of "should be " not the object
of "of." The object of "of" is 'the substantive
clause " who should be leader."]

MATTEitS OF CASE

17

34. A predicate substantive completing a finite verb Predicate
substanshould be in the nominative case. (See Exercise XXIV.) tive with
Right: It is I. -The beneficiaries are she, they, and finite verb
we. - Is it we that you accuse ?
35. The subject of an infinitive and the predicate sub- Subject
and predistantive completing an infinitive shoultl be in the objective cate
compl ecase. (See Exercises XXI, XXII, and XXIV.)
ment of
Right: Th e gazette reported him to be dead. ["Him" an infi11 i ti ve
is the sllb,icet uf th e i11fiiiitiYe "to be." ]
!tight: She i111agi11 ed the lJ1trglar t.o be mP-. [ " l\le"
is th e predicate substantive cornpleting "to be." ]
Right: The man whom I thought to be my friencl deceived me. [" 'Vl10m" is the subject of "to be."
Cf. the first two examples under Hnl e ~3:J a .]

Rigl1 t : " ·' hom du y ou Jllean ? - It is for h c·r, hi Ill, an cl
me. - I le he! ped my mother n.1Hl me. - A 11 are going,
including him, her, and us two . - Does that rule apply
to us older members?

37. An :tppnsitiTe sh onlrl lir, in th e same case as th e J\ l'l'"sitives
noun with which it is in apposition.
Right: All are goin g, - h e, she, antl we two. - He
spoke to some of us, -namely, her and me. - 'Ve all
met, - she, the officer, they you mentioned, and I.
38. Than arnl as arc not prepositions; they are con- Substantive
junctionR, always used to introduce suborrlinate clauses. after th an
When a sin gle substantive follows than or as, that sub- or as
stantive is not the object of a preposition; it is a member
of a clause of which the remainder is omitted because
easily supplied from the preceding clause. The case of
such a substantive depends on its construction in the clause
when the clause is completed. (See Exercise XXIII.)
Right: He is happier than I.
am."]

["Than I"=" than I

I
i\

1.; ·

' ·:

\\
!

1

.
'

18

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES
Right : I can do it as well as they.
they can do it."]

["As they "

= " as

Right: I should help him more willingly than her.
["Than her " = " than I should help her."]

Than
whom

NOTE. -The expression than whom is ungrammatical,
but well established as an idiom.

" ... when n eelzehub perceived, - than whom,
Satan except, none high er sat, - with grave
Aspect he rose. . . . "
-Paradise Lost, Book II.
Possessive
39. As a rule, do not use the possessive case of nouns
case :
not designating persons.
Nouns
not desigBad: Our university's rul es.
nating
persons
Right: The rules of our university.
Bad : Australia's resources.
Right : The resources of Australia.
Perrnis-

sible ex-

ceptions

NOTE. -To this rule good usage justifies certain exceptions. For example, the use of the possess ive of day, hour,
week, month, year, century, and other nouns d es ignating
periods of time is freely allowed; as day's journey, a yem"'s
vacation. But an in experienced writer should observe the
rule carefully, not making exceptions other than those that
he knows are frequ ently made by r ecognized masters of
English prose.

Possessive
40. Do not. use the possessive case of a noun to mcaso in
objective
<licatc the ol\jcct of an action; use an of phrase.
sense
vVrong: J,incoln's assassination.
Hight: The assassination of Lincoln.
Wrong : Mankind's benefactor.
Right: The benefactor of mankind.
Possessive
41. Put the substantive modifying a gerund in the
with
gerunds
possessive case.
Wrong : We left without any one knowing.
Right : We left without any one's knowing.

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

19
'' .

Adjectives and Adverbs

)
1·

42. In snch expressions as I-le looks sad, I-le looks

t

Adverb or

sadly, It so1tnds clear, It sounds clearly, He stands predicate
adjective
firrn, lir, stands finnly, the wor<l following the verb
should be an atijcctive if it designates a characteristic or
conditi on of the subject; if it modifies the verb, it
should be an au verb.
Right: Ile appears good [i. e., appears to be a good
man].
Right: He appears well in public [i. e., makes his appearance in a creditable manner].
Right : The music sounds loud [i.e., has the characteristi c of loud music] .
Right : The bugle soum.led lowlly through th e ranks
[i. e., sounded in a loud manner].
•
Rig ht : It stands immovabl e. It smells swe et. It
tastes sour. Your hand fee ls cold. It burns bright.
She looks dainty. That statement sounds queer.

NOTE. - In such expressions as I am well and I am ill, "Nicely"
w ell and ill are adj ectives (see these words in a di ction- and
ary). An expression Ii ke " I am nicely," " I am poorly," "poorly "

is an ungrammatical vulgarism.

43. In such expressions as I-Ie lwlcls it steady, I-le Adverb or
holds it steadily, rie .fillecl it fnll, I-Ie filled it fully, factitive
th e 111<Hlilicr Rhouhl he an arljcct ivc if it designates the
c0111litio11 of the object - the condition prouncc<l by the
action of the verb; if it designates the manner of action
of the verb, it sl10ulu UC au au verb.
Hight : He kept it safe [i. I'. , through his k eepin g, it
was safe].
Right: H e kept it safely [i. e., he performed in a safe
mann er the act of keeping].
Right: He wrapped it tight[" tight" designates the
condition of the object].
Right: He wrapped it tightly [" tightly " designates the
mode of wrapping].

acljecti ve

i

I
I .

20

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES
Right : Sweep it clean. Hol<l it motionless. Rhoot
him dead. Nail it solid. llury it deep. Haise it
high.

Matters of Voice
Misuse of
44. Do not use the passive voice when such use
passive
makes a statement clumsy and wordy.
voice
Resulting
Bad : Your letter was received and carefully read by
in awkme.
wardness
Right: I received and carefully read your letter.
(,See Hule 336.)
Result45. Do not, by using the passive voice, leave th e
ing in
vagueness ageut of the verb vaguely indicated, when the agent
should be clearly indicated.
Bad : That was a crisis in my life, which will never be
forgotten .
Right : That was a crisis in my life, which I shall
never forget.

Matters of Tense
Shall and

will:

Expectation

46. To represent simple expectation on the part of
the speaker, use shall (or its inflectional form should)
and will (or its inflectional form would) according to the
following formula. :
I shall (should)
we shall (should)
thou wilt (wouldst)
you will (would)
he will (would)
they will (would)
·wrong : I don't believe I will be able to go.
Right : I don't believe I shall 1Je able to go.
Right : I don't believe he will be able to go.
Wrong: I feared I would fail.
Hight: I feared I should fail.
Right : I feared you would fail.
(See Exercise XXVII.)

Determination

47. To represent determination, desire, willingness, or
promise on the part of the speaker, use slw1l (or should)
and will (or would) according to the following formula :

-----~--~·~--

..
MATTEl{S OF TENSE
I will (would)
thon s halt c~ 110uldst)
lie shall (should)

21

we will (would)
you slmll (should)
they shall (should)

\

'"

night : I will help you; I promise it. You shall .not
stir; 1 forbid it. Th ey shall be hanged at sunrise ;
we, the court, decree it.
(See Exercise XX VII.)

.

·i

48. In a question containing shall or should, will or In questions
wonlcl, -

(a) When the subject is in the first person, the
auxiliary s honhl a l ways be shall or should, except in
repeating a cp1cstiou a<hlrm;sed to the speaker (e.g.,
"Will I help you 7 ·why, certainly").
(b) ·w hen the subject is in the sccoml or third person,
use the auxiliary that will be used in the answer.

I

,11

'II
!.
I ,

..

lt
!• .
,\ !

t\,
I'

!I:
I

I

I

In Indirec t
49. In an indirect quotation nse the auxiliary t l1at quotations

Right: H e said he thought he should ride. [The direct
quotation would be, " I think I shall ride" ; therefore
should (an infiecti o n~ form of shall) should be used
in the indirect quotation.]

50. In subonlinate clauses making contingent stat~
meuts, shall a ntl shoulcl are correctly used for all persons.
Hi g ht: If they shnnld find it , I shonl!l rrjoice.

Right: A man who should clo that would be hated.

l!
.i

Right form for a question as to expectation : Shall you
be recognized , do you think ? [The answer, according to Rule 46, would be either " I shall be" or " I
shall not be ' ' ; therefore shall ~hould be used in tl.H!
question.]
Right form for a question as to intention: ·wm you do
th e <lecd ? [Th e answe r, according to Hui e 47, wonlrl
be either " .£ will" or " .£ will not ; " therefore will
should be used in the question.]
(::)cc Exercise XXVII.)

would properly be used if the quotation were direct.

! j

1, ,.

Shall and
should In

contingent state.
men ts

~

I

22

'l'hc un51. Obscurity, or an effect of incompleteness, arises
dated past
from
the use of a verb in the past tense unaccompanied
tense

by a time modifier, when there is in the context no indication of the time of the action.
Obscure and incomplete : In accounting for the origin
of Lake Wingra, geologists say that a small stream
ran through the territory where the lake now lies.
Clear [The necessa.ry time modifier of "ran" is supplied]: Jn accounting for the origin of La.lee vVin~rn,
geologists sa.y tha.t at some r emote per iod a. small
stream ran through the territory where the lake now
lies.
Obscure and incomplete : The filament of an incandescent lamp is usually ma.de of carbon. l<'ila111 cnts
were also made of platinum; but this metal; because
of its very high price, is at present not used at all in
electric lamps.
Clear [The necessary time modifier of " were" is supplied]: The filam ent of an inca.ndescent lamp is usually made of carbon.
.Formerly, filam ents were
made of platinum also; but this metal , etc.
Pn st misused for
pastperfect

JmFERENCE

STIWCTUHE OF SENTENCES

52. "'Vh rn th r cnnr:::c of a, nnrratiYc is snspcnckJ fur
the i11trrnl1wti n11 of a, i1rcrrrli 11g cn·11t·, tl w p a;;t-1ll' rfrcL
tense should be used.
Obscure : Mitchell hired a jockey named Brunt to ride
Shackles in the approaching race. Brunt was injured in a jump-race and gave up racing f 01· a time.
But Mitchell persuaded him to begin again. rThe
reader supvoses that th e eYe 11ts sta.tcd in tl1c italicized sentence followed the employment of Brunt by
l\liLdtell ; wlierea;; the "tnitcr i11 telllls to ;;ay that
those events preceded the employment. The use of
the past tense in the italicizrrl sentrrn· r is tlrn s r ntirely misleadin g. ]
Clear: MiLchell hired a jockey named Brunt to rict e
Shackles in the approaching race. Brunt had been
injured in a jump-race and had given up racing for a
time. But Mitchell persuaded him to begin again.

53.

23

a nanl

against the incorrect attraction of infinitives and conditional verb-phrases into the perfect tense.
An infinitive should be in the present tense unless it
represents action prior to that of the governing verb.

Misuse of

perfect
infinitives
and perfect conditional
forms

vVrong : It ,was not necessary for you to have gone.
!light : It was not necessary for you to go.
·wrong: I intended to have answered.
Right: l intended to answer.

11

~

A co11tlitio11al verb-phrase in a depcnucnt clause should ,
be in the present tense unless it represents action prior
to that of the governing verb.
'V rong : l should not ha.ve said it if I had thought it
would h:we shocked her.
Right : I should not have said it iI I had thought it
would shock her.

54. Do not use a present participle to represent an Anachroaction not synchronous with that of the governing verb. ~i~f~1 ~:rvVrong : On Thursday he left for Pittsburg, arriving
tl1 cre on Su nda y .
,
Right : He left for PiW~h11rg on Thnrn<lay autl arnved
1.herP. on Rnnrfay .
Wrong: Starting for London, he arrived there two
weeks later.
Right : He started for London and arrived there two
weeks later.
vVrong: It is old, being founded in 18~9.
H.ight : lt is old. having been founded Ill 1809.

'

'\l

'\' ~

.

'

0,

I

R~(f'?"f'??N'

55. Do not use a pronoun, or a pro11omi11:i.l cxprcs-

Un ce rtain
or lnrli-

8io11 the reforent:t: of whidt is llll <'crtain or nu t imrtwc1i - crons
atcl~· ci·irlrnt. 'J'hr pnssihility of PVPn 11111rne11Lary d011l1t, refereuce
or
momentary ludicrous reference to a wrong wonl, a8
well as real obs,:urity of reference, should be avoided.

dr

(See Exercise XXVIII.)

I

I

I

24

RE:FERENCE

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES
Uncertain : Geraint followed the knight
where he entered a castle.
to a town,
Unlcertain: He told his fat.her he would soon get
etter.
a
Not immediately evident : The ghost of l . I I
.
appeared to Scro O' .
.
•
HS o c p::u tner
I d'
. ?,,e. H e told 111111 h e must reform
,~ tc~om; : vVh1sthng for Rover, my cousin put a p~il
m lus mouth and we started.

Method of . ·~~6 . V~olations of Rule 55 may sometimes be corrected
correction by i epeatmg the antecedent or using an equivalent I
.
thus :
1oun,
Ri~ht,:

W'histling for Rover, my cousin put a pail in the
og s mouth, and we started.

But usually recasting is advisable; thus:
Right : Geraint followed the kni(l'ht to a tow
d tl
saw him enter a easLle
,,
, n an
iere
Right : Ile said to his fath er, "You will [ . . I 1 JI]
soon get a leLter."
or
s in.
Right: Th
e
g
lws
L
of
lii::;
J•artm·r
a11!Jl'
.•
~1·c
•
11
L
S
_,
.
"
u , cn1ne:e
anr1 anmom,.llf'rl him to r rfo rm .
~
Weak
l'efereuce
of

thi.~

and that

57. The

~ronouus

this a11<l that are peculiarly liable

to be used with what may be called weak r eferen«·e
In
case
of
snrh
n"r
th
e
r
lt
f
·
h
.
· ' ·
iau rn:iy o ten li e ""ITl'd l'<1 ]iy
~ ang~ng the pronoun to a demonstrative adjectiv
rnscrtmg a noun after it. Tl111s :
e an

d

Weak reference: He asked where Cary was. I could
not answer that.
Right: He asked where Carr was. I could n ot answ r r
Uiat question.
·
Weak reference: We do oppose the bill· if we did
t
.we should not publish this.
'
no '
Right: W~ do oppose the bill; if we did not we should
not publish this article.
'
Remote
reference

58b. D 0 no t use a pronoun to refer to a noun that hac;
. not

een used for a considerable space ; repeat the noun.

25

' I 59. Do not use a pronoun referring to a noun sub- Reference
ordinate in thought or syntax; repeat the noun or

!~~ ;r~'::-

recast the sentence.
inent
13:1.tl : Mrs. B100tlgoou will appear at Powers's theater in
:F itch's pln.y, The Girl with the Grl',en Eyes. This
piece was written by him especially for Mrs. Bloodgood .
Right: Mrs. Bloodgood will appear at Powers's theater
in :F itch's play, The Girl with the Green Eyes. This
piece was written by Mr. Fitch especially for Mrs.
Bloodgood.
Bad: In Miss Howerth's story of her life she relates this
incident.
Right: M.i"ss Howerth in the story of her life relates
1.hiR i11ci<lc11t.
60. ])o n ot use a pronoun, or a pronominal expres- Reference
to a word
sion, scellling to refer to a word or phrase that has not Hot expressed
been Pxpresscd. (Bee Exercise XXVIII.)
llatl : The cadet must keep his hanus out o[ his pockets ;
tha t 1\'lJltlll be very nnsolrli r.rly.
·n i ; li t T11r r:ir1r t mn~t. kPrp hiR hands out of his
pockf'ts ; to pnt. tlH'tn there would be very unsolJierly.
Bad: l\1::ux is a violinist, the stud y of which instrnm cnt
lw hrg:a,n whrn a boy .
Tii gllt · :'.\.Y:irx is a, violini~t. HP hri;ra.n the study of the
violin when he was a boy.
TI :i.u : A stoYr i,: :i st rnrtnrr of iron nserl for holding fire.
They are employeu for uoth heating a1Hl cooking.
Right : A stove is a structure of iron used for holding
fire. Stoves are employed for both h eating and

I

\.

~

I
Ii;1 (
i!f

H
;ti
Ii

l1P.C:t.11RC these animals
are now scarce.
Right : Mink-skins are valuable, because minks are now
scarce.
61. Do not use a pronoun followed by its antecedent Antece·
else recast dparenent in
in pn.rcnthcscs; use the antecedent alone or

theses

..

'I
11 ..

l; .,
,:\

'I

I
I

I

cnol,ing .
TI:ll1: 1\fink-sldns nre valnab]r ,

the sentence.

I

!I

...,

'T

l>ANGLlNG l\1.01>1 FllmS

26

STRUCTURE 0 .F

65. A participle preceded by thw; shonl<l
. not bbe used Participle
preceded

A ~kward .= If. Davis treated Dixon discourteously there

except to modify the subject of the precctl mg ver .
by thus
Wrong : Ile was careful to avoid having a notice sent
to his parents that he had failed, thus causing sorrow
at both ends of the line. ["Causing," intended to
modify "notice," appears instead to modify "he"
and to t'Xpress the result of " was careful to avoid,"

'
.1s no ObJect1~n to his (Dixon's) decision.
Right:
J.?av1s tre~ted Dixon discourteously, there is
no obJect10n to Dixon's decision; [ or] Dixon is not
to be blamed for his decision if he was treated discourteously by Davis.

!f

_
~:r~fJ;~fes

Dangling rnodifiers

62: A_ par~iciple should not be used unless the snbstant~ve

it logically modifies appears in the same sentence
an<l . l~ naturally and imme<liately connectc<l with the
participle. (See Exercise XXIX.)
Wrong: Every morning I take a run followed by a
shower bath.
Right : Every morning I take
d .
afterward a shower bath.
a run an imm ediately

l

Wrong : He was deaf, caused by an early attack of
scarlet fever.
Right: He was deaf, as the result of an early attack of
scarlet fever.
Participle
introducing a sentence or
clause

~~~~~~ o~

0

27

SENTENC l •~S

63. A participle should not introduce a sentence or
clause, unless it logically modifies the subject of the sentence or clause. (See Exercise XXIX.)

ercise XXX.)
NoTI~. - This rule and Rule G7 do not apply when the
gerund designates general action, not the action of any special agent. Thus :
Right: In swimming, the head should not be lifted too

Wrong:. Ha~ing come of age, I took my son into partnership with me.
Wrong: There we landed, and having eaten our lunch
the steamboat departed.
. 64. Violations of the foregoing rule may be corrected
either (a) by changing the participial phrase to a clause,
0 : _(b) by making the noun logically modified by the pa/
tic1ple the subject of the sentence or clause. 'l'hus :
Right: (a). When my son came of age, I took him into
partnership;
[or] (b) Having come of a(J'e
t
d·
o , my son
_en ere mto partnership with me.
Right: (a) There we landed, and after we had eaten
our lunch the steamboat departed; [or] (b) There
we landed, and having eaten our lunch we saw the
steamboat depart.

etc.]
Right: He was careful that his parents shonld not receive a notice that he had failed, which would have
cawwll sorrow both to them and to himself.
·wrong: Ile has to stand still until the rod man comes
up, thus giving him no chance to move about and
kec·p wa.rm.
Right : lle has to stand still until the rod man comes
up, and thus he has no chance to move about and
keep warm.
Dangling
66. A gerund phrase (e.g., in spealdng, after going) gerund
should not be used unless the substantive to which it phrases
logically relates is present in the same sentence and is
naturally and immediately connected with the gerund
phrase. (See the examples under Rule 67.) (See Ex-

high.

67. A gerund phrase should not introduce a sentence Gerund
phrase in·

I'

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"

'~

or dause unless it logically modifies the subject of the troduciug
sentence
sentence or clause. (See Exercise XXX.)
or clause
Wrong: In talking to Smith the other day, he told me
alJout the race.
Wrong: After pointing out my errors I was dismissed.
Wrong: After flunking three times, the professor reproved me.
Wrong: After singing hymn 523, Mr. Barnes will lead
in prayer.

Jl
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''f.\I

i·
r
I

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28
Method o.f
correction

-

If

STIWCTUHE 01? SENTENCJ~S

UNITY

68. Violations of the foregoing rule may be corrected
either (a) by changing the gerund phrase to a clause, or
(b) by making the noun to which the gerund phrase
logically relates the subject of the sentence or clause.
Thus:

Unity
72. A sentence should be so composed that the reader General
principle
feels it to be a unit.

73. Two or more Statelnents conspicuously lacking Stateme11ts 11n-

Right: (a) As I was talking to Smith th e other day, he
told rne about the race; [or] (b) In t alking to Smith
the other day I learned about the race.
Right: (a) When he had pointed out my errors, I was
dismissed; [or] (b) After pointing out my errors he
dismissed me.

connection with eac l1 other should not be embodied in connected
in thought
one sentence.
Bad : F erguson's features. resem bl e George Washington's and he was taken mto custody.
H. f tures
IS ea
'
R ·rr1 t. 'FerQUson was tak en into custody.
lo I •
o
h" t '
by the way, resemble Was mg on s.
.
.
Bad: Mr. Booth's parents were early .settlers m th;s
After leaving W est Pomt, Jlfr. Bo ot i,
u;cll knuu;n /J y our readers, iccnt to
the I'hilippines.
1
bv our
Ili"'ht: Mr. Booth was formerly we 11 mown it~ this
. '=: I .
His parent.s were early settlers
1 cal ms.
l' 0111
· t , Mr • Bo0th
. . . ·. Aft.er Jcavinrr
co1111t.y.
b "\Vest
went i,0 tho l'hilippi11cs.

Right: (a) When I had flunked three times, the professor reproved me; [or] (b) After flunking three
times, I was reproved by the professor.
Right: (a) After we have Rnng h:rmn G20, Mr. Barnes
will lead in prayer; [or] (b) After singing hymn 523,
we shall be led in prayer by Mr. Barnes.
Dangling

elliptical
clauses

~c~~on~~s"_r~r;nc;·ty

69. An elliptical clause (a clause from which tho
sul\ject nml Jircdi catc arc omitted; e.g., while gu in(J for
while I was going, when a boy for when he was a bo11)
should not be used unless the omitted subject is the subject of the governing clause. (See Exercise XXXI.)

Sometimes a sentence consisting of two state- Unity
Non:. -.
. with each other may be corrected secure<! by
m ents lacking connection.
. rr rr
that a connection recasting
by adding words and ieanan'?mo so
between the statements is establtshed.
.

·wrong: When six years old, my grandfather died.
Wrong: You must not cut the cake until thoroughly
cooked.
Method of
correction

70. A violation of the foregoing rule may be corrected
by supplying the subject and predicate of the elliptical
clause. Th us :
Right: When I was six years old, my grandfather died.
Right: You should not cut the cake until it is thoroughly
cooked.

Elliptical
clauses in
titles

71. Rule 69 forbids such titles as An Accident While
I-Iunthzg, Tldngs Learned While Canvassing. Write
rather An Accident in a Bear Hunt, Things Learned
by a Canvasse1·.

29

B d . The operation of an incubator is simple, but no
a
will work well unless it is watched ..
m [unity secured]: An mcu
.
b a t 01. is . simple
m operaRirrht
.
k
tion, but, like any other machine, it will not wor
well unless it is watched.

~chine

{'

.74. Long compound sentences co1~sisting of many Stringy
compound
statements strung together with ands and bnt'S are sentences
peculiarly crude.
Bad. The court often gathered to watch Van Dyck at
w~rk but before the picture was finished the Rev?lution broke out and every one was too .much excited
to watch its progress, but it went on JUSt t~e same
and was soon finished, and it re.mains to tlus day a
brilliant proof of the painter's skill.

UNITY

30

Right: The court often gathered to wa.t.eh Van Dyck at
work. Soon the revolution broke out. The 1-iict ure
was forgotten by the courtiers in their excitement, hut
the painter continued to work at it a11cl Roo11 fi11ishl'<l
it. It remains to this tlay a brilliant proof of Van
Dyck's skill.
Straggling sentences

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I

75. Long, straggling sentences, written without grammatical plan and incapable of making a single definite
impression on a reader's mind, are a palpable violation
of unity.
Bad: I arrived in Grand Rapids at ten r.M. after ten
hours of travel and was met at the train by my
brother who greeted me in a very pleasing manner after
which we made our way to his home and were met
at the door by his wife who had supper ready so we
did it justice first then talked about home affairs and
the great times we used to have and planned for a
great fishing excursion for the next day.
Right: I arrived in Grand Hapids at t en 1>.M., afler
ten hours of travel. My brother met me at the train
with due cordiality and took me to his home. At the
door his wife met us with the good ne ws that supper
was ready. After supper we had a long talk about
home affairs a11cl tho good times we Imel had. Thl'll
we formed a plan for a lishing trip 011 the 11cxt day.

Unity secured by
good or-

ganization

01

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

NoTE. -A sentence may, however, be lon g without violating the principle of uuity. Compare the two followiug st•ntences:
1. Tennyson's poem Lady Clam Vere cle Vere is the
speech of a young country fellow to a young lady of
high birth who is beautiful but a heartless coquette,
having attempted to ensnare the young man and then
cast him off merely to amuse herself, as she has done
with a number of other young fellows, one of whcm,
as the young man who is speaking reminds her, committed suicide from grief at her cruelty, which nmkes
the young man who is speaking despise the lady, for
he tells her that he cares neither for her beauty nor
for her high birth, since she has no goodness of heart.

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an<l he solemnly tells her she ought to cease amusing
lH~ nmlf by her coc1nctry and to "pray Heaven for a
v; · tl e
h n man heart."
2 TPnnyson's poem J,ady Clara Vere cle ere is . i
. H\H~~~ch o[ a manly young connt.ry fcl!ow to a bcant1fnl
hnt. h<'art.less young la1ly of high l.J1_rth, ~ho h.as atv ~ mpled to amnse h erself hy break mg lus hear\:-:~
spel'ch expressing disdain for charms beneath w II~1
there is no goodness of heart, and contempt for h~re itary rank of which the possessor lacks tru~ _virtue
and honor ; reminding the lady of ~he smc1~e of
another country lad, whom she h~d enticed by feigned
affection and then cruelly repudiated; and ~o~e~nly
adjuring her to cease her unworthy and lll]lU!OU~
di~· crsion, to turn her leisure to som,~ good end, an
to "pray Heaven for a hnmau h eart.

'(

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Th e first sentence is long and straggling; it is a glari~g
violation of nnit.y. Th e second is nearly as Ion~~ t.l;e fits~
it is composed upon a e. Ill e a11
bllt it is uot stracrnling;
00
1
•
cl oes no.t v10late
tie
clearly apparent grammatical plan ; i~
.'
princlple of unity. In the grammatical .orgamzat1on that
giv es the second sentence unity in spite of its unusual length,
Jarall elis~ is an important factor (see 1:-ule l~l). Observe
ihat the sentence consists of a si?gle mam su~Ject and predic:ttc, am! depending on that subject and pred1cat~ a num~er
of parallel members, -that is, members grammat1cal~y ah~e
and int.rodnccd aliko; and th:tt two of. these 1_11embc1s ~ia~~
pn,rallclism within them selves, - that IS, consist of a smg
word or phrase as a basis and of a series of parallel m~m.
t o ti 1at l iasb.
·~
This parallelism
bcn; in •t common relation
.
in, ~he s~cond sentence may be made clear by the followmg
diagram:
a. disdain
1. expressing 11 b. contempt
Tennyson's poem ••. is · •. a 2. reminding
a. to cease
speech
{ 3. adjuring her { b. to turn
c. to pray
(See Exercise XL.)

· tl ie po1"11t of v1"ew within Change
of
76. AvoiJ abrupt change m
point of
a sentence.

view

If.

32

STlWCTUHE OF SENTENCES
Bad: ¥Ve passed over the road quickly and soon the
camp was reached. [At the beginning of the sentence, the point of view is that of the travelers; after
" and" the point of view is that of the camp.]
Right: We passed over the road quickly and soon
reached the camp. [The point of view of the travelers is kept throughout.]
Bad : In order to clean the chain, it should be removed
and soaked in kerosene. [At the beginning, the point
of view is that of the person who does the cl eaning;
after the comma the point of view is that of th e object
to be cleaned.]
Hight: In order to clean the chain, remove it and soak
it in kerosene [the point of view of the person who
cleans the chain is kept throughout] ; [or J In order
that the chain may be thoroughly cleansed, it should
be removed and soaked in keroseue [the point of
view of the chain is kept throughout].

Order of 11:fembers
Position ot
modifiers:

General
rule

77. Every modifier should be so placell that the reader
connects it immediately with the member it modifies, a11d
not >vith so111e other mem ber. 'l'he possibility of cren
mome11ta.ry doubt or of lnuicrons mii:;i11t0rprrh tinn, ·a;:; w r·ll
ns real obscurity regarding the appJi,,atinn of a m odifier,
should be avoided. (See Exercise XXXII.)
Bad : Th e storm broke just as we reached the shore
with great viol ence.
Right: Just as we reached the shore, the storm broke
with great violence.
Bad : The ball is thrown home by a player stationed in
the middle of the square called the pitcher.
Right: The ball is thrown home by a player call ed th e
pitcher, who is stationed in the middle of the square.

Position of

the ad-

verbs

only, al-

most, etc.

78. Be especially careful to place the adverbs only,
merely, just, almost, e·ver, hardly, scarcely, quite,
nearly, next to the words they modify, not elsewhere.
(See Exercise XXXIII.)

ORDER OF MEMilEHS

33

·H

A. \-Vrong: It is the handsomest vase I almo;t e;::a~:w.
ltight: It is almost the handsomest vase ev
·
B. Wrong : Do you ever expect to go ag~in/
Right : Do you expect ever to go agam
.

.

It!
( 11.
f.>'
r.,

. ,,
'

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ij!

C. Wrong: I never remember havinglmett h1mo.d1'fy[H:~:
" ever" is misplaced and mac e o m
wrong word, for never = not ever)
.
Right: I do not remember ever havmg met him.
D . ¥Vrong: I only want three.
Hight: I want only three.
E. Wrong: It is the prettiest J !~early ever saw.
ltigllt : It is nearly the prettiest I ever saw.

!d

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79. A modifying clause should not be so place~ ~hat ~~~~~ced
a verb following it may, in reading, be erroneously Jomed

r1

with the verb of the clause, instead of with the verb preceding the clause.

;!I i
I

Awkward : I had . many pleasant experiences w bile I
was there, some of which I shall always remember. .
Better : While I was there, I had many pleasant expenences, some of which I shall always remember.

'
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i

Ill arranged : I walked out into the night as the moon
rose aml wandered through the grounds.
.
Clea.r : 'As the moon rose, I walked out into the mg1it
and wandered through the grounds.
Ill arrangctl : ll c spr;:wg to th e platform on which the
<l ead man lay and shouted.
.
u
1 lea
1
Ci nar: ::-;pringing to tho platform on wl11d1 tic
rn;ut lay, lie s l1o u tetl.
. .
Bad: A Jerriule wind and tltumler ~tonn v1s1ted th~
.Fourtl1 Regim ent camp Thursday mght, ~h01tly after
t ~ps 'vere sounded playing havoc on all sides.
"
' night, shortly
.
l{iaht:
On Thursday
a f ter t ap s ..was
:ounded, a violent wind and thund er storm v1~1tecl
the Fourth Regiment camp, playing havoc on all sides.

80. As a rule, arrange a sentence containing~ relative
clause so that the clause immediately follows its antecedcnt.

'

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ii

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:.

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Position

of relative

clauses

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34

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

Awkward: The correspondence began just one month
later which led to the surrender.
Better: Just one month later began the correspondence
which led to the surrender.
NoTE. - I t may happen that a sentence containing a r cln,tive clause cannot be arranged according to the foregoing
rule. In such a case it is often necessary, for cle:trncss, to
use two separate sentences or two coordinate clauses.
Bad : The police are looking to-day for the persons last
in company with Clara Belinfant, the daughter of
Abraham Belinfant, a rich New York merchant, who
has been missing since July 18.
Right: The police are looking to-day for the persons
last seen in company with Clara Belinfant, the
daughter of Abraham Belinfant, a rich New York
merchant. The girl has been missing since July 18.
Squinting
modifiers

81. Do not place between two members of a sentence
a modifier applicable to either member. Do not trust
to punctuation to show the application of the modifier;
recast the sentence.
pefective : He declared that if they did not release
Blount, the English envoy, within two hours, in spite
of all protest he would shell the town.
Right: He declared that if within two hours they did
not release Blount, the English envoy, he would, in
spite of all protest, shell the town ; [or, if "within
two hours" is intended to modify "shell the town"]
He declared that if they did not release Blount, the
English envoy, he wonl1l i:;hell tho town within two
hours, in spite of all protest.
Defective : The coroner's jury which has been investigating the death of the girl to-day brought in a verdict of suicide.
Right,. The coroner's jury which has been investigating
the death of the girl brought in to-day a verdict of
suicide.

Paren82. A modifier of one of the clauses of a sentence
thetic
may
often with advantage be inserted within the clause
position of
modifiers it modifies rather than placed before or after. Thus :

ORDER OF MEMBERS

35

Clear and forcible : If, after all that has been said, you
still hesitate, I despair of persuading you.

83. It is often advantageous to place however, there- Parenthetic posifore, nevertheless, moreover, and the like, within the tion of
sentences they introduce rather than at the beginning.

ther('fore,
however,

Inferior : His master was always very kind to him. etc.
However, his master's wife was altogether too parsimonious.
Better: His master was always very kind to him. His
nw.ster's wife, however, was altogether too parsimonious.

84. Two phrases or clauses modifying the same sen- Separation of

tence element should not be placed one before and the coordinate
modifiers
other after that element; they should be put together.
Awkwanl: 'Vhcn he has once made up his mind, you
may be sure he will never draw back when he has
got fully started.
Right: When he has once made up his mind and got
fully started, you may be sure he will never draw
back.

85. Do not put an adverb or a phrase between an in- Split
infinitives
finitive and its sign to. (See Exercise XXXIV.)
Inelegant: I went there in order to personally inspect
it.
Iiight: I went there in order to inspect it personally.
lnckga.nt : It hi impom;ihln to in :wy way remove them.
Hight.: lt is impossible in any way to remove them.

86. Arrange the members of a sentence so that the Smooth
order
sentence reads smoothly, when this arrangement does not
impair clearness.
Awkward: He, instead of acting as my guide, followed
me.
Right: Instead of acting as my guide he followed me.
Awkward: Fishing was not good, and they, becoming
impatient, decided to quit.

86

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

INCORRECT OMISSIONS

Right: Fis!iing was not good, and becoming impatient
they decided to quit.
Pause
after
preposition

NoTI~. -This principle is violated by interposing a mnnber of words between a preposition and its object, so that
an awkward pause occurn after the preposition.

Awkward: He submitted to, though he did not fully
approve of, the rules.
netter: He subm itted to the rules, though he did not
fully approve of them.
See also the first Right example under Rnle

!)O

e.

~uch a construction may be us.eel, ~or the sake of brevity,
m sta.tutes,_ contracts, and the like, m which smoothness of

style 1s of httle consequence.
"The Congress shall have power to dispose of, and
the
t erntory ••. belonging to the United States . "~' Tirn
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
Except in such a context, the harshness of the construction
more than offsets the gain in compactness.
ma~e all needful rules and regulations respectinO"

Ordering a
87. Arrange the members of a sentence so as to
sentence
with refer- form close connection with the preceding sentence.
ence to the
Inferior: Ile wished to examine the plan et Mars , then
precedi11g
in the western part of the sky. Ile began to turn the
sentence
telescope in order to do this.
netter: He wished to examine the planet Mars, then
in the western part of the sky. In order to do this
he began to turn the telescope.
'
Strong
close

88. For force, close sentences strongly; put unimportant phrases elsewhere than at the end.
Inferior: Then he would return to work, whistling a
merry tune all the while.
netter: Then he would return to work all the while
whistling a merry tune.
'
Inferior: He said nothing, bnt kept look ing at my ucck
for some reason or other.
Better: He said nothing, but for some reason or other
kept looking at my neck.

--

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37

Non;.-The foregoing rule does not concern a matter of
correct or i 11co1:rcct practice, bnt merely a matter of greater
or less rhetorical effectiveness. The common belief that a
sentence ending with a preposition is on that account incorrect is a mistake; such sentences abound in good literature; e.g.,
"I will not say that the meaning of Shakespeare's
names •.. may be entirely lost sight of."- ARNOLD.
" l\L P lanche 's advantage is . . . that there is a force
of cultivated opinion for him to appeal to." - ARNOLD.

A senJ
tence
em.ling
with a
preposition

l'l'Ioreover, such sentences, as rrofessor Hill remarks, "do
n ot contravene the principle which forbids a writer to throw
stress on unimportant words; for . . . the stress is
thrown, not on the last word, but on the next to the last."

89. A series of assertions or modifiers noticeably varying in strength should be placed in climactic order, unless
the writer intends to make an anticlimax for the sake of

Climactic
order

humor.
·weak: I think that the characters are well drawn, the
diction is stately and beautiful, and the plot is very
interesting.
Improvctl: I think that the plot is very interesting, the
ch:iract.ers arc well drnw11, and the diction is stately
and b<)n.ut,iful.
_'Vcn.k : Jle proved himself to 1.Je mercilessly cruel at
times, unforgiving, and discourteous.
Improved: Ile proved himself to be unforgiving, discourteous, and at times mercil essly cruel.

Incorrect Oniissions

90. A word or a combination of words may often be

Words
us ed in a
double capacity if it is perfectly fitted double

correctly used in a
for both the otlices it serves. For example, in the capacity
srntr11rr, "T r·:rn du it. ns ·w rll ::i,s yrrn ," " rn.n do it" scn·es
as the predicate of both "I " and "you," and does so corrertly, Rince it agrees grammatically with both pronouns.
But there are various ways of using words in a double

)

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38

'
Auxiliaries and
copulas in
a double
capacity

STHUCTURE 01<' SENTENCES

capacity that are incorrect; these are indicated m the
following rules :

(a) Do not supply an auxiliary verb or a copula from
<:me part of a sentence to another if the same form is not
gramm~tically proper in both parts; write the proper
form with each part.
'~rong: The fire was built and the potatoes baked.
U1ght : The fire wn,s built and th e potatoes were baked.
'~rong: lie wn,s a patriot, but n,ll the r cRt trnitors.
U1ght: He was a patriot, but all the rest were traitors.

NoTE._-'.fhe supplying of an auxiliary from one clause to
another IS hkely to produce an awkward sentence in most
c~ses, even wh en there is no violation of the foregoing principle. As a rule, repeat an auxiliary rather than supply it.
Awkwar~ : She was taken by surprise and a pistol
thrust mto her face.
Iletter : She was taken by surprise, and a pistol was
thrust into her face. [See ltule 221 j.]
Be as both

(b) Do not make a single form of the verb be serve

principal
both as a principal and as an auxili ary verb.
and auxiliary
Wrong: At first the drill was interesting and liked by
most of the men.
·
Right: At first the drill was interesting and was liked
by most of the men.
.
·
Principal
verbs in a
double
capacity

(c) Do not supply a principal verb from one part of a
sentcnc~

proper

111

to another if the same form is not grammatically
both parts; write the proper form for each part.

~rong: He ~lid what many others have and are doing.
R1gh:: He did what many others have done and are
do mg.
":rong: ·we ate such a dlnner as only laborers can.
Right : We ate such a dinner as only laborers can eat..

. (d) Two expressions of comparison, the one an adjective ~receded by as, the other an adjective in the comin a double
parative degree, should not both be completed by a single
capacity
Than or
as clause

39

INCORRECT O.MlSSIONS

·il l

as clause or a single than clause, unless that clause im-

... '

mediately follows the expression of comparison that

a,

above, two
sentence-elements shonl<l never be limited by a single
modifying phrase or clause unless that mo<lifier is idio-

r
l
.;

stands first in the sentence.
Wrong: Fostoria is as large, if not larger, than Delaware.
Right: Fostoria is as large as Delaware, if not larger.
Wrong: He is bigger and fully as strong as Buck.
Right: Ile is bigger than Iluck and fully as strong.

(e) AsiLle from cases covereu by Rule

-

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Other
modifiers
in a
double
capacity

matica1ly adapted to both.
'Vron(T: He had no love or confidence in his employer.
Ili ght ~ Ile had no love for, or confidence in, his employer. [The foregoing is correct, but awkward ; the
following is better:] He had no love for his employer
and no confidence in him.
·wrong : I shall alw ays remember th e town b ecause of
the good times and the many friends I made there.
Ri ght: I shall always remember the ~own because of the
good tim es I had and the many fnends I made there.
'Vro 11 g: He acquired a knowledge and keen interest in
chess.
Right: Ile acquired a knowledge of chess and a keen
interest in it.
A noun in
(/) Two incomplete members of a sentence, the one a double
requiring to complete it a singular noun, the other re- capacity
quiring n. plurnl noun, shoul<l not both be completed ~y
ouc 11on11, unless that noun immediately follows the mcomplcte member that stands first in the sentence.
'V rong: One of the greatest, if not the greatest, generals
of America.
Ri ght: One of the greatest generals of America, if not
the greatest.
(g) The expressions as to, in regard to, in resp:ct to
are equivalent to single prepositions j for example, m the

.

'. \'

,, I·

J

f,
,\1

.,!
!

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J
1

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£

'! '
I
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40
To (in as
to, in regard to,

etc.) used
in a
double
capacity

ii
STH UCTURE OF SENTENCES

se~tence "A dispute arose in regard to the presidency "
"m regard ~o" is equivalent to about . or concernin~.
Such express10ns are therefore called preposition-phrases
(a ~en~ not ,~o be eonfus~c~ with the term prepositional
plt1 as~s). lhcsc_ prepos1t10n-phrases often have clauses
for objects; ~.g., rn the sentence "A dispute arose as to
~~ho w~~ _president,'' the object of the preposition-phrase
as. to is the clause "who was president." ·when as
to, in regard to, or in respect to thus governs a chuse
the to should not be made to govern a substantive witl;i~
the clause.
Wrong: A dispute arose as to whom the honor should
belong.
Right: A dispute arose as to who sltoultl receive tho
honor. [Sec Huie 33 b. ]

. 91. A_s a rule, rep~at an ~rticle or a possessive adjccof articles
and pos~1ve
beforn each noun Ill a senes, unless all the nouns dessessives
ignate the same thing.
Omission

Wrong: ~ear by are a grocery, drug store barber shop
and smithy.
'
'
Right: Near by are a grocery store, a drug store a barber shop, and a smithy.
'
Wrong: She. watched her grandmother aunt and
mother sewmg.
'
'
Right: She w?tched her grandmother, her aunt and her
mother sewmg.
'
Wrong:. I asked what were the names of her puppies
and kitten.
Right : _I asked what were the names of her puppies and
her kitten.
Omission

of prepo-

sitions

92 .. ~s a r~le, .a noun should not be used without a
prepos1t10n, to md1cate adverbially the time of a
rence.
n occurB~d: The preceding summer I went to England
Right : In the preceding summer I went to Engl~nd.

COORDINATION

41

Rau: I was born the third of May, 1881.
Hight: I was born on the third of May, 1881;
Bad: The rnce will occur Saturday.
Hight : Th e race will occur on Saturday.
NOTE. Exct•pt.ion to this rule may be made in the case Pcrmis. 7it, l as t si hie exof such ex11ressio11s as last ?1'Car, last month, last nig
ceptions
Saturday, next year, next day, next Tu esday, some day, one
day, any day, that day, this day, this afternoon; but do not
make an exception for an expression (like those in the Bad
examples above) which you do not know to be a well-established idiom.

"II

I
I

93. Do not make comparisons leaving the standard of Uncom-

pleted
comparison not indicated or only vaguely impliecl; let comparisons
the st:uHlanl be definitely stated or implied.
Jncmnplct(): J\'I :u111fact.11n~rs have come to sec the greater
ccn11n111y of the electric motor .
!light: Ma11ufacturers have come t o see the greater
economy of the electric motor as comparetl to steam
power.

Coordination
94. A clepemlent sentence-member should not be joined Misuse of
coordinatby and or but to the member on which it depends.
ing conjunctions
·w rong: Ile put up signs to keep people off the grass
and thereby improving the appearance of the campus.
Right : He put up signs to k eep people off the grass,
thereby improving the appearance of the campus.

95. Do not join a relative clause to its principal clause "And
whi ch"
by ancl or but.
construcBad: He came home with an increase in weight, but tion
which hard work soon reduced.
Bad : On the way we met a Mr. Osborn from the neighborhood of Denver and who had the typical western
breeziness.

96. Violations of th e foregoing rule may be corrected Method of
·
by (a) omitting the conjunction, (b) cI1ang111g
t h e re Ia- correction
I',I

.I ,

"
·~.

42

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

43

COORDINATION
tive clause to a principal clause, or (c) inserti ng a rnla.
tive clause before tho conjuuction. 'l.'hus:
Right: (a) He came home with an increase in weight,
which, however, banl work soon reduced; [or] (b)
He came home with an increase in weight, but hard
work soon reduced it.
Right: (a) On the way we met a Mr. Osborn from the
neighborhood of Denver, who had the typical western
breeziness; [or] (c) On the way we met a Mr. Osborn, who came from the neighborhood of Denver,
and who had the typical western breeziness.
Illogical
coordination

97. An assertion should not be joined by and, but, or
or to a preceding assertion with which it is not logically
coordinate.
Subordinate thoughts should be put into
subordinate grammatical forms. (Sec Exercise XXXVI.)
Bad : The sheets of tin are laid in rows, and care is
taken that all the sheets fit snugly. [Th e statement.
after "and" is logically subordinate to the statement
preceding, but is made grammatically co.ordinate. J
Right: The sheets of tin are laid in rows, with care that
all the sheets fit snugly.
Bad : This is done by a chemical which has the property
of absorbing oxygen a11d givi ng it off agai n ; or in other
words, it is a carrier of oxygen. [ "It is a carrier of
oxygen" is made grammatically parallel to "This is
done by a chemical ; " whereas the assertion that the
chemical is a carrier of oxygen is logically subordinate
to the assertion that the work is done by a chemical.]
Right: This is done by a chemical which has the property of absorbing oxygen and giving it off again - or,
in other words, by a carrier of oxygen.
Juvenile: It was a fine frosty morning and two seniors
were walking toward college.
Right: On a fine frosty morning two seniors, etc.
Juvenile: She. sat on the ground dressed in a pretty
frock, and her dog was in her lap.
Right: She sat on the ground dressed in a pretty frock.
holding her dog in her lap.

Jnvnnilc: '1'111~·11·
· books were rolls of paper and
Hidn waH writ.ten on.
. on!
Hight: Their book.s were rolls of pape1,
y
of which was wntten on.
a n interesting speech and
Juvenile: Il e rllade
·

only one
one side
.
d
it laste

an hour.
.
. er spee ch an hour long.
Hight:
Ile made an mterestmo

.
he lack of force and grace by whic.h th~ style Excessive
Non:. -T.
.· . . a t to be charactenzed is due coordinaof an inex~en~n~~d .wntei l~r~nation. This fault in writ- tion
larrrely to 111d1sc11111mate co .
. d. . " In a picture
o.
.k
t f perspective m iaw1110.
in::r is 11 e wan o
I
b' ts usually appear
dr~wn by an unskillful person all tie ,o Jee . . one drawn
to be at the sarne dis~ance fro~a;h:to~~r~~~;c; ' c~::tances. In
by an artist th e obJects appt ' 1 which uniformly connects
somewh:tt. the same way' a s y e.
t :o i~ (Ii ffprs from one
·· · J· i~titt<r CO llJllll C .I I ,,
· '
stateme nts IJ.Y cooH 11 " 0
.
· " d ices (See Exwhich c111ploys a variety of subordmatmo ev , .
ercisc XXX V 11.)
The aJ verbs so, then, and also should I~ot be useJ
to j oi;1 coordinate verbs in a sentence ; fo~ tl11dsdpt:irpo:~
a conjunction (ancl or bit t) mu st be used m a 1 1011
the adverb.

98

So, then,
and a l so
used to
join verbs

Wrong: Ile was only one among many so was not
observed.
d
ot
Right: Ile was O nly one among many an so was n
observed.
.
·wrong: I paddled the boat for a while, then fell mto a

Ri~~1vte;i~. paddled the boat for a while and then fell into
a reverie.

99

The use of the adverb so for the purpose of com- The so
t
(e g "The clerk was incompetent, so habit
pouu<l111g sen cnces . . '.
.
") is a form of exthe governor removed bun from office
.
I s
.
arcly found in good literature. If so JS usel a
prcss1011 rt'. " t l1 c sc11tc11 cc it introduces sh oulJ be set off
a co n nee 1v,.,
.
·, I
(S
from the prccccling one hy a pcno<l or a scm1co on.
c~
Rule 231 b.) Even this correct use of so, however, sug

·.

I

'

.1 !

4-±

gests immaturity if it occurs frequ ently. It is advisable,
in nearly all cases where one has used so as a connective,
to subordinate the preceding statement and to omit the
so. (See Exercise XXXVIII.)

Two but's
or /or's

of coordi-

nation

General
member after the first, he shall i11sta1~tly c?ordinate it principle
with the right member precellin g .• 'Io tlns end, the
members shou ld be introduced in a similar, often an

Incorrect and crude : His wife thought he would be
thirsty so she .brought a pitcher of water.
Correct but undesirable : His wife thought he would be
thirsty ; so she brought a pitcher of water.
Preferable : His wife, thinking he would be thirsty,
brought a pitcher of water.
Incorrect and crude : The people were opposed to him
for some unknown reason, so he had to accomplish
bis purpose through secret agents.
Correct but undesirable : The people were opposed to
him for some unknown reason. So he had to accomplish his purpose through secret agents.
Preferable : Since the people were, for some unknown
reason, opposed to him, he was compelled to accomplish his purpose through secret agc11ts.

100. Two consecutive statements should not both be
introduced by but or for.

Th e foregoing principle h as many lliffcr~nt applications.
The following are worthy of special me11t10n:

101. Violations of the foregoing rule may usually be
corrected by omitting the first but or for. Thus :
Right: Iago became fond of Desdemona. She paid no
attention to him but seemed to favor Cassio.
Right: He suddenly paused; it seemed wonderful that
he could speak so easily, for usually he was bashful.

Clearness

45

identical, manner.
Obscure coordination : Then I learned how he had run
away from his father, a gypsy va.~auond. who p.rofcssc<l to lie a horse-trauer and was m reality a thief,
dresscu in some clothes that he found on a scarecrow
in a cornfi eld, learn ed the way tu 111 y home througl~
tli c lll :tp in :w old railway ti111c-taul c, and come al
the way on foot. [This sentence is well cons~.ru~ted ;
its defect is that the relation be twee~ tl~e coordmate
members is not shown by sim il ar begmnmgs.]
Clear coordination : Th en I learned how he had run
away from his father, a gypsy vagabond who ~ro­
fes~ed to be a horse-trader and was in reality a thief ;
how h e had dressed in some clothes that he found on
w in a cornfield . how he had learned the
a scarcer O ·
<
'
'
•
ld
'\way
way t.o my home through the map m an o ra1
ti111e-tablc, and had come all the way on foot.

Bad : Iago became fond of Desdemona but she paid no
attention to him but seemed to favor Cassio.
Bad : He sudd enly paused, for it seemed wonderful
that he could speak so easily, for usually he was
bashful.
Method of
.c orrection

COO !WlNA'l'lUN

8TJWCTUHI.; O.F 8E.NTENCE::::i

102. In the case of several coordinate sentence members that are somewhat long or complex, care should be
taken to make the relation between the members immediately apparent to the reader, so that, in beginning any

103. A preposition governing several objects should Repetition
of prepo-

be repeated with each object after the fi~st, when ~be sitions
construction of those objects would otherwise not be imm ediately clear.

A. Not imm ediately clear: The placedis ofteenryvi:~e; ~:
tourists who are fond of rugge seen
'
pecially amateur photogra~l~ers .
.
Right : The place is often v1s1ted by ~ourists who are
fond of rugged scenery' and especially by amateur
photographers.
Not immediately clear: With the refusal of }f~r. G?gB.
gins to accept the office left vacant by the res1gn~tion
of Mr. Barnes and the presence of Governor Davidson
in the city, the friends of Mr. Roemer were kept busy
yesterday.

~ 1i
nI
'·

If

i"ll 1·
~

'I

I

t~ \:
'.

'I

?',

I

I

•
46

SUBOHDINATION

STRUCTUHE OF SENTENCES

Obscure coordination : When they saw the excellent
Rtructmo which, thongh handi capped by the strike
aJHl tho <lilli culty of getting 111:it.<:ri:tlR, he had yet
compl<~ted in less than the required time, and con·
i;i1l<·red how vahmble such a man would be to them,
they gave him a permanent JH>sition.
Cl c:tr coordination : ·vvhen t\u)y saw the excellent
structure which, though handicapped by the strike
and the difficulty of getting materials, he had yet
completed in less than the required time, and when
they considered how valuable such a man would be to
them , they gave him a permanent position.

Clear: With the refusal of Mr. Goggins to accept the
office .left vacant by the resignn,tion of Mr. Ifarnes,
and with the presence of Governor .D:tvidi-;on in tho
city, tho friends of Mr. Hoe mer were kept busy yesterday.
NoTI': - When the objects stand closo too-ether repetition is usually unnecessary; e.g., "
'
Right : He had lived in Cuba, Panama, and Barbadoes.
R.ight: It was exposed to the wind, the rain, and the
scorching sun.
But wh~n the objects are separated by intervening modifiers, as m sentences A and B, clearness usually requires
that the preposition be repeated.
Repetition
of the
iufini ti ve·
sign

NoTE.- 'Vhen the coordinate assertions are very short,
repetition of the conjunction is usually not necessary; e.g.,Ric;ht: He seems to be pretty well, though he takes no
~xercise and neglects his diet.

104. An infinitive-sign (to) introducing several col.irdinate infinitives, should be repeated with each infinitive
after the first, when the construction of those infinitives
woulJ otherwise not be imme<liatcly clear.

It is only when the assertions are complex that repetition
of the conjunction is necessary.

A . Not immediately clear: Here nature has done her best

Subordination

to enchant those that can see and feel, and make
them her lifelong worshipers.
Right: Here nature has done her best to enchant those
that can see and feel, and to make them her lifelo1w0
worshipers.
NOTE. - When the infinitives stand close to()'ether
repe0
tition of the to is usually not n ecessary ; e.g., _
'
R.ight: Has he learned to dn.nce, converse, and make
himself agreeable?
!lut when _the infinitives are separated by intervening ad3uncts, as m sentence A above, repetition of the to is usually necessary to clearness.
Repetition
of subor·
dinating

conjunctions

47

105. A subordinating conjunction introducing several
coordinate assertions should be repeated with each asser·
tion after the first, when the coordination of those assertions would otherwise not be immediately clear.

Overlap106. Do not put a series of similar clauses or a series ping
deof similar phrases in an overlapping construction, -i.e., pendence
with the sccon<l depending on the first, the third on the
8ec01Hl, the fourth on the third, etc. Recast the

)

sen ten cc.
.A. Awkward: I never knew a man who was so ready to
help a friend who had got into difficulties which
pressed him hard.
Hight: I never knew a man so ready to help a friend
who found himself hard pressed by difficulties.
B. Awkward: I was so uncomfortable that I rolled up my
sleeves so far that my arms got sunburned, so that I
could hardly sleep that night.
Right: Feeling very uncomfortable, I rolled up my
sleeves so far that my arms got badly sunburned.
The pain thus caused kept me awake most of that
night

t

!

48

p ARALLELISM

C Awkward: There stood the big handsom e motor car of

the founder of the infamous co111\Jinatio11 of the
manufacturers of that necessary of life , oatmeal.
Right : Th ere stood the big handsom e motor car bcl.ongiug to Saunders - the man who form rd th e infamous
combination to control the manufacture of that vital
necessary, oatm!'Jal.
Coordinate dependence

107. Note, on the other hand, that a series of similar
clauses or phrases all depending on the same sentenceelement gives rise to no awkwardness. (Cf. Rule 75,
note.)
Right : I rise to nominate a man who has ever beett
stanch in his loyalty, who has long been a trusted
counselor in the policies of our party, who has
demonstrated his fitn ess for this office by the effic iency
of his administration in others, whose honor has nevex
been assailed save by calumnious envy, whose fame
is destined to echo down the coming ages, who •••
etc.
Right: His face has come down to us marked with all
the blemishes put on it by time, by war, by sleepless
nights, by anxiety, perhaps by remorse.

Misuse ot
when

49

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

108. A when clause is properly u se<l only to fix tho

clauses:

time of an event stated iu the principal clause.

For statements of
primary
importance

109. A statement of primary importance in a narrative should not be embollic<l in a when clam;c ; it s!touhl
be embo<lie<l in an in<lepen<lent clause or sentence.

H ence :

Bad : The thoughts of the engineer turned toward the
home he was approaching when suddenly he saw the
glare of fire on the track ahead.
Right : The thoughts of the engineer turned t oward the
home he was approaching. Suddenly he saw the
glare of fire on the track ahead.
Bad: Having finished their work, they began to talk
about former good times when one of the fellows
suggested that they haze Nicholson.

Right: Having finish ed their work, th ey began to talk
a\Jout former good times. l'res.cntly one of the
fellows suggested that they haze Nicholson.

'.
Upside-

llO. To put a logically principal statc.mcnt in a sub- down suhonlinate clause an<l the logically subo~·<lm.ate statement onliuatiou
in the principal clause is espcciall~ obJe~t10nable, unless
there is some good reason for such mvers10n.
Bad . I was walking down State Street yesterday when
I c~me upon a crowd of people gathered about a horse
that had fallen down.
Hight: As I was walking down State Street yesterday,
I came upon a crowd of people, etc.

Parallelism,

111

As a rnle, two or more sentence-elements. that
have ti1e same logical office sho~l~ be made grammat1call~
should be,
llel . ; e·' i·f one is an infimt1ve, thed other
para
· an
if one is 'a •·relative
clause, the other shoul b e ; 1· f one .;;
appositive, the other should be; and so on. (See xer-

Parallel

forms for

analogous
elements

cise XXXIX.)
fl Bail: Th e crowd b egan to wave handkerchiefs. an~
.
I 1·
I byes
["To W ftvC " and" shontmg,
R 10n . Ill~ gooi - .
·
II d · .· ' I r in
bot.h objects of "bcg;t11," ;trc a wk wan y iss11111 a

It"''forni.]
t. (a)

· dk 1 · f and
The crowd began to wave han ere ne s

1~01 ~h ont goml-by cs ; [ or] ( b) The crowd be.gan

wav.i ng ham\ kerchiefs aml shouting good-byes .. [ fhe
two objects of "beg;tn,, are made parallel; m (a)
they are both infinitives, in (b) they are both gerunds.]
Bad. I met many people there whom I had seen before
B. 'bu.t did not know their names. [" ~Vhom I h~d ~e~~
before" and "did not know their names,
o
qualifiers (logically) of "people,,, are awkwardly
dissimilar in form.]
b f
there whom I had seen e or.e
R .ig I1t.· I met many people
.
k
[The
two
quahbut whose names I did not now.
.
fi ers of " people" are made parallel i both are relative
clauses.]

.·'·:'

50

STRUCTUHE OF SENTENC ES

(]. Bad: I d elight in a good novel-on e which portrays
strong characters and in reading the book you are
thrilled. [The two qualifiers of "one" are awkwardly
dissimilar; the first (" which portrays strong characters") is a relative clause, the second ("in reading
the book you are thrilled") a sentence.]
Right: I delight in a good novel - on e which portrays
strong characters and which thrills the r eader. [The
two qualifiers are made parallel; both are relative
clauses.]
D. Bad: Two courses are open to us: first, to have t.110
missi ona ry society transfer to us a mi ss ionary 11ow
in the field ; second, one of our ow n members has
volunteered to go, and we m ay send him. [The two
logical appositives to "two courses" are awkwardly
dissimilar; the first ("to have . . . fi eld") is a
grammatical appositive, the second ("on e of our own
members •.• him") a sentence.]
Right: Two courses are open to us: first, to have the
missionary society transfer to- us a missionary now in
the field ; second, to send one of ou r own members,
who has volunteered to go. [The two logical appositives are made parallel; both are gramma tical appositives to "courses."] [Or] Two conri:;cs are open to
us. l''irst, we may have the missi onary society transfer to us a missionary now in the fi eld ; second , we
may send one of our members, who has volunteered
to go. [The two logical appositives are made parallel ;
both are sentences.]

E. Bad: I have lived in many states, some for only a short
time, while in others I have li ved a y ear or more.
[The two qualifiers of the rnain clause are awkwardly
dissimilar; the first(" some for only a short time")
is an incompl ete modifier of ~'lived,'. ' the second
("while . . . more") acompletesuborclinatecl;:wse.]
Right: I ha ve lived in many states,-in so me for only a
short time, in others for a year or more. [The two
qualifiers of the main clause are m ade parallel ; both
are prepositional phrases modifying "lived."]
F. Bad : I was asked to contribute to the church, Christian
Association, and to the athletic fund. (The three

PARALLELISM

51

m od ifiers of "contribute" a.re awkwa.rdly dissimila.rin
form . the first is a complete phrase, the ~econd a
noun' with both the prepos ition and the article lackin rr the third a complete phrase.]
.
R"1 h~. I was asked to contribute to the church, to the
~hrlstia~ 1 Asscroiation, and to the athletic fund. [T~e
made parallel m
t i n.ee m odifiers of "contribute" are
form ; each is a complete p 1uase. ] . [O
. l ·] I was . asked
.
to contribute to the church, th e Ch~1stian Assocrnt1on,
and th e athletic fnnd. ["To" is made to. ~overn
thrno ol>jPcts pa.rallcl in form, - each cons1stmg of
" th e" ancl a noun . J

.

;

112. Correlative conjunctions should. be followed by ~~:~el~
coordinate sentence-elements; if a predicate. follows _the
first, a pre<lieate should follow the second; if a mo~ifier
the first, a modifier the second ; and so on. (See Exercise XXXV.)
'Vronrr: They would neither speak to .him nor wou~d
th e; look at him. ["Neither" is fo,\low~~' y
"speak," a part of a compound verb ; no1.
by
,, would they look, ,, a subject and comp_lete prec.hcate.]
Ri rrh t : They would n either speak to h11n nor look at
["Neither,, and" nor" arc each follow ecl by
)"·
11111.
ld "]
an infinitive co mpleting" wou ·
'Vro n . Ile is not only discourteous to the students
but ~iso to the teacher. ["Not only" is fo_llo:ved by
an ac1..1 ec t"iv e , "but also" by a phrase modlfymg the
adj ective.]
d t b t
Ri rrht: Il e is discourteous n ot only to. the stu en~ f ~
bl 0 to the teach er. [Th e co rrelatives are eac
oas
lowed by a phnise limiting ' ' d"iscour tcous . ' ' ]

113. Do not make :t sentence-element simi~~r ~n form lncorrccr.
pa.rallel1sm
to a p rccc< l .mg e1e ment with which it is not coordmate..
Misleacling: Ile is a blunt, manly. fe llow, who adm'.r~s
soldier and despises an effemmate fop, who stru s
: bout affectedly and dresses daintily·
.
Jli rr ht : He is a blunt, manly fellow, who admires ~ s?1die r and despises an effeminate , affected, damt1ly
dressed fop.

i'

52
Junction
of incongruous
substantives

-

114. Do not join by and and put in the same grammatical construction, two substantives or substantive
clauses widely differing in logical function.
Bad : The story tells of the bravery and promotion of a.
private. ["Bravery" designates a <11mlity, "promotion '' designates an experience.]
Right: The story tells of a private's bravery and of his
promotion.

··1

i

!

Bad : He tells in vivid language how dangerous to a
vessel is the breaking loose of a cannon on wheels,
and how a ship's gunner captured an escaped cannon.
[The substantive clause "how dangerous to a vessel
is the breaking loose of a cannon" designates a general
truth; the substantive clause" how a ship's gunner captured an escaped cannon" dcsignat~s a specific event.]
Right: Ile tells in vivid language how a cannon on
wheels broke from its fastenings on a ship (explaining
the perils that attend such an accident), and how it
was captured by a gunner.
Series
form for
dissimilar
elements

Method of
correction

LOGICAL AGlWEMENT

. STHUCTURE O.F SENTENCES

115. The formula a, b, and c, should not be used for
sentence-elements not coordinate. (See Exercise XLI.)
Bad : He was tall, slim, and wore a black coat. [Here
a and b are adjectives, and c is a verb. ]
Bad: We denounce the act as cruel, barbarous, and
sincerely regret that it occurred. [Here a and b are
adjectives and c is a verb.]

116. Violations of the foregoing rule may be corrected
(1) by inserting and between a and b, or (2) by conforming c to a and b. Thus:
Right: (1) He was tall and slim, and wore a black
coat; [ or] (2) He was tall, slim, and attired in a
black coat.
Right: (1) We denounce the act as cruel and barbarous, and sincerely regret that it occurred; [or] (2)
We denounce the act as cruel, barbarous, and worthy of condemnation by all right-thinking sophomores.

53

Logical .Agreement

117 Every sentence-element should be in . logi~al agreeaccord. with the rest of the sentence. (In connec~on w;th ment of
sentenceLogical

this rnlc sec Rule 28 and Exercise XLII.
ee a so members
S1~bject, ,Ca,use, and Beason in the Glossary.)
e names sixteen were chosen to be memA. Bad : Of the~
' ( mes) " does not agree logically
bers. ["Sixteen na
,,
with "were chosen to be members. ]
h
t be
Hight: Of the persons name d S 1•xteen were c osen o
members.
.
.
1 life of a hod-carrier is sometimes happier
B. Bad : T ie .
["'fl1e life,, does not agree logically
than a prmce.
•
with "is happier than a prm~e. ")
.
. r
Jtiirht: The life of a hod-earner is sometimes happie
th:w that of a prince.
.
hated to submit to the rules, -viz., church
.
C. Illogical : He '
, k ' a [Church attendance and
attcnllauce and not smo m,..,.
.
{
tobacco are not rules.]
al>strncuce rom
'
.'
mel those
Jt'••ht. Ile hated to submit to the rules, - ~a
Yf
i,,
". .
attendance at church and abstmence rom
reqmrmg
smoking.
.

.D. Illogical: A fireman s~~~:nr~~:~s
Right: A fireman se
engineer.

:~~~: ~~ee~~~~:i~~

of

. .
. d to other members of
When a thmg is compa1e
1 t cl by a than or an
its own class in a statement comp e e
.
·1·
ti ~ standard of comparison in the than or the
a.'l c .wsr, '
tl
else or by an
as clause should be restricted by o ier or
'

Other or
else in a

equivalent wonL
· 11eav1·er than any metal.
Jllorrical : Leall is
Higl1t : Lead is heavier than any other meta1. .
. grea t er tl1an any English poet.
. l . Shakespeare is
.
Ill og1ca
other English
·
Right : Shakespeare is greater t 1ian any
poet.
119 When a thing is compared to the members of a
class to which it does not belong, in a statement com-

When
correct

118 ·

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than or as

clause:

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incorrect

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REDUNDANCE

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

55
Incorrect

pleted by a than or an as clause, the standard of comparison in the than or as clause should not be restricted
by othe1· or else or any equivalent word.
Illogical : That little word hoine means more to me than
any other word of twice its length.
Hight: That littl e word home means more to me than
any word of twice its length.
The of
phrase
limiting a
superlative

120. In the of phrase limiting an adjective or an adverb in the superlative degree, (a) The object of ~f should be a plural noun or a collective noun, not a noun designating an individual person
or thing.
Illogical: He is the tallest of a11y man in the rcgilllcnt.
Hight: Il e is the tallest of all the men i11 the regilllcnt;
[or] li e iR the tallest man of the regilllent.
(ltight: Ile is taller than any other . man in the regiment.)

(b) The object of of should designate a class to which
the subject of comparison belongs, not a class to \Vhich it
does not belong.
·
Illogical: Blackbirds make tlie best pie of all birds. [A
pie cannot be the best of birds.]
Right : Ilhtckbirds make the best pie of all game pies.
(Hight : Illackbirds make better pie than any other
birds.)

(c) The object of of should not be restricted by other
or else or any equivalent word.
Illogical : Shakespeare is the greatest of all other English
poets.
Right : Shakespeare is the greatest of all English poets.

Negation
Double
negative

121. Double negative (i.e., the use, in a sentence, of
two or more negative words not coordinate, - as "I could
not find it nowhere") is forbidden by modern usage. (See
Exercise XLIII.)

122. J{ardly, scarcely, only, and but used in _the negative
sense of only are often incorrectly joined with a negative. with
hardly,
etc.
(See. Exercise XLIV.)
'Vrong: It was so misty that we couldn't hardly see.
Right: It was so misty that we could hardly see.
Wrong: For a minute I couldn't scarcely tell where I was.
Right: For a minute I could scarcely tell where I was.
Wrong: They are not allowed to go only on Saturdays.
Right: They are allowed to go only on Saturdays.
·wrong : There isn' t but one store.
Right: There is but one store.

Redundance

123. Avoid tautology, -i.e., the useless repetition of ~:;tol­
ttn idea, in part or entire.

Bad : If I

had abundant wealth and plenty of re-

sources . . .
Right : If I had abundant wealth . · ·
Bad : Will you please r epeat that again ?
Right: Will you please repeat that ?
Bad: The autobiography of my life.
Hight: My autobiography.
124. Avoid pleonasm, - i.e., the use of _words which Pleonasm
do not involve repetition of thought, but which arc structurally unnecessary.
Bad: There were two hundred students went.
llight: Two hundred. students went.
Bad : It has no relation as to time or place.
RiO'ht: It has no relation to time or place.
B:d: They went through with the fori;n~lities.
Right : They went through the formalities.

125. Avoid burdening a statement with too many ~~~~di­
wor<ls.
Wordy: Yesterday I had occasion to be a witness of a
very interesting incident.
. . .
Hight•: Yesterday I saw an interestmg mc1dent.

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STHUCTURE OF SENTENCES

HEl'ETITION OF WORDS

Wordy·
• I it tho phy11icia11 ma1lo a statement
: . At mt'<l tug
.saymg that the governor was better .
Right: At midnight the physician stated tha t the 0o-overnor was better.
Wordy : ~Y. ~ little inquiry on my part, I found that h
was a N1h1hst.
e
Right: By a little inquiry I found that he was a Nihilist.
See also the Bad examples under Rules 16 and 129,
note.

R epetition of 1'Vords
Repetition
126. Do not use a word in two senses in the same
with a
sentence
or within a short space.
change of
meaning
Bad. : Since several years passed since the death of I .
Wife , , •

llS

Rig~1t: .several years having passed since the death of

bts W ife , • ,
Bad: 1. couldn't get up courage
to get up an d in~
ves t 1ga t e.
Right; I couldn't summon courage to get up and investigate.
Awkward
repetition

127. Avoid awkward and needless .rep etition of a
wor<l or phrase.
Bad : MacArthur was to speak on that day . h ence we
selected that day for our trip.
'
Bad: He s~id that the orders said that uniforms must
be worn m future.

Method of
correction

Awkward
avoidance
of repetition

128. Violations of the foregoing rule are wma lly best
correct ed by r ecasting, not by merely substituting synonyms for the r epeat ed words. Thus :
Right: That was the day on which MacArthur was to
.;ieak; we ~lt erefo re selected it for our trip.
R1"' h~: He ~a id that the orders required the wearin"
of
0
uniforms m future.

129. ~refer repetition, however. to labored and awkward avoidance of it.

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57

Awkwanl: Hit has thifl cfCect 011 a h e:ilLhy Akin, it will
h ave a worse result on an inflamed cuti cle.
I'rcfernble : If it b as this effect on a h ealthy skin, it will
. hav e a worse effect on an infla med skin.

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NoTE. -A co nstant straining for conspicuous synonyms Straining
to use in referring t o something previously m entioned is a for syncharacteristic m annerism of n ewspaper writers (cf. Rules · onyms
2 c and lG). Avoid this practice ; r epeat the noun, or else
ch oose an in conspicuous synonym .
Dad: At th e faculty m eeting yesterday the question of
football was again discussed. Those of that learned
aggregation who opposed the gridiron game succumbed
at the final vote. [See Rule 125.]
Improved : At the faculty m eeting yesterday the quest ion of football was again discussed. The oppon ents
of the game were defeated at the fin al vote.
Bad: The extreme warm weather during the past several
wcelrn hn.s not exactly been conuucive of producing
r cconl-brcakin g scores at th e Y. M. C. A. bowling
alleys. In fact it h as almost been too warm for even
the m ost ardent lovers of th e tenpin game, and
enthus iasm has fo r some time been at a rather low
ebb. [See Rule 12G.]
Right: Th e extremely warm weather of the past several
weeks has discouraged the production of high scores
at the Y. M . C. A. bowling alleys. It h as been almost
too warm for even the most enthusiastic bowlers, and
the general interest in the game has been slight.
Bad: President Roosevelt is willing to m edi ate in the
telegraphers' strike if th e k ey m en and their employers
request him to act as arbiter in the big tie-up. [See
Jlu le 12G. J
Ri ght: l'rcRidcnt Roosevelt is willing to mediate in
the tel egraphers' strike· if the t elegraph ers and their
employers request his services.
Careless

130. When the conjunction that is separated by in- repetition

of the
t ervening w ords from the subj ect and predicate which it conjunction that
introduces, guard against the careless repetition of that.

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58

Wrong: It is pleasant to reflect that after all this work
has been done and all these difficulties have been conquered, that we shall get a good rest.
Right: It is pleasant to reflect that after all this work
has been done and all these difficulties have been con·
quered, we shall get a good rest.

Euphony
Concurrence of
like

sounds

Absolute

phrases:

Absolute

pronoun

UNITY OF A COMPOSITION

STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

131. For euphony, avoid a succession of like sounds.
Avoid rhyme in prose.
Not euphonious: The chilling blasts blowing with cutting
force.
Bad: My first year was the best of my college career.
Bad: Then came the time for the heart-breaking leavetaking.
Bad : The fountains were kept playing night and day to
keep up the display.

132: Absolute phrases arc often a useful aid to proper
subordination and to smoothness of style. But there are
two kinds of absolute phrases which, being conspicuously
awkward, are best avoided; viz.,
(a) Absolute phrases in which the substanti,re is a pro·
noun.
Clumsy: He gave up the task, it being too difficult.
Better: He gave up the task as too difficult.
Clumsy: I being unacquainted with the road, my party
got lost.
Better: Since I was unacquainted with the road, my
party got lost.
NOTE.- Such an absolute phrase is particularly objection·
able when the pronoun refers to the subject of the sentence.
In such cases wordiness is added to awkwardness, since the
pronoun is pleonastic (see Rule 124).

Bad : I made a trip to Catalina Island in 1902, I being
then in my tenth har.
Better: I made a trip to Catalina Island in 1902, being
then in my tenth year.
·

59

Bad : The furnace could not be repaired, immediately,
it being red-hot.
· d
netter : Being red-hot, the furnace could not be repa1re
immediately.
Latinistlc
(b) Absolute phrases in which t~ie snbstant~vc is mod- phrases
ified by a perfect participle, especially a ~a~s1ve .perfect
participle. Such phrases ar.e clum~y, umd10rnat1c, and
sugO'estive of elementary Latm exercises.
0
•
d
Clumsy: His horse having been fed, Macy contmue
his journey.
·
d
Better : ·when his horse had b een fed, Macy contmue
his journey.

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133. Do not make many sentences in a c~mpositio.n
or a passage monotonously alike in co~st~uct10n. Tl11s
principle is often violated (a) by b~grnm~g many senten ces near each other with after, with this or th.ese, or
with there is or there are ; (b) by nsing with noticeable
frequen cy a compound sentence with two members. of
about eqnal length joined by and or but ; ( c) by usmg
participial or absolute phrases with noticeable freq~ency j
and (d) by the habitual use of so as a connective (cf.

Forms of

expression
noticeably
frequent

Rule 99).
Structure of Larger Units of Discourse

Unity of a Composition
gen134. A composition should treat a single subjec: and The
eral prin·
should treat it throughout according to a self-consistent ciple

.

~~~

The following composition is an exam~le of the violation of unity by failure to hold to one subject:
OUR TRIP UP SPRUCE CREEK

While I was in Port Orange, Mr. Doty, the pro?rietor
of the hotel there, took some of. his guests five miles up

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STRUCTURE OF LARGER UNITS
Spruce Creek on a launch. It was the third of February. As the boat steamed up the creek, we stood on
the deck, some of us taking pictures and others shooting
at alligators with revolvers. The alligators are of all
sizes. Sometimes you will see one seven or eight feet
long, lying on the bank in the sunshine. As the boat
goes past, he slides into the water aml sw ims away
with only his head above the water. ' 'Vhen we have
gone a little farther, we see another al ligator about four
feet long, with ten or twelve little ones crawlin 0o- over
her back.
·when the launch has gone about five miles, it stops
at the wharf of an orange grove. Here the passengers
are allowed to take all the oranges they want. After
they have walked about the grove for a while, they have
a picnic dinner, and then start back.

The writer of the foregoing composition keeps to his
subject - a trip which he took up Spruce Creek on
February 3 - for only three sentences. After the third
sentence he shifts to a different su bjcct - the Spruce
Creek trips in general - and throughout the rest of the
composition forgets all about "our trip." Unity may be
given to this composition (a) by making it entirely a
narrative, dealing with the trip of February 3; or (b)
by making it, throughout, a general discussion of the
Spruce Creek picnics provided by lVIr. Doty.
Too big
a subject

135. A very small essay on a very large subj ect such as Character, Patriotism, Selfishness, Advertising,
The Waste of Energy- usually violates the principle of
unity. It usually consists of a number of brief scraps
of discussion, each dealing with a different division of the
subject. The divisions of so large a subject are themselves large; the essay therefore reads like a fragmentary
and disconnected treatment of a number of distinct subjects, not like a connected treatment of a single subject.
. ~hen a short essay is to be written on a hig subject,
it is best to choose some single, well-defined phase of the

UNITY OF A COMPOSITION

61

subj ect. For example, choose The Difference between Character and Reputation, rather than Character; The ·work
of Patriotic \V omen during the Spanish-American War,
rather than Patriotism; Selfishness in the Conduct of
Students toward their Parents, rather than Selfishness;
Adverti sing as a N ecessary Measure of Self-Defense,
rather th:rn Advertising ; The Value of a Daily Schedule, rather than The vVaste of Energy; How Students'
Adversities aid them toward Sur.cess, rather than Success.

136. In reproducing a story (e.g., the story of JJfac- Shifting
the tense
beth) or in composing a story, do not shift carelessly be- in narra-

tween the present and the past tenses. Decide at the tive
beginning which tense to use, and use it consistently.
(Of. Rule 19.)

137. In a story the opening events of which are told Shifting
the poiut
as having been seen or participated in by the narrator, of view in
the intrutlnction of events or speeches or thoughts which narrative
the narrator, acconling to his own account, could not
have seen or heard or known, is a flagrant violation of
unity.
Thus, the italicized part of the following extract violates unity :
I strolled down to the boat-house at six o'clock yesterday even ing. As I got there a row-boa~ was app_roach~
ing the wharf containing a man and a girl who I Judged
must have arrived from the country very recently. They
had started f or Picnic Point at two o' clock. On the
way the young man had had great d~(Jiculty at the unfamiliar work of rowing. Often his oars would slip
and send a shower of water into the girl's lap, at
which he woi.ild say, " Oh, I am so sorry I" and she
would reply, " Oh, that's all right. " . . . As they
nem·ed the whmf, he was anxiously wondering whether
he could land without accident. Jimmy, the keeper

of the boat-house, stood ready to assist at the disem"Qarkation. . . .

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STRUCTURE OF LARGER UNITS

..

A story in which unity is thus violated may be cor·
rected. (a) by omitting all events, speeches, and thoughts
of which the narrator could not, according to his own
account, . have been aware at the time th ey t ook place
(e.(J., 01.n1tti11g ~he italicized passage in the story <pwtcd);
(b) by ~utroducrng all such events, speeches, and thoughts
as havmg been learned by the narrator after they t ook
place (e.g., making the oarsman in the above-quoted
~t~ry tell the narrator, in a subsequent conversation, what
is i~~roperly related in the italicized passage); or (c) by
o~itti~g all reference to the narrator - telling everythmg impersonally (e.g., omitting from the above-quoted
story all preceding the italicized part and continuing
without any reference to the narrator).
Shifting
138. If a description is introduced by narrative with
the tense
in descrip- the object of picturing a thing as it appeared on a ~ertaiu
tion
occasion in the past, the past tense should be used

throughout the composition; carelessly shifting to the
present tense changes the point of view and violates
unity.
Shifting
. 139. Do not change the point of view of a composifrom point
t10n
or of a passage by shifting carelessly from I to one,
of view of
one person from we t~ the observer, from JJOU to a person, etc.
to that of
Keep consIStcntly to one point of view unless there is
another

good reason for changing.

Organization of a C01nposi:tion
The general principle

140. In order that a composition be effective, it must
not mer~ly contain good thoughts or interesting statements; it must be a well-organized whole. It can not
be a well-organized whole if the writer puts down thoughts
or statements at haphazard, just as they occur to him.
To ~et. good organization, a writer must proceed by a
defimte plan ; that is, he must, before he begins to write,

ORGANIZATION O.F A COl\lPOtSlTlON- -63

or at least before he puts the composition into its final
form, decide on a few topics, and on each topic write a
passage (sec Rule 142), constituting a unit of the whole
composition. Unless this plan of organization is followed,
the com1H>Hition iH likely to be a mere collection of pieces
- not a wcll-111adc whole. 'l'hc pieces may be individually good, lint the composition is poor. As in warfare a
band of men, though strong and brave individually, is
collectively weak if it is not well organized; so a speech,
a report, an editorial, an essay, any composition, though
its parts may be forcible or clever, is weak as a whole
if it is not well organized.
For example, an essay on D enver consists of a short
paragraph on each of the following topics :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
G.
7.
8.
fl.

10.
11.

12.
1!1.

Location.
History.
Local pride.
Water supply (derive<l from mountain snow).
Capitol and United States mint.
Museums.
Principal businesses.
Dwelling houses (none built of wood) •
f'chools.
Wcalt.h of citizens.
Th e city as a health resort.
C h m chcs.
St.range spectacle of men skating in winter in their
Rhirt,.<;]ecves.

This production, however interesting its material, is as
far from being a good composition as two wheels, a diamond frame, a chain, and a pair of handle bars, all piled
in a heap, are from being a good bicycle. It is a series
of haphazard remarks not organized into a whole. There
is no reason for most of the parts' standing where they
are - no reason, e.g., for discussing public buildings after
the water supply, or skaters' costumes after churches.
The material of this essay may be organized into a whole

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STRUCTURE OF LARGER UNITS

-

by the method shown in the following outline. The
numbers within the brackets refer to parts of the preceding outline.
I. History. [2]
II. Location and climate. [Put 1 and 13 here-13
as an illustration of the statements about the
climate.]
III. Especially striking peculiarities of the city.
I. Evidences of its being a health resort. [11]
2. Absence of wooden buildings. [8]
3. Public buildings. [5]
4. Water supply. [4]
5. Most striking of all, - local pride. [3]
IV. Conditions of the people's life.
1. Economic : l'rincipal occupations.
General
wealth. [7 and 10]
2. Etlucational and moral: Schools, museums,
churches. [9, 6, and 12]
Passages
misplaced

141. Material belonging to one part of an essay should
not be placed carelessly in another part.
In the following paragraph, the italicized sentence is
evidently misplaced:
The physical training departm~nt of our college is
very good and is constantly improving. A good gymnasium for the women is greatly needed, to replace the
present unsatisfactory make-shift. As I am more acquainted with the work of the girls, I shall confine
myself to the physical training provided for them.
The italicized sentence docs not helo11g in this introductory part, but in a subsequent part,-viz., that which
discusses the equipment for the girls' exercise.

Unity and
completeness of
each part

142. In an expository essay each of the passages constituting the major units (see the third sentence of Rule
140) should be somewhat like a distinct composition;
just as a military company is a complete organization
within itself, as well as a unit in a regiment. In other
words, each main division of the essay should be a well-

COHERENCE

-

65

organizc<l, wcll-i11trotlnccd, well-concluded whole, which
would seem rounded and complete if it stood by itself.

Coherence

143. The opening sentences of a formal composition
should be self-explanatory; they should be clear to the
reader without reference to the title of the composition.
Bad:
LAMPS
They are contrivances for furnishing
light. • . .

Coherent
beginning

artificial

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LAMPS
Lamps arc contrivances for furnishing artificial
light..•

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Ilatl: MY vVoRK DURING THE PAST T1rnM
Latin and German were more difficult than any
other studies. . . .

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Right: MY 'Vomc DURING THE PAST TERM
In my work during the past term, I had more difficulty
with Latin and German than with any other studies.

~

Distinct
introducwhole composition or of a paragraph, should be clearly tion of a
new part

144. The beginning of a new division, either of a

marked so that the reader will not begin reading the
new di~ision supposing that the preceding division still
co11ti1111cs. For marking the beginning of a new part,
the following are useful means:
(a) A transitional sentence or group of sentences, such
as the following :
So much for [the subject of the preceding division].
It remains to mention [the subject of the new division] .

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Transition sentence or
paragraph

(b) Connective words, phrases, and other expressions, Connective words
such as again; in the second place j another cause ~f [~he and
subject under which the several divisions fall]; equally mi- phrases
portant with the preceding consideration is . . . ; etc.

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STRUCTURE OF LARGER UNITS

Placing
( c) Placing near the beginning of the first sentence of
key words the new division the word or words that indicate the subat the
beginning ject of the new division. For example, after discussing
the abuses of college athletics, to begin a new division
with the words "The remedy . . . "makes the change of
topic immediately evident.
After discussing a statesman's foreign policy, to begin a new division with th(f
" makes the
words " His internal administration
change of topic immediately evident.
Coherence
145. W hen a sentence or a passage states a con.
of a state- sequence of what precedes, this relation, unless it is
ment of
conseimmediately obvious, should be iudicated by some conquence
nective word, phrase, or other expression, such as therefore, hence, for this reason, the result is . . . , etc.

146. W hen a passage makes an abatement from a
Coherence
of an
preceding
assertion, this relation should . usually be
abatemeut
indicated by some connective, such as to be sure; I
adniit; there is, to be sure, an exception . . . ;· etc.
Coherence
147. ·when a passage makes a statement contrastinrrb
•
of a conwith
what precedes, this relation should usually be intrasting
part
dicated by some connective, such as bnt, yet, on the other
hand, nevertheless, however, etc.

148. Lack of connective words or sentences between
Coherence
of a constatement
and a contradiction of it is especially apt to
a
tradiction
cause incoherence.
Incoherent : Some people think clerking is an easy job
and that a clerk ought never to be tired. Clerks stay
closely housed day after day, working from six in the
morning to ten at night. . . .
Coherent [the necessary connective is supplied] : Some
people think the occupation of a clerk is easy and
that a clerk ought never to be tired. This is not the
case. In the first place, clerks stay closely housed
day after dav. etc.

II. PUTTI NG DISCOURSE ON PAPER
Spelling
Doubling

149. A monosyllable or a word accented on the last final con-

syllable, if it ends in one consonant preceded by o.ne sonants:
vowel doubles the final consonant when a suffix begm- General
ning ,~ith a vowel is added. Thus: bid, bidden j quiz, rule
quizzes. (See Exercises XLV, XL VI.)
Before
150. From the foregoing rule it follows that a vei:b ~f in,g
and
one syllable or a verb accented on the last syllable, if it ed
ends in one consonant preceded by one vowel, doubles the
final consonant when ed or ing is added. Thus : drop,
dron1ed, drozJping. (Sec Exercises XLV, XLVI.)
Dropping
151. vVords ending in silent e usually drop the e before finale:
a suffix beginning with a vowel. Thus: love, lovable ; General
rule
stone, stony. (See Exercises XLVII, XLVIII.)
152. From the foregoing rule it follows that a verb Before
ending in silent e drops the e when ing is added.
shine, shining. (See Exercise XL VIII.)

Thus:

ing

153. An exception to Rule 151: Words ending ii~ ce Derivatives from
or qe do not drop the e when ous or able is added. words in
·Th~s : notice, noticeable ; 01itrage, outrageous. (See ce and ge
Exercise XLIX.)
Non:. - C and fl in words of ·French, Latin, an.d Greek
derivation usually have the soft sound before e, i , and y,
as cede, genial, civil, giant, cyanide, gymnas.i nm; else"'.here
they have the hard sound, as calendar, Gallic, CO(le, ~01 go.n,
acute, gitsto . (G et, ge ese, gew-ga~, geld, gi.ddy, gift, gig,
giggle, gild, begin, gird, girdle, girl, ~nd give are ~o~ of
the. above-mentioned derivation.) Notice how the prmc1ple
67

l

~

' '
I
I

I

I

' '

' I
I I
I

I

I

j ',

I:
i

tr

'i
'I

I
\

08

Sl'ELLING

SPELLING
applies to accent, accident, flaccid, occiput, accept, acciwate,
desiccate, except, excuse. On account of this principle, the
e must be retained in such words as noticeable and com·ageous, in order to keep the soft sound of c and g.
Change of

?I to i:

Nouns

154. A noun ending in y preceded by a consonan t
forms the plural in ies; as library, libraries. A noun
ending in y preceded by a vowel forms the plural in ys;
as valley, valleys. ( See Exercise L.)

Verbs

155. A verb ending in y preceded by a consonant
forms its present third singular in fas and its past in ied.
Thus : rely, relies, relied ; marry, rnarries, niarried.
(See Exercise LI.)

Change of

156. Verbs ending in ie change ie to y before ing.
Thus: lie, lying. (See Exercise LIL)

Plurals in
an<l es

157. Nouns ,e111ling in a consonant a<hl es, to form
the plural, when the plural has a n extra syllable; when
the plural has no extra syllable, they a<l<l 0 11 ly ,c;. Thus:
lass, lasses; lad, lads. (See Exercise LIU.)

ie toy
8

Present

158. Verbs ending in a consonant add es to make

third singthe present third singular form when that form has an
ular ins
and

es

extra syllable; when it has no extra syllable, they add
only s. Thus : niiss, misses ; proclaim, proclaims.
( See Exercise LIV.)

Receive,
believe,
etc.

159. In case of doubt whether to use the digraph ei
or the digraph ie in words like receive and believe, the
question may be determined by reference to the word
Celia. If c precedes the digraph, e follows the c, as in
Celia. Thus: receive, conceive, perceive, deceive. If
l precedes the digraph, i follows the l, as in Celia..
Thus: beUeve, relieve. (See Exercise LXI.)

Principal
prin-

160. In case of doubt whether t o use principal or
p1·inciple, remember that the word which contains a (prin-

and

ciple

cipal) is the adj ective, and the other word the noun.
(See Exercises LXXI, LXXII.)

..

69

NoTE -Principal meaning a school officer is an adject.ive
modifyiI;g a noun (o.ffice1·) ~ndersto?d·. Principal meanm:
a sum of money is an adjective mod1fymg a noun (sum) un
derstood.
161. Iu modern prose (the rule docs not ~ol<l. in 0 and oh
poetry) the spellings O and oh of the common mt~1:iection are employed as follows : 0 is use~ w~en the i~terjection serves as the poetic or archaic sign of. ~uect
address 1· as " I am come, 0 Cresar,'' " 0 ye spmts of
Olll• f"a th ei·s , " " O God , we pray thee,"
. . " I . fear for. thee,
O my country." ·when the interJect1on is u sed m a~y
other way than as the sign of direct address, - that is,
· in the great majority of cases, - it is spelled oh ; e.g.,
"Oh 11 0 it is 110 trouble," "Oh! you ought not to do
that" ,;My child! oh, my child!" "I will do i t - and
oh,
t ho way, ~vhcrc's the key 1"
NoTJ•: . - o should always be capitalize<l, and, when used Punctuawith
in the manner stated above, should not b~ followed by any tOion
an<l oh
mark of punctuation. Oh is not capitali zed except at the
beginning of a sentence, and may be followed by an exclamation point, a comma, or no mark at all.

Ly

162. The misspelling of the following words should
be avoided with particular care:
Accommodate.
Across. Notice that in across, amount, apart, and arouse,
the consonant fo llow ing a is not doub~ed.
Advice (noun), advise (verb). Sec Exercise LXXIII..
,,
as
"alnght.
All 11·'rr,, ] I t • Two words. Th ere is no such word
•
b
Altar ("the altar of the church " ). Alter is aver ·
Amount. See the note after Ac1·oss.
Angel ("the angel Gabriel") . Angle means corner.
Associ ate angel with angelic.
Apart. See the note after A cross.
Apparatus.
Arouse. See the note after Across.
Arrange.
Arrive, arrival.
Ascend, ascent. Cf. descend, descent.

~~~-~!~~~at
are commonl y mis
spelled

I'

70

SPELLING

Athletic, athletics, athlete
Awkward.
Balance.
Believe. See Rule 159, and Exercise LXI.
Benefit, beneficial.
Boundary.
Burglar.
Business. See Exercise LXV.
Choose, chose, chosen.
Coming. See Rules 151, 152 ; and see Exercise XL VIII.
Commit, commission, committee.
Comparative.
Consent.
Deceased ("his deceased uncle").
Diseased m eans
ajJlicted 1cith disease.
Definite. Cf. infinite.
Descend, descent. Cf. ascend, ascent.
Describe, description.
Desert(" a barren desert"). Dessert means last course of
meal.
Device (noun), devise (vel'b). See Exercise LXXIII.
Different, difference. Cf. excellent, excellence; independent,
independence.
Dining room.
See Rules 151, 152 ; and see Exercise
XLVIII.

a

DD~sappe~r. } See Exercise LXII.

1sappomt.
Discipline. Cf. fascinate.
Eighths (" three eighths" etc.). Cf. hundredths, thousandths.
Embarrass, embarrassment.
Etc. Abbreviation for et cetera.
Excellent, excellence. Cf. different, difference ; independent, independence.
Existence. Cf. experience, sentence, reference, preference,
deference, conference, inference.
Experience. See Existence.
Fascinate. Cf. discipline.
Finally. See Exercise L V.
Formerly. Not to be confused with formally
Forty. But four, fourteen.
Grammar.

SPELLING

71

Grievous. Cf. mischievous.
Guanl.
I
Height. There is no such word as " heigh th." Ifighth s
obsolete.
Humorous. See Exercise LIX.
Hundredths. Cf. eighths, thousandths.
Impromptu.
. .
,,
Incident. Not "111c1dence.
Independent, in d epen d ence. C f. different, difference, excellent, excellence.
Infinite. Cf. definite.
Invitation.
Itself. Cf. oneself. See Rule 164.
Laboratory.
Lai<l. Not "layed."
]~:1.t.<~r (" Ron11er or later").
Latter ("the former, the latter").
Led. See Exercise LXVII.
Lightnin g.
Lose. See Exercise LXVI.
Macaulay.
Mathematics.
Meant.
Messenger.
Misc hievous. Cf. grievous.
Month.
Murmur.
Mystery, mysterious.
Necessary, necessity.
Niagara.
Occn.sio 11 , occasional, occasionally. See Exercise LVI.
Occur, occurred, occurring, occurrence. See Rules 1499
HiO; and see Exercises XLV, XLVI.
Officer. Cf. prisoner.
Omit, omission.
Oneself. Cf. itself. See Rule 164.
Operate, operation.
Opportunity.
Origin, original.
l'arnllel.
l':trb1 er.
Possess, possession.

'

I

v

I1'

I:.

' I'

72

LEGilllLITY

SPELLING

Prece?e, P!·oceed, recede, concede, succeed, supersede. See
Exercise LXIV.
Preference. See Existence.
Preparation.
Principal. i
Principle. f See Rule 160 and Exercises LXXI, LXXII.
Prisoner. Cf. officer
Privil ege.
Proceed. See Precede.
Profession. l
.
Professor. ~ Sec Exercise LXIII.
Prove.
Pursue.
Quiet.
Rapid.
Receive. See Rule 159 and Exercise LXI.
Recognize.
Recommend, recommendation.
Reference. See Existence.
Repetition,
Safety.
Sentence. Sec E.7:istence.
Separate, separation.
Similar.
Sophomore.
Specimen.
Speech. But speak.
Stretch.
Studying.
Sur prise.
Symmetry, sy mmetrical.
Their.
Therefore . Not "therefor," which = for it.
Thorough.
Thousandths. Cf. eighths, hundredths.
Together.
Too. See Exercise LXVIII.
Truly.
Until.
Vengeance.
Village.
Villain.

..

73

W en.k (=feeble) .
Weck (=seven days).
'iVoman.
'iVritcr, writing. See Rules 151, 152 ; and see Exercises

XLVlI,XLVIlI.
Yacht.

163. The members of each of the following italicized Incorrect
expressions should be written as separate words :
all right
p er r,ent. (See Rule 4 i. )
all r eady (adjective)
in order
near by
in spite
any one
som e time (noun)
some day
every one
every time
some one
a while (noun)
no one
(on the) other hand

164. Each of the following expressions should be
·
· l
d. ·d d
d
wntten as a smg e un iv1 e wor :
altogether
anything
my Relf
although
something
yourself
inasmuch
sometimes
himself
moreover
somewhat
herself
11ot witl 1Htandiug
whoever
it,i:;elf
11c vcrtheless
whatever
oneself
nowadays
whichever
anybody
farewell
whenever
everybody
outside
wherever
somebody
already (adverb) inside
nobody

uniting of
separate
words

Incorrect
division
of single
words

Legibility

165. Let a liberal space intervene between consecutive Space
between
lines in a manuscript. Do not let the loops off's, g's, lines
j's, q's, y' s, and z' sin any line descend below the general
level of the loops of b's, f's, h's, lc's, and l's, in the line
below. (Compare Plates I and II.)
166. Do not crowd consecutive words close together. Space between
words
( Compare Plates I and II.)

! '

I

I

2
3

5
6

7

'

8

9

11

12
13

PLATE I

~

1

2 }''" •

4

~ a-1.-~,

~~C-~..:t~~ ? •

s

~!

4

L

;~

L~

L

"w-Lf. ~ ~

J. -f;_-f-'-'-~

~

.

14

;_ ~ t..L...c.~;,tL

L

:_._
f<.-~·ei.·

...Li . ~f_

5~ ~ ~~ L - ~ ~
6~~-t~~;
1 '--;

~ ~ ~

s

~

9

~it.t,

I ~ ~ ~ ~f-J

.e..: ..... t, ~F~·~1 ~ ~

:-- -tLt

~~ e~~ ~
PLATE II

~

(

76

AltRANG GMEN'.L

LEGIBILITY

Ex t ra
167. Between a period, a question mark, an exclamasp ace after
peri od ,e tc . tion mark, a semicolon, a colon, a word immediately be-

fore a direct quotation, the last word of a direct quotation,- between any of these and a worcl foll owing on the
same line, leave double the usual space between words.
(Sec Plate II, lines 1, 2, 3, ancl 9; and compare the corresponding places in Plate I.)
Crowdin g
m a rks of
pun ctuation
Crowding
a t bottom
of p age
Ga ps between
le tters
0bli']110
a nd

Dots a nd
crossstrok es

168. Do not crowd marks of pun ctuation close to one
another or to the words next them. ( See Plate I, lines
1, 2, and 9, ancl compare the correspondiug places in
Plate II.)
169. D o not crowcl the writing a t th e bottom of a
page ; take a new page.
170. Do not leave gaps between consecutive letters in

' 77

J'l•I A 1,u ;:,1.; Ril".l

Vl!

176. ·wri te Roman nnmbers, not in thi s manner:

II, Ill. IY. YI!I. IX
but in this :
IJ; •

III. IE , Illl. . IX.. .

177. Jn fon11in g a letter tlo not !lr.corntc with fl onr- Cou spi"nishcr-; not necessary for itlcntifyi11g it, or with conspicuous ~~ ~CJn~rna~
shading. Avoicl especiall y such form s ns the following :

'G. r!J. ~.~.fr JfQ.

"'9· 'Yb· @. r

Prefer plain fo rms like the following :

73.C .

~.£ ,

F , f..I.,

h1, h, t>-,

T.

Arrangement of Manuscript

a word. Especially avoid leaving a wide interval between an initial capi tal and t he rest of the word.

The llfamtscript as a Whole
178. The paper fur the manuscript of a literary com-

171. Do not write anll on an oblique line.
172. D o not neglect dotting i's aud j 's and cross ing t' s
and x's.

poRit ion Rhonl<l be 11nrulc<l, 11nless spccinl circnrnstnnces,
such as the regulations of n class, rcr1uirc the contrnry.
The wri t ing shoul tl be done either with a t ypewriter or
with black ink. Only one side of each sheet of paper
shonlcl be written on. A mnnuscript should never be
rolled; it should go to its destinntion either tint, or fokl ccl'
as simply as possible.

173. P lace the cross of a t across the stem of the t,
not elsewh ere. Place the dot of an i or a j immediately
above the i or the j, not elsewhere.
17'1. Making the crosses of t's conspicuous for th eir
leng th, peculiar shape, or per.uliar direction is a hindrance
to legibility and an annoyance to the reader. Cross n t
with a strnight horizontal stroke not more thnn a quarter
of nn inch long.
Shape of
175. F orm qnotntion marks nncl apostrophes, not as
1notation
1narks a nd in this illustrntion :
aposti.-~s ~ ... &&IH..-1"s L ...-. ~''
trophes

but as in this :

a..-...:.

_tr;

.
........... )

S hape of
Roman
numbers

Pages
179. The pnges of n mnnnscript should be numbered
nt the t op, in Arnhi c, not Roman numbers.

Wri t in g
mate rial s
Only one
s id e of
pa per t o
b e used
R olling
n ot permissible
P age
numbers

180. The title shoulcl be written nt least two inches P osit ion
fr om th e t op of th e page. Between the title nnd the fi rst of title
line of the composit ion, a t lcnst an in ch should intervene.
181. The first line of ench page should stand at least Margin at
nn inch from the top of the pnge.
th e top
182. There should be a blnnk mnrgin of at least two Ma rgin at
the left
inches at the left side of ench page.

ts

ARRANGEMENT OF MANUSCRIPT

l'ARAGRAPJIS

Paragraphs

tc11ce. Parts of a com position that arc 1listinct in topic
may hy paragraphing be made disti11 ct to the eye also, an effect t hat decidedly promotes clearness. For instance,
suppose an essay on Queen Elizabeth discusses three
topics: (l) E lizabeth's personal character, (2) her character as a ruler, an<l (3) her popularity with her subjects.
To embody the three passages corresponding to these
three topics in separate paragraphs makes evident at
once the beginning and the end of each passage, and thus
enables the reader to grasp without effort the structure of the essay. On this consideration are based the
following rules (189-193) :

Meclianical JJiarks of a I'aragraph

Indention:
183. J11.111anuscript the first line of every paragraph
or ordiruiry
_sl.!.~t1l<J be indented at least an inch. (See Plate II, line 1.)
paraNo exception to the foregoing rule should be
graphs
ma<le when paragraphs are numbered.
Of numbered
Wrong:
paragraphs
I. What power has Congress to punish crimes?
II. State in what cases the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction.
III. IJow are presidential electors chosen? Would
it be constitutional for a State legislature to choose
them?
Right:
I . . What power has Con:;:ress to punixh cri111 eR?
JI. Stato in what cases the Suprc rn o Court has
original jurisdiction.
Ill. How are presidential electors chosen?
Would it be constitutional for a State legislatme to
choose them ?

@)

Irregular
indention

189. A pasRnge r.ntircly_distinct in topic from what
follows sho111d . (except when ltule 207 appli es) Le written as a separate paragraph.
Thus, suppose an essay on gasoline engines present.<>(m) An explanation of the operati?n of gasolineengin?s.
( n) An estimate of gasoline engmes as compared With
other kinds of engines.
prccc1lt~'! ,a111l

185. The firstJines~oJ_alL,par_agraphs should begin at
the same distance from the margin; do not indent the
heginning .of .. one _paragraph _an _incl~, that_of anothe; ·;;,~;;­
inches, that_of_ another half,,ary inc}i,_etc.

187. _. After__ the cn<l of a sentence <lo not leave the
re!nairul()r of the line blank unless the sentence cn<ls a para~
g~aph; begin t~ ~ i:iext sen~nce C2!1 the _same line, if there i,\l.
room,_ This rule is violated in Plate I, line 4.
D ivision of a Composition into Paragraphs
Para,qraphing as an Aid to Clea rness

The funda188. Paragraphing, if properly employed, gives the
mental
principle reader as much assistance in understanding a whole composition as p11nct11ation gives him in understanding a sen-

Appllcatiuns:

(i) l'nrn-

gra.phing
of <l istinct
parts

Parts m and n should be embodied in separate paragraphs. Suppose a story tells (m) The hero's visit to the bank and bis transactions
there.
(11) "\'Vhat wa,s happening meanwhile at the hero's
factory.

Incorrect
186 . . N9.. Ji.I!L !JXccpt _th_e _first __ Jine of a paragraph.
indention . should_b_e incJ~!1.~~dj1~- the slightest.
Incorrect
spacing
out

79

Parts m aml n should be embodied in separate paragraphs.

,S

oJ190. . A passage tha~ ~erves a~ ~n introduction or a Paraconclusion to a c_qm pos 1t10n ._c~ns1stmg . of se.veral._para:.
graphs should be paragraphed seP,arately, e~en iLiL!!Pn.of only one e>r .tw_o__ SflP.titn!!~.,
Correct paragraphing:
The large body of recent State legislation compelling
railway companies to reduce passenger fares, though

-sisb

i::raphs of
mtroduction and
conclusion

)

80

l:'Al\.AGRAr uS

AimANGEMENT OF MANUSCRIPT

81

,.,,---·

it probably sprang from good intentions, is likely to
have three unfortunate consequences.
[The main body of the essay consists of three para.
graphs, each discussing one of the three unfortunate
consequences.]
One can not foretell, of course, how many years will
elapse before these three results of the r ecent rail way
legislation will work themselves out; it may be fi ve
y ears, or it may be a dozen. But th at they will sooner
or later work themselves out seems, in the light of
,.Q_istory, practically certain.
Paragraphs of .
transition

~~A 12assa~th~t se.ry_~§.._Ipernly:Jo make a transi~
~~~!!~~-<?E~ . group_ C?f p_aragr.a:phs J9 a following gro\lP~

~1oul':!_. b~E~.~~:ehed seEaratel:¥.:..

Correct paragraphing:
[The achievements of Jtiacaulay as a man of lettn·s
are discussed for three or four paragraphs.]
Macaulay's political achievements, though less distinguished than his literary achievements, are worthy
of a somewhat detailed notice.
[Two 01· three paragraphs follow, dealing with
Macaulay's political career.]

Para-

"

~ ))1..!l~rrativ:e:s, as _a _rul.e, any.direct quotation, to-

graphing
.,g.~th er.:Xi!~l~!~~-~fJ_~~~E!~E~~- of ':vhich . it is a part, .
of djrect
quotations .~hm1ldJt~ -Paragi:apJ:ied _separ§ttely. · (See Exercise LXXIX.)

Right:
There were no takers. Not a man believed him capable of the feat. Thornton had been hurried into the
wager, heavy with doubt; and now that he looked at the
sled itself, th e concrete fact, with ~he regular team of ten
dogs curled up in the snow before it, the more impossibla
the task appeared. Math ewson waxed jubilant.
"Three to one," he proclaim ed. " I'll lay you another
thousand at that figure, Thornton. \Vhat d'ye say?"
Thornton's doubt was strong in his face, but his fio-hting spirit was aroused - the fighting spirit that s~ars
above odds, fails to recognize the impossible, and is
dP,af to all save the clamor for battle. He called Hans
and Pete to him. Their sacks were .••

~'-- ~ Rule 192 should be especially observed in the Dialogue
report of a conversation; each speech, regardless of length,
should be paragraphed separately. (See Exercise LXXIX)
·w rong:
"When did you arrive?" I asked. "An hour ago,"
he answered. "Didn't you get my letter?" "No."
'' Strange,'' he said.
Right:
"·when did you arrive?" I asked.
·~An hour ago," he answered.
"Didn't you get my
letter?''
"No."
" Strange," he said.
Observe tha t in order to paragraph an isolated Indention
afte r a
· quotati on separately (as is done iu the example under Rule quotation
19~ the line following the quotation must be indented.

'(_ ((!W
'f...J

195.

A quotation

may be detached by paragraphing
h:om the introductory expression (e.g., he said) if this
expression prece<les it.
Right:
Mr. Peggotty looked round upon us and nodding his
head with a lively expression animating his face, said
in a whisper,
"She's been thinking of the old 'un."
But a. quotation should not be so detached from the
i11tro<lnctory expression if the quotation does not close
the sentence.
\Vrong:
Thinking I could stand it if my friend could, I called
out to him,
" Co1ne on. ·who's afraid?" and started into the
house.
Wrong:
Thinking I could stand it if my friend c;ould, I called
out to him,
"Come on. ·w ho's afraid?"
and started into the house.

i!

I,

I

Indention
in the

midst of a
sentence

I

' I

82

.

ARRANGEMENT OF MANUSCRIPT

Right:
Thinking I coui<l starnl it if 111y fricrHl co11 ld, I called
out to hi111, "Come on. Who's afraid?" a nd started
into the house.
f

.,\

(ii) Group- ( ~~~· · When several consecutive short passages present
irlg of re.lated parts slightly different topics, yet collectively form a larger
division, distinct from other divisions of the composition,
it is disadvantageous to write the short passages apart
from each other, for this gives the reader no visible indication of the distinctness and unity of the larger division.
The distinctness and unity of the whole division should
be made apparent, rather than the individuality of its
parts. Hence the following rule:
Improper
paragraphing
of minute
,parts

19 7. --~-e.Y.£.i:.~L.S:2.1.:1~~1.!,~[y~-~l1.9r~ __P.~ssages composing !1.
larger
composition
,--· .. --unit
.. ....... _of
. a.........
-... - .... should
.
. not. be written each .
m a separ~-~~ -. P.~!agraph, -· ~ut_ .s hould be combined into
!'.me.. pai:agr~nh..
--··
..__

"~···

·

~

Thus in an essay on a steel factory, describing (a) The process of sheet-rolling,
(b) The process of rail-rolling,
( c) The process of casting,

part b should not be written as follows:
Steel ingots six feet -long and six inches square were
heated to a white heat in a large oven.
·
When sufficiently hot, an ingot was removed and
taken on an endless chain to the first set of rollers.
These rollers were eighteen inches in diameter. vVhen
the ingot had been passed through them, it was a bar
of steel ten feet long and five inches thick.
Then the bar of steel was put on another endless chain
and taken to a second pair of rollers.
This process was continued, the bar being passed successively through five or six pairs of rollers.
It came from the last pair a red-hot rail of standard
size.

PARAGRAPHS

83

lt. waR n(•xt. l>ont ,;lightl y i:;o t.hat the l>ai:;c waR convex.
This waR to all ow fur u11 e(1mtl contraction in cooling.
Tho rnil was 11ow left to cool.
When cold, it was taken to the cold rollers and rolled
perfectly straight .

The foregoing passage should be written as a single paragraph; and so should part a and part c of the same
essay.

198. The beginning of a new paragraph naturally leads (iii) Parathe rea<.i'er to think that the discussion of a new tppic is ~~[.~ing
beginning. Therefore, to begin a new paragraph where there is
· d oes no t b egm
· mis
· 1ead s ti ie . no
change
.
· of a new t op1c
the t11scuss1011
of topic
render. Hen ce the following rule :
{ 199. A se11tc11ce that docs not introdncc n new topic
h1ifi ~o11ti1111cs

th e topic of the preceding sc11tc11ce should
not be made to br,gin 11 new parngraph.
The paragraphing in the following passage, for example,
is illogical and objectionable :
The beauty of Frn Angelico's character has been the
admiration of all who ever studied the life of that
devout and gentle artist. He might have lived in
case arnl cn111fort, for his art wonl(l have mad e him
rich; instead, he chose the cloister life. Fra Angelico
was gentle and kindly to all.
Il e was never seen to display anger and if he admonished his friends, it was wi°th mildness . . . .

In thi s passage, the discussion of the gentleness of Fra
Angelico begins in the sentence "Fra Angelico was
gentle," etc.; the sentence "He was never," etc., continues the di scussion of this topi.c - docs not introduce a
new topic. H ence, there should be no paragraph division where one now stands; the sentence "He was never,"
etc., should follow without a break.
(iv) Uiiity
200.1 A paragraph, liy its visible detachment from of
a
what prccellcs and follows, suggests the unity of the pas- paragraph

8-1

ARHAN GEM l.;NT OF MA NUSC Hll'T

W lU'l'lNU V Jm:::;E

sage it embodies. A passage not having unity should
therefore not be put into one paragraph a1Hl thus presented under the guise of unity. Hence the following rule :

205. · A vassage more than 300 words long, even if Paragraphs
it constitutes a single unit of the composition, should too long
usually not be written as a single paragraph, but should
be divided into two or three paragraphs of convenient
length (i.e., not longer than 200 words).
Thus, an essay on Lincoln, -presenting 1. A narrative of his life ( 350 words)
2. An estimate of his greatness (100 words)

201. .See that .every paragraph .has one central topic,.
_under . .wh~ch ..~ alL .the __ statements , in the paragraph
_logically _f,alk
NOT E. -The presence, in a paragraph of an expository
essay, of several passages not belonging, or seeming not to
belong, to a single topic, usually points to bad organization
of the essay (see Rul es 140, 141), or to bad organization of
the passage embodied in the paragraph (see Rule 142).

. --~

should not be written as two paragraphs corresponding
to the two main divisions of the material, but should be
paragraphed in some such way as the following:

Paragraphing for Emphasis

ir Events of life up to 1860 (200 words)
ir Career as president (150 words)
ir Estimate of his greatness (100 words)

Sentences { 2.2_~. A sentence or a short passage which the writer
made conwishes to make especially emphatic may be paragraphed
spicuous
by detach- separately.
ment
Thus, in the following passage the italicized part does
not require to be paragraphed as being distinct from the
preceding part; but it may properly be set apart for
emphasis.
Indefinite narrative should not be entirely avoided ·
it is useful, and for some purposes is preferable to con~
crete narrative. Parts of a story that are not of dramatic interest, speeches that are of no interest or
importance, - these may properly be conveyed by indefinite rather than by concrete narrative. But remember this:
Actions occurring at important points of a story should
be related by conc1·ete, not indefinite nm·1·ative.
Paragraphin,g for Ease in Readin,q

Unbroken
text fatiguing
Neglect
paragraphing
Qf

203. Reading an extended composition or passage in
the text of which there are no breaks to rest the eye, is
fatiguing. Hence the following rules (204 and 205) :

204. A composition.. ,mqre _than 300 words long should

-

not be_. ~!~~~ wi!~out
paragraphing.
........... .. -........
___......
..,....~-.··.

\ 206. On the other hand, it should be remembered Over-

.
frequent
that reading a passage not
more than a bout 200 wor ds paralong is not fatiguing to the ordinary reader, and that graphing
over-frequent paragraphing annoys as much as lack of
any paragraphing fatigues. Hence the following rules
(207 and 208) :

207. A r.omposition no longer than 150 words should
usually be written without any paragrnph divisions.

I
I

I

I
I

208 . . Do not paragraph with needless frequency and
without good reason.

Writing Verse

209. If an entire line of poetry can not be written on Left-over
parts of
one line of the page, the part left over should be placed lines
as shown below :
Right:
Lombard and Venetian merchants with deep-laden
argosies;
Ministers from twenty nations ; more than royal
pomp and ease.

86

ARRANGEMENT OF MANUSClUPT
Wrong:
Lombard and Venetian merchants with deep-laden
argosies;
Ministers from twenty nations; more than royal
pomp and ease.

Grouping
of verse
into lines

Verse set

apart on
the page

210. A quotation of poetry should be gronpc<l into
lines exactly as the original is grouped.
Bad:
Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide
In the strife of truth with falsehood for the
Good or evil side.
Right:
Once to every man and nation comes the moment to
decide
In the strife of truth with falsehood for the good or
evil side.
211. A quotation of verse occurring in a prose composition should begin on a new line. 'l'he prose following snch
a quotation should also begin on a new line, iudcnte<l if it
begins a new paragraph, flush with the left-hand margin
if it continues the paragraph containing the quotation .
Wrong:
While Tennyson admits that sorrow may be for our
ultimate advantage and that, as his great memorial
says, " Men may rise on stepping stones
Of their dead selves to higher things,"
yet he finds it impossibl e to get any
present consolation from the thought.
Right:
While Tennyson admits that sorrow may be for our ultimate advantage and that, as his great memorial says,
" Men may rise on stepping stones
Of their dead selves to higher things,"
yet he finds it impossible to get any present consolation
from the thought.
See also the first Right example under Rule 246; and
seep. v.

TABULATED LISTS

87

Extended Quotations of Prose

212. A passage of prose quoted from a written composition or a formal speech, if it is three or four sentences
lung or lunger, sh ould Le set apart from the matter preccdi11g :tllll following it, in the same way as a quotation
of verse (sec Hule 211).

Extended
quotations set
apart on
the page

Right:
'l'he part of the letter of instructions providing
for a n examination of candidates I quote verbatim.
This part is as follows:
"and that, furthermore, all candi9ates be examined
as to their knowledge of constitutional law ; that this
examination be conducted in writing; and that the
following questions, among others, be asked :
"1. 'Vhat power has Congress to punish crimes?
"2. State in what cases the Supreme Court has
original jnrisdiction.
"a. How are presid ential electors chosen? ·would
it l>e constitutional for a state legis lature to choose
them?"
Th ese inst.ructions, it will be perceived, leave the
committee no discretion in regard to waiving the
examination.
For other examples see Rules 137, 141, 199, 202.

Tabulat ed Lz'.sts

213. Jn a li st of items set down in tabular form, the Indention
first line of each item sh onld extend farther to the left
than the remaining lines of the item.
'Vrong:
The principal powers of the President are (a) The power to conduct foreign affairs.
(b) The power to command the army and
navy in time of war.
(c) The power to veto bills.
(d) The power to appoint officers (subj ect
to the approval of the Senate).

'·f>

I~ I

,,

I'•

~;

II~

'I

88

Tabulated
matter set
apart on
the page

ALTERATIONS IN MANUSCRIPT

89

Right:
The principal powers of the President are (a) The power to conduct foreign affairs.
(b) The power to command the army and
uavy in time of war.
(c) The power to veto bills.
(d) The power to appoint oflicers (subj ect to
the approval of the Senate).

Non:. - Obscurity results from writing an insertion In the
m:wn cr shown in th e JJall cxn.mpl e below:

214. A list of items in t abular form should be set

will never rank with football as a game for supremacy
between colleges.

unl ess these marks would be required were the words
written on the lin e.

Bad:

NOTE. Another wn.y of correcting the errors n.bove
shown is to write the passage without tabulating the
items; thus:
Right: Under this subject there a.re three importn.nt
headings: (a) Position of pron ouns; (b) Use of
connectives; and (c) Position of subordinate expressions ; all of which are to be carefully studied.
For other illustrations of the rule see Rules 140, 189, 197 •

Alterations in Manuscript

215. Words to be inserted should be written above
the line, and their proper position should be indicated by
the sign I\ (not " v") placed below the line. Words so
inserted should not be enclosed in parentheses or brackets

nR nn

Although tennis is at present very popular

I\

ngrecnblc mcnn!ll

it probably

of exerci sing the muscles,

apart from the matter preceding and following it, in the
same manner as a quotation of verse (see Rule 211 ).
Bad:
Under this subject th ere ar e three important headings :
(a) Position of pronouns
(b) Use of connectives
(c) Position of phrases; all of which are to be
carefully studied.
Right:
Under this subject there are three important headings:
(a) Position of pronouns
(b) Use of connectives
( c) Position of phrases
all of which are to be carefully studied.

Insertion

..

ALTERATIONS IN MANUSCRIPT

Right:
nR nn ngreen ble mennR of exercising the inuscles,
Although tennis is at present very popular A it probably
will never rank with football as a game for supremacy
between colleges.
ns nn ngrecnblc menne
Right:
Although tennis is at present very popular A it f11'6lle:llly
of exe rcis ing the muscles, it probably

will never rank with football as a game for supremacy
between colleges.

I\

216. Erasures should be made by drawing a line Erasure
through the. words to be canceled.
Parentheses or
brackets should not be used for this purpose.
217. vVonls written in one place which are to be Transtransposed to another, should be canceled (sec Rule 216) position
all<l inser ted in th e proper place by the method shown
in Hnle 2 lG. No other method of transposition should
be used.
.. 218:' When it is desired that a word standing in the Indicating
a new
mi<lsl of a paragraph should begin a new paragraph, the paragraph
sign ,- should be placed immediately before that word.
The change should not be indicated otherwise,..
!

219.· A paragraph division should be canceled by Cancel-

writing "No ~" in the margin.
not be indicated otherwise.

a
The change should ing
paragraph
division•

90

Tlrn COMMA

PUNCTUATION

Obscure: By all appearances, of course this is a secret,
he is likely to win.
Clear: By all appearances (of course, this is a secret) he
is likely to win; [or] By all appearances -of course,
this is a secret - he is likely to win [see Rule 236 cJ.

Punctuation

Close of a
sentence
Abbreviations

The Perfod (.)
220. Use the period-

(a) After a complete declarative or imperative sentence.
(b) After an abbreviated word or a single or double .·
initial letter representing a word; as etc., viz., llfrs., i.e.,
e.g., LL.D., pp.
.

The ,Conwna (,) 1

.

U so the comma Direct ,,--, · ·
address

_'!~~~_t _<:>ff ,~ _s~bst~~tive us.e d _!n dirc_c_t address.
- - -Right: You see, John, how I stand.

...__ @
Appositives

Absolute
phrases

To set off appositives.

Right: Next lie went to ~ienna, the capltal of Aiistria.
NOTE. - Exception to this rule should be made (1) in the
case of an appositive that is a regular part of a proper name
(e .g., William the Conquerm·) ; and (2) in the case of a,ppositives like the ita,licized expressions in the following
sentences:
Right: The word beautiful is an adjective.
Right: The expression "Wh ere am I al ? " is a provincialism.

~ _Th_~£L.9ff ahs<?._l~.~-P!!l:~~E'.~: __ _
Hight: Everything being ready, the guard blew his
horn,

Paren- .._ ~ To set off any word or phrase ·which has a parenthetic
members
the ic function but for which parenthesis marks or double
dashes are not suitable.

~
J·

· ..!\ ,'_r/""
V

Right: Ile was satisfied, I suppose, with his situation.
His refusal of my offer, however, I don't understand.
)\ ,~! 1
NOTE. -For setting off a parenthetic expression, prefer
J f ··, /, commas to parenthesis ?1arks where commas will make the
1 ,( . , jentence clear ; but notice that the use of commas for this
'Y purpose may cause obscurity in some cases - particularly
when the parenthetic expression is a complete sentence.
1

See Exercise LXXVII.

@

~o ~?~~ff ~-g-~ographical name explaining a pre- Geo-~~!ng
graphical
1 uam~.
names
Ri~ht: Paris, Illinois, is a smaller city than Paris,

"- ·-

"" .

.I' ranee.

,,~ (f) To

sPparatc coordinate cla.nscs connected by one of
j
, the simple conjunctiops. (Cf. Hi/J.e 231 b.)
Right: The train moved swiftl~, but Tur1}1er arrived too
1!' ·
bte.
~----Right: When they at last met,-and when everything was
explained, they were friends again.
, ',.
·1
~.., NOTE. -The observance of the foregoing rule is especially
/.._" important in the case of clauses connected by the coordinat.
---\
ing conjunction f01· . Unless
comma is placed between
.. · such clauses, the for is liable to be mistaken momentarily
for a preposition.
Misleading : It is a decided benefit for students who
take exercise are not easily susceptible to sickness.
Clear: It is a, decided ben efit, for students who take
exercise are not easily susceptible to sickness.
.1.

1

'

'

•

a

Coordinate
clauses
joined by
a conjunction
Comma
before/or

(k) -lf.'1> md1cate every distinct pause within a sentence, Distinct
except the pauses for which other marks of punctuation pauses
are appropriate. See, for example, the text of Rules 2,

j ,1. ,

•., ,,

·c l.

J

t.

I
'.I'

~-- ({I) To set off~ depen<le11t cl~~~~-P!_~Q.~ingjts m.h!Qip_a) Dependent
~~....).Y._hen -~~~~d-~pend~_nL.cj~J;!~~_f~ij.o_~~s__tl1e___J1.dnci_- clauses
pal cla~se, a co1n_!'_Il_~j.§..,!1Sually_ Ul,l~~cessary...: (but sec Rule}
h and i, below).
·
Right: 'Vhen darkness com es, the candles are lit. ' · •
er I ·
Right : The candles are lit when darkness comes.
" h\.. .-t '-··'·-Le
Hight: If I can, I will rcmo'1e it.
.
; .. '1, , . /
1
Hight: I will remn,ve it. if T can.
/1
( ,,
l<'~~l'.er ~xamplcs see the text of Rules 23, 48 a, 52, 145. f;
;:. 1; . /

G, 39, 46Jil, 57, 80, 88, 91, 128, 131.

ij

'_ ,<,} _

:t.
,I·
I

92

l'UNCTUA'l'lON

To prevent
( i) 'l'o indicate separation between any sentence-elemistaken
ments
that might, in reading, be improperly joined or
junction
misunderstood, were there no comma.
Misleading: Ever since Betty has loved the flag.
Clear: Ever since, Betty has loved the flag.
Misleading: On the path leading to the cellar steps were
heard.
Clear : On the path leading to the cellar, steps were
heard.
Consecutive
adjectives

Serles or
theb,form
a,
and c

~. ~-1'~o __adj!lctiy~~I_I!~Q..ifying the__ ~~~l!1C n_oun shoul~!
}?~ _separ_ate~ by comma~ -~f. -~.!i~y-~re coordinate iu thought;
_!iut if the firs!_~~j_~~tiv.~_is __fe1_~~2._!>~ SUP§FP.Q'i~~~"'i'i.-the_
-'-sec~1_1_d, _t}iey. s~ould ~ot_ be _sep~rat~~- by a_ comma.
Right: A faithful, sincere friend. [The adjectives are
coordinate in thought; both modify " friend ."]
Right: A big gray cat. [The adjectives n,re not cotirdinate in thought; "gray" modifies "cat," l>ut "big"
modifies '' gray cat."]

'~

223. In a series of the form a, b, and c, a comma.

~;s h. ou ld

·
t'ion. rnh
·
f
· ·
preced e th e conJunc
.1. e practice o om1ttmg
the comma before the conjunction is illogical and is not
favored by the best modern usage.

Objectionable: There were blue, green and red flags.
[The punctuation here couples "green " and " red"
and makes them appear to be set apart, as a pair,
from "blue" ; whereas the intention is to make all
three adjectives equally distinct.]
Right: There were l>lue, green, and red flags.
For other cxn,mplcs, see the text of Rules a, 15, 31, 47,
v~
·
122, 144 b, 145, lGG, 174, 2:10.
Restrictive and
non-restrictive
modifiers

·/ 224. Often a phrase or clause, though grnmma.tically
a mo ifier of a preceding substantive, is felt to',be not
an adjunct to that substantive, but rather a statement
added to the main ~ssertion 9f the sentence.
Snch
phrases and clauses are called' non-restrictive.
They
should always be set off by eommas.

~'YV'- ~·t \ t, (I ... ,\ ;\'

Tll.E COMlHA

i

93

A. Non-restrictive phrase correctly punctuated: Our

I

national Capitol, situated in 1Vashington, is a magnificent building.
B. Non-restrictive relative clause correctly punctuated:
Washington Irving, whose personality was genial and
charming, became very popular in England.
When a phrase or clause modifying a preceding substantive is felt to be essentially a modifier restricting that substantive, it is called a restrictive phrase or clause. Such
phrases and clauses shonld not be set off by commas.
C. ltcstrictive phrase - commas correctly omitted: The
house situated on the northeast corner of the sqnai·e
is the one you are seeking.
D. R estrictive r elative clause - commas correctly
omitted: Every m~n who holds such an opinion is
IJy tendency a criminal.
Non:. -To determine whether n, given phrase or clause
is rrsLrictivc or non-restrictive, the following test may be
used: 1f the main n,ssertion of the sentence has the same
mcn,ning when the phrase or clause is omitted as it has when
the phrnse or clause is present in the sentence, the phrase or
clause is non-restrictive ; if the omission of the phrase or
clause changes the sense of the main assertion, the phrase
or clause is restrictive· Thus, the sentence " Our national
Capitol is a magnificent building" has the same purport as
sentence A, above; the sentence " ·W ashington Irving became
very popular in England" has the same purport as sentence
B, above. But " The house is the one you are seeking" has
not the sn,me purport as sentence C, above; nor has "Every
111n,11 is hy tcnclency a criminn,l" the sn.me purport as senten ce D, above.
(See Exercise LXXV.)

!
f

!

Means of
distinguishin~

restrict1 ve
from nonrestrictive
modifiers

225. After an intei:jection a comma is often preferable With into an exclamation point.
terjections
Right: Oh, come; you'd better.
Right : But alas, this was not the case.

~ Expressions like he said preceding direct quota- Before
tions in narrative, and such expressions preceding short quotations

1:

94
Unnecessary
commas

..

·wrong : I always supposed, that the foreman was to
blame.
Right: I always supposeu that the foreman was to
blame.
·
·wrong: They told us, how they had escaped.
Right : They told us how they had escaped.

direct quota tions in general, should be followed by a
comma. For illustrations see the Right examples under ·
Rules 195 and 242. (Cf. Rule 233.)

{_~21: . Guard against the use of commas where they
are not necessary. As a rule, do not put a comma where
no pause is made in reading.
Bad : In the park, is a beautiful fountain.
Right : In the park is a beautiful fountain.
Bad: An incubator, is the most useful thing, a poultry
man can have.
Right: An incubator is the most useful thing a poultry
man can have.
For other sentences in which commas are properly dispensed with, see the text of Rules 33 a, 44, 54, 5G, G2,
65, 148.
Misuse
before a
series

228. Do not put a comma_, or

95

THE SEMICOLON

PUNCTUATION

&30.J

Clauses of a compound sentence that are not The
· · ed by conJunct10ns
·
·
comma
Jorn
may b e separated by commas "fault"
when the clauses are short, have no commas within J..
th em~elv es, and are closely parallel in substance and l::J-o ._,_
1
form J e.g., · , y~f'

~
/l... . ,

P ermissibl e : The colonel grunted, the majors snorted,
th e captains swore.
~
P ermissible : Ile hefrientl ed the stra11ger, he relieved the
·
poor, he helped the fallen to rise.

~c;_ide

t~~--u~e_ gf_ a

-~

~

from cases of this kind, however,
j
com1~a at tl!e_end of a gram1~atically c?mplete assertion ;1 &' /
tha t is not JOmed to afollowmg assertion by a conjunc~
tion is an inexcusable fault in writing. (See Exercised-. 'O,o, ,./

an~er mark of

punctuati~~·b~f~-r~- the --flrst ip_i~_b.e~~f. .a se-rie~_ of se~-~

t~I.!ce-elemeg_t~,.-~!.11~~- ·it would be required th~re, .!Y.~.~
t4~.DLQne element instead of a.. _series.

1;

'

LXXVL)

Wrong : During my senior year I studied, Latin, Greek,
and chemistry.
Right : Durin g my senior year I studied Latin, Greek,
and chemistry.
Wrong: It is valuable, (1) to the student, (2) t o the
statesman, and (3) to the merchant.
Right: It is valuable (1) to the student, (2) to the
statesman, and (3) to the merchant.
For other examples , see the text of Rules 42, 43, 96,
116, 133, 137.

Ilad : Neagle was assigned to act as the judge's body.
guard, s nch a precaution was necessary in those days.
Right: Neagle was assign ed to act as the judge's body·
guard. Such a precaution was necessary in those days.
Bad : Our men had won so many games that they were
over-confident, this was th e cause of the recent defeat.
Right: Our men had won so many games that they were
over-confident ; this was the cause of the recent
defeat. [See Rule 231 a.]

229. Put no comma before a substantive clause inMisuse
before a
troduced by that or how when the governing verb (such
substantive clause as said, thought, supposed) immediately or very closely
precedes the clause.
Wron g : The boatswain said, that the wh eel was damaged.
Right : The boatswain said that the wheel was dam·
aged.

Tlze Sernicolon (;) 1

v

231. Use the semicolon -

~

I

I

'

1'

'. !

Between

(_q) _Bet:w.een clauses.. of a compoumLsentence__that ar.e_ cl auses of
·
a comt · · cl b

Jl .~JQll~~ -~ . Y~!'J.__ ~}li:iJ!tllCtioni
I ">1'gl1t ·. II e cl'1cl not go to Canadn,; he went to Mexico,

'

.,

See Exercise LXXVII.

pound

sentence

I"

-96

J.' U1'H]TUAn0N

Tll E SEi\llCOLO>f

For other examples see the text of Rules 10, 20, 38, 42,
84,

Caution

ss,

U3,

.-ll-((l) To separate two or more coordinate members of a
simple or complex sentence when those members, or
rome of them, have commas within themselves.

ms.

NorE. -As a means of combining sentences into compound sentences, the semicolon may easily be abused. A
series of sentences should not be grouped together in this
way unless the compound sentence so formed has a distinct
and readily-felt unity.

-1i-

.Before so,
(Ji). Between clauses of a compound sentence that are
therefore, J oined by one of the conJ'unctive adverbs so there'ore
etc.
~
'
v' '
0

Right: He said that he had lent his neighbor an ax;
that on the next day, needing th e ax, he had gone to
get it; and that his neighbor had denied borrowing it .
[The three objects of "said" are separated not by
commas, as ordinarily three objects of a verb should
be, but by semicolons, because one .of the objects has
commas within itself.]
:For otl1er examples see the text of Rules 134, 135, and
137.

\
!

\

i

Y

·

, ·' ) ~ hence, however, nevertheless, rnoreover, accordi1tgly,
· ~~-~-" ·'
besides, also, thns, then, still, and otherwise. (See
V'-J' ' .)
Exercise LXXVI.)
Wrong: I saw no reason fo; moving, therefore I stayed
still.
Right: I saw no reason for moving; therefore I stayed
still.
Wrong: He went below and lit the fuse, then he returned to the deck.
Right : He went below and lit the fuse; then he returned to the deck .
Non;.
- Good usagr makes a clear distinction, as r egards
Conjunctive adpunctuation, h e tw1~e n conjunctive adverbs and simpl e coverbs distinguished ordinating conjunctions (e.g. , and, but, or, for). .L\ comma
is ordinarily used (see Rule 221 f) lJetween clauses of a
from
simple
compound sentence that are con11ected by a sim pie conjuncCOn]UllCtion; but a comma should emphatically not be used between
tionS
clauses connected by a conjune;"ive adverb. Compare the
two following sentences :
Right: The president bowed, and Hughes began to
SpP.ak.
Right : The president bowed; then Hughes began '.;o
speak.
Before

~) _I?_~twe.~g__~us~ of a £~~.Q.~~.Q. -2._e.!1 te!!_~g _~h!1-~..~~·~

~~~~,' i~i~~r- joined~ a simpJe conjuncti~!~1 -~vJ1..£.~l~2sc _~l~us~s a.I~.
tain cases , · ~~~ fon~!:._!°he~_~_or~ ..<J~~i<le<l pause .th an - -~. \\ ; comma would furnish is desirable. See, for example,
·the second- ·~entence -~fthe-fo~~goi1;g note, and also the
text of the notes under Rules 14 and 88.

Between
involved
sentencemembers

(e) To separate any two members of a simple or com- Instead of
a comma,

" plex sentence when, for any reason, a comma would not to prevent
obscurity
\make the relation between them immediately clear.
:Misleading: If I were a millionaire, I would have

i ) . h orses, and motors, and yachts, and the whole world
.{;

1

\
"

should minister to my pleasure.
Clear: Jf I were a millionaire, I would have horses, and
motors, and ya c~•ts ; and the whole ~orld. sho1ild
min,ister to my pleasure.
See nlso the sixth sentence in the text of Rule HO and
the first in the text of Rule 142.

232. Do not use a semicolon between two members
of a simple_ o~ _90.!ErJi!~~ ~-~p.fonce _e xc_eP.LJn a_c_£.{i~ci~1!£~
with Rule 231 d _o_r _~§J.~; . use a comma if. any_punctua:
t.ion i.s .~·eq~1Lr_e_c!__~8-...~.1~-.'.1. pla~~
Wrong : If you get no thanks from a person you have
favorc<l; you hav e no respect for him.
Hight: If you get no thanks from a person you have
favored, you have no respect for him.

-

'Vrong: He was black-eyed; dark complex1oned; and
altogether very handso me .
Right: He was black- eyed, dark-complexioned, and
altogether .very handsome.

Improper
use
in of
place
a comma

J·

,

I

/

/

98

THE JJA S il

l'UNCT U ATION

@

The Colon (:)
A sign
of introduction

@

The colon should b e used after a wor<l, phrase,
or sentence constituting an introduction to somethi11g
that follows, such as' a list or an extended quotation.
(See Exercise LXXVII.)
Right : There are three causes: poverty, injustice, and
indolence.
Right: Burke said in 1705: [A long quotation follows. J
Right: Th e case was this: I wouldn't and he couldn't.
Right : I-le did it in the followin g way: :F irst, he cut au
ash bough, which he bent into a hoop . Then . . .

The Question Mark (?)
234. Use the question mark aft er a direct question,
Direct, not
1
indirect
•
but not after an injirect question.
questions
Bad: He asked what caused th e accident?
Hight: Il e asked what cause<l tho ~coide11t.
Hight: Ile asked, "What causml the acchlcnt? "
In paren·
theses

235. The question mark within pa renth eses is properly used only in serious compositions, such as histori cal
works. Its u se as a notice of humor or irony is a puerility. (Cf.· Rules 250 e and 292.)
Right: This event occurred in 411 n. c .(? )
Bad: After his polite (?) remarks, we have nothing
more to say.
Right: After his polite n~ marks, we have n othing more
to say.
'

The Dash (-) 1
Interruptions

G36) Use the dash (!jJ' ~hen_!!_~ent~_!!c;e. ~!Lal?i:uptly_ proken

off b efore its

£..Q..,n;mletiQ!!,
Right: If the scythe is rusty -by the way, did you get
that scythe at Pumphrey's?
1

See Exercise LXXVII.

09

After a comma, to incre~se the separation slightly. Comma
and dash
night: Only one thing was wanting, - a boat.
For oth er exam ples see the text of Hules 2 d, 123, 124,
2G7, 304, 340.

(c) As a substitute for parenthesis marks.

Parenthetic use

Hight: I dressed - you may not believe this, but it is
true - in ten minu tes.

~ B efore a word snmmariziug the preceding part of With summariziug
a sentence.
words
Right: If you go to bed early, get up early , never loiter,
or trifle, a lways employ periods of enforced idleness in
serious thought or in structive r eading, - if you do
a ll this, you will be derided by the Omicron Pi Chi
fraternity.
:F or other ex:unples see the t ext of Huie 1G7 and the
11 0 !.e to Rule 1.0.

(e) Before a.J!=:r~gtitiPlL.QL.modifi.cation hay_iug_ t.lrn Before an
effect _qf an . af~er_th_o_1=1g4h
expression havi11g t he
Hight: Oh yes, he was polit.e - polite as a Ch esterfield effect of
- ouser1uious in fact.
au aft(;rthougl!t
See also the text of Rule 23.
(f) After the word immediat ely preceding a sentenceelement that is set apart on th e p age from the firs t part
of the sentence. For ill11 strntio11, sec the t ext of Hules
4, 22 1, ~3 1, 23G , 240, 248, a nd 250, and the Right
examples nuder Rule 213.

When a
sentencern cmber is
se t apart
O il th o
p ~ge

NoTE. - If another mark of pun ctuation precedes the senten ce-mern ber set apart, the dash may be dispensed with.
See the text of Rule 14 and the R ight examples under Rules
211 and 212.
·

.P?

237.
no~ t~se __~~~~~jg_CJJs_qrJrni!J..aJ~J_y,_ ..}Ygere CQID· Indiscriminate use
!J}ns, p eriods, or _other marks of punctuatjQll _b-~lo_~g,_

100

PUNCTUATION

Parenthesis Mcirks ( )
Relative
238. When a sentence contains matter set off by paren·
position of thesis marks, a comma, a period, or other mark of p1111ctna·
other
ll!arks
tiou belonging to the part before such matter, should br
placed after the second parenthesis mark, not elsewhere.
Wrong: I will ask him by telephone, (assuming. he has
a telephon e) and I think he will agree (though I may
be mistaken.)
Wrong: I will ask him by telephone (assuming be has
a telephone, ) and I think he will agree, (though I
may be mistaken).
Right: I will ask him by telephone (assuming he has a
telephone), and I think he will agree (though I may
be mistaken).
For other examples see the text of Rules 16 a, 16 b, VO g.
Incorrect
use of
commas
with
parentheses

QUOTATION MARKS

( c) To indicate the ti tlc of a book ; italicize (sec Rule Misuse
284) .
with litel"'
ary titles

Wrong: Garland's story (Among tho Corn Hows) is

pathetic.
Hight : Garland's story Among the Corn Botos is pathetic.

· (d) To enclose a letter, number, or symbol, unless it Misuse
is used parenthetically.
Bad: A (v) shaped plate of steel.
Right: A v-shaped plate of steel.
Bad : It is marked with the figure (2)
Right: It is marked with the figure 2.

(e) To cancel a word or passage (see Rule 216).
Brackets [

239. A comma should not be used with parenthesis
marks unless it would be required were there no parenthetic matter.
)
Wrong: The sheriff gave him (as his oath required),
the most effective help. [The sentence "The sheriff
gave him the most effective help" requires no comma
after "him."]
Right: The sheriff gave him (as his oath required) the
most effective help.
· For other examples see the text of Rules 27, 66, and GU.

240. Do not use parenthesis marks to enclose matter
that is not parenthetical. Do not use them (a) To emphasize a word; italicize (see Rule 284).
Misuse for
emphasis
Bad: "The man (who) they thought was dead surprised
them '' is correct.
Right : "The man who they thought was dead surprised
them " is correct.
Misuse in
general

Misuse
(b) To enclose a word about which something is said as
:~~~s dis- a word. Such words should be italiciz~d (see Rtll~. 284).
cussed
Wrong: (Party) is often incorrectly used for (person),
Right: Party is often incorrectly used for person.

101

~~~~rs and
symbols

Mi suse for
canceling

J

241. Square brackets, [ ], are used to enclose a word Words in-

terpolated
or words interpolated in a quotation by the person quot- in
a quoing. vVords enclosed in pareu thesis marks, ( ) , occur- tation
ring in a quotation, are understood to belong to the
quotation ; words enclosed in brackets, [ ], are understood to be interpolated by the writer quoting.
Ri ght : "I would gladly," writes Landor," see our language enriched . . . At present [in the eighteenth
century]' we recur to th e Latin and reject the Saxon

"
Quotation Marks (" ")

~ Use _quotation .marks to __enclose.. a direct quota:... For direct,
tion, but not to enclose an indirec.t quotation.
not indirect quo·w rong: He said "that he was grieved."
tations
Right : He said that he was grieved.
Right: He said, "I am grieved."

~Do not (ail to put quotation marks at the be- Omission
gin~ing and the end of every quotation. (::3ee Exercise
LXXIX.)

102
Misuse
within a
quotation

QUOTATION

PUNCTUATION

if they were separate speeches. (See Exercise LXXIX.)
Bad : She said, "Is this the truth?" "Then I must
tell my husuand." " He ought to know."
Right: She said, "Is this the truth ? Then I must tell
my husband. He ought to know."

Wrong: "Then," continued Brightman, "the captain
shouted, " Cast off ! "
Right: " Then," continued Brightman, "the captain
shouted, ' Cast off ! '"

@

. Relative
When a quotation mfl;rk and a question or exposition of clamation mark both follow the same word, question
or excla(a) The question or exclamation mark should stand
mation
first
if it applies to the quotation and not to the se11te111~ e
mark
containing the quotation.
Wrong: He said, "Are you hurt"?
Right: He said, " Are you hurt ? "

( c) In either case no comma or period should be used
in addition to the .quotation mark and the question or
exclarnation mark.
Wrong: He cried" }<'ire I", and. began to run.
Right : H~ cried "Fire ! " and began to run.
·wrong: Did he say " I object." ?
Right: Did he say, "I object"?
.

Quotation
within a
quotation

(See Exercise LXXIX.)

~ _ A quotatio~---~-li_hin ~- qng~ation

is marked .by

.s~~otation..2,!l.~EkLi...2_1.?:~ wit~~l!_i_!~~~-~Y._<l.~.~~!~_mar!c~.
Wrong: I repeated those lines of Tennyson,
"Thou shalt hear the" Never, never,'' whispered by the
phantom years,
And a song from out the distance in the ringing of
thine ears,"
until I knew them by heart.

)

103

Right: I repented those Jines of Tennyson,
"Thou shalt hear the 'Never, never,' whispered. by the
phantom years,
And a song from out the distance in the ringing of
thine ears,"
until I knew them by heart.

@4) Do not punctuate sentences of a single speech ns

(b) The quotation mark shoulrl stand first if the other
mark applies, not to the quotation, but to the sentence
containing the quotation.
Wrong: Did the letter say, "Come to-night at ten ? "
Right: Did the letter say, "Come to-night at ten " ?

MAI~KS

(

,,I

fiffi 'Vhen a quotation com;ists of several paragraphs
( s'cfrfule 212), quotation marks shoultl be placed at the
beginning of each paragraph, anrl at the end of the
quotation; not else\vhere, except in accordance with Rule
2G 1 a. For illustration, see the example under Rule 212.

Quotations of
several
paragraphs

248. Quotation marks may sometimes be used to mark
a technical term presumably unfamiliar to the reader.
(See, for example, the text of Rule 256 and the Right
example under Ele11ient in the Glossary.) ButNon:. - No such marking is needed for technical or quasitechnical tcrllls that are perfectly familiar to tho reader.
None is onli11:1.rily 11cctlcd, for i11st.a11cP, for wii'e-puller, boss,
o.o·-ycar, tunch-<lown, ki ck-l~O~ ha.~ e, corner the market.

With Un·
familiar
technical
terms

249. Quotation marks may sometimes be used to indicate apology for slang or nicknames. But note :
(a) No snch apology is need ell for hard hit, brace up,
rough i't, to du clc, to mist, to lnof, to cut a figi~re, the
whys a ncl wher~fores, the forties, willy nilly, day dreams,
zn·ox y, l)l/ub eo r, hmnl1ug, hoa;'C, ton~foolery, bamboozle,
whoop, nin11y, milksop, slci11Jlint, parson, and other good
English expressions vulgarly snpposetl to be slang.
(b) In a hmnorons or colloquial context such apology
for slang or for nicknames is artistically inconsistent
with the style, and obstructs the legitimate purpose of
the style.

Familiar
technical
terms
Slang
and nicknames
Good
E11glish
mistaken
for slang

Apology
out of

place

JI
104

PUNCTUATION

QUOTATION MARKS

Inartisti..J: When radicalism "threw up its hat" for
"Rob" Rowland, "rough-house," and reform, conservatism "took to the tall timbers." "Rob," though
''cock of the walk'' in the capital, has been '' sassed ''
by his home paper, which attributes his influence to
hypnotism and " hot air."
Improved in effectiv eness: When radicalism threw up
it.'3 hat for Rob Rowland, rough-house, an(l r eform,
conservatism took to the tall timbers. ltob, though
cocl~ of the walk in the capital, has been sassed by
his home paper, which attributes his influence to
hypnotism and hot air.
Nicknames
that are
virtually
proper
names

Sundry
misuses:
With the
title of
a composition

(c) The nicknames of persons in real life or in fiction
who are known by nicknames altogether, or as commonly
as by their proper names, should not be enclosed in quotation marks.
Wrong: "Tom"
Johnson,
"Bathhouse John ,"
"Teddy" Roosevelt, "Jim" Corbett, "Prexy"
Harper, and the Honorable "Hinkey Dink" were
present.
Right: Torn Johnson, Bathhouse John, Teddy Roosevelt, Jim Corbett, Prexy Harper, and the Honorable
Hinkey Dink were present.
Wrong: Two women, the "Duchess" and " 1\lfothe~·"
Shipton, and two men, Mr. Oakhurst and "Uncle
Billy," were ordered to leave town.
Right: Two women, the Duchess and Mother Shipton,
and two men, Mr. Oakhurst and Uncle Billy, were
ordered to leave town.
Wrong: As I was "bucking" for "Perky'A" "quiz,"
I was interrupted by " :Fatty" Holmes a.ml " Smud ge "
Williams, who refused to "clear out." [See Rule b,
above.]
Right : As I was bucking for Perky's quiz, I was interrupted by :Fatty Holmes and Smudge Williams, who
refused to clear out.

~ Do not use quotati.on marks -

(a) . To_eo~lose_the _tit,le,_ at the head of a composition,
u~!~ss the title i_~ quotation,_

105

i

(b) To enclose proper names, including names of With
animals.
\Vrong : I expect to go to "Ober-Ammergau."
Right: I expect to go to Ober-Ammergau.
'V rong : " Th omas " and " Rover " were good friends.
llight: Thomas and Rover were good friends.

proper
names

( c) T o c11 cloRc proverbial expressions that do not con- With
stitutc granunatically and logically complete statements. proverb~
'Vrong: It was "nipped in the bud."
Wght: 1t was nipped in the bntl.
'l\Trong: Ile see med to be" as mad as a March hare."
Right : He seemed to be as mad as a .March hare.

( d) To enclose words coined extempore.

I
1.I

I

"'Wrong : The manning and "womaning" of the enter- With
words
prise will be difficult.
coin ed
Hight: The manning and womaning of the enterprise ext
e mpor~
will be difficult.
Wrong: It is not bronchitis or peritonitis or any of the
'' itiseR. "
Ri ght : It is not bronchitis or peritonitis or any of .the
itises.

( e) To serve the undignified and inartistic purpose For
of labeling your own humor or irony. (Cf. Rules 235 labeling
humor
and 292.)
natl : Such is the ardor of this "pious " Hotspur.
Hight: Such is the ardor of this pious Ilot.'lpur.
Had: Senator l'latt's speech on the bill was a sort of
" fun eral oni.tion ."
Right: Senator l'latt's speech on the bill was a sort of
fun eral oration .

(!) For no reason at all.

Use withany
Bad : If the Creator in his "power and munificence" out
reason
is good to me, I shall gain "distinguished success."
Right : If the Creator in his power and munificence is
good to me, I shall gain distinguished success.

I

106

PUNCTUATION
The Apostrophe (')

Possessive

case

251. In "tlie possessive singular of regularly inflected
nouns an apostrophe should (with the exception stated iu
Rule 252) precede the s; in the possessive plural of such
nouns an apostrophe should follow the s.
Right: The. boy's cap.
Right: The boys' caps.

Nouns
ending
ins

252. Do not form the possessive singular of a noun
ending in s by putting an apostrophe before the s; put
an apostrophe aJter the s, or add 's.
'Vrong: Dicken's novels. Bnrn's poems.
Right : Dickens' novels, or Di ckens'~ novels
Burns' poems, or Hurns's poems.
Right : Charles's horse. Mr. Jones's house.

Misuse
with its,
etc.

253. Never use an apostrophe with the possessive
adjectives hers, its, ours, yours, theirs.

With contractions

254. In a contracted word an apostrophe should
stand in the place of the omitted letter or letters, not
elsewhere.
vVrong: Hav'nt, do'nt, does'n t, ca'nt, is'nt.
Right: Haven't, don't, doesn't, can't, isn't.

In forming
plurals

255. The plural of letters of the alp Im bet and of
numerical symbols is formed by adding 's tu the frtter
or symbol. The plural of n wonl co nsi<lcrcd ns a. word
may also be f(irrned in the same way. But tl1c regular
plural of a noun should never be formed by :uldiug 's.
Right: His U's were like V's and his 2's like Z's.
Right : In your letter there are too many I's and also
too many and' s.
Wrong: The Powers's, the Jones's, the vYaters's and
the Rogers's sold piano's and folio's.
Right : The l'owerses, the Joneses, the w·aterses, and
the Hogerses sold pianos and folios.

MISCELLANEOUS RULES

i

I

107

The Hyphen (-)

256. No simple rule can be given for determining

Compound

whether a compound wonl should be hyphened or written words
"soli<l." OnQ must sirn1Jly learn, from observation and
from dictio11aries, what is the correct practice in individual
cases. Note that the following words should not be
hyphened : together, without, nevertheless, nwreover,

inasniuch, ?'.nstead, childhood, farewell, wardrobe, chipniw17c, niclcnanie, surname, midnight, railroad, misprint, pronoun, semicolon, withstand, outstretch,
rewn'.te, arnl the other words enumerated in Rule 164.

257. Always hyphen to-clay, to-night, to-morrow, To-day,
to-morrow,
fJOO(l-b?JC.
etc.
258. In <livitling a word at the end of a line (see Rules At the

begin11ing
2G3-2GG, below), place a hyphen after th e first element of of
a line
the word, and there only; never put a hyphen at the begin- ning of a line.

llfiscellaneous Rules
259. ·when such as is used to introduce an example Punctua-

tion with
or severnl exam ples, it should be preceded by a comma such
as
(see Rule 221 h), a comma and dash (see Rule 236 b),
or a se mi colon (see Rule 231 e), and should be followed
by i10 mark of punctuation, unless a parenthetical exprc::;sion is i 11::;crted between the such as and the words
that it intr0<l11ces.
Hight: I rearl many historical novels, such as Romola,
HiP-nzi, and Quo Vmlis.
See also the text of Rules 18, 144 b, 145, 146, 233.

260. In introducing an example or an explanation Punctuation with
with one of the expressions namely, viz., e.g., that is, namely,
viz., etc.
and i.e., apply the following rules :
(a) The expression should always be followed by a
comma.

108

form a com pl etc interrogatory or exclamatory sentence ;
otherwise by a comma ; n ever by a period or semicolon.

(b) When the expression introduces a sentence or a
principal clause, the expression should be precede<l by a
period or a semicolon (see R\1les 230, 231 a);

'Vrong : ''I will help you ; '' he said, "you deserve it."
Right: "I will help you," he said; "you deserve it."

(c) When the expression introduces a merely appositive member, or several such, the expression should be
preceded by a semicolon (see Rule 231 e) , by a comma
and a dash (see Rule 236 b), or by a colon ( see Rule
233).
Right: They arrested the man who was really responsible, -namely, the cashier.
Right: There are three parties: namely, Tories, w·higs,
and Radicals.
l.
See also the text of Hules 2 d, 106, 123, 124, 260.
NoTB. - When the expression and the words it i11tro<lnces
are enclosed in parentheses, the foregoing Rules b and c
do not apply. See the text of Rules 99, 121, 136.

.~aid

he

interpolated:
Said h e

excluded

Marks
after part
preceding
said he

109

Wrong : I selected it for two reasons namely : because
it was well made, and because it was i11 expensi ve.
Right: I selected it for two reasons : namely, because
it was well made, and because it was inexpensive.
See also the text of Rules 1G a, 106, and 136, and the
note to Rule 3.

Right: There is a vital difference between them ; i.e.,
the Greek is an artist, and the Roman is a statesman.
See also the text of Rules 111, 90 g.

Quotations with

MI SCE LLA NEOUt:i IWLES

PUNCTUATION

@.

When an expression like said he is interpolated
within a quotation or placed after it, the following rules
ap~:
~( ~ The expression should not be inclu<led within the
quotation marks at the beginning and the end of the
quotation.
·wrong: "If that is true, he said, I am lost. "
Right : "If that is true," he said, "I am lost."

. (b\ The qnote<l words preceding the expression should
be fctllowed by a question or exclamation mark if they

'Vrong: "Will you help," he asked?
Hight: " Will you help?" he asked.
'Vrong: "I will help. " he answered.
Right : " I will help," be answered.

@ If the qnotcd wortl~ precetling the expression form Marks
after said
a co mplete. sentence, a period should follow the expres- he:
sion, even .if a question or exclamation mark follows the Period
words preceding.
'Vrong: "'Von'tyoncome?" she said, "we need you."
Hight: " \Von ' t you come?" she said. "\Ve need you."

@

If the quoted wor<ls preceding the expression Semicolon
would be followe<l; but for the expression, by a semicolon, a semicolon should follow the expression.
Right: "He didn 't go to Canada," the teller informed
me ; " he went to Mexico. "

@

In every case in which a perio<l or a semicolon is Comma
not required (according to Unlcs c and d, above) after the
cY.prcssion, a co mma shoul<l follow the expression.
Right: "lam," growled the assassin, "yourdoomsman."

(f) The expression should not be capitalized.

Said he

not capRight : "Go to the treasury," said the king, "and italized
help yourself."

(g) The part of the quotation follcwing the expression Capitaliz. .
ing of part
should not be capitalized un 1ess it IS a new sentence.
followrng
" rro ng : "Hammer on the window," advised the said he
policeman, " Until he gets up."
Hight: "Hammer on the window," advised the policeman, "until he gets up."
See also the Bight examples under Rules d, e, andf.
(See Exercise LXXIX.)

H

T

110

SYLLAHICATJON

Marks of
262. Never put a period, a comma, a semicolon, a
punctuacolon,
an exclamation point, or a question mark at the
tion at the
beginning beginning of a line ; put it instead at the end of the
of lines
preceding line.
Syllabication

Rules for
syllabication:

Follow
pronunciation

Prefixes

263. In dividing a word at the end of a line, make
the separation between syllables, not elsewhere.
There is no uniform principle for determining just
what are the several syllables of any given word; one
must rely largely on learning, by observation and by
reference to dictionaries, what is the correct syllabication
in individual cases. Nevertheless, a good many errors
may be avoicled by observing the following simple rules:
(a) Do not set apart from each other combinations of
letters the separate pronunciation of which is impossible
or unnatural.
A. \Vron~: Exc-ursion; go-mlola,; illustr-ato; i11st.r-u clio11;
pu11-ctnatio11.
Right: Ex-cursion ; gon-tlola; illus-trnto ; in-struc-tion ;
punc-tuation.
B. Wrong: Prostr-ate; pri-nciple; abs-urd; fini-shing;
sugge-stion.
Right: Pros-trate; prin-ciple; ab-surd; finish-ing; suggestion.
0. Wrong: Nat-ion ; conclus-ion; invent-ion; introd-uction ; abbr-eviat-ion.
Right: Na-tion; conclu-sion; inven-tion; intro-duc-tion;
abbre-via-tion.
D. Wrong: Diffic-ult; tob-acco; exc-ept; univ-ersity;
tl islo-d gment.
Right: Diffi-cult; to-bacco ; ex-cept ; uni-versity; dislodg-men t.
(b) As a rule, divide between a prefix and the letter
following it.
Wrong: Bet-ween; pref-ix; antec-edent; conf-ine; delight.
Right: Be-tween; pre-fix; ante-cedent; con-fine; de-liglit.

SY LLJ\lllCATlON

111

(c) As a rule, divide between a suffix and the letter Suffixes
precelli11g it. Divide, e.g., before -ing, -ly, -nient, -ed,
(when it is pronounced as a separate syllable, as in
delight-ed), -ish, -able) -er, -est.
Right: Lov-ing; love-ly; judg-ment; invit-ed; Jew-ish;
punish-able ; strong-er ; strong-est.
(d) As a rule, when a consonant is doubled, divide Doubled
between the two letters. This rule often takes preced- ~~~i~­
ence of Rule c above.
Right : rnb-ber; ab-breviation ; oc-casion; ad-dition ,
af-finity ; Rus-sian ; expres-sion ; omis-sion ; commit-tee ; ex-eel-lent ; stop-ping; drop-ping; shipping; equip-ping.

( r.) Never divitlc in the mi<lst of th pronounced as in The dith
tlw or thin; sh as in push; ph as in phonograph; ng as graphs
ch, etc.,
in s1:11y; un as in sign; tch as in fetch; and gh pro- not to he
divided
nou11cctl as in rough, or silent. Never divide ck except
in acconlance with Rule f, below.
Wrong : cat-holic ; ras-hn ess; disc-harge ; diap-hragm;
gin-gham.
Right : cath-olic ; rash-ness ; dis-charge ; dia-phragm;
ging-ham.
Wrong: consig-nment; wat-ching; doug-hty.
Right: consign-ment; watch-ing; dough-ty.
The divisions post-hu11wus (see page 225), dis-habille
(sec page 225), Lap-ham, night in-gale, dz'.stin-guish,
sin-gle, s1:g-nature, and Leg-horn, form no exceptions to
the foregoing rule, for in them th, sh, etc., are pronounced
each as two distinct sounds.
Final le
(.f) In dividing words like edible, possible, bridle, not
to be
trifle, beagle, crackle, twinkle, staple, entitle, do not set apart

112

ABBREVIATIONS

THE REPRESENTATION OF NUlVIBERS

set le apart by itself; always place with it the preceding
consonant. (But see Rule 266.)

268. Observe that many abbreviations that are proper
when combined with other expressions are improper when
standing alone. Thus:
Hi~ht: I came at ten p.m.
Vulgar: I came this p .m.
Hight: He lives in room No. 12.
llad : Let me know the No. of your room.
Right: My dear Dr. Hart.
Vulgar: My dear Dr.

Right : edi-ble ; possi-ble; bri-dle ; tri-fie ; bea-gle ;
crac-kle ; etc.
NOTE. -To Rules b, c, and d, above, th ere arc exceptions.
For a statement of these, and for a comprehensive treatment
of syllabication, the reader is referred to the Introduction of
Webster's International Dictionary.
Monosyllables

A syllable
of one
letter

264. Never divide a monosyllable.
Bad: Tho-ugh, stre-ngth.

265. Do not divide a syllable of one letter from the
rest of the word.
Wrong: Man-y, a-gainst, a-long, ston-y.

Awkward
and too
fre9uent
division

266. Dividing words at the end of lines should be
avoided as much as possible. And such awkward divisions as the following should never be made :
Bad: eve-ry, ev-en, on-ly, eight-een.
Abbreviations

Generally
obj ection-

able

267. Abbreviations are in bad taste in literary compositions of any kind, including letters. A few abbreviations, - such as 1'..e., e.g., q.v., vi:z., etc., .A. D., B. C.,
a.rn., p.rn., - arc excepted from the rule, being commonly used in good literature. Use 110 abbreviations
except those which you know are employed, not by the
newspapers or the writers of commonplace business letters,
but by recognized masters of English prose.
Bad : Last summer I worked for the Chandler Mfg. Co.
in Casey, Ill. Casey is on the C. and E. I. R.R.
Right: Last summer I worked for the Chandler Manufacturing Company i11 Casey, Illinois. Casey is on
the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad.

113
Abbreviations right
in some

places;

wrong
elsewhere

Observe also that many abbreviations (such as vol., ch.,
p., Co., ed.) that are permissible in footnotes, paren·
thetic citations, and similar places, are not permissible
in formally constructed sentences.

269. Abbreviation of titles is, in general, inelegant Abbreviation of
Spell out Professor, President, titles
nnd objectionable.
Captain, General, Colonel, R everend, etc. Some abhrcviatiom1 are, however, always proper; viz., (I) JJfr.,
Mrs., Jlfessrs., and lJr., when prefixed to names;
(2) Esq., and the initial abbreviati;:ms D.D., Ph.D.,
etc., when suffixed to names. (See Rule 268.)
The Representation of Numbers

270. Do not spell out (I) canlinal numbers designating dates, (2) cardinal numbers designating the pages or
di visions (i.e., parts, chapten1, paragraphs, sections, rules,
etc.) of a book or a document, or (3) the street numbers
of houses.
Wrong: On October thirteen, eighteen hundred and
eighty-one, I was born at three hundred and sixty-two
Adams Street. See page nine hundred and sixteen of
our family Bible.
Right: On October 13, 1881, I was born at 362 Adams
Street. See page 916 of our family Bible.
NoTE. - Ordinal nmnuers designating days of a month
may ue either spelled out or represented by figures.

Dates,
folins, etc.,
an1l house

numbers

,I

,,..
TUE REl'llESENTATION OF NUMBERS

Right: The thirteenth of May fell on Friday.
Right: The 13th of May fell on Friday.
Ordinal numbers designating pages or divisions of a book or
document are governed by Hule 272.

272. In representing, in connected tliscourse, numbers
other than those treated in Rules 270 an<l 271, apply
the following rnlcs :
(a) In case several numbers are mentioned in a short
space, use figures for all. Sec for example the text of
Rules 203-208, where numbers occur frequently and
representation of them by words would inconvenience
the reader.
(b) If the numbers to be represented are not frequent,
spell out numbers that may be expressed in one or two
words, such as eighteen, ninety-seven, two hundred,

271. In designating a sum of money in connected discourse, apply the following rules :
(a) Do not use the sign $ for sums less than one
The sign
$imdollar.
proper for
Wrong: It costs $0.20.
sums less
than a
Right: It costs twenty cents.
Sums of
rnouey

dollar

The expression
.00 never
to be used
Fractional
sums

(b) Do not write .00.
'Vrong : He subscribed $342.00 to the fund .
Right : He subscribed $342 to the fund.

(c) For a sum amounting to a number of dollars and
a number of cents, always use the sign $ and figures.
Right : It costs $3.18.

E ven
sums:
Frequent

Isolated:
A sum in
cents
A sum in
dollars

( d) If several sums are mentioned within a short
space, use figures for all, putting the sign $ before all
numbers representing dollars.
Right: My room costs $3 a week and my board $1 .GO ;
my contribution to the church is 30 centR; 111y i11cide11tal expenses range from $U.35 to $12.50 a month.

(e) In case of an isolated mention of a sum in cents,
spell out the number.
Right : The price is ninety cents.

(f) In case of an isolated mention of a sum in dollars
without a fraction, spell out a number expressed in one
or two words, such as three, sixteen, two hundred, si'.x
thousand, one million,· for other numbers, such as 102,
350, 1130, 1,500,000, use the sign $and figures.
Right: He contributed twenty thousand dollars.
Right: It sold for eighteen hundred dollars.
Right: His fortune amounts to $72,500.

. 1

115

TIIE REPRESENTATION OF NUl\IBERS

114

·l
Numbers

not

treated

in Rules
270, 271
Frequent

numbers
-figures

Numbers
not frequent

eighteen hundred, twenty thousand, one million, fifty
niillion; use figures for those that require three or more
words, such as 108, 233, 1,250, 18,231, 1,500,230.
·wrong: The college is 25 miles from Columbus and
has UOO students.
·
Right: The college is twenty-five rnJles from Columbus
and has nine hundred students.
Wrong: In this city there are fonr hundred and thirtyfonr saloons to three hundred and eighty-five thousand,
one lnmdrcd and ninety-two people.
Right: Jn this city th ere are 4:14 saloons to 385,192
p eople.
'Vrong: lfc lives on 72<1 street.
Hight: lle lives on Seventy-second Street.
2i7 and 308. ]

[See Rules

273. From Rule 272 b it follows that a number rep- Ages, and
resenting a person's age or one designating an hour of hours of
the day
the day should nearly always (see Rule 272 a) be
spelled out.
Right: At twelve o'clock all the children below eight
years of age are sent home.
Paren-

274. A sum of money or a number that is spelled out thetic
should not be repeated in parenthesized figures, except in repetition
of
legal or commercial letters an<l instruments. When such numbers

116

CAPITALS

CAPITALS

repetition is made, (a) a parenthesized sum should stand
at the end of the expression that it repeats, not elsewhere ;
and (b) a parenthesized number should stand immediately
after the number that it repeats, not elsewhere.
Wrong:
Wron_g :
Right: I
Right: I

277. Capita.Iize club, company, society, college, high Common.
noun
school, railroad, county, river, lake, park, street, or any elements

other common noun, when it is made a component part of of proper
a proper name ; not otherwise. (See Exercise LXXIX.) names

I enclose ($10) ten dollars. [a]
I enclose ten ($10) dollars. [b]

·w rong: I went to that College one year.
Hight : I went to that college one year.
·w rong: Do you mean Hamilton college?
Right: Do you mean Hamilton College?

enclose ten dollars ($10). [a]
enclose ten (10) dollars. [b]

·

278. Capitalize nouns ancl adjectives of language or Words of
race and
rn.ce, such as German, Latin, Indian, etc. (See Exer- language
cise LXXVIII.)

Capitals

@

Capitalize proper nouns in general, including the
names of the days of the week and the names of the
Days and months. But note :
months
(a) The words spring, summer, 1nidsummer, autumn,
Not
seasons
fall, winter, and mi"dwinter should not be capitalized.
North,
(b) North, south, east, west, and their compounds
t1outh, _
etc.
(north-west, etc.) and derivatives (northern, etc.) should
not be capitalized except when they designate divisions
of the country.
Proper

ti am es

279. Capitalize the important words of literary titles. Words in
literary
Right : I read The Light that Failed and A Tale of titles
Two Cities.

280. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

This
rule applies in general to quoted sentences; but not to a
c1noted sentence from which words are omitted at the
beginning, nor to a quoted sentence-element incorporated
in an original sentence. (See Exercise LXXIX.)

Right: As we sailed north we saw a ship going west.
Right: The "\>Vest is prosperous. -The people of the
South are migrating westward. -The Northern delegates clashed with the Southern.
(See Exercise LXXVIII.)

Titles of
persons

®

Titles of persons should be capitalized when
they are used in connection with proper names. ·when
used otherwise than in connection with proper names,
titles of governmental officers of high rank should be
capitalized ; other titles should no~.
(See Exercise

281. Capitalize the first word of every line of poetry. At the
bcginuing
See the Right examples under Rules 209-211.
of li11es of
poetry
282. Do not capitalize a clause following a semicolon. Misuse
after a
Wrong : Send him to the library; His father wants to semicolon
speak to him.
Right: Send him to the library; his father wants to
speak to him.

Right : There go Professor Cox and Colonel Henry. A certain professor became a colonel in the volunteer
army. - The President and the Postmaster-General
sent for the postmaster of our town and the secretary
of our society.

---- .

. . ----·-··----------- -----·-·· -

-

- --

..--

- ---- --

At th e
beginniug
of a
sentence
or quotation

"\>Vrong: The conductor cried, "hands off 1"
Right : The conductor cried, " Hands off 1"
"\>Vrong: It seemed to be "Without form and void."
Right: It seemed to be "without form and void."
Sec also Rui c 38, note, and the last sentence in the note
to Huie 88.

LXXIX.)

---·

117

r

r

118
Use without reason

ITALICS

ITALICS

283. Do not capitalize words which there is no reason
for capitalizing, such as locomotive, forest, organ,

the title ; and the name of a city modifying adjectively the noun of the title should not be italicized.

Italics
Representation in

284. To italicize a word in a manuscript, draw one
straight line below it.

Italics
lvi th titles

285. Italicize titles of literary, musical, and artistic
works, and of periodicals.
Do not italicize the
author's name.

"f books,
"~c.

Right: Walter Scott's The Talisman, Rider Haggard's
I{ing Solomon's 1lfines, Talfourd's I on, and the
Atlantic 1lionthly furnished his principal amusement.
NoTE. - It is permissible to enclose titles in quotation
marks instead of italicizing them ; but the simpler and
better approved practice is to italicize.
Titles
beginning
with the:
Single
works

286. If the title of a single literary, musical, or
artistic work begins with the, this word should not be
omitted in writing the title, and it should be capitalized and italicized.
·wrong: Do you like Kipling's JJfan Who Was and
Chaminade's Silve1· ]ling 'I
Right: no you like Kipling's The lJian Who Was and
Chaminade's The Silver Ring ?
Wrong: I felt depressed after reading the Ifouse of

Mirth.
Right : I felt depressed after reading The House of
]Jffrth.

Periodicals

l

•:

rhetoric, mathematics, history, whooping co1tgh,
landlady, bulldog, electricity, citizen, flour niill J?ro. gold 1nine, teachers' convention.
'
fiesswn,

MS.

/I

11\J

287. In writing the name of a newspaper or other
periodieal, however, a the limiting the noun of the title
should not be capitalized or italicized even if it is part of

Right : She found there some copies of the Pall lJfall
Gazette, the Evening Telegraph, the Century J.lfagazine, t.he New York Evening Post, and the Ma,dison
(Wisconsin) D emocrat.

288. Italicize names of ships.
Right : I cut the Hispaniola from her anchor.

.289. When a word is spoken of as a word, -not
used to represent the thing or idea that it ordinarily
represents, and not quoted, - it should be italicized.
' Vhe11 a word is spoken of as a quoted word, it should
usually Le inclosed iu quotation marks and not italicized.

Names of
ships
Italics
with
words
discussed

Right: The misuse of grand, awful, and nice is a common fault.
Right: 1n the expression " we, the people," "people "
is in apposition with "we."
NoTE. - With words discussed, it is permissible to use
quotation marks instead of italics, even when the words are
not quoted; and it is sometimes necessary and advisable
to do so. In this book, for example, quotation marks are
used with incorrect expressions discussed, because this
pmcticc helps, in some cases, to dif;Li11gnish the wrong
phrns< ~o l ogy from the right.
llut the better practice in
general is to italicize.

290. Italicize l1111mturalized foreign words introduced With
into an English context.
foreign
words
Right: He is a bona fide purchaser.
291. Avoid the habit of frequently italicizing words For em·
for emphasis ; do not emphasize a word in this way phasis
unless there is some especially good reason, - as, for

120

ITALIC ti

instance, the fact that obscurity would result from lack
of emphasis.
Bad: The curse of this age is commercialism coupled
with hypocrisy.
Right: The curse of this age is commercialism coupled
with hypocrisy.
For examples of necessary emphasis by italics, see Rules
2 e and 289.
Improper

use for

marking

humor

292. Do not italicize for the purpose of calling atten·
tion to your humor or irony; this practice is undignified
and inartistic. (Cf. Rules 235 and 250 e.)
Bad : The villain in the play was charming.
Right : The villain in the play was charming.

III. ANALYTICAL OUTLINES
Form, of Titles
293. In an analytical outline, make all the titles, as Nouns,
far aR possible, in the form of nouns, with or without not verb•
· "Rap1'<l'1t y of M ovemen t" rather
modifiern. E .g., wnte
'
than "Moves Hapidly."

Numbering and Arrangement of Titles
294. Number and indent the titles of an outline according to the following method :
TUE GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND

I Introducti on : Value to Am ericans of a know}. Specimen
· edge of Swiss institutions.
outline
II. The legislative department.
1. General plan.
2. The National Council.
a. Apportionment.
b. Elections.
3. The Council of States.
4. Powers of the legislature.
III. The executive department.
1. General plan.
2. Organization in detail.
3. Executive powers. - Comparison of Swiss and
Anierican executives.
IV. The judicial department: the constitutional court.
121

122

ANALYTICAL OUT LIN ES
CEHTAIN ILLOGICAL l'IU\CTICES

Irregular
alignment

295. Place coordinate titles at the same distance from
the left-hand margin.

Certain Illogical Practices
299. Do not write as a subtitle what is logically a
part of the gov~rning title; join it to the governing
title or else omit it.

The Terrns "Introduction," "Conclusion," and" Body."
Misuse of
Introduction and
Conclusion

296. Do not entitle the first division Introduction
nor the last Conclusion unless their material is distinct
from the body.

Bad:
I. Founding of the city.
1. lly Dionysius Jones.

·wrong outline for an account of a sleigh-ride :

II. Its principal industry.
1. l'iauo mam1facturiug.
Right:
I. Founding of the city.
II. Principal industry, piano manufacturing.
Bad:
I. Ancestors.
1. Scotch.
II. Ilirthplace.
1. l•'arm in Indiana.
Right:
I. Scotch ancestors.
II. Birthplace : description of the Indiana farm.
See also titles I and IV in the outline on page 121.

I. Introduction : the start.
II. The journey ortt.
III. Conclusion : the I'eturn.
Right:
I.
II.
III.
IV.

Introduction : winter in Dakota.
The start.
The journey out.
The return.
V. Conclusion: comparison of sleighing and other
sports.

Body or
297. Do not use the title Body or Discussion;
Discussion
not to be
place the titles belonging to the body, or discussion, of an
used

essay flush with the left-hand margin, as in the outline
on page 121.

300. Do not write as the first subtitle what is logically the second or third; write it as a memorandum
after the governing title, or else insert the subtitles that
should logically precede it.

Over-minute Subdivisi'.on
Overminuteness

298. Do not indicate minute and unimportant divisions.
Bad:
1. Situation of building.
a. In Ames County.
b. On a hill.

c. Facing east.

Right:
1. Situation of building.

123

I
I

Bad:
I. Situation.
1. Ad vantages.
Right:
I. Situation: its advantages.
Also right:
I. Situation.
1. Geographical location.
2. Advantages.

Part of a
title written like a
subtitle

I

,,
I

1

I'
i

i
Second or
third subtitle written like
first

124

ANALYTICAL OUTLINES

Bad:
II. Attempts to destroy it,
1. Why they failed.
Right:

II. Attempts to destroy it.
1. The first attempt.
2. The attempt of 1901.
3. Reason for the failure of all attempts.
See also title III, 3, of the outline on page 121.
Coordi-

nate title
written
like a
subtitle

Subtitle
written
like a coordinate
title

301. Do not write as a subtitle what is logically coordinate with the preceding title.
Bad [The rule is violated in titles II, 1, and II, 1, a] :
I. The departure.
II. The arrival in the city.
1. Journey to the store.
a. Purchases.
III. Return home.
Right:
I. Departure.
II. Arrival in the city.
III. Journey to the store.
IV. Purchases.
V. Return .
.Also right :
I. Departure.
II. Experiences in the city.
1. Arrival.
2. Journey to the store.
3. Purchases.
III. Return.

302. Do not place a subtitle coordinate with its gov·
erning title.
Bad [The rule is violated in title II] :
I. Disadvantages of football.
1. Physical harm.
2. Distraction from studies.
II. Encouragement of gambling.

CERTAIN ILLOGICAL PRACTICES

125

Right:
II. Disadvantages of football.
1. n1ysical harm.
2. Distraction from studies.
3. Encouragement of gamblin~.

303. Do not write the title of the composition iike Main title
the title of a division.
written
Bad:
I. Shipbuilding in Maine.
1. Introduction.
2. Principal seats.
3. Methods.

like sub-

title

etc.
Right:
SrIJPDUILDING IN MAINE

I. Introduction.
II. l'rincipal seats.
II I. .l\t cthods.
etc.

i
, I

, . :--

THE HEADING

127

1

309. fo writing a street direction do not omit Street. ~p~~ ~!~~
17 Main.
Hight: 17 Main Street.
Wrn11~:

IV.

LETTER WRITING

Letters in the First Person

The Heading
. Address
before
date

The ad-

dress :
Insufficient
address

304. The first member of a correct letter written In
the first person is the heading, - i.e., a statement of the
address of the writer and the date of writing. The ad.
dress should precede the <late.
·wrong:
June 4, Hl04,
Groveport, Ohio.
Right:
Groveport, Ohio, June 4, lDOJ,

305. The address in the heading should be such as
would be sufficient for a postal di-!'ection.
Insufficient :
Right :

Chicago, Illinois.
212 State Street,
Chicago, Illinois.
Street
306. If tho aclrlrcss contains a street direction, this
direction
before city should precede the name of the city.
Columl.Jus, Ohio.
Wrong:
28 II igh Street.
28 Jligh Street;,
Right :
Coluwl.Jus, Ohio.
House
307.
A
house
number
should
be
written
in Arabic
numbers
figures and should be preceded by no word or sign.
Wrong: Fifteen H Street.
Wrong: # 15 H Street.
Right: 15 H Street.
Numbers
308. Street numbers less than one hundred should be
of streets
spelled out. (See Rule 272 b.)
Right: 285 Forty-second Street. [See Ruic 277.]
120

310. The date should consist of the name (not the The date:
1m111Ler) of th e n1011th, the number of the day of the Completeness
month, and the complete number of the year.
Inelegant: 3/ 21 / '06.
Right: March 21, 1006.

311. All the numbers in the date should be written Figures,
in Arabic figures, not represented by words. (See Rule not words ·
270. But cf. Huie 338.)
'Vrong : 1\farch the twenty-first, nineteen hundred and
Rix.

Right: 1\farch 21, 1006.

312. The number of the day should not be followed St,nd, etc.,
not
by st, nd, rd, d, or th.
usedto be
Uncl csirable : March 21st, 1006.
Hight: l\Iarch 21, rnoa.

313. Do not use any abbreviations in the heading. Abbrevianot
It is pern1 issible to waive this rule in business letters, but it tions
to be used
is more dignified and decorous to observe it invariably.
Undesirable :
Norton, l\fass., Jan. 3, l!JOG.
Right:
Norton, Massachusetts,
January 3, 1906.
314. The entire heading, if short, may be written on Grouping

one line. If two lines are necessary, the date should be of the
heading
written alone on a separate line. If three are necessary, into lines
the street direction should starnl on the first line, the
name of the city and state on the second, and the date
on the third.

!. ·

128

LETTERS IN THE FIRST l'EnSON

Right:

Fayette, Ohio, May 21, 1U03.

Wrong:

THE SALUTATION
Hight:

21 North Street,
Lima, Ohio, June 1, 1904.
21 North Stree t, Lima, Ohio,
June 1, 1904.

Right:
Right:

Dear J ohn,

***

5051 Madison A ve nue,
Chicago, Illinois,
August 27, 1901.

Position
of the
heading

315. The heading should be written at the beginning
of the l etter at the right side of the page. (See the
letters on page 135.)

Separation or
repetition
of members

316. Do not write a part of the heading (see Rule
304) at the beginning of the letter and a part at the
close; and do not repeat the heading or a part of it at
the close when it has b een written at the b eginning.
Bad:
Asheville, N. C., May 1, 1007.
Dear John,

129

20 Charlotte Street,
Asheville, North Carolina,
May 1, 1907.
Yours sincerely,
R obert Graves.

The Salutatio n
317. The following arc proper salutations for business Business
letters

letters:
My dear Sir:
Gentl emen:

My dear Madam :
Ladies:

NoTE. - D ear Sir and D ea r 11Iaclarn may be used wh ere
famili arity of address is proper; they are less ceremonious
than 1lfy clear Sir and llfy cleai· Mad am. In letters purporting to come from m ore than one person (e.g., a letter signed
"n. C. J lcath and Co mpany") the my is, of course, necessarily Olli i ttcll in a ny case.

318. Never use th e abbreviati on J[essrs. as a saluta- Mi suse of
ti o11. (Sec Jllessrs. in the glossary.)
.Mess rs.
Had:

***

D. C. Il eath & Co.,
Yours sincerely,
Robert Graves,
20 Charlotte St.

Bad:
Asheville, N. C., May 1, 1907.
Dear John,

***
Yours sincerely,
Robert Graves.
20 Charlotte St.,
Asheville, N. C.

Boston.
Messrs. Righ t :
Messrs. D. C. Heath and Co mpany,
Boston, Massachusetts.
Gentlemen:

319. Th e following are proper salutations for letters Letters of
of fri cmbhip:
friendship
My dea.r Sir:
My dear Madam :
My dear l\fr." Smith,
My dear Miss J ones,
My dear John,
My dear Susan,
Norn. - The foregoing salutations wi th 11Iy omitted may
be used where familiarity of address is proper ; sa lutations
without llfy are less ceremonious than those with My.

130
Vulgar
salutations

f

A name
Jor a salutation

j,
Ii
I,

: I

I

I
!
; .

,,
11

j:
t'I

320. The salutations "Dear Friend," "l\Iy dear
Friend," and "Friend John" are not in reputable use
avoid them.
321. Never use a name alone as a salutation.
lla<l :
Melmorc, 0., Sept. 3, '07.
Mr. Percy Clapp: Please inform me ...
Right:
Melmore, Ohio, September 3 , lOO"i.
My dear Mr. Clapp,
Will you please inform me ...

Abbrevia322. In the salutation never use any abbreviation,
tions not
except
Mr., Mrs., and Dr. (See Rule 269.)
to be used
Bad: My dear Prof. Walker.
Right: My dear Professor Walker.
Bad : Dear Capt. Ayer.
Right: Dear Captain Ayer.
Punctuation

THE INSIDE ADDRESS

LETTEHS IN THE FIRST l'EHSON

323. The salutation should be followed by a colon if
the letter is formal ; by a comma if the letter is more or
less informal. See the two letters on page 135.

Position
324. The salutation should be written flush with the
of the
left-hand
margin. The body of the letter shouM begin
salutation
on the line below, near the middle of the line. See the
examples on page 135.

1.'he Complimentary Close
Business
letters

325. The following arc proper complimentary closes
for business letters :
Yours truly,
Yours very truly,
Yours respectfully,
Letters of
326. The following are proper complimentary closes
friendship for letters of friendship :
Yours very truly,
Yours sincerely,

- - - =--·---- - -

131

327. Do not use any abbreviation, such as "yrs" or Vulgar
closes
" reep'y " .in the complimentary close ; nor write "respectively" for respectfully; nor write "and oblige" in the
place of the complimentary close.
328. The complimentary close sho11kl be written on a Position
and puncseparate line, shonld stand near the mi,ldle of the line, tuation
shonl<l begin with a capital, and should be followed by
a comma. See the examples on page 135.
329. All expressions introducing the complimentary Position
of precedclose, such as "I am," "believe me," "good-bye," should ing words
occupy th eir regular positions in the body of the letter.

Right:
Accept my congrntnlations upon your new appointm ent ; and believe me
Yours sincerely,
Henry Cobb.

The Inside Address
3 30. The inside address - a statern,ent of the name Essential
to a coman<l adtlress of the person written to - is an essential plete letter
part of a complete letter, though it may be omitted from
informal letters.
331. The street direction may be omitted from the Omission
of street
inside address.
direction
permisHight:
sible
The Tiffan y Company,
New Yoi-k City.
Gentlemen :

Do 11 ot write a name alone above the salutation. Name
without
address
Mr. Harvey Myers.
My dear· Sir :
Right:
Mr. Harvey Myers,
Seattle, Washington.
My dear Sir:

332

·

132
Abbrevia-

tions not

to be used

LETTERS IN THE FIRST PEHSON

333. In the inside address do not omit Jlfr. or whatever other title is proper; an<l use uo aLbrr.viations except Mr., Esq., Messrs., Mrs., Dr., and suffixed initial
titles, like Ph.D. (See Rule 269.)
Lacking in courtesy and propriety:
West and Burchell,
Chicago.
Gentlemen:
Right:
Messrs. West and Burchell,
Chicago, Illinois.
Gentlemen:
Lacking in courtesy and propriety:
Century Pub. Co.,
N. Y. City.
Gentlem en:
Right:
The Century Publishing Company,
New York City.
Gentlemen:

Permissible exceptions

NOTE 1. - By way of exception, the long names United
States of .America and District of Columbia may be abbreviated respectively to U.S. .A. and D.C. It is permissible in
bus iness letters to abbreviate the names of States also ; bnt
the better practice is to spell out those nam es. J\ bbrcv ial.ion
of the short names lllaine, Ohio, and Iowa is objectionable
in any letter.
Use of the
Norn 2. -The title Esq. is a proper substitute for Jlfr.
title Esq.
When Esq. follows a name, no title should precede the
name.
Wrong: Mr. Ralph Williams Esq.
Right : Ralph Williams, Esq.
Position:
Commercial
letters
Other
letters

334. In commercial letters the inside address should
stand above the salutation; in letters of friendship, and
in business letters not dealing with mercantile transactions, it should stand, not above the salutation, but at
the bottom of the letter at the left si<le of the page. Se6
the letters on page 135.

- -- - -- ----

LITERARY STYLE

133

Literary Style
335. The following faults, characteristic of ill-educated Certain
vulgarwTitcrs aml of writers without good taste, are to be isms:
cspceially avoi<le<l in letters:
..
(a) 'l'he omission of pronouns, articles, and prepos1t10ns. Ellipsis
Bad: Received your letter of the _6 th ult. While very
doubtful of the result, will try to carry out your
in structions.
Right: 1 have received your letter of August 6. [See
Huie 3HG, below.] Though I am very ?oubtfu~ about
the result, I will try to carry out your 111struct10ns.
B:ul: \Vo enclose check for three d ollars.
Hight : 'Ve enclose a clteck for three dollars.
Bacl : Direct letter care Thomas Cook.
Hight: Direct the Jetter in care of Thomas Cook.
Had: l\ir. H.P. Thurston, editor ,Tenksville Patriot ..
Right: Mr. H. P. Thurston, editor of the Jenksv1lle
Patriot.
NoTE. -The omission of I is proper in diaries and in
letters written in the style of a diary, - i.e., i~tended to
prese nt mere hasty memorandtt jot~~ d down without ~ny
attcm pt a t, completeness of form. .L lnis, Tennyson writes
to liiH wifn : "Slept at Spcclding's where I found they
expectc<l 111e.
Started this morning 11 a. m. Hay fever
atrocious with irritation of railway, 11 ea rly drove me c r~z e cl,
but co11l<l 11 ot complain, the oth er only occupant havmg a
curiously c;plit shoe for his b<·tt.cr <'asc . . . " Jn such letters, elippctl ex press ions harmonize with tl10 context. Jn a l~t­
ter h owe ver that is intended to be complete and regular m
for;n, th e om'ission of 1 and of other grammatically essential
words is in congruous and in bad taste. (See Rule 337,below.)

(b) \Vriting "yours,"" your favor," or "your esteemed
favor" for your letter. (See Rule 17, note.)
Cc) Th e nse of the formula "yours of t,h, e l 7t_h revV n t e a
ccived," or "yours of the 17th at h an d ·
grnmmatieally complete expression, such as "I have your
letter of June 17."

"Yon rs,"
"your
fa vo r"

"received
y O U rs "
.

I
I

I

1,

".i

134
"In reply

would

LE'lTl.;J{S IN THE :FlliST 1'1':11.KON

(<I) 'l'he use of the formula. "in reply wonl<l say" or

say"

"will sn.y." ·w rite a grammatically complete expression,
such as "In reply allow me to say."
"I would,
( e) The use of the formula "I would say,'' "I will
will, or
can say" say," or "I can say." vVrite "Allow me to say" or "I
desire to say,'' or else omit any such introduction.
"Same"
(f) The use of the expression "same " or " the same."
Use it or they. (See Same in the Glossary.)

"Please"
"Please

find

enclosed"
.. ($10)

ten dollars "
Name of
city abbreviated
Participial
close
"and

oblige"
The use
of I
Not to be
avoided
by mere
ellipsis

Vulgar: Yours of the 3rd at hand, and in reply wou ld
say we are at present out of lamps desired but will
send same as soon as possible.
Right': In reply to your letter of March 3, we beg leave
to state that we have not at presc11t t.!1r. lamps you
desire. We will send them as soon as poss il.Jlc.
(g) The use of the expression "please " alone. Rather
write "\Vill you please.''
(h) The use of the formula "Please find enclosed.''
Write "I enclose."
( i) The use of the formula "($10) ten dollars" or
ten ($10) dollars." (See Rule 274.)
(j) The abbreviation of the name of a city; e. g., of
Cincinnati to "Oin.," of Ph-iladelphia to "Phil.," or of
New York City to "N. Y. City."
(k) Monotonously closing all letters with a sentence
introduced by a participle, as" Hoping to hear soon . . . "
" Thanking you again . . . '.' ; or monotonously closing
all letters of request with "and oblige."

336. The rule often taught, that it is improper to
begin the body of a letter with I, is nonsense; begi111iing
with I is always permissible an<l often desirable.
337. The monotonously frequent use of I in letters is
a common fault which it is well to guard again st. But
one should not, in order to avoi<l this fault, commit tho
worse fault of simply omitting I; as "Have not heard
from you for a long time. Should think you ought to have

]<' {

ll: ~ , , \I , N() 'l'I'L'
.,.., JN 'l'llF, T llIHI> l'EllSON

135

.
I j ' . ti ·s " 'l'he noticcahly fre1111ent • use• off II·is
wntt 1 ~ 11 •c 01e 11. •
11uthi11rr worse than au awkwardness; the elhps1s o
is
b .•
(C!ee
H.nle
335
a
above.)
As
between
the
a v11 Igai mm. l.J
'
•
ti
eti
two the awkwardness is preferable. 'l'o avoid 10 r~p . tio1: of I, practice variety of sentence structure, not ellipsis.
A Correctly Written Business Letter
17 Lumber :Exchange,
Mr. Jl cnry Coleman,

. .
Chicago, Jll11101s.

Specimen
Minn eapolis, Minn esota, letters
,January 2, 1007.

My <lear Sir:
b 2ll Allow me to
l have your letter of Dece m er · ·
B'lY ill reply that the house is Rt.ill for sn.Jc.
"
·
Yonrn trn 1y,
]<rank Shaw.

A Correctly Written Letter of Friendship

Murray Hill Hotel,
New York City,
September 20, 1907.
My dear Mr. Crawford,
.
. about is L. Pabst's
The compositi on yon mqmrc
.
.
I , . . . in ]) flat major
I forget who pu bhshes
Ana ron anaz ioni
,
'.
.
Schirmer's New York
it ; but you can get it by semlmg to
house.
Yours sincerely,
Edith Morris.
l\fr. George Crawford,
1301 Beacon Street,
Boston, Massachusetts.
Formal Notes in the Third Person

338. Formal notes written in the third. pr.rson should
11 .,ve 110 hra<linrr, 110 salutation, no complunentary close,

b
'Tl10y s Iion Id be Solely in
no.. insi<lc address,
arnl 110 signature.
third
written consistently and solely in the third person; the per sou
writer should not refer to himself as I or to the addressee

11
l

·'

:i
:1I
ii-:

I

d

1 '.1(j
~
i

.I

No abbrnvia-

tions

1''0]{.MJ\L No·n:s JN TllE TllII:I> l'l.;J\S(l N

US_?JOU. Except Afr., Afrs., Afrssrs., a11<l Dr., 11o ablm~vi·
~hons whatever sl1011kl be used; awl Hm11uers occurring

m dates should - unlike those in ordinary letters - be
Numbers spel~ed out. For information about other matters, the
spelled out
following examples will suffice :
Right :
Mrs. Burton requests the pl.easure of Miss Irwin's
company at dinner on Friday, May the second, at
seven o'clock.
035 'Webster Street,
April th e twenty-third.
Right:
Miss Irwin accepts with pleasure Mi·s. Burton's
invitation to dinner on May the second.
li20 Princeton A venue,
April the twenty-fourth.
Bad:
500 Anderson Street,

Ilem1 es.v, Mich.,
.Tan. 10, '07.

Mr. Matthews regrets that he will not lie alJle to
accept your invitation for Jan. 15. Severe illn ess
will make it impossible for me to co me.
Yours truly,
Hiram .Matthews.
Right:
Mr. Matthews regrets that, on account of illness he
is unable to accept Mr. and Mrs. Eliot's invitation' for
January th e fifteenth.
500 And erson Street,
January the tenth.
Misnse
of future
tense

The future tense in the first sentence 6£ the foregoing Bad letter illustrates a common error in letters of
regret or acceptance.
NOTE. -

w ·rong : Mr. Smith will be pleased to accept . . . [The
being pleased to accept is present, not future. J
Right: Mr. Smith accepts; [or] Mr. Smith is pleased to
accept.

-

- - --------- -

s1·;.;1>HT l\IE C llA N ICJ\L JJil :. E CTlON S

'v rnllg :

.
accept .
future.]

137

that lie will ho miablo to
[The intthility to accept is present, not

rcgrc l.R

Right : . . . regrets that he is unable to accept .
Sundry Mechanical Directions

339. The ink used in letter writing should be of no Ink
oth er color than black.
340. Letter-paper consisting of sheets so folued that
each sheet is like a little book of four pages, is suitable
for all let ters, - commercial, professional, or social ; and
for the letters of private individuals, as distingui shed
from th ose of public officials and those of business firms,
it is, on the whole, preferable to writing-paper in flat
sheets. The use of the latter kind is best confined to
bu sin ess or professional correspondence. vVriting-paper
that is rnle<l, or limp and Himsy in tcxtitre, or conspicuous heca11se of unusual color, shoukl be used for no letters
whatever - except iu case of emergency.

Writing.
paper:
Four-page
sheets
Flat
sheets

i

'

I.
11.,

i

341. The writing should not be crowded close to the
top of any page, but should begin 1111 inch or t\rn below.
For the sake of nea t and attractive appearance, it is best
to keep a blank margin at least half an inch wide at the
left side of every page. Rules 165-177 and 183-187
should 1)e observed in letters as well as in other manuscripts.

Margin
at top
l\Iargiu at
left
Legibili ty

342. ·when fiat sheets of paper are used, it is usually
best that only one side of each sheet be written on. If
both sides ar 1nitten on, the reader is slightly inconvenienced in holding and turning the sheets as he reads.

Order of
pages:

l'
\

l

Flat
sheets

343. ·when four-page sheets are used, all four pages Four-page
may be written on. The letter shonl1l be so written sheets
that a person reading the first page has at his left the

138

SUNDRY :MECHANICAL DIRECTIONS

SUNDB.Y MECHANICAL DIRECTIONS

fold, an<l at his right the coinciding e<lges opposite the
fol<l. If the substance of the letter occupies less than
two pages of the sheet, the first and thir<l pages may be
written on an<l the second be left blank. If the sn bsta11ce of the letter occnpies more than two imgef1, it is
best, both on the groun<l of good usage aml on that of
the reader's convenience, that the pages be written on in
their natural order, - v1:z., 1, 2, 3, 4; not in the order
1, 3, 2, 4 or 1, 4, 2, 3. On the same grounds, it is best
that the lines of writing on all the pages be at right
angles to the fold, not parallel with the fold.

Commercial envelope:

344. A letter written on a four-page sheet should be
enclosed in an envelope of the same material and of such
shape and size that the letter will fit into it when fol<lefl
Four-page with one horizontal crease through tlie center.
The
sheets
letter should be so folded that the upper and the lower
halves of page 1 face each other ; or, in other words, so
that the horizontal crease will appear as a groove 011
pages 1 and 3, and as a ridge on pages 2 and 4. The
letter should be so placed in the envelope that the horizontal crease is at the bottom of the envelope, aJHl the
two coinciding halves of the ve,rtical crease originally
dividing the sheet are at the left hand of a person looking
at the sealed side of the envelope.

(b) In an envelope of commercial size (approximately
X G} inches). In this case, fold the letter into three
sectio1rn, - a central section and two flaps. Correct folding may he accomplished by the following process: As
the letter licfl right side up 0 11 the talile, raise the lower
part and fuhl it 1qnvard over the middle part, making a
horizontal crease about one third of the distance from the
bo.ttom to the top; next, raise the upper part and fold
it downward, making a horizontal crease about one fourth
of the distance from the top to the bottom. The creases
should appear, to a person reading page 1, as grooves,
not ridges. The letter so folded should be placed in the
envelope with the two flaps next to the sealed side, not
next to the face, of the envelope; with the smaller flap
on top of the larger one; and with the ontwar<l edge of
the smaller Jla,p pointing downward. The foregoing directions apply to letters in which the lines of writing run
parallel to the short sides uf the paper. Letters in which
tl1e lines run parallel to the long sides should be folded
into the same shape; but the part containing the salutation shonlcl form the smaller flap. Such a letter should
be placetl in the envelope with the flaps next to the sealed
side, with the smaller flap on top of the larger one, and with
the outward edge of the smaller flap pointing upward.

345. A letter written on fiat sheets of paper of note
size (approximately (i X 8 inches) may be enelosed(a) In an envelope into which it will fit when folded
with. one crease running through the center. In this
case, the two halves of page 1 should be made to face
each other; or, in other words, the crease should appear,
to a person reading page 1, as a groove, not as a ridge.
Place the letter in the envelope with the crease at the
bottom, and with the half containing the heading next
to the face, not the sealed side, of the envelope.

346. A letter written on fiat sheets of paper of full
commercial size (approximately 8 X 11 inches) may be
enclose<l( a) In an envelope of commercial size (approximately
3-! X
inches). In this case, correct folding may be accomplished by the following process : As the letter lies
face up on the table, raise the lower part and fold it upward over the upper part with a horizontal crease running slightly below the center. Keeping the upper part
1.ying next the table, a11d keeping the horizontal crease

Flat sheets
of full
commercial size:

Folding
and enclosing:

Flat
sheets of
uote size:
Envelope
of note
;;ize

-- ---- ----

139

3t

6t

Writing
parallel
with short
sides

Writing
parallel
with loug
sides

Commer
cial envelope
I j

l

1

140

Official
envelope

Square
envelope

SUNDRY MECHANICAL DIRECTIONS

THE ENVELOPE

toward you, raise the right-hand part an1l fol<l it toward
the left, makiug a vertical crease about one thinl of the
distance from right to left. Finally, raise the left-hand
part aud fold it toward the right, making a vertical creaRe
lJ.bout one fourth of the distance from left to right. Wlten
page 1 is read, the horizontal crease and the two vertical
creases that divide the upper half of the page should
appear as grooves, and the two vertical creases that divide
the lower half should appear as ridges. The letter, as
folded, consists of a central section and two Haps. Place
it in the envelope with the two flaps next to the sealed
side, not next to the face, of the envelope; with the
smaller flap on top of the larger oue; aml with the outward edge of the smaller flap pointing upward.
(b) In an envelope of official size (approximately
10 x 4 inches). In this case, it should be folded
and enclosed according to the method shown in Rule

will he ahk, with the least pOf;sihie effort, to get it right
Ride up i11 hiR hand, ready to read. A few experiments
"·ill Rhow t hat if any of the directions in Hules 344-346,
:dmve, arc disregarded in tho folding rtlHl e11closi1ig of a
letter, tlw :uldreRscc, 011 taking the letter from the envelope and m1foldi11g it in the natural way, will find it
with thr:i first page turned from him or with the writing
Upside down.

345 b.
(c) In an approximately square envelope, into which it
will fit when folded with one horizontal and one vertical
In this case,
make tho horizontal fol<l fin;t, laying the upper a nd tho
lower halves of page 1 face to face - or, in other words,
making a crease that will appear as a groove in page 1 ;
then fold with a vertical crease thttt will appear as a
groove in the upper half of page 1, aml as a ri<lge in the
lower half. Place the letter in the envelope with the
vertical crease at the bottom and the two coinciding
halves of the horizontal crease at the riaht hand with
b
'
respect to a person looking at the sealed side of the
envelope.

The Envelope

348. In writing the address on an envelope, apply
Rules 307, 308, 30!), 333, ancl 335 a.
H:i.d:

Thos. Howe,
c/o Capt. Wm. Fisk,
·w abasha,
1Hinn.
Right:

Mr. Thomas Howe
In care of Captain William Fisk

vVal.iaslia
:Mi1111csota

~rease, both running through the center.

The fundameutal
principle
underlying Rules

344-346

347. The foregoing rules in regard to the manner of
folding letters and inserting them in envelopes are merely
detailed applications of the simple rule of cou rtesy: Fold
and enclose the letter in such a way that the receiver

1-:11

1lad :

Hev. Chas. Wentworth,
#468 9th st.,
Bridgeport,
Ct.

Rigl1t:
The Reverend Charles vVeotworth
463 Ninth Street,

'

Bridgeport,
Coo nccticu t.
Bad:
Editor Centerville Ledger,
#65 North Liberty,
Centcrvil le,
0.

Street not
to be
omitted
, I

-142
Ellipsis
not to be

Punctuation

THE ENVELOPE
Right:
For the Editor of the Centerville Ledger
65 North Liberty Street
Centerville
Ohio

used

,
11

349. It is permissible to write the address on an envelope without any marks of punctuation at the ends
of lines. If such punctuation is employed, a p eriod
shonl(l be plar,ed at the ernl of the lnst line and a
comma at the end of each precedi11g lin e.

V A GLOSSARY
OF MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXPRESSIONS

A.D.

Right:
Professor Henry D . Lennington
1436 Putnam Avenue
vV oonsocket
Rhode Isla nd

About.

See At about.

Accept.

See Except.

Affect.

Right·
Colonel Charles Kent,
Th e Southwick Hotel,
Kansas City,
Missouri .

350. The postage stamp should be attached in the upper
The post- .
age stamp righ t-han<l corner. It should he right side 11 p, aud its edges
should be parallel to the edges of th e envelope. A postage
stamp upside down or atlixe<l in a ·haphazard fosh ion raises
against the sender of the letter a su s picion of slovenliness.

Men.ns in the yeai· of the Lnrd. Should not, therefore, be ap.
1•<·111l ecl t.o tho nam e o[ :L cGnt11r11. Should not be n.ppendcd to
a d:tl.() sPI !'-evidently 111 udern.
\V hen used, should precede the
date ancl i-;houlu n ot be preceded by a preposition.
'Vrong: The sixth century A.D.
Right: The sixth ce11tury after Christ.
Hight: Arminius died A .D . 21.

After.

Means to influence; as "Trade would be seriously n.ffected by
a war." Is never used as a nonn- always as a verb. Often
confused with ({Teet. E.Oect (verb) im~ans to bring to pass;
as "lie effected a reconcilin.tion." E.Oect (noun) means n·
sult; as " The drug had a fatal effect." (See Exercise LXX.)
I11n.ccnrate : A ft.er having written.
Right: After writing.

Aggravate. 1\len.ns to make wn r8e ; :is " Th e shock aggravated his
misery." Should not be used for vex or annoy.
-\ All the. The use of " all the farther,'' "all the higher," ''all the
faster,'' or a similar expression is a crudity.
Crndc : That was all the farther we went that day.
l{igh t : That was all the <lista11cc we went that day; [or] That
was as far as we wc11t that day.

'

I

1·

'

I

I

'

"

Alternative. Means choice between two things, or one of two things
between which choice is possible; as "The al tern a ti ve is difficult,"
"One alternative was to jump from the window; the other was
to be burn ed to death." Should n ot be applied to one of more
than two things.
vVroug: There is still a third alternalive.
Right: Still a third course may be adopted.
·, - And.

Often incorrectly used instead of to.
vVroug : He said he was going up and clean out the attic.
Right : He said he was going up to clean out the attic.
143

----

'1

I

/

144

O.F .MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXPRESSIONS

A GLOSSARY

Anent.

. ..-

~.-

The use of this synonym of about or concerning suggests
affectation.

,( Any place, every place, no place, some place.

where, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere.

Vulgarisms for any(See Rule 4.)

Bank on, take stock in.
and Endorse.)

·~· As (1). The frequent use of as as a causal conjunction is a mark of
ill-educated writers. ·w here as occurs in this sense there should
usually be no conjunction.
Bad : Excuse my short letter as I am buried in work just now.
Right: Excuse my short letter ; I am buried in work just now.
Bad : There were no settlers left as they had all been massacred.
Right : There were no settlers left; they had all been massacred.
As (2). In negative statements and in questions implying a negative
answer, good usage requires the correlatives so ... as rather
than the correlatives as •.. as.
Poor : The modern nations are not as artistic as Urn ancient
nations were.
Right : The modern nations are not so artistic as the ancient
nations were.

fAught~

Means anything.

,

"\Vrong : Tic tried, hut of 110 avail.
Right : He tried , but to 110 avail.
Right: His attempt was of 110 avail.

:><.. Awful.

Means inspiring with awe ; as "The awful presence of the
king." Should .not be used loosely . Say not " an awfnl
mistake," but " a serious or disastrous mistake " ; not " an
awful blunder," but " a ludicrous blunder" ; not "awful manners," but "uncivil or ill-bred manners" ; not "awful treatment," but "discourteous or cruel treatment." Choose an
adjective that expresses your meaning definitely.
-

---------

Beg.

When used in asking permission to do a thing, beg should
govern a noun, - permission, leave, or some synonym oi
th ese words.

01·

hay.

Should

r.""'\

iJ?~!row • . Not to be confused with lend.

Means give birth to.
bring forward, o.tfer, etc.

Bring forth.

The name of the symbol 0 is naught, not

to no avail.

Means a Jann building used for storing grain
not be used for stable.

Vulgar : He refused to borrow me his knife.
Right : He refused to lend me his knife.
Right : I wanted to borrow bis knife from him.

Bunch.

~Av~ii.1 O.f no avail is properly used only with some form of be;
'··~elsewhere use

Barn.

Incorrect: I beg to state. - I beg to differ.-! beg to be
absent.
Right: I beg leave to state . - I beg leave to differ. - I beg
permission to be absent.

Prefer about.
Inferior : He came at about three o'clock.
Right : He came about three o'clock.

"-....':.Jaught.

Objectionable slang in the sense of rely on,
(Cf. Balance

trnst in, receive as trustworthy, conjldently expect.

much.

~

(Cf. Bank

Bad : One was an Italian; the balance were Greeks.
Right: Oue was an Italian; the rest were Greeks.

Means to estimate justly or to value highly ; as " I appreciate the service." Should not be modified by greatly or very

tAt-;;:o~t.1

"\Vrong : I want badly to see you.
,
Right: I want very much to see you.

Balance. Bad English when used in the sense of remainder.
on, Take stock in, Endorse.)

><' Appreciate.

4-

Should not be used for a great dea,l or very much.

\ Badly.

(And etc.;' Never put and before etc.
~ ·wrong: Pillows, flags, posters, and etc.
Right ; Pillows, flags, posters, etc.

145

•

, .
: ;

Should not usually be used for

A vulgarism for group or party.

But that, or but what. Incorrect after doubt .
"\Vro11g : I had 110 <lo11ht hut what he would bite.
Hight : I had 110 doubt that he would bite .
Calculate.

A vulgarism for think, suppose, expect, or intend.

Can. · D enotes power or ability. Should not be used to denote permission.
'Vrong : Can students hand in their theses in manuscript?
Right : May students [or are students allowed to, or permitted to] hand in their theses in manuscript?
Can't seem.

See Seem.

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A GLOSSARY

IJF MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXI'HESSIONS

-t- Cause. Complete such an expression as the cause was with a predi-

Contemptuous. See Contemptible.
Continual. Not sy11 onym ous with rontinuous, accordi1:1g to modern
u sage . Conti nual nwans occ1.i1-rin(f in cln.~r, sucresswn, fr ~~!U;,ntly
rl'pcatl'd; as " Co ntinua l ~1111dra11 ces d1s~onrage d us,_
lie
conghs continually." Continuuns. m eans w!lho!t~ cessc:tion, c:;ntinuing uninterruptr,d ; as "Contmuous oppos1t10n d1scoura"'ed
u s," " H e slept continuously for ten hours."

~haract~tist~) l\feans a distinguishing quality; as " II is ch icf characteristic is absent-mindetlness." Shoultl not be used without
intelligent regard to its m eaning.
Bad: One characteristic of my daily life is climbing College Hill.
Right: One incident of my daily life is climbing College Hill.

~ Should be combined, when it means accuse, not with of, but
with with.
Wrong: They charged him of many crimes.
Right: They charged him with many crimes.

Claim. Means to demand as clue; as " I claim the rewanl."
elegant for assert or maintain.

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Continuous.
')(' Could of.

See Seem.

Means 11rlf11.l, i11.(fl'ni1111s, or yi11 i1111 r.vid?ll.f'.(', nf art 01· i~1{7~:
as "a en Ill.l ing intrigue r," '.' en1111111g work111a11sl11p.
tihoultl nut be used for pretty or am11siny.

Cunning.

nuity;

)(Cute.

Sl ;L11g.

l h;e prrtty, vi1'rtci011s, livd y, mnnsing, clri i nty , pi1111:11.il,
or some other word ill reput;t!Jle use [Lilt! of deflll lte

(',Jl!fll!fill{/,

111 ca11i11g.
Data, phenomena, strata. Plural, not singular forms . The singula r
for ms are clatwn (rarely used), phenomenon, and stratum.
Date.

Inelegant for engagement or appointment.

Deal (1 ). Sh ould be combined with with, not with on or of, when the
intended m eaning is discuss.
\Vro11g-: Ile cl eals on th ree subj ects.
\Vro11 g: llc d ea ls c?f three sub j ~cts .
Hight: He deals with three subJ ects.

Company. A vulgarism for companion, guest, escort, or the plurals of
these words.

A vulgarism for transaction, aoreement, or arrangement.
Demand. J\frans to claim or call for p rremptorily. The ouject of this
Yeru s hould ue th e thing cla imed, never the person from whom
the thing is claimetl.
"Wrong: Japan d emanded Russia to_leave Manchuria...
,
Right: Japan demand ed that Russia leave l\1'.lnchu11a . )The
obj ect of "d emand ed " is the substantive clause that
• .. Mauchuria."]
Deal (2).

-'>'Complected. A vulgarism. (See Rule 5.)
Vulgar: A light-complected girl.
Right: A light-complexioned girl.

·· - -· - -

See- Of.
Not to Le used for party or company.

Crowd.

In-

Coincidence. M eans the occu1Tence of two events at the same time 01· in
1'.emarkable connection with each other; as "My forgetting my
ticket and Bob's appearance just then with a ticket he didn't
need, made a lucky coincidence." Should not be us ed to d esignate a single event.

Contemplate. Should not be combined with a preposition.
vVrong: He contem/1la tcd on [or over] a trip to Alaska.
Right: He con temp ated a trip to Ala8ka.

See Continual.

')(..._Couldn't seem.

Climax. Means se1·ies of things each of which is in some respect
stronger than the preceding; as "Then uegan a clilllax of misfortunes." l'roperly applied to tho whole series, n ut to the culminating mcmuer.
·
Wro11g: Our joy reached its climax when Father <'-arno.
Right: Our joy reached its culmination [or height, or acme]
when Father came.

Conclude. Incorrect in the sense of arrive at a determination.
r ect in the sense of arrive at an opinion 01· belief.
Right: I concluded that the current was weak.
·wrong: I concluded to strengthen th~ current.
Right: I finally decided to strengthen the current.

1-!7

Contemptible. l\Ieans worthy of being despised; as" He is a contempt·
iule sneak. "
Not to ue ~onfu se cl with contemptuous, wb1.c~
means showing scorn; as "He made a contemptuous answe1.

cate noun or a noun clause. (See Rule 117 and Exercise XLI I.)
·wrong : The cause of his failure was on account of his im·
prude11ce.
Right : The cause of l1is failure was his imprudence ; [or] ..•
was that he was imprudent.

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Cor.

Inelerrant as ~ppli ed to a building for the accommodation of
0
•
"
passengers.
Say " stat1011.
Different. Shoulcl 11ot be completed by a than chusc, but always by
a frum phrase.
Depot.

"'f...

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148

A GLOSSARY

OF MISCELLANEOUS :FAULTY EXPRESSIONS

\.l...Elegant.

Wrong: The method is dilTerent than {i1e one that formerly 1m1
vailcd.
Right: 1:110 method is tliffcre11 t from tho 0 11 0 that forrnorly preva1lml.

Mca1rn excelling in the 7in1ocr to di.~criminate properly and
.w'frct pro])crly, or yivin[! evidence of such excellence; as "an
elegant gentleman,'' ''elegant ornamentation." 8hould not. be
ui:;cd loosely. 8ay not "an elegant view," but a "beautiful
view" ; not "an elegant game of football," but "an exc~l~ ent or
a masterly game" ; not "an elegant march," but "a spirited. or
r ousing march " ; not "an elegant pie," but " a delicious pie."
Choose an adjective that expresses your meaning definitely.

'

':fl Diner, ing
sleeper, smoker. Not in good use as meaning dininq cai· sleepcar, and smoking car.
.
·
.'
Disinterested. Means withoitt §elf-interest, imsclfish • as ''the judge's
disinterested performance of his duty." Not to be confounded
with unint{]rested.
Do away with. Hackneyed and inelegant.
tinue," or "eliminate."
Done away with.

Say "abolish," "discon·

See Do away with.
/

Don't.

A contraction of do not. Therefore ungrammatical when used
with a subject in the third person singular. (See Hule 2!).)
·wrong: He don't know.
Right: He doesn't know.
Right: I don't know, we don't know, you don't know, and they
don't know.
Should not be used as the past tense of dive.

Dove.
Down.

.

.

Say " dived."

A vulgarism when used as a verb. Say "subdue " " d efeat "
"obtain the advantage over,'' "get the best of." (See Rule

Due to.

4.)

.;- Endorse or indorse. Bad English when used in the sense of approve.
(Cf. the other commercial expressions "bank on," "take stock
in,"" balance," discussed in this Glossary.)
Bad: This statement is endorsed by eminent scientists.
Right : This statement is corroborated by eminent scientists.

Wrong: It was near enough that I could touch, it.
Right: It was near enough for me to touch it.
"' ron~: There iR humor enongh 80 that the story isn't dnll.
Hight: There is h1111wr e11011gh to keep the sto ry from being dull.

Each other. Often misused for one another. Do not im.y "each
other" unless each meml.Jer of a group is rcprese11ted as in :t
certain relation to every other mern l.Jer.
Absurd: Improvements in apparatus are rapidly following each
other.
Right: Improvements in apparatus are rapidly fo llowing one
another.
Right: The two brothers hated each other.
Right: They all agreed to stand by each other. [Each member of the party agreed to stand by every other member .]
Eating house, eating place. Vulgarisms for restaurant, dining room.
Effect. See Affect.

, . - ···.

Element. Means a component part; as "The elements of training are
exercise, diet, and regularity." Should not be used without intelligent regard to its meaning.
Bad: Next, the logs are "driven" down stream. Great danger
besets the lumbermen in this eleme1't.
Right: Next, the Jogs are "driven" down stream.
Great
clanger besets the lumbermen in this process.
Else.
Inelegant: Som ebody's else book.
Right: Somebody else 's bo<Jk.

'-'l. Enough.of anA infinitive,
result complement limiting enough should have the form
not of a clause introduced by that or so that.

Should not be used unless the due modifies some noun.
\".rong: The forces were ~i".ided, due to a misund erstanding.
Right: The forces were d1v1decl through [or because of] a misunderstanding.

Either, neither. Correctly used to designate one of two persons or
things, not one of three or more.
Wrong: I asked Leahy, Mahoney, and McGinty, but neither
.
of them was willing.
·
Right: I asked Leahy, Mahoney, and l\foGinty, but none of
them was willing ; [or] . . . no one of them was willing.

149

- }--Enthuse. A vulgarism. The word is unknown to good usage.
·
Huie 5.)
Vnlgar: He doesn't enthuse me.
Right: He doesn ' t rouse a11y enthusiasm in me.
Y11 lgar: She never enthuses.
Right: She never becomes enthusiastic.
Etc.

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(See

The use of etc. is incongruous in a context intended to be artistic.
Use a d efinite term in place of etc. or else simply omit etc.
\Vrong : She was more beautiful, witty, virtuous, etc., than
any other lady.
Right: She was more beautiful, witty, virtuous, and loyal than
any other lady .
Right: She was more beautiful, witty, and virtuous than any
other lady.
In any context, avoid the vague use of etc.; use it only to dispense
with useless repetition or to represent terms that are entirely
olwious.

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150
Every place.

See Any place.

'"!--

Every so often.

X

Except (verb) means to exclude; as "He alone was excepte1l from th e
amnesty."
E :i:cept (preposition) m eans with the e:i:cr>ption (i.e.,
exclusion) of; as" All'R lost except hon or." ExCf'pt is not 1.o lie
confused with accept, which m eans to receive. (See Exercise LXIX.)
Expect. Should n ot be used for suppose.

A puerility for at regula1· periods 01· inte1·vals.

Means a force 01· agent cooperating with other forces 01·
agents to produce a certain result; as " The factors of success

Factor.

are industry and persevernnce." Should not be used without
intelligent r egard to its meaning.
Bad: Being ducked in the lake is au inevitable factor in the
freshman's experience.
Right: Being ducked in the lake is an inevitable part of the
freshman's experience.
\(, Falls, ways, woods. Plurals not singulars.
Wrong: Go a little ways down stream till you come to a falls.
Beside it is a woods.
Right: Go a little way down stream till you come to a fall.
Beside it is a wood.
May be used fig urati vely to m ean noticeable quality or characte1·istic; as "The chief feature of the scenery is its rugged-

Feature.

n ess ," " A feature of his sty le is its vivacity." Crude and
incorrect when used to designate an event.
Rael: The principal feature o( the day was a hoat ra.rc.
Hight: Tho principal occnrre11co u( th o day was a hoat race.
\

Fine.

..

A GLOSSARY

A word of ml.her inde finite m ean ing. Avoid the li a hi tnal loose
u se of it; prefer a more definite word. Say not ''a lin e explanation," but "a lucid, o r clear explanation"; not "fine tools
for gen eral u se, " but "tools well suited or adapted to gen eral
u se " ; not "a fine spring of water," but "a r efreshing or
delicious spring" ; not "a fine toast-master," but "a witty or
felicitous toast-master." Choose a word of definite meaning.

First-rate.

Firstly.

~ lf'ix (1).

May be used as an ad jective but never as an adverb.
Right: It is a first-rate building.
·wrong: He plays tennis first-rate.
Right: He plays tennis very well; [or] He plays a first-rate
game of tennis.

A word unknown to good usage.
Wrong: Firstly •.. Secondly •.. Thirdly • , ,
Right: First ..• Secondly . . . Thirdly .
Slang for plight, situation, or condition.

OF l\rISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXPHESSIONS

..

151

Th e vrrb .fix 1nean!'l attar:h. Rl_1oulq 1.10t b~, used f?r repair,
arrange, or prr>pare. The exp_rm;~ 1on ' hx up used m one of

Fix (2).

tlll~s e

senses is particularly obJ ect10nable.
Former, latter. Properly used to d esignate on_e of tw? persons, or
l.liin"s not o ne of thrr·o or Ill Orn. (Cf. Either, neither.)
1• or
dt~s i ~n'at inrr o ne of three u r m o re, say "lirst, " "first-named, "
"first-mentioned
,.,
"'
," or" last, ' ' " 1ast-name d , " " 1as t -me n t'10ne d . "
Frighten, scare. Vulgarisms ":hen used intransitively.
"\Vro11"': Does the horse frighten easily?
Hight~ Is the horse frigh teued easily ?
Gentleman lady . Terms properly m;ecl to designate persons of r~fln ed
spc('~ h a.11<l 1.uanncrs, as distingt~ishcd from ill -br?d or uncu~tt vated
people ; the u se of the m to designate mere sex is a vulgarism.
Vulgar: Saleslady, busi ness _gentl~man, _lady ~t.enograph er . Th ere are lady cab-flnvers Ill Pans. - ~h e re are. more
ladi es than gentl emen who play t he pm110. - Co rn ell
atlmits ladi es; but "\Villiams admits only gentlemen. Ladies' cloak room.
Right: Saleswoman, business man, woman stenographer. -There
are woman cab-drivers in Paris. -There are more women
than men who play t he piano. - Cornell admits women,
but \Villi ams admits on ly men. - "\Vomen's cloak room.
The use of man and woman Heed n ever Le slimm ed ; even where
lady or gentleman may be u sed correctly, man or woman is equally
polite, a!ll.l is often preferaLle.
Rio-ht: Js your wife a l\fass:i chnseUs woman? - Yon are the
" <1tily wo111a11 I know who <hiv es a motor . - Are yon t he
111a11 I 111 ct last sp l'i11g i11 J ltmvcr?
't--Gentleman friend, lady friend. 'J'l11 ~sc tr.n11s, Hot in tlwmselvcs 0Ljoct.ion:tlJl1•, h:t\·e, thrn11gl1 the use that has Leen nrnde of tl1 e1n, h?co me
amlJignons a nd vnlgar. l'rrfe r mnnji"iend (plm:al: manfne11ds)
or oentlnnnn nf one's acqunintrrn.1·r>., woman fn end (plura l: woma;i ji'iencls) 01" lady Of one's acquaintance. I
<iet. A provin ciali s m when used with an infinitive, as in the following
sentence :
"\Vro ng : I didn't get to go to the lecture.
Right: I wasn't able to go to the lecture; [or].I didn't get a
chance to go to the lecture.
Get up. An in elegant expression lo.m;ely .used for O?"(Jan.izf!, in:tit'.1te,
cnm7wse, 71repare, arrange, pn nt, bind, drl'ss, clr>.co1ate, 01 01 nainent. Ch oose the verb that clearly expresses what you m ean.
Going on.
Tautological and · vulgar: How old is he ? Sixteen, going on
seventeen.
Ri g ht: How old is he? Sixteen.
I

See Quackeubos's Practical Rhetoric, Chapter XXI.

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15~

153

A GLOSSARY

OF l\llSCELLANEOUS .FAULTY EXPHESSIONS

Get means to secure; got should therefore not be used unless the
intended meaning is secured, nor has got unless the intended
me·aning is has secm·ed.
·wrong: Have you got a knife with you?
Right: Have you a knife with you?
Got up, gotten up. See Get up.

Have got. See Got.
Heap, heaps. Vulgarisms for very much, a great deal, a great many.
Hear to it. A vulgarism. Say "consent to it," or "allow it."
Help ( 1). A vulgarism for a servant, se1·vants, or employees.
Help (2). Should not be followed by but when used in the sense of
avo id; should be followed by a gerund.
'\·V rong: I can't help hut regret.
Right ; I can't help regretting.

G<>t.

Gotten.

Obsolescent. Say "got."
Undesirable: He has gotten his reward at last.
Right: He has got his reward at last.

Hired girl. A vulgarism for maid or servant.
Home . Sho11 ld not be nsed as an ad verb meaning at home; properly
used as au adverb ex pressing motion.
\Vrong: He is home.
Right: He is at hom e.
Right: He went home.
Honorable.
See Reverend.
Hopes. Often misused for hope. Do not use the plural to designate
one hope.
Wrong: I wrote in h opes of acceptance.
Right: I wrote in the hope of acceptance.
\\'rong: In the hopes of seeing her, he remained behind.
Right: In the hope, etc.

Means on a large scale, imposing; as "a grand mountain
rang~;" Shot~ld not b~ \lscd loosely. Say 11ot "a p;raml t~ay,"
but
a beautiful or br1llrnnt day"; n ot "grand 1c<:-lwat1110-"
but "excellent or ~xhilar:1;ting ice-boating"; 11ot " grand w l~i'te
snow," but '.' ?eaut1ful :vl11te sn?w" ; not "a grand time," but
"an entertammg or delightful tune." Choose an adjective that
expresses your m eaning definitely.

Grand.

Grip.

Should not be used to mean portrnanteau or bag, or to mean

cable-car.

Grip-sack.
Guess.

A provincialism for traveling bag or portmanteau.

Should not be used to express supposition expectation or intention. Say "think," "suppose," "expect,"'" mean,'' or : 'intend."

Had better, had best, had rather. Entirely grammatical and full y approved by good usage. Would better, woiild best, and would
rather are not preferable. IIad better is preferable to would better; had best and would best, had rnthe1· and would rather are
equally good.
C?rrect but undesirable: You would better not stay long.
R!ght: You had better not stay long.
Right: They had best attempt no violence.
Right: I had rather go than stay.

Hung. Improper when used in r efer ence to an execution. Say "hanged."
\Vrong: He was found guilty and hung.
Right: He was found guilty and ha11ged.
Right: '\Ve hung the flag ou the balcony.
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1··

Had have or had of. Often incorrectly used for had.
B~d: If he harl hav~ ror had of] tried, h e would have succeeded.
Right: If he had tncu, he would have succeeded.
Have (1). A vulgarism when nsed as in the following 1-Vrong sentences:
"'.'rong: Ira Fote hau a sheep die last week.
Right: One of Ira Fote's sheep died last week.
Wrong: ·when th ey saw the dead mother each man had a ten.
der feeling spring up in his heart. '
Right: When they saw the dead mother each felt a tender
feeling spring up in his heart.
'
Have (2). A juvenile word for study.
J~venile:. Did you have German last year?
Right: Did you study German last year?

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Hustle.

A vulgarism when used intra,nsitively to mean hasten, hurry , or
Correctly used with a direct object.
\Vrong: People were hustliug about in confusion.
Right: People were hurryin g abo ut in confusion.
Right: The police hustled the loiterers from the ball.

be energ etic or industrious.

S.e. Means thrit ts; d enotes, tl1crefore, that what follows is equival ent
to whrtt prncetles. 8houl1l n ot be usc<l when what follows is not
cq 11iv:d c11t to what prccr.d cs, or when that is will not fit grammatically into the place of i.e.
Hight : Th e act is treated as a capital crime, -i.e., a crime pnnishabl e by death. [" A ('.rime pnnishahle by death" is
equivalent to "a cnpital crime"; and that i.~ may be
grammatically substituted for "i.e."]
·wrong: I like to read the Bible, i.e., some of the stories in
the Old Testament. ["Some of the stories in the Old
Testa ment" is not equivalent to" the Bible."]
Wrong : I like some parts of the Bible, i.e., the stories in the
Old Tes tam en t. [That is can not be grammatically substituted for "i.e."]

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154

A GLOSSARY

OF MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXPRESSIONS

Right: I l_ike. some parts of the Bible, -namely, [or viz. J the
.
stories m the Old Testament.
'
Right: H e h ad committed Iese-majesty, - i.e ., had given a n
affront to the Emperor. ["Had ... Emperor" is equivalent t? " had . . . maj esty " aud that is may properly be
substituted for "i.e.' J

If.

Not to be used in prose as a synonym of whetlie1••
Vlro11g: I don ' t know if I can.
Right: I dou't know whether I can.

~n archaic adjective meaning same. In the expression of that
ilk, as corr~ctly u sed , ilk is an adjective modifying estate und e rstood; "Sir George Urquhart of that ilk" m eai1s Sir Geor(!e
Urquhart of that same (estate), - i.e., Sir George Urquhart
of Urquhart. The use of ilk as a noun meaning kind is a

Ilk.

blunder.

'~rong: ,I'm not of h er ilk, I'm glad to say.

Right: Im not of her sort, I'm glad to say.
In.
___,

Generally incorrect when used to express m otion.
~r ro11g: He went in the bank.
Right: He went into t he bauk.

Say "into."

In back of. In front of is correct; "in back of" is a vulgarism.
·
" behind."
In our midst. See Midst.
Individual. Should n ot be used indiscriminately for person.
used to mean individual pe1·son.

Say

Properly

Right: H e made a general address to the class and also gaye
speci:il advice to the individuals in the cla~s.
•
"'."rong: H~ is a tall , gaunt individual.
Right: H e 1s a tall, gaunt fellow [or p erson, or man].
Indorse.

See Endorse.

Indulge. Means (a) tn treat with forb earance ; as " ·wm yo n i11dul rro
me for a molll c11t?" ; o r (b) to put no restraint upon onf'sei7· ·
as "He indulges in [i.11., puts no r estraint upon him se lf i1;
r egard to] _gambling." Indulge in is often misused for practice
or engage in.
0

B'.ld: Practice in surveying is indulged in in t he a utumn.
Right: Practice iu surveying is engaged in (or taken] iu the
autumn.
Inferior.
Inside.

See Superior.
Does not require of following. Say simply "inside."
Right: They were trapped inside the walls.

155

Inside of.

A vulgarism for within, in time expressions.
Bad: It will disappear in si de of a week.
Right: It will disappear within a week.

Kind, sort .

C rud e and incorrect: I don't like those kind (or those sort)
of photographs.
Hight: I <lon't like that kind [ur that sort] of photographs.

Kind of sort of (1). Should nr.ve r be used to modify verbs or adjecti~es. · Say "somewlw,t," " som ehow," "for some reason,"
"rather," or "after a fashion."
Bad: Peopl e who kind of chill yon . ..
!tig ht: People who som ehow chill you .
Bad: Th e man who rloes nothing but sturly, gets sort of dull.
Right : The man who does nothing but study, gets rather dull.
Earl: I kind of felt my way at first.
Right: I felt my way, after a fashion, at first.

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Kind of, sort of (2). Rhonlrl not be followed by a or an.
In elegant: Wh;;t kind of a l~ o t~ se is it?
Wght: What krnd of house 1s 1t?
Jn e h~gant: Jt is a sort of a castle.
Wght: It is a sort of castle.
Lady, lady friend.

See Gentleman and Gentleman friend.

Latter. See Former.
Lay. Often confounded with lie. Remember that lay is the causative
of lie; i .e., to lay means to cause to lie. llemember the principal parts of each verb :
I lie
I lay
I have lain.
I lay
I la id
I have laid.
(See Exercises I, II.)
Leave go of. A puerility. Say "leave h old of" or "let go."
Childish: He left go of th e rope.
Right: H e left holtl of tho rope; (or] He let go the rope.
Less.

A vulgarism for fewer.
' •Vrong : Less men were hurt this year than last.
Hight: Fewer men were hurt this year than las t.

Liable. M ean s (a) easUy suscf'ptible ; as "It is liable to injury;"
or (b) likely; as "It is li able to. b e misunderst?od."
But
NOTE : Liable is not properly used m the sense of likely except
in d esignating an injurious or undes irable event which may befall
a person or thing.
'Vrong: 'Ve are lia hl e to have a clear day to-morrow.
Right: We are likely, etc.

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A GLOSSARY
Like.

OF l\IISCELLANEOUS FAULT Y EXPRESSIONS

A vulgarism when used to introduce a subject with a verb. Say
"as" or "as if." Like is correct when followed by a substantive without a verb.

(d ) The use of " alon g this or thn,t line" or "in this or that
lin e,' ' for in or on or i n 1'P(/ar<l to this 01· that subject, in thi~

ur that respect, of this or that surt.

Vulgar: H e acted like the rest did.
Right: H e acted as the r est did.
Right: H e acted like the rest.
Vulgar: I felt like I had done sonrnthing genero us.
Right: I felt as if I had done somethiug generous.
Right: I felt like a philanthropist.

Bat!: Let me te ll you somethin g along that line.

Rig ht : Let me tell you something in co nn ection with that
subject.
Bad: If he is so weak in physics and chemistry, be needs some
tutoriug along those lin es.
Right: If h e is so w eak in physics and chemistry, he needs
some tutoring iu those subjects.
Bad: I need some tacks. H ave you anything along that lin e?.
Right: I need some tacks. Have you anything of that sort?

(See Exercise XXVI.)
J,iked.

Should not be compounded with would or should.
Bad: H e would liked to have gone.
Right: He would have liked to go. [See Rule 53.)

Line.

The foll owin g uses of line are characteristic of ill-ed u cated
write rs and Rpeakers :
(a) The loose uso o f line in the sense of kind or business, or
in other senses for which there are precise words.
Bad: What lin e of work are you now doing?
Right : What kind of work are you now doing ?
Bad: I am now engaged in the hardw:ue line.
Right: I am now engaged in the hardware business.

(b) The u se of line shown in the foll owing B ad examples
Bad: I like anything in the card line.
Right: I like any game of cards.
Bad : ·was there anything in the refreshment line ?
Right : \ Ve re there auy refreshments?
Bad: H e said a few things in the advice lin e.
Right: He gave me a li ttle advice; [or] He said a few th!ngs
by way of ad vice.
Bad: I'm not very good in the walking line.
Right : I'm not very good at walking.
( c) The use of "along the line of" or "in the line of" for fo

connection with, in 1·egard to, about, on the subject of, in the
nature of, by way of, in, of
Bad: H e was also famous along the line of li terature.
Right: H e was also famous in literature.
Bad: The dea n said some things along the line of athl etics.
Right : The dean said so me thin gs abollt athletics.
Bad: W'o are planning something in the lin e of a s11rpriso .
Right: We are planuiug somethiug by way of surprisu.

157

A p rovincialism for reins.

Lines.

Inelegant when u sed as a verb.
In elegant : He loan e<l me a book.
J U~ h t.: Jl e lent 111 0 a hook.
Hig·ht : The loan was a grea t assistance.

xLoan.

Locate.

A vnl g:uis m fo r sr.ttle. Correct wh en used transiti vely.
Ha<l: Ile located in Ohio.
Hi~ht. : He sett.led in Ohi o.
Right: H e locat ed his factory in Lima.

Lose out, win out. Slang, not proper except in connection with sports.
Lovely. l\r eans lovable or inspiring love; as "a lovely ch a r acte r."
S hould n ot be used loosely. Say n ot " a lovely time," but " a
pl easant or d elightful time"; not "a lovely dri ve, " but "an
inte resting or pl easant drive " ; n ot "a lovely costume," but "a
11 :mdsome, or dainty, or rich, or strikin g, or elegant costume."
Ch oose the adjective tlrnt expresses your m eaning definitely.
Mad. Means insane. Should not be used to mean angry.
May of. See Of.
Mean. J'vfcn,n s lo wly or base.
Should not be used to m ean cru el,
vicious, unkind, or ill-tempered.
Messrs . The plura l of 1lfr. Like .llfr., Jtfessrs. should n ever be used
without a name or names following it. (See Rule 318.)
Vulgar: Messrs., will you com e in? [To say this is like saying,
"Mister, will you come in? " or "Mrs., I have come."]
Right: Gentlemen, will yo n come in?
Right: Messrs. Za ngwill and Barrie met the Messrs. McCarthy.
Midst.

Th e expr essions 0111· midst, yom· midst, and their midst preced ccl by a prepos ition have been so mnch censured by c riLi cR
an<! lin,vn gn,ther ecl so mn,ny luclicro us assoc in,tion s, that, wh eth e r
or n ot they are justifia ble, they are best avoided. Instead of

I

i
I

I-

/

I

158

A GLOSSARY

"in our rnidRt," say "in tho mi<lRt of ns" or "among- nR."
Instcatl of "from onr 111i<lst," say "fro111 tho 111id::;t. of 11 ::;" or
"from among us." Or else, sul.Jstit.ute for midst some 11onu
such as neighbo1·hood, community, fellowship, etc.
Might of. See Of.
Miss.

Most.

Like M1·., JJfrs., and llfessrs., JJfiss, when used as a title, must
al ways be followed by a name. (Cf. Messrs.)
Vulgar: My dear Miss:
Right: My dear Madam: [or] My dear Miss Smith,

A puerility for almost.

(See Rule 5.)

The combination of JJirs. with a husband's title is a vulgarism.
Mrs . may be followed only (1) by the woman's surname, (2) by
her husband's Christian name (or initials) and surname, or (3) if
the woman is a widow, by her own Christian name and surname ·
the husband's title, if stated at all, should be put in anothe;
part of the sentence.
Right: Mrs . Boughton. [1]
Right: Mrs. John C. Boughton. [2]
Right (for a widow): Mrs. Mary Dole. [3]
Vulgar: Mrs. Professo r Yates, Mrs. Dr. Fairbanks, Mrs. Pres!·
dent Hughes, Mrs. Bishop Ross, Mrs. Rev. Fisher, Mrs.
Captain ,Johnson.
Right: Mrs. Richard ~- Yates; Mrs. Fairbanks, wife of D?-.
Fairbanks; Mrs. Louisa Hugh es, widow of President
Hughes; Mrs. Jeremiah Ross; Mrs. Noah Fisher, Mrs.
C. V. Johnson.
Mushroom. See Toadstool.
Must of. See Of.
Mrs.

Mutual. Incorrect, according to modern usage, in the sense of shared
in common; for this meaning the proper adj ective is common.
Mutual, properly used, means recip1·ocal, interchanged. ·
Wrong: As we conversed, we found that we had several mutual
friends in Portland. [The title of Dickens's novel Our
~futual Friend is a quotation from some ill-educated persons in the story ; it therefore furnishes no good argument
for the correctness of the expression "mutual friend."]
Right: As we conversed, we found that we had several common
friends in Portland.
Wrong: The two men had a mutual interest in sculpture.
Right: . . . a common interest in sculpture.
Right : Th ey practiced mutual forebearance and aid [i.e., each
one helped and hore with the other].-Their faces showed
a mutual hatred [i .e., showed that each hated the other]. Mutual fri endship [i.e., friendship interchanged between
two pcrsons].-Commo11 fric11dship [i.e., friendship shared
by two persons for a third].

OF i\I fSCELLANEOUS :FAULTY EXPRESSIONS
Near by.

H:ul E11gliRh when mw!l aR an a<ljcctivc. (Seo Ruic 4.)
'Vro11i;: A 11car-hy honsc.
Hight ·; A 11cighl>ori11g, or adjacent, house; [or] A house that
.
stood near by.
Often misused for neai·.
vVron~: He came nearly getting hurt.
Right: He came near getting hurt.

XNearly.

Neither.
Nice.

159

See Either.

M eans keen and precise in discrimination, or delicately or pre·
cisely made · as" a nice judge of values,"" a nice discrimina'
ti o11." Shoulu
not be used loosely. Say not "a 111.ce f eII ow, "
but "rm agreeable, or admirable, or conscientious, or honorable
fellow" ; n ot " a nice time,'' bnt " a pleasant time " ; not " He
is nice to us," bnt " Ile is kind or courteous to us." Choose the
adjective that expresses your meani11g definitely.

No good. A vulgarism when used adjectively.
no value."
No place.

Say "worthless," "of

See Any place.

No use. In correct when used adjectively.
value," or " unsuccessful."

Say "of no use," "of no

Notorious. Mean s of bad 1·ep1.1tc; as "a notorious gambler." Not to
b e nsetl for fa mo us or celebrated.
Not to exceed. Shonl<l not be uRc<l except In giving or quoting ord ers
or dirl'ctio11s. Often Ill isuscu for not m ore than.
Right: They wcn~ a11thorizc<l to Rpcnd any sum, not to exceed
.
$GOO,OOO. [Sec H,11Ie 271 .f. l
.
'Vro11g: The traius are composed of not to exceed twenty cars.
Right: The trains are composed of not more than twenty cars.
Nowhere near.

A vulgarism for not nearly.

Observance. Means the act nf paying r espect or obedience. . Not t~ be
confused with observation, which means the act of inspecting,
looking at.
Right: Th e observance of Good Friday.
Right: From his observation of the sky, he judged that a storm
was approaching.
Observation. See Observance.
Of. Could of, may of, rnight of, rnust of, should of, and would of
are illiterate vulgarisms for could have, may have, rnight have,
must have, should have, and would have.
Of three years old.

·-

..

See Old.

'.

_I

160

Incorrect for off.
Wrong: Keep off of the grass.
Right: Keep ofI the grass.

Off of.

X

OF MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY l~Xl'RESSIONS

A GLOSSA"RY

Old.

l\leans to take a part (of something) in commun with others,
to share with others; as "Good and evil alike partake of the

air and the sunshi ne, " "The whole delegation partook of his hospitality." The use of partake of as if it were synonymous with
eat is a blunder and usually an affectation. For illustration see
the second Bad example under Rule 21.
Party. l\lcam; a persun or group of persons taking pm·t (in some
transaction). A vulgarism when used to mean simply person.
H.ight: The parties to t he rnarria 17 e were both young.
Vulgar: The party who wrote that article must have been a
scholar.

On the side. A vulgarism for incidental, collateral, occasional, or the
corresponding adverbs.
·
Should never be preceded immediately by
Crude: Not a one was hurt.
Right: Not one of them was hurt.

.)("'Ones.

Or.

a.

Peek.

Avoid the crude expression "the ones." Say "those. "
Crude: The ones who are ready may come.
Right: Those who are r eady may come.

Per.

Should not be correlated with neither; use nor.
Wrong: Neither the long Arctic night or any othe r cause .
Right: Neither the long Arctic night nor any other cause • .•

Other times. Sometimes is an adverb; other times is not.
other times." (See Rules 4 b and 92.)
;><'Ought.

Say "at

The combination of ought with had is a conspicuous vulgarism
(See Exercises XVI and XVII.)
'Vron g: You h adn't ought to have entered.
Right: You o nght 11ot to ha\•e entered.
vVrong: Wo ought to ACIHl, hacl WC not?
Right: We ought to semi, ought we not?

A puerility for aloud.

X.out loud.

~~.

~verly.

J-.

Pair, set.

X

Phase.

l\I ca;is appearance o r as71ect; as " That phase of the question
I h :tve n't conside red." Should not be used without intelligent
r egard to its meaning.
Bad: I began to indulge in all the different phases of college
pleasure.
Right: I began to indulge in all the different kinds of college
pleasure.

Phenomena. See Data.
Should not be used to m ean instruction in piano-playing
Crude : She is taking piano.
Right: She is taking piano lessons.

,.~iano.

A vulgarism. Say "over. " (See Rule 5.)
Vulgar: I'm not overly anxious.
Right: I 'm not over-anxious.
Singular, not plural, forms.
Wrong: Two pair of gloves and three set of chisels.
Right: Two pairs of gloves and three sets of chisels.

.

Jtight: A largo pc recntago wero Chinese.

Outside (2). Outs ide of should not be used for aside from.
'Vrong: Ontside of this mistake, it is very good.
Right: Aside from this mistake, it is very good.
Crude. Say "over."
Crude : The regatta is over with.
Right : The r egatta is over.

A coll oqui alism for peep, look slyly; not proper in a formal
context.
Use per with Latin words, such as annum, diem, cent.; not, as a
rule, with English words.
Inelegant: Three dollars per day; one suicide p er week; seven
robberies per month; $0200 per yea r; two deaths per
thousand ; thirtee n cents per gallon .
Right: Three dollars a day [or per diem ] ; one suicide a week;
seven robberies a month; $3200 a year [or per annum];
two deaths for every thousand; thirteen cents a gallon.

Per cent. An arlverb-phrase, not a noun. The noun is percentage.
(t;cc l{u\e 4.)
' 'Vro ng: A large per cent. were Chin ese.
H.ight: Twenty per cent. wcro Chinese. (Sec Rules 220 b aml

/(Outside (1). Does not require of following. Say simply "outside."
Right: Outside the barn the cattle were shiveri11g.

1"over with.

161

Partake of.

Illogical : A child of three years old.
Right: A child of three years; (or] A child three years old.

xOne.

'illlt

Piece.

A provincialism when used in the sense of distance or short

distance.

x

Plan.

Should not be combined with on. Say simply "plan."
vVrong: We plann ed on taking a walk.
Right: We planned taking a walk; (or] We planned to take
a walk.

162

A GLOSSARY

Plenty (1). A vulgarism when used as an adjective.
(See Rule 4.)
·
Wrong : Wheat is plenty.
Rig ht: Wheat is plentiful.
Right: There is plenty of wheat.
><"Plenty (2 ). Incorrect when used as an adverb.
Wrong: It is plenty good enough.
Right: It is quite good enough.

Say "plentiful."

(See Huie 4.)

Portray. Means to make a picture of Should not be used in the sense
of nan·ate or explain.
~Postal. In elegant for postal card.
\-Posted. Incorrect for infarmed.
Wrong: Keep me posted.
Right: K eep me informed.
'Vrong: H e is well posted about politics.
Rig ht: H e is well informed about politics.
Prefer. The thing above which somethin g is sa id to be preferred should
be made the object of the preposition to, n e ver put into a thlm
clause.
Wrong: I should prefer to go th ere th an an ywhere else.
Rig ht: I s l10uld prefer goiug there to goi11g a11ywhere else.
M eans to o.ffer. Should not b e u sed for to purpose or to intend
'Vrong: I did not propose to divulge t he secret.
Right: I did not purpose [or intend] to divulge the secret.

Propose.

),, Proposition. Means a thing proposed or the act of proposing; as "He
mad e a proposition to s ell." Should n'Jt b e used with out intelligent r egard to its m eaning. Avoid especia lly the u se of p1·oposition for work o r task.
Vnlgar: To sink that shaft was a hard propositi on.
Rig ht: To Rink that Ahaft was a hanl piece of work.
ll:ul: Tho lihra.1·y-b111Tot car ls tho most comrort.ahlo proposition
on wh eels.
Right: Th e lihrary-buITet car Is the most comfortable vehicle
on wheels.
Proven.

N ot in good use.

Providing.
Put in.

Say "proved."

A vulgarism for provided.
Right: I will lend it, provided he agrees to take good care of it.

A vulgarism for spend or occupy.
Wrong: I put in three hours in trying to memorize it.
Right: I spent three hours, etc.

Put in an appearance.

A vulgarism for appear.

163

OF MISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXPRESSIONS
·

-\-quality. l\I eans characteristic or trait; as "The qualities of birch bark
are light11 ess of color, thinness, a nd smoothness." Should not be
used without intelligent r egard to its mea ning.
Bad: The soci:il qualiti es of coll ege life are more in evidence in
the winte r. [See Rule 14.)
Right: The 1wcia\ activities of coll ege lifo are more apparent in
tho wi11t.er.
Dad: H o gi ves three qualiti es of a bus iness man: Have somethin g to say, say it, and stop ta lking.
Right: He g ives t hree maxim s for a busin ess man: Have som ethin g to say, say it, and s top talking.
.xQuite.
~

\

M eans (a ) wholly; as " The stream is now quite dri ed up"; or
(b) greatly, very; as "We could see it quite di stinctly." A provincialism whe n used in the sen se of slightly, not very.
Wrong: Th e room is quite large, but not large enough for any
one to be comforta ble in.
Right: Th e room is modera tely large, but not la rge enough for
any one to be comfortable iu.

~

In correct for a goo(l many or a consfrlerable numbe1-.

Quite a few.

)("Quite a little.

;i- Raise (1).

Incorrect for a cons iderable am ount or a good deal.

A vul garism wh en applied to human b eings, in the sense of

rea r, bring up.
Raise (2). Often con fo unded with rise. R em e mber tlrnt raise is th e
ca u sative of rise ; i.e., to r aise m eans to cause to rise. Th er efo re
r aise mus t alway s h a ve a n obj ect. R em ember the principal
p a r ts of each v e rb :
I ri se
I rose
I have risen.
I rni se
I raised I have raised.
(S ec Exer cises Ill, IV.)
Raise (0).

A vulgaris m wlu: n 11sc1l :is a noun.
H:ul: I fn

RU<'. ll

l'!\ll a rais e of

(See Huie 4.)

~alary.

!tig ht: ll o secured au iuc reaso of salary; [o r) His salary was
raised.
Rarely ever. A vulgarism. Say "rarely" or "hardly e ver."
dom ever.
Bad: H e rarely ever smiles.
Right: He rarely smil es.
Rig ht : H e ha rdly e ver smiles.
Real.

A puerility for very. (See Rule 4.)
Childish: It is r eal handsome.
Right: It is very handsome.

Cf. Sel·

164:

A GLOSSARY

O.F l\IISCELLANEOUS FAULTY EXPRESSIONS

Reason. Do not complete such an expression as the reason is with (a)
a because clause, (b) a berause of phrase, (c) a du~ to phrase, or
( d) an on account of phrase ; complete it with a that clause. (See
Hule 117, and Exercise XLll.)
Illogical: The r eason he was offended was ·because they were
arrogant.
Illogical: The reason he was ofTended was becanse of their arrogance.
Illogical : The reason he was offended was due to ·their arrogance .
Illogical: The r eason he was offended was on account of their
arrogance.
Right: The reason he was offended was that they were arrogant.
)(Remember. The name of the thing rem embered should not be preceded
by of.
Wrong: I remember of meeting him.
Right: I remember meeting him.

y

I

I

Right off.

XRun.

Said.

Shoultl 11ot be usetl for college.

! '

Search.

The phrase " in search for" is incorrect ; say " in search of."
Right : The lion goes in search of sheep.

Scare.

"Can't seem" is a vulgarism. Say" seem unable," or" do not
seem able."
·
+seldom ever. A vulgarism. Say "seldom" or "hardly ever." Cf
Rarely ever.
Seldom or ever.

See Right away.

Set (2).

Set for sets (plural).

See Pair.

A vulgarism when used to mean manner or condition.
\Vrong : They executed the maneuvers in good shape.
Right : They executed the maneuvers in an expert manner.
·wrong: He is in good shape for the debate.
Right : He is in good condition [or thoroughly prbpared] for
the debate.
Should of.· See Of.

yShape.

The same as should not be used for in the same way as or
as.
Wrong : The draft Is treated the same as a check is treated.
Right: The draft is treated just as a check is treated.

Say "seldom if ever."

Set (1). Often confounded with sit. Remember that set is the cansa·
tive of sit ; i.e., to set means to cause to sit. Remember the
principal parts of each verb:
I sit
I sat
I have sat.
I set
I set
I have set.
Th e u se of set without an object, as expressing m ere rest, is a vulgaris111; s:ty "sit," "stand," "lie," "rest," or "is set." (See
Exe rc ises V - VIII.)
"Vrong: The pole sets firmly in the socket.
ltight : The pole is set [or i;its] firmly in the socket.
\Vrong : The vase sets on the man tel.
Right : The vase stands [or rests] 011 the mantel.
\Vrong: The boat sets lightly 011 t.ho water.
Right: The boat lies [or r ests] lightly on the water.

See Say.

JUSt

A vulgarism.

Selection. J\foans a thing sefocte<l ; as " He playe<l a selection from
Wagner." Should uot l>e used where th ere is n o idea of selec ting.
Dad: Onr class prophet then read an amusing selection, in
which he satirized his classmates.
Right : Our class prophet then read an amusing composition
[or skit, or squib, or piece], in which, etc.

Improper in the sense of rnanage or opemte.

Same (2).

S ee Frighten.

Seem.

Say "immediately," "at

Same (1). No longe r in good use as a pronoun.
Vulgar: We will re12air the engine and ship same [or the same)
to you next week.
Right: We will repair the engine and ship it to you next week.
Inelegant : The principal of the bonds was paid and the same
canceled. [See Rule 90 a.]
Right : The principal of the bonds was paid and the bonds
were canceled.

as

School.

A provincialism for carriage, buggy, or wagon.

Right away, right off. Not in good use.
once," or "directly."

Should not be used to mean give orders, with an infinitive
object.
Crude : The guard said to go hack.
Right : The guard ordered us [or told us] to go back.

I:

Reverend, Honorable. Should be preceded by tlw, and should never be
followed immediately by a surname. (See Rules 209 and 270.)
Vulgar: Rev. Carter.
Vulgar: The Reverend Carter.
Right: The Reverend Mr. Carter.
Right: The Reverend Amos Carter.
Right: The Reverend Dr. Temple.

+Rig.

j

...-''(Bay.

165

x_

Show (:i~ . t A vulgarism for play, opera, concert.

'
\ .. t

166

..

OF MISCELLANEOUS :FAULTY EXPRESSIONS

A GLOSSARY

Show (2).

A vulgarism for chance or promise.
V!tlgar ; .The freshman team had au excellent Rhow or winning.
Right : Ihe freshman team had an excelleut chance of winning.

/Stop.

A vulgarism when used intransitively in the sense of ap·
pear, attend, come, or be present; and when used transitively in
the sense of show or expose.
. li t" is
. a vu Igansm
·
f or nwc1i,
1
S ight • "A s1g
many, a great deal.
Size. Never use size as an adjective; say "sized," or "of size."
Show up.

Wrong
Right :
Wrong
Right :

(2).

: The different size dies are sorted.
The different sized dies are sorted.
: Any size chain will do.
A chain of any size will do.

A puerility when used alone to modify an acijective.
~eak .: Dm:ing the 1;irst semester I was so lonely.
Right • Dunng the first semester I was very lonely.

Sach (2). ·when such is completed by a result clause, this clause
should be introduced, not by so that, but by that alone.
\Vrong: There was snch a mist so that we couldn' t see.
Right : There was such a mist that we couldn't see.

>(Some.

A vulgarism when used as an adverb. (See Rule 4.)
·wrong : He is some better to-day.
Right: He is somewhat [or a little] better to-day.
Some place. See Any place.
Sort. See Kind.
Sort of. See Kind of.

Such (3).

x

Specie. Means gold or silver money. Species meaning kind has the
same form in the singular and the plural.'
'
Right : The first species is more valuable than the other two
species are.
Start.

Often crudely used for begin.
Bad : Thinking she was dead, lie started to' "Y
Right: Thinking she was dead, he began to

y.

A crude expression f?r set out, .;et n.tl~ n'ff!.t: 'n excursion
m ti ip,, we!it on a walk or .Journey or .Jaunt. 111" •• )~, start is

~
'

Inaccurate when used with the value of an adverb.
Inaccurate : Snch a good weapon had never before been seen.
Right : So good a weapon ha<l uever before been seen.

Sundown. A provincialism for sunset.
Sunup. A provincialism for sunrise.
Superior, inferior. Should never be limited by a than clause, but
always by a to phrase.
Wrong: It was superior from every point of view than the
lathe previously used.
Right : It was superior from every point of view to the lathe
previously used.
Swell. A vulgarism when used as an adjective.
Take. Shonlcl not be used for study.
Juvenile: I took Spani:;;h a nd chemistry.
Hight: I studied Spanish and chemistry.

Started .ou~.

not ob1ect10nable as applied to the l.H: crinning of
the combination of this verb with out should be av

Means to cense or to cease from motion. A vulgarism when used
in the sense of stay.
13ad : Arc yon stopping with friends?
Hight : Are you staying with frieu<ls?

Strata. See Data.
Subject, topic. A subject or a topic is a thing spoken about or thought
about; the thing said or thought should not be called a subject
or topic. (See Hule 117 and Exercise XLII.)
Wrong: The topic of the first paragraph tells of the French
war.
Right : The topic of the first paragraph is the French war.
\Vrong: The hook is compoRed of many interestiug snbjects.
Right : The book deals with many interesting subjects; [or]
The hook is composed of passages on many mteresting
subjects.
Such (1 ). ·when such is complr:tcd by a relative clanse, the relative pro!lonn of the clause should 11ot Le who, which, or that; it should
Le as (see as in :t dictionary) .
\Vrong: I will act under snch rules that may be fixed.
Right: I will act under such rnles as may be fixed.
\Vrong : All such persons present who consent will rise.
Right : All such persons present as consent will rise.

Size up. A vulgarism for estimate, judge, pass upon.
Sleeper. See Diner.
Smoker. See Diner.
Snap. See Vim.
.>(So (1). Should not be used for so that.
~rong : They strapped it so it would hold.
Right : They strapped it so that it would hold.

~So

167

is i.\iey but

.·· '

t'~·

Take ino

A vulgarism for attend or go to.

~···~···~•Eittiiii•
- •-_.111•.•i i! ! }!~~=~-~-~

...............................

..

(See Rule 4.)

.................................

1G8

A GLOSSARY

'f:Jake it.

Should not ba URC(i i11 in t.ro(lncing an cxn.mplc.
Ba<l: Tako lt i11 "Vis1~01rni11, tho old-fashione<i 11Hil.ho<l of Jo,...,...i11g
ls becoming exti11et.
,..,,.,
Right : In Wisco1:sin, for example, the old-fashioned method
of logging is becoming extinct.
Take stock in. See Bank on.
Team. Means a couple or group of animals or persons; :is "a t e:tm of
horses," "a team of athletes." A provincialism wh en applied to
one annnal or to a vehicle.
'Vrong: Will you ride in my team?
Right: Will you ride in my buggy [or ca rriage, or wngon]?
':>/Than, till, until. Often improperly use(l for when, as in the followin"'
Wrong sentences. (Sec Rule 117.)
"
vVrong: Scarcely had he mounted the wagon than the horse
started.
Right: Scarcely had h e mounted the wagon when the horse
started.
Wrong: vVe had hardly got there and put things in order till
Jenks came.
Right: W e had hardly got there and put things in or<ler when
Jenks came.
Should not be used as an adverb. (Cf. This, and see Rnle 4.)
'Vrong: He went only that far.
Right: Ile went only so far.
Wrong: If it is that had, we must r et reat.
Right: II it is so bad [or so bad as that], we must retreat.
vVrong: He didn ' t want that much did h e?
Right: Ile didn't want so much as that, did he?,
That there. See This here.
These here. See This here.

XThat.

Should not be used as an adverb. (Cf. That, and see Rule 4.)
Wrong : This much is certain.
Right: Thus much is certain.
Wrong: Having come this far . . .
Right: Having come thus far [or as far as this] .••
"'.rong: The water hasn't ever before been this high.
Right: The water hasn't ever before been so high as this.
This here, these here, that there, those there. Gross vulgarisms. SaJ
" this," " these," " that," or " those."
Those there. See This here.
This.

Inelegant when used as in the following sentence:
"'.rong : He is thr~rngh wr~t~ng.
Right: He has fimshed wr1tmg; [or] He has done writing.
NOTE. -Never say "is finished" or "is done" in the sense above
shown.

.,cThrough.

OF l\l ISC:ELLA NIWUS FAULTY EXl'IrnSSIONS

1G9

Till fnr whr:n. Rec Than.
Toadstool. A sy11011y111 of m118hrnmn.
The common restriction of
mushroom to edibl e fungi aml uf toadstool to poisonous ones is a
misuse uf the words.
'Vrong: Is it a mushroom or a toadstool?
Right': Is it an cd ihl c mushroom or a poisonous mushroom? [or]
ls it au ed ible or a poisonous toadstool?
..('To'.J, very. Neither of these words should immediately precede a past
participle; say" too much," "very much."
'Vro11g : He is too exhausted to speak.
Right: He is too mneh exhausted to speak.
'Vro11g: Ile felt very i11s11ltc <l.
Hight: lie felt very much insulted.
Topic. See Subject.
Transpire. Means to becorne known; as " In spite of their efforts at
concealment., the secret transpired." It .is both affected and incorrect to use the word in the sense of occur.
'\ . Treat. Should be followed, when used to mean discuss or speak of, by
·· ·
of, not by on or with.
'Vrong: The a uthor treats on two subjects.
H.ight: The author treats of two subjects.
Trend. J\'fpans direction ; as "The rivers of this land have a southern
trend." Should not be usn( l without. regard to its proper meanin g.
Bad: Th o egg h11si11 css is 011ly incidental to the general trend
of the sto re.
Right: The egg lrnsin css is only incidental to the gen eral busi11 ess o[ the store.
.

~Try and.

8honlll n ot h e used for try to.
lnel r-gant: I shall try and get a good position.
Hight: I shall try to get a good position.
- ><Ugly. l\fea ns repulsive to the eye. A provincialism when used to mean
vicious, rnalicious, or ill-ternpered. ·
Bad: The horse h as an ugly temper.
Right: The horse has a vicious temper.
Bad: The c011ductor acted very ugly.
Right: The conductor acted very discourteously [or uncivilly].
Underhanded. !'refer underhand.
Right: He used underhand methods.
Until for when. See Than .
Shoul<l not be appended to the verbs cripple, divide, end, finish,

..)( Up.

limber, open, polish, rest, scratch, settle, write.
· 'Vrong: He opened up the box and divided the money up among
the men.
Right: He opened the box aud divided the money among the men.

iI

I·I
I

170

A GLOSSAHY

OF l\llSC ELLANEOU S FAULTY EXl'llESSIONS

"Up to date.

A vulgarism when used as an ad· t' .
an adverbial modifier.
Jec ive, correctly used as
~!1lgar: ~is house is s trictly up to date
.1ght: His house is thoroug hly modern:
Right: He l.Jrought the history up to date.
.
Very with past participles. See Too.
VV~m~
Not in good literary use. Say "vigor," "energy ,, or" i'i!)irit,,
1 10hn.snap.
Should not be used. t
·
·
'
·
Crude. He has 1'ust ,o rn ea1~ li.nstruction in violin playing.
.
' .
' . , uegnn VIO 111.
Right: He has just begun to tak e violin lessons
Vocal, voice. Should not b e used to m ean instructioi' ~ 1 ,
(See Rule 4.)
• • • vocal music.
~~·nge_: A~·e you k eep!11g on with your vocal?
ig t. Ate. you k eepmg on with your singing lessons (or vocal
practice]?
.
C~ude: She _is taking voice.
.
Right: She 1s taking singing lessons.
Voice. See Vocal.
Wait on. A vulgarism for wait f or.
" '.rong: lf ,I 'm not th ere, don't wait 011 me.
Right: If Im not th er e, don ' t wait for me.
Want (I). w
Shoulu. not be limited. b Y a c1ause as Ill
· the followmg
· sentence.
. rong · 1 wa11 t you should he happy.
•
Right: I want you to be happy.
Want(2). "Wantin
"" wan t out, ,, "want through,,, etc. are vulg·trisms
"' I
. 1')
•:u gar. oyouwa11ti11?
'
'
•
Right: Do you wa nt to com e in?
Way (1). A puerility for away. (See Huie G.) .
vR~rong : w·ay up th e hill I saw a deer
•ght : Away up the !Jill I saw a ri ce r:
Way (2)
..
Sl~ould
not be used adverbially without ca prep osition gov.
ernmg it.

"'.'rong : 'Vhen he acts tha t way .•.
Ri ~h t ~.Wh e n he act.s in that way ..•
'ii-rf 1~>; ·
con Id a H:t11 0 man net tho way l31~als diil?
ig t ~c1t~tl\~ [~J;11~etatesa]11 e ma11 act i11 th e' ~Yay in which Beals
<TT
f
'
r • • · act as Beals did ?
"ays or way. See Falls.
N'ell. This word when used m e. I t
k
know l\facDon ald of . . re y o m a r .a transition (e.g., "you
motor
") is, a' e llcom '.'e!· W ell, last mght as he s tepped in to his
N'hen Oft. • . .
c
o oqma ism, n ot proper in a formal context .
. (see I~~l~~i~)~erly used for that in sentences like the following

l1ow

~~h~~ :Ir;,:~s 0~~ aa r~tny day ~n Apri.l when I first saw Chi cago.

y ~ay Ill Apnl tha t I first saw Chicago
( "That I fi. s t sa w ic
hICa<Yo"
is a sub s t an t'1ve cause
1
· ap··
b
m
position to i"it."]

Where (1).

i
~Where

171

Often misused for that as in the foll owing sentence:
'Vro11g : I sec in this morn i11g' s paper where Cronin has been
cau ght .
B.ight : l i;ee in this morning's paper that Cronin has been caught.

(2). l> u not 11:;0 "where to" in th e sense of whith er; omit the to.
·w rong : Wh ere arc yon going to?
Wght: Whe re are you going '?

Which. Should no t \Jc used as a r elative pronoun in referring to a person.
'Vt'l)n g: The peopl e which du t hat a re rascals.
H,ight: The people that do t hat arc rascals.

k' While. l\feans ( a) cl uring th e time in which , (b ) though, e r ( c) whereas;
as (a ) "l played while he sang ;" (b) "While this may be
true, it d oes not content m e ; " ( c) "Y ours is in good condition,
while min e is qui te worn out." Should n ot be used loosely without r egard t o its m eanin g.
' Vrong : On one sid e was a gro ve, whil e on the other was a river.
Ri ght : On one side was a grove, on the other a river.
Who.

Should n ot, as a rul e, he used in r eferrin g to animals; u se

ichich .
Whose. Th e posse::;::; ive case of who , not of which. Objectionable when
it re fe rs to inanim:ite thin gs. Say" of which," unless the use
of th is expre::;s ion makes the sentence extremely awkwardwhich is rarely th e case.
Crud e : Soon we came to a swamp, on whose bank stood a
hun te r's cabin.
Ri ght: Snon we can ie to a swamp, on the ba nk of which stood
a hunter 's cabin.
Win out. See Lose out.
)(Wire. Hath er vul gar in the sense of tel egraph or t el egram. (See Rule 4.)
Woods for wood. SPe Falls.
Would better, would best, would rather. Correct, but often used under
a misappreh en sion. See Had better.
,xWould have. Often in correctly tlSed in (f clauses instead of had.
'Vrong: ]( he would have stood by us, we might have won.
Ri ght: If he bad stood by us, we might have won.
Would of. See Of.
;>(Write up. A vulgarism.
Say "report,,, "relate," " describe," or
simply " write. "
~§.;. A vulgarism.
You, though it may designate one person, is
~ffeamm ati call y plural, and its verb must always be plural. Say
" you were." (See Exercise XVIII.)

.

;.;
:!

...'

' •~

'
/\PP EN DIX A
Exercises for Breaking Certain Bad Habits in Writing
and Speakin~ - ·
Exercises chiefly in Grammm;

.,-.

"

II

I

I'I

I. See Lay in th e Glossary. Write three sentences con- Lay and
taining present indicative forms of the ve rb lie (in the lie
sense of recline ), three containing the present participle,
three con tn.inin g past tense fo rms, and three containing perfect t.e11sc fonw;. Write three sentences containing pre8ent
indi cative fun11s of the verb lay, three containing the present p:uti ci pl c, t.hrcc ctm tainin g past tense forms, and three
c ontaining perfect tense forms.
II. See L ri y in th e Glossary. Write the following sen- L ay and
t en ces, fillin g c•ach bbnk with some form of~
c verb lie or lie
some form o f th e ver b la y:" 1. .'JJie logs are
ing where
tl1e.y fell. 2. Yesterday I ~ · on" ie gras
3. I w ill
~ down and rest. 4. They_
, till and said nothing. 5. Inmates are not allowed to
in bed after six
o ' cl ock. Ch T}iey let the torpedo
on the railroad.
7. I I ve ~ll his things in r ead in s. 8. ' ' ie scythe
n th e rain so long that it got rusty. !).
ing
in the grass, he watc hed. 10. Ilave they es....~­
their wet hats on the parlor tabl e ? 11. C ~irwfr om Flori<la, I was s mpri sc<l to find the snow still
i11g 1on the
gronn1l.
III. Rec Jlnfac in th e Glossary . 'Wri te three sentences R aise and
co11tn,inin g presen t ind icative forms of the verb rise, three rise
con ta in ing t he present pn,rticiple, three containing past tense
form s. \Vrite three sentences contn,ining present indicative
forms of the verb raise , three containing the present participl e, three containing past t ense forms, and three containing perfect t ense forms.
IV. See Raise in the Gl ossar y. Write the follow ing sen- Raise and
t,ences, fillin g en,ch blank with some form of the verb raise rise
or some form of the verb rise : 1. Don't beA.~assed;
~p and speak. 2. A man suddenly
p and
interrupted. 3. I will~ up and d eny it publicly.

173

i

,,

\ I I

174

APPENDIX A

X. Remernhcr(e principal parts of wn'.te, ri'.se, ritlc, and 1Vri~e,
rise, ride,
drive :
driue
I l1a YO \1· ri I I t•n

4. Slowly the load yielded to the upward force · and little
by little it ~until it reached the dq;ired point.' 5. It w:1c;
too late; the lJall ou n li acl itln;au y ~ell feet. u. lla::J
the riv er~ all dllri11g the uiglit?
Sf!t and

sit

I \\. ri Io
l ri sn

J ri1k
I d ri \"1'.

V. Sec Set in the C l1 )ss;try. \Vritc three sentences cn ntaiuing present indicative furn1 s uf the verlJ s et three cu11-

Set and

Lay, lie
.-aise,
i~t, an
nt

VI. See Set in the Glossary . ·w rite the followin(J"0 sentences, filling each blank with some form of th e verb s~or
some form of the v,erb -'lit: 1. The ink-well doesn't~
~vci1t 2. I enjoy ~n the dark. 3. llow long we had
.
. there I do Hfil_ knl>"'.I'. 4. l_I e lJrought the litt le gi rl
m h~s arms and ~ her m a chair l>y the lire.

~;~I.

See Lay, Baise, and Set in the Glossary.

Write
lie,
lying, lay, lain, laying, laid, rise, rising, rose, risen raise
raising, raised, sit, sitting, sat, set, and setting.
'
'

1d·i~ sr10rt story al>o ut a IJalloon ascens ion, using the words

Done and
;een

I saw

I
I
J
J
I
I
I

h('ga n

J

h:tl" I)

ti ri \' t'll

I hav o h egun
l lta vo s 1111g
J hav e Hp n111g
l have n111g
lhavodn111k
I have run
I have swum

sang

s pra11g
ra11g

drank
ran

S / 1l"CT7l [J,

run.r;,

drunk,
run,
swam

swam
'Vrite sentences cont a ining perfect tense forms and pastperfect tense forms of t he foregoing verbs.
XIII. Notice
'
th e r elation between the past tense and the Broke,
froze,
perfect tense of the fo llowing verbs :
tore
I have broken
I broke
"'

I h :we frozen
I h ave torn

l froze
I tore

vVrite sentences containin g perfect active, past-perfect
activ e, and pass ive forllls of the forego ing verl>s .
.
XIV. Heme1111Jcr the principal parts of know, throw, and ][now,
throw,
blow :
blow
I have known
I knew
I know

IX. B.emem ber the principal parts of do and see .
I do
I did
I ha v·e done
I see

l li:t n· ri:.;i·n
1 f>a1t~ riddt'n

Run misXI. H.emember the principal parts of the verb run:
used for
I have run
I ran
1·an
I run
vVrite five sentences containing th e verb run in the past
tense, and five co ntaiuin g the form run, properly used.
XII. Notice the r elation b etween the past t ense and the Beqan,
sa11.r;,
perfect tense of t.he following verl>s :

VU. Comment on the use of set in eac h of the followin"
sentences, correcting all erron;: 1. Around the tal>le g~'Lo...:t­
fou~ chairs. 2. She left the umbrella s~ting against the
cpa~r. 3. You have set a hard task. 4. Ile saw the pie
E@ttmg on tlrn doorstep. 5. With the spirit level, he made ·
the table set' exactly. horizo!rjl
. 6. Did you notice the
order in which the cups "'8re
,
. Ready · get set · ao.
8. The bluffs appear to s'et back s me dista1'1ce from' Llie

Set

I \1·rote
I n>"'
I r"de
J dri>\"O

\Vritn s011tr 11r·r·s cn11t.a.i11ing perfcr·t t c 11sn forms ;irnl pnstperfect tense f"nns of writr, rise, ridr, and clrirc.

taining the present participl e, three containi11~ past ternm
forms, and three containing perfect tense fo~ms. \\Trite
three sentences contai11ing present inc!.icative forms of the
ve_r~ sit, thr~__9.Qntaining thep_l"E)~~l}_~_participle, three contammg past tense forms, anuDiree containing perfect tense
forms.
.
·

sit

175

APPENDIX A

I have seen

I throw
I blow

vVrite !ve sentences each containing past tense forms of
the verbs do and see, and five sentences each containing.
done and seen properly used.

I threw
I blew

I have thrown
I have blown

Write sentences containing past tense forms and perfect
tense forms of the foregoing verbs.
XV. Hemember.the principal parts of the verb go:
I go
I went
I have gone
vVrite ten se utences using perfect tense forms of this verb.
XVI. See Onoht in the Glossary. Th e follo\~ing sentences are grossly incorrect. Correct and rewrite them.

vVrite the following sentences, filling the blanks with did or
saw: 1. I - - - the damage that the fire - - - 2. There
we - - - a magician, who - - - some tricks. a. I - - my duty and I - - - it. 4. He - - - the work with hi8
own hands; I - - - him do it. 5. She - - - that it would
do harm, and so she - - - all she could to stop it.
/

/

·went for

gone

"Had
ought"

'!"'"-·

!_

176

APPENDIX, A· .....

1. Jlo liadn ' t ought to refuse. 2. l '.ught to accept
hadn't I? 3 . Don't you thi11k she'd ought to have gone?
4. No man ha d ought to endure that; had he ? 5. J f that
house was empty, theµ he had ought to have gone to the
next. 0. \Ve really ought to help him-don ' t you think
we had ? t< , , •: 1 r
"Had
ought"

?CVII. See dught in the Glossary. Write ten sentences
usmg ought correctly, five of them stating present duties,
and five, past duties.

"You
was"

~VIII. See You. was in the Glossary. Write the fol-'
lowmg sentences, fillmg in the blanks with wete : 1. ·where
- - - you, Ha~ry. , 2. I thought yon - - - lying down.
3. You - .- - n t to blame, my boy. 4. - - - you present, :Father ? 5. \Vhen - .- - you born, young man ?

Agreement of
verb and
subject

'·

Concor<l of

each,
every, etc.

~IX. Study H?le 2!J. Write the followin g sentences,
filling the blanks m each sentence with one of the wonts
bracketed after the sentence. Jn parenth eses after each
sentence, state the reason why t he word cl1 osen to iii! the
blan~ ought to be used'. 1. The formal statement of the
t~achmgs am~, rul e_s ~ set forth in t h e
· ·itution.
socin.l
[1s, are] 2. lhe d1strnct1on betwee n econom
cai:s~s of~en ~rbitrary. [see ms, seem
· In my
opm10n l11s attent10ns to the postmaster' s dau<Thter after
she had shown him she did n ot like him , ~ ~ e ;y presum_Ptuous. [was, were] 4. The strain of all the difficulties and vexations aml a11xieti cs ~nore th;m he
co1:1l.d bear., [\~as, ~ e re l 5. 011ly a few papers o f ti. iis
ed1t1 0'.1., wluch 1s pnnt:u at t<~o 1·.M ., ~to th e newsdeale1s. [goes, go] 0. In spite of all \}obstacles th e construction of th e three hundred trestles and u:e twenty
scn;ffolds '~oinpl~ ted. [wn.s, were J 7. His 111anipulat1 ~n of the k eys, stops, and pedals ~niracul o us to a
novice. [l.~<IB:, }:'}"'"~ '8. 011.e of the arguments h e made
to the delega,te~tp n~e especially convincing. [seem,
seems] 9. 1 he exact mi:lanmg~f
su words as inspiration
prophecy, and or~hor~o.x atiirst
ie'laymen. [puzzl e:
puzzles] .10. His diligent study o explos ives~ially of
such as might be used to destroy battleships,
at last
re_ward ed. [wer e, was] 11. The manner in which he uses
_!\\IXcd p1ctaphors,, split infinitives, and dangli11g participles
~ack o~ trammg .. [show, sho\~s] 12. His use of th e
vanous m~~specially of the la thes, th e presses, and
the forges,,.---- 111rn a born mechanic. [prove, proves]

XX. Study l~u~s 31, 32. Copy th·~ followin..,. sentences
filling each of tllll~ulanks with a pronoun or wit!~ one of th~

1\

.I

177

l'l'E N DIX A

words is, f!l'I! , was, 101'r~, hris
have: 1. Each of the
co11 s pir:1.tors w1·11t. qui e tly t(
own .ho111 e and not 011 0
of 1.h1•11t l.U:::Q.Q. SIIS(H'('.tl'd by
~(:~r by tho
police. 2. Ev e1y one th ere. dee :u cd
~ vor ~~ the
m easure. :t It m:ik es 110 ddferem:e wheth er 1t <~a;g~~c! ~
or Heid· ncitl1er o[ th ose m e n \L>-4•• w orthy t o raise
ro-.o
jl\yes to ;ny daughter.
4. A _ person n ever fee ls sure that
~ them es will be chantably, r eacl by either of those
professors ; eith er on e of tl1 e1\:!:'!:1 likely to be se\'ere.
5. No one had any idea what
fate wo.uld be. ; -every
stude nt fron,i.~ll.e best to th e p oo res t~ a nx 10 suspense. 6. ~ e ithe r of the boys at h orn ?
evcr r one here rcf' c iv<'d~ money? 8.
each of
~~Hy d etermin ed to. abide by ~promises? 9.
1eithcr of my a. s1suwts yet Drou ght~ tools?
10. Everybod y pu~ on
1 olid ay )~~ 11. 'If anybody ma kes a. motion to ·es1 , arrest
t once.
XXL RLmly Hul es !1!1-!W, particularly Hui e !1:; a. ·write Nominath e following sentences, fillin g each l>lanJc with w ho or t?hum. t.i v1' or
State i1
·e ntheses at:th eac h sentence the construc t!~ ohj eetive
·c
d. 1. Th ey sent invitatio ns to all
ca~e of
t he w
th ey t,
11ld a ccept. 2. This money comes from who
B oy le,
, o ~ is very liberal. 3. H e r ef_used to
pa nl on I' a ck ·y,
h e had every r easo n to Lel\e_ve 11tl~
p olice ha.d caught r ed -hand ed. 4. The bookkeepe_r, ~
I c;rn11ot cl o11l>t, co111111i t.ted these errors, ~~b e discharged.
u. Th e v:ica11cy w:is 1ill e1l by Clayson,
tl1u 11mnagcr
sa.id ou gh t,.J,o Lu promoted . G. Th e vacan cy was lili ed by
C l : iysrn·1~~.Ji1 , 111:rna gcr tlw.n'.-'ht ;v o rt\1~ pro111ot~on.
7. .An in sta nce 1s f11n11sl1 cd l.Jy :'.-lalilt I :ml,
, th e New
T es la11ie11t tell s us, was at first .an o_pg,onen t. of C:hristian.ity.
8. Th e thron e was held by a klllg ~ h1 slornrns beh eve
tQ. have been in sane. U. T~1 e thron e w~ ~y a king
~histor ia11s say wa~~~· 10.
did he say
th e arc hi tect w as? jJ.l. ~
id. h e sa?' ~he board chose
as arc!~?. l~. ~o you b elieve this \!f i = -0 be ?
13. ~l o yo u think will preside? Iii.~
o you
cons id er to Le th e fastest runner ? 15. ~ do you think
is the fastest runner ?

1

XXIT. Rt11dy Hul es 33-3(i, particularly Ruic 33 b.
·write the following scnt.enccs, filling the blank in each wi~h
on e of the words brn.eketed after th e senten ce. State 111
pare n tl 1csrs n.ftcr en.ch sr11tc11ce tlw g;i.n~truc tion of the in serted word. 1. Il e stoppr<l ~met. [wh oever,
whom e ver] 2. It will greatly assi~~~ l.iv1·s in th e
country. [whoever, whom ever] 3. ~ bnngs me the

,~

.

I

I,

, ..
~·

!.

Nominative or

obj ective
case o [
who o r
whoever

"

,. _
178

APl'lrnDIX A

Al'l'ENDIX A

cup I ,~ake my son-in-law. [whoever, whomcvcr]
4. For
loves hiR country I have a message. [whoever, ~er] 13. Even food and shelter are withheld
from
the pope has excommunicated. [whoever,
whomever] G. Every door is shut against~ the count
has said is objectionable to hin}r [',Yhoever, whomever]
7. A discussion followed as to ~ould steer. [who,
whom] 8. There was no doubt as to~ the speaker
~[who, whom] 9. They were anxious a bout
\
ie victim would be.
[who, whom]

[T, rnc]. 7. Th:i"t w:i,s - --.[I, m e] - - - ~who,
whon1] you lt c:tr< l l:tsl. night. 8. It 1s nut - - - [us, we]
who are to Llam c ; it is - - - [they, them]. !l . l a!n at
a loss ___ [who, whom] to drpeml on . ~o. vVas tills my
ol<l comrau e? J co ul<I not beli eve that tills ragged beggar
was ___ [he, him]. 11. :First he spoke of Jezebel and
Athaliah ; ---[tltcm, they] he said ~v~re types of depravity. Then h e cons.illered J ael ~nd Mma~,; - - -, [~1 ~m ,
they] he apostrophized as patriots. . 12. Io you E1~ohsh­
men as well as to - - - [we Americans; us Amer~cans]
his n:i,me is dear. 13. H etherin gton and I thought it was
necessary t.h:i,t th e m esse ngers chosen should be - - - [u~,
we] rather t.h:i,11--- [them, they] who were secret tnuLors. 14. Th e ca.use so d ear t o you and - - - [me, Il
has fail ed. 15. j \ 11 the r esponsibility rests on Jane ana
- - - [I, m e]. Hi. I~ e want~d - - - [m.y father !nd I;
my father an<I nH·] to in vest m a co.rporat10n mana 0 ed by
___ [he aJHI his f:~th e r ; h.i m and his fa.t h er]. 17. - - .[him, he] and all Ins associates I repud1.ate. 18. A la i ge
estate was left to - - - [ she and her sister~ h er and her
sister].,
. 9: You ought n~t to b~ burdened with--- [he
and his
ily,A him and hi s family]. 20. Do~ kn?w ll3;Ycroft ?.1.
~ nsc<i to visit - - - [he :-tncl Ill s wife ; h~m
an<l his
f<:]' ev<·ry S11nd:i,y. 21. The b11dlonl w:i,s 111cxorabln wit.It the poor wid ow; he drov e - - - [she and
he r chiltlrnn · ill'r a111l l1<!r cl1ildrcn] into thn. st.r?et.
2~. J,<,t - - ' - r1111 t.l1:tt is wit.Jtont. Rill j hitn I.hat IS WlthOllt sin] e:ist. t.hc first st.one .. 2:;. - - - Lth ey. ~· h~t .n,rc 11egli g<•nt; thc111 th:Lt. arn 1J C'gl1 ge nt.] h e adn~on1sl1< s, - - [ t l1 cy t.hat :i,rc faith[ttl; th em that arc faithful] arc com·
mended.

Elliptical
than aud

XXIII. Study Rules 33-38, particqlarly Huie 38. Write
the following sentences, 1illing each blank with one of the
won.ls bracketed after the blank. State in parenthes0s
after each sentence the cor~L~tion of the inserted words.
1. She is not so clever as
[he, him].~ _Sh e hated
both of~_[we fellows, us fellows], but~[I, m e]
more~1~~h e, him] . 3. Are th ey better qualified
than
[we, us] to judge? 4. No one co d regret it more
than
[I, me]. 5. Sh~~;~ deceit£ 1 that I would
trust a c<;1wict s.ooner ,t.Aian .4-.
'[she, h ·].
king,
no man 1s Ro wise as-~th ee, thou].
hasty
action injured herself more than ~
. The
faculty suffered more than~ [we, ns]
re ex- !I
pelled. !J. The co nspiratqw plotted shrewd ly , uut tl1c <Jc-r'
.-·:·tective was shrewder than~ [;~ cy, them]. 10. For;!
brief time 110 0110 waR so famous :i.R
[I, rne] . ll. J\Jy
lord, th..v J20Wcr w:i,neR; the king favors thy rival rnnro
than.., V...C~thon, thee]. 12. '' 1ough the queen prntrsted,
the statesma11, stro11gcr than
[her, she], prev:-tilc<l.
13. Sir, we are less worthy tlmn
[th ey, th em] ; we
ask that th ey be promoted rather tha1 ~(we, us];
h onor them rather than~ [we, us].

as clauses

;1eneral
XXIV. Study Rules 33-38. Write the following sen1xercise in tences, filling each blank with one of the words or groups of
he use of words bracketed after the blank. State in parentheses after
as es
each sentence the construction of the inserteQ,_,,word or
words. 1. She prepared a lunch for my broth er and - - [I, me] to take with us. 2. All - - - [us, we] fellows
met to consider the question of - - - [who, whom] should
be sent. [What is the subject of "should be sent" ? What
is the object of the preposition " of" ? See Substantive
Clause in the Grammatical Vocabulary.] 3. It is a question
of veracity between - - - [he, him] and - - - [I, me.]
4. She did not r efer to - - - [we, us] girls at all. 5. It
is unjust to expect - - - [she and I; her and me] to do
all the work. 6. Henceforth all is over between you and

179

rv

'

XXV. Study nu le 4. Write th e f.oll owing sentences, fillin"'
0 the Llanks with adverbs: 1. Do it as - - - as you can.
2. He mn,1rnged it ve ry - - - . 3. She stitch ed much--than I. 4. You'd better treat m e - - - than you treated
:O.im. 5. The h ouse was furnish ed as - - - as one could
wish.

Adjectives mis.
used for
adverbs

XXVI. See Like in the Glossary. Complete the follow- Misuse of
in g smitences: l. I wish. I could :un .li-ke - - - . 2. If like
you find him engaged a t Ills gymnast1.cs, like - - - . 3. She
sat for a long tim e deep in thought, hke - - - .
Copy the following sentences, filling the blanks with as,
5. --- .~ll
his predecessors, h e wn,s d espotic. 6. w· e n ever qua11el
now - - - we did when we were boys. 7. He was hanged,
just - - - a common spy. 8. He was hanged, just - - -

as (f, or like : 4. Don't act--.- a baby.

180

Al'l'ENDIX A

APPENDIX A

he h:id been a co mmon sp y. 0. Ile votes - -- bis father
did. 10. Sh e s ings - - - ·she hall a colu.

181

4 . T' rlrti a a 11 c1 hr,r m :i i11 <l rr • c;.~r 1l lik r Ja \\" \"<' 1"8 a111l wrnt to
$lie fn11 n1l !li :1t A 11f n11 in lia <l fn;, f,•if.('< l f.li<'. l~ n nd . '
G. Tlt P e8snv o n pl:t1wls i,.; sl1 ort f\tt<l wit Iv.
,\.[{,(•r ;;f;it.111 .g ;~
few thr1uglt.Ls r eg:trding tl1 e111, he mak c:s a clign•ss inn.
t3. But tt~ u Llt will al w:Lys co 111 e out.. 1n t Iii ,; case it. occurrr ·cl
in t,ho following way. 7. Wh en th e next rn :in camn to ~xLt
an1l luwckecl t,iw ball to Rhorlslop, lie tl1rew 1L o vc: r Lite first
base man's head . 8. She ll ext r emoves th e furniture from

court .

XXVII. Study Hul es 4G- GO. Write the followinrr sent ences , fllling cac ~1 blank in seulences 1-10 with shall c~· will,
and each blank 111 se n tences 11-20 with should or wn11.fil.
State in p:irentlwses a fter each sentence whycflie.~nxili:Lries
you have m serted are correct. 1. l think l~ 1~1 11 1 th..e,,
study easy. . 2. I a 1u Ll:e earpente~ YOH"~1 gaged. ~
my men beg111 work to-day? a. "~'y o u see ~i~ira
on your way east?" "No; I don ' t think I~."
4. "Oh Af.r. Me)'."er, the singer _I engaged has d~1!'.;,PB'.l}nted
me. u...a:.lRyou smg for me t~-.~.)l" "Yes, I
si ng
for you."~ if} '.'J\e!lo, Meyer.
you be busy to-11 igfl t? )...'.
"Yes ; Ir~s111g a t M1:s. vy est's to-~1ight." 6. I~
probably fail_ 111 the eb~1~t:pn. 7. 1 am very anxious.
If no on!'._fiS~iMs me, I
'
sta'rve. But sell my library ?
(' ,..NoJ,., l~iever do that. 8 .. "If yo n Pat this rabbit,
0 1. fl·~ y~11 'be k0..nt aw:ake all mght?" "Probabl y; b11t
by Jo~e,
~cat 1t uuyway." !J. If I miss anoth<'r
,
c·~ class, . ·~
: . be r eciuired to take an extra" cx:un ination.
r-> · · '-Q • · li{.l. l.~
prnbably get a cool re~!UlJ-[o'"A th ere, but I ,
(•'• ~ ~- go, whatever happens. 11. J~.•.1.1.~n o);, have snp- ·· 1 •••I' t'
posed the price would be so hi<rl1. l 2. I~ hav!A bcc11 • · '~
surprised if he bad failed.
re1;~ that rJ· htl u JI._._
s oon n eed a light, I dete rminedti~~l/il
buy a lantern.
14.~un c~
e tood that Jl.'~e censured if I did it.
15.
you
supposed tlutt the city would grow so
fast ? . 16. W
ared we~ get caught i~, the rain.
17. Smee the
r was so late, I knew I ~mi~ 6Jny
class. 18. It was so wa1~R th~ti we thought we~10t
n eed onr overcoats. rn. ~on have known him if he
h ad not intr?dnced hi1_!10!.lf? 20. Yes, even if he had not
spoken, I tlunk Il>J=Ol->flave known him.

S hall aud
will

i3.

f

E xercises chiefly in Sentence-Structure

,;;; i
'

I

iy• I
. I

i

1.

:1

the parlor and sweeps it. O. She prepares the vegetal>les
for dinner and has it ready when her l1usband. return s.
10. Some parts of th e story 1 found interes ting, bnt this "".as
offset by so 111uch dry, uninteresting reading. 'J:lie desc_nption s he gives of the different characters are mterest111g.
11. The cade ts at W est J>oint are appointed by the members
of Concrress. On graduatincr, h e r ece ives a commission in the
army. "' 12. Ile attached tl~e hose to the tank and flushed it
about once a month. lil. The sugar bee t is an easy vegetabl e to grow ; in a good season, a farme r g c t.'l liftm:n. to11s of
th em from <·ac :h ac :rn. 14. The dam is 110L water-tight, but
allows it. Lo seep tll rough.
XX [ X. fltrnl y Rul es G2-G5, particularly H.nl cs G3, G4. Dangling
Compl ete U1 c iollowing sc nle11cefi: 1. Arriving there late particip les
- - - . 2. Steppi11 g upon the platform - - - . 3. Checkin rr his h orse a8 he neared the two stray ing chilt.lren - - - .
4. "' I la ving thus accidentally disclosed her id entity to. the
p oliceman ----. 5. Having h eard that you are a skillful
port,rait painter---.
XXX. Study Rules 6G-G8. Complete the following sen- Dangling
tences: 1. '.Yitltout d enying your statement - - - . geru11d
2. Upon questionin g his s ister as to the truth of the report phrases
- - - . 3. Jn r emov ing th e chim11ey of his lamp th at
eve11ing: - - - . 4. Upon examining the letters that I
founcl int.h e i11:j11recl rna.n'R pock e t -- - . 5. After setting
the vase in this very insecure pos iti o n, n:Llnrally - - -.

XXXI. St.ud y Hules <lfl, 70. Complute th e following sen- Dangling
ten ces : 1. Wlwn a n1 ern boy ( he was ccrtaiHly no more elliptical
than ten y ears olcl at the t.im c) , -·-.-.
2. _Alth ough _a clauses
ve ry instructive book,---. o. Whil e mo_v111 g about 111
disguise amo ng his subj ec ts , - - - . 4. If m d oubt as to
what coll ege yon had bette ~· attend,
5 .. When engaged in this work, if.any fri ends ca.me to see l11m, - - - .
6. Whil e thoroughly 111 sympathy w ith the plans you have
told me abont, - --.

XXVIII. St1_1dy Rules 55-<ll. R ewrite the following senReference
of protences, correctmg fau.lty reference: 1. On coming hom e
nouns
- from school, m y broth er found that Rover had fall en into
t~e cistern . Ile was almost ready to sink. vVhen he got
lum out, the water was running from him in streams and he
was so exhausted that he could not stand. W' hen he saw his
condition, he feared he would die. 2. The nurse left some
m edicine, but .Molly secretly resolved not to take it. When
~he mad e her n ext visit, she t old her she thought sh e had
greatly improved. 3. The directors offered to reward h er
liberally, but she begged them to give it to her father.

XXXCI. StlHly Rules 77, 79, 80, 81. Rewrite the follow- Senteuce•
\ng sentences, improving the arrangement; make no changes order

I

i,

'

......

182

except in the or,Jcr of the membe rs: 1. The top is a cylinder
on the surface of which a nmuber of strip~on e sixteenth of
an inch thick and one inch above the surface,(called k11ives J
are placed. 2. These pulleys are co1111ected with a11ot.her
14 part of the
set of pulleys of ten in ch diameter at the lower
machine(by hdts.) :1. Il e soruetimes trir.ll to diseussArnlijccts
that interes ted him fuith the Autocrat} 4. I judgel{lf that
the fellow was a mon'k who had tlecl from the monastery/by
his gown and his air of trepidation.) 5. He finally sneeeeCled
in drawing the spoon book;..up close to the boatJon which
he found a turtle. J 6. Evefy one felt sure,,that l3eiler had
no chance of winning"'oon after he b egan to speak} 7.,11He
tore up the tender letter which his moth er had written him
(in a fit of peevish vexation} 8. Lamb playfully pretends to
prove,fhat the art of roasting pigs originated in ChinaCby an
old manuscript.) D. The autho1i.l here mak es a cl igression
proving that de/ii-fish actually exist and that they have hccn
known to devour men( to make the story more real) 10,..,111
a village 011 tho Wisconsin H.iver j11st above tho point whcrn
it joins the M iHsissippi (on a cold February afternoo1j I
first saw the lig ht of day. 11. There are two way~f chiseling at present in use ·among machiuists that are (equally
effective.) 12. The lieht causes a chemical action~on the
plate in the camera lwhich is imperceptible to the eyeJ
13. The yacht is drawn Ur:ffJHt of the water after every race
(on a small railway) 14. Th ere was a pilot houseAjust in
front of the engine room(which looked like a wat{)T1111an's
box. J 15. He was taken out/Ito the transport which was
' anchored off the coast( in a row boat} 10. Keeping his opponent covered with his six-shooter, he collected,,all the
money that was lying on the table (in his liat.J 17. How
can a man write a theme when he has~he prnblem of findin g
the equation of the common tangent'{o a hyperbola and an
ellipse(on his mind? J 18. He adds..,he amounts cf all checks
receive"U during the day(on an ad<llng machin e) 1D,A I was
able to s~ve the motor dtr that had broken away fr om destructioll(bY a happy accidentl 20. Sometimes y~u will see
· an alligatoy.lying in the su~shine on the bank flight feet
long.) 211' Members will please inform the steward of their
intention· to dine at th e club \iPOn th eir arrival} to insure
good service. 22. '\Ve demand the suppressio1JAlf the traffic
in liquors to be used for beverages lby every lawful meansJ
'osition of
•nly, alnost, and

:ver

XXXIII. Study Rule 78. Rewrite the following sentences, putting the misplaced adverbs in the proper position s :
1. The manufacture of sugar is(only )protitahlcAin a large
factory;. 2. I(only /saw himAonce after that. :J. The oflice
islonly)open~n the forenoon . . 4. I[only}needl few doll ars.

183

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX A

Ilc(011ly )sncccctl cd !n Rl.oppilllf; tl.10 V·O.~S~aa[fl~ll' l~l;~~~
ll't.l ·ll wiLh an clectnc ca.r anl l Cillo 1s1c
. I·
7 I
, .\
t~ the t op when the rope bt o '~· .
co ' et
G. ll e h:ul(tlmos t,gu o.
.
8 Do youlcver l'ememeverJ expect_.+o s11c th h kc agam.
.
.
Cr t,o hav e seen the ;iccused before?
•
I oII ow 1~1l~ .s~\.J·'JISplitin1
,,XXIV
Stu<ly
Huie
8G.
Rewrite
the
.
fiuitives
x• · ·
l'
·
f ·r s. 1 A co 11 s1l era e
2 Th e acid
tences correcLin~ the sp it m)mi ivc · •
1 eggf/e ~f the fire
period' is required to (Properly h eat t,ie
is allowed to (sl o-:"ly]Jil~~;\~!a~t: ~·it:.~e
'iJ.e reefed his
seemed. to (compl~~ely). ~ th r ~e storm.A 5. necause of
canvas m ?rcler to, vetter I'' ea e. l r nake his escape. (i. She
the c011fus10. n,,h e wlas able
~o(c.~~~j l._.nk into the qi~cksand.
was seen to ~<;l ow Y a 1}; s ea •
.l t us ? 8. lt is ad7. Are yon willing to '111 any way ass1s
I\
visable to(al ways )keep the tank ful . ).
. . .
. . .
s cl HlllP. 112. H cwr ito tho followmg sen- CorrolaX XX:V. : L11 .Y • ... •l· I' e co n '11nc Liuus in (•:ic :h before tion
tcncr~, pl:u:11i,'L!; t.I'.< '. . ~o: ll j~ ,:~ia.y (<, i LL·if he rc:id .J'or plc ::isurc
c•H>nllll:tLc: 1~1'. ml1t ;s. ~ The .bees liad ~wt.' ol1iyJst.1mg/f11.1y
or syHLl'lll ,tt.w sLul .y • ·
,
3 l i ntcnti to assist
brotht:r lmt my fncml anu m e a 1so.
If 4 tN eith er '
him,(lioth}for L11c s.:tke o~his mo~~ei~1~ r~~I~~~Jetl., hi.m. /\ G. I
the fear of the lun g nor any PL f
. '(i 'i'he cr ew was
will/neither ) give tou"moneytonro\h:vpot~~val~ nce of ,sickness
d · b ·acred lhoth ,rvll accoun
/
t
isc u1 "' d\v . ti
7 fJ,' ithed he has n ot been 1rnr8..f a
and the ba wea rnr.
: ~t
They are f1 eitheif per.
Only for a few mmu es. 8 ·
il
a "tt
' orcl to rea<l tic
I ncwspaIJcr·s. ' nor even old magazmes.
r
~~1 1fe l1ot.on,l :iV~pok!~all the pri11cip:~~ l:i11g:rng\~<~i(fei~,t~~·1~/~ey
I · J 10 li e could 11 ot uo pc1 suac
. ..
but" of. As1.t. L :-;o . l· r promotwn.
.
ll · 'l'ltc trustees 111v1te
pronusesn<:' 1l.1011 cy , 011 I ) 1.",1 Li e to the charges made but
full in vesllgatw n lnot
Y. ~ a vi"
12 The n ew
t
concernmcr t 10 co 11 ege . · ·
any other ma t ·ors .
I
."'
..
·
load .up or down
tnick can be used \e ither for ca11y111g a ' ''
f I
stairs.
lllogical
XVI Study Rule 07. Th e c~orcli.nation in t 1rnt to! - coord
XX
iua,.
, , ,
·
.
·
ly illoa 1cal.
H.ecas
10
lowing senten c~s isl con~p1cu~~~n,l rel~ti ons correspond to tion
sentences, rnak11.1 g tie grarn.m ,
' D efense is a play in
the logical relations. . 1. J.111 s. Da~ie ·th~r Jones. 2. The
four itcts and was written by II ~ 1~1~
the stratum and the
Collapse was <ln e to the und ermnun "' o 1 I
, ll
3 1'11e
' ·
I c] r lod crcl t 1e wa s.
·
vibratiolls canRed liy t~1e cars ia l is ·i~1d tltc anthor writes
essay tells aliou~ c h1m11~~y sweepsAifalfa thrives in a high
in his usual deligh tful styli~. t 4. nonrisi1 other plants, but
soil which becomes too < 1 Y 0 .
f. ·t f r water.
' ·.
aifo'.Jfa sends i t.s root.s down sn11wt,1111cs t~1~ t,y t~·~ cr~ers from
5. A boanl fence surrounds the ptwt to eep s g"'

o.

~

l

di.

. ··1

l,

l

:.
I'

l

I~

184

Al'l'E N DIX: A

wa,11rl eri11 g a,hont t l1 0 rhngrrons madii11cry, :inil lu· sidrR
rn:i.n y 1'•'<' 1".•L prot.:cssr •s :trc) l! Sf' d w li it-11 t.IH: Cl1111p:u1v d111·s 11" t

'l
~ . l\h
·. 11 .1· 1·c·111·nlrn
. '
·
Iic·:ird fr11111 tlic· <Tll\\'rl, f'<JJJ J(' Jll."'i'l1:.a.c.:~;r·1·'. 1 11 .u: l'.1.1.I. .t.1 1 ~
Ji u rs c ' s Jrog 11: 1;; !>lit •A .i " i1ti , ( •l l 1cr~ tli:1t 1.[,. " ' ~" .\ll"L' 11 , .1 '.1'
tli l' r e \l'C'I';. nl lins 11 l1n urgt ·d tl1 :1[. tl 1'.' l 1'.• 1 ~r l Jf s .1." l. a .t. '.; '. H ~ j
:). Ile had cn·:i.t,c·tl l\l'l g i11 111, :-;:1,1· (· ll S11:t111. :111d .Ii.id H. s n1 ;
'l ' ·)· . . .< \\'c• \\'(•re l1l' 11 L 011 Sl't ' lllU: !Ii" cxli1'11L a11d .1L tlic.
lll d .\ •
' ·
,
.
.
.
1· .
r
T l · tc•a111 s:tll l f' ti111r'~ !1 ·:ir11 Sfl !lll'li1111 .'-!· r,J I.ill' llll'll1>jlil IS .
·.'· , .'.(
., .
s tcr gu L u s 0 11 L of ti 1is ]'I ig It L by d 111· 1 11~ _<L fc 1I' •111 ii l's .c ,i ,,[. 1.1 .u Ll
to a. f:JtJ :tll l':llllJl. f:! '! 'lln ·tl ;t p1 1·r'P rif. 1ro11 , .111d 111 1.11 ~0111e
dillicul ty fa.sltio11r·tl :t i1i11 that. snvrtl onr pur1 •u c.:r•. '" Snni e
f \l " were :l l'! lll:ti 11t.r•1l 1Yi t li cl1 L~ 11 11 s tr1·, dr:1.11111u:, :111!l 1111.11
0
L '
llll'll wr 1 e
' " [ tl1e ]lllld1 ·n1 l:i. 11 ° lt :t."('S. 7 . '"'"
lll C (I J. ti('
' I
. LI track
one "
·"" ,..,
a ll owed to ta k e fi]lt'c i:i l 11 o rk, sur:lt ns t o : 11 .1e1. _ 1c 'l'l
t eam , baseba ll , k ts k ctball t ea111 , ur take ere? '' 0 11'. .~· d ie

\Yisli Lu lH :cn111e k1111w11 t.o onrs ir! rrs.

Praclic.;c iu
v ariety -of
1<11hnrdi-

• ·
71 11ri1h , A l11l111m,1, :111<1 n11 111 !: 1-.11·r11111J1.

0. Il e :il1u11·c J Ult.: sn111e

llat.i on

'he so
a bit

~rallel·

n

XXX VII. Study t h e note un der tTin lc fl/. n cc~ist the
folluwiJJg scnt.P11c1·!-' , usi11g as lll<Lll.}" Taril'Lies uf suli<> 1Lli11ation as p ossible : 1. Th e nam e of t his har is ll1 e wliillll :l. r co
a 11u to it the traces arc attacl1 erl. 2. Ji n ate his lJn ·.akfo.s L
and then lie went to his olJice. 3. It had a, iine ontlook and
so we t hought it wou ld be a good ca1npi11g gro und. 4. lt
h a,d n ot been water ed for a week a nd it looked dry and
wilted . 5. An electric b ell is a fo rm of m otor and a m otor
is a machine for transforming electri ca l en ergy into p ower.
6. In th e box is a battery and th e p oles of the batter y a re
connected to binding p osts. 7. The tube widens out at the
end and is called the speakin g trumpet. 8. Th e second tube
is sh orter th a n th e first a nd is ca.lied the r eceiver. !J. I
didn ' t want the paper at a ll, but I wanted t o p lease the editor and I s ubscribed. 10. H e is quicker and mor e capn.ble
than his rivals and h e is sure to get tho best o f t hc111.
11. Th e foundry is a low bri ck bui lding :mrl projectin g ahovo
the r oo f is a hu ge chiJ11noy. 12. l'rese11tly s he rn et a lady
and as ked her th e way to the Hall. 13. Th e 111atc1fal wa s
brought to the 11 earest station by r a il a11d it was dra\\'n to
the min e by h orses. 14. In th e corner was a bureau a11d a
mirror hun g over it.

XXXVIII. Study Rule DD.
R ecast the following sentences using as many varie ties of subordination as possible :
1. Sh e wis hed to make a good appearance so she borrowed
a necklace . 2. H e feared she would be corrupted by the
court, so he kept h er close at h ome. 3. This is a d illicult
piece of work so g reat care is n ecessary. 4. The cups did
not m atc h, so she sent them back. 5. He n eeded som e li ttle ·
shoes as a m odel for his picture so his mother found fo r him
the sh oes th at h e hi mself h ad firs t worn. G. I felt very
tired and jad ed so I could n ot li ste n very atten t ively.
7. The stalks of the wheat mus t be be nt back so a large rnol
lik e a paddle-wheel is provided.
8. Il e wis hed to sh ow
d efer ence to the strong r elig ious p rin cip les of l1is h rn;t so he
attended mass on Sunday.
XXXIX. Study Huie 111. R ewrite the foll owin g sent en ces , m a kin g parall el in form th e members that perform
similar functions: 1. Ch eering was h eard on the Rox-

I•I .
I

\\!'I:!'

m arbles which looked HS if tli1 ·y h:i rl 011cc Lc·.. 11 ll'lii lP lnt t
now U1 1·y Sl)C JJH.: d to l1a\' () Lr :r· n rl r oppf' d i11 Lo an i11k buLUo.
7. 1t nnd,_. rgnrs h r rc a, procc;;s ;; in1iia r l.o Llie prP.. 1·d inc; n11e
bnt th e r111a11lily uf lime added is iu t.1 1i s case s 111al lvr.
s ec uring

.1

18;)

Al'l'ENDIX A

ch id iiw retli cnts are ba rley and h ops, w l11c!t are ~ 0 1 e togethe r a~id the r es u lt in g J iq~ itl _fc1:111 e11 tetl ~ntl ca1bon at~ci.
!), A
attcrn is lll adc, and J1 qmd i ro n run . rn to t it ? mot l ~
10 n~ could h ave ope ned the d oor by runn111 g a knife alon,.,
th~ cr ack an d slide t he ca t.ch up. 11 . . S h e tckg rapb cd
him to come h om e at on ce or serious consequ ences would
ensue .

X L. Stucl y R.nle 111 anc~ th e n.ote u n de r Hnlc 75 .. ~fak e
a tli:igram, li ke t.J 1n 011 0 pnntr cl 111 t h at 11 otc , s!tow111,, t h e
parnl.lclism of th e fo ll owing sente nce :

I
I

I

Orgn,niza·
ti on o (
l o ng- sc nt c11 ccs by

means o[
'I'enn ysoii' s 7'1ie I,ar711 of 8 halnlt is a. n a rrative poem. r e- parallel1
·
·
a
n
ve
r
·
·
·
·
I
.
la,tin rr h ow a. 111 ystn ri ous lady, Ji vi11 g 011 a n JS :i1.1t . 111 '
l
ism
,~ i t1tf.1 view of. th e c:u;tle of Came.Int, was c n,1 tH.11 ecl, nnc er
p cna.lty of a. mor tal cu me, to weav e 111 cr!ss:111tly at:t l oo n~ a.ml
n ever to loo k to wa n l Ca m elot; h ow s h e co 11 t m~t~ d
a
while to observe t h e mystic d ecr ee, 11 ever even ~ oo on g rom
th e window, but obser ving th e scen es n ear h ~r ISi a nd by th~
r eflection of them in a mirror; h ow, wea~·y with th.e task an
the r estraint she on e day saw in h er mirror the 1m a~e of a
splen d id 'kni~lit rid in rr by th e riv rr, h aste n ed.' forgettm~ the
prohibition , to the '~nclow, gazed on t h e k111gl.1t, a nd r~~o
cloin " saw th e castl e of Camelot; and ho w, this act. o
1sobetii'e'n ce brin g in g the curne u pon li er, sh e soon sickened
aucl d ied.

I'

For practi ce in t h e use of p arnll e li sm ~, write m~ ~-i~::i
sen tence s umninry o f en,ch of the fo ll ow mg p oe Talkin
stori es : T enn yso n' s L ncksley !fall, Ulys ses, !he C t . ~
Oak A Dream nf Fair IVomrn , L acly Clrtre, ~he ap am ,
IlrO\~ nin g's Lnv'e Amon!] th e Rui!is, p e G,i~stibu s,
at. a
Villa_ Dnwn in th e Cit y, Jirr ve Biel, 1 h e La/Jrn at0111,
A P ortrait; Bret Harte's 77ie Outcasts of Poker Flat, The

1;

i'

tr

qJ

Ii
'I

!.
I·

f

I'.

186

APPENDIX A

Luck of Roaring Camp; Hawthorne's Drivid Swan, A Rill
from the Town Pump, The Wedding Knell.
NoTE ..-Bfl carp,ful not t.<J make auy of t.lie sentences of this
exercise co mpound sentences; re111e mue r: a o;i11gle main sitlJ.iect
am.l µrcdicalc as the ba;;i::; uf each ;;cu le.nee. ,\bu, LJ"y t11 usn as
man y ki11<l s of p :tr: tlkli st n :i s p11ssil>lo. F11r th o p:ir all "l 111<•n1uers o f <.> li e SC ll l.C ll CO llS1 .: partit'ip ia J phra ses; for I.hose uf ;i.11111./wr,
use how c l:rnsos; for t hos1: of :urnt.lll:r, Ils e o/ phrases; J•.>r t h11so
uf anot her, u se direct objects; and ;;o 0 11 .
False parXLI. SLudy Hules ll G, 110. He writc tlic folluwiug sn nallelism
tences, correcting t he fal se paral lelism: 1. The b::trlcy is
thus steeped, wash ed, a1 1Ll at t!t c sani e ti1u f! a.l.Jsu rbs uxy g1· 11.
2. The Gulf St.ream is 50 mil es wid e, 2liUIJ fe et deep, ;i 11d
f.lows HU mil es a day. [See, r egarding the figures in tllf~
preceding sentence, Huie 272 a.] 3. llc h::td curly black
.hair, dark blue eyes, and wore glasses. 4. Coal burns
brightly, slowly, and throws out much heat. 5. The in cubator must be Lhoroughly cleaned., ventilatetl, and the i11 side
apparatus pnt into good ortl er. 0. On the west sid e are tho
offices of the president, treasurer, amlitor, and the dranghting room. 7. He said that the H.nssian peasants were d11ll,
unprngressive, and that farm machinery is almost unknown
to them. 8. Every 111a11 lllU8t h:we a rnilil.ary m1it., a g 1111,
and must report promptly at four. !). llazlitt t ells o[ ltis
experience on the way to the fight, at the Hght, and of Ids
return hom e. 10. The new elephant is six years old, five
feet high, and it may be stated in cidentally that his railroad
fare was $130. 11. The first few pa.ges contain a bri ef
account of the last commencement, n ew appointments, and
the president's annual report is reprinted entire.
L<>glcal
XLII. Study Rules 117 and 28; and see Sul~fect, Cause,
agreement and Reason in the Glossary. The following sentences are
illogical. State briefly in what respect each one i8 illogi c:il,
and rewrite e:ic h one, correct.ing its d efec ts. 1. I jun1ped
off the car in the opposite direction from which it wa8 go in g.
2. The efforts of the militia were as futile as the police had
been. 3. The subject of the first paragraph tells how the
mail coaches carried the news of English victories. 4. Th e
topic of the fifth paragraph is wh ere the author told a moth er
of the death of her son. 5. Discord means that sounds are
lacking in harmony.
6. Exclusiveness is when a p erson
likes to remain aloof. 7. The outward appearance of an
ordinary t elephone consists of a box-like structure.
8. Ae1'ial means to be moving in the air or flying. 9. The
fact that caused this chemical change was due to the hot
weather. 10. The topic of the essay d eals with the value of
a technical education. 11. The cause of the current is

187

Al'PENDIX A

attributed to the continuous winds. l ~· The only use t.o
which th e farm is now put is for pasturing sheep. 13. His
ai111 in tak ing a college course is simply for general culture.
U. Th e r easo n I di slike the s tudy is on Ar.co1mt. of ~.he
, 1;11111 :n>1ts sLtLisLi c;s t.li;tL lllU::iL Le lcarnt.:Ll.
F>. Dr:wgld.ing
;i s pr:1<"ti<'l'1! 111 •11·:11l:tys is l':i r <iil'l" ·n: 11 l. . ft·11111 t.lll'. "l1 ! 1111·l lt od.

Iii. '!' !i n 1n:111 ·ri:1l .. r dr:i wi 11 g JH·1w.il s ts llltl<'lt !11 11'!' t.l1a11 t.he
onli11:1r y ('.llll\l!H'l'l'i:il 1·•·11ciJ,;. '7. 11 ,~ w:1.s SOO!l Jll'Oll LOL1:il to
vic1: pn.;s id1·11t of t.! 11: cn 111p:111.v . JH. The st.yle of n.rc lti tecturP 1•111pl oye1l i11 111i s cl1urd 1 rcs1: 111Ldt'S ve ry cl(}soly au old
c:1t.IH' dra l. .l !l. Till : s11ga r beet 1s r:1p 1dl y tak1ni-:; t.lic place
of ca ne sugar . a11d in tl1c ]•:1st fl' \\' y <':trs l1:1 s grnw n 1.o be
an 1 ·x lcn ,_ il~e l>1 1si11ess . '..'O. Tli 0 gn·:1IPstfo11lt I h:n0 against
drill is th e trnubl c nf cl1:w ging c lutlt C's. 2 1. The story tells
o f the breakilw loose of a can non on board a ship and a
description of °'t.lt f•. wPn.tlwr at the timA of the n.cc iclent .
22. 'Vl1y I sh n11ld 11avc a.n avPrs inn to Sa turday classes any
more than any ot her day is due tu habit.

XLITI. Sl.1uly Hui e 121. Tl1c following scnl.cnccs arc Double
incorrect. Correct a.ncl r e write them. l. 1 can't find it negative
1iowlwre. 2. Tlwy didn't fintl 110 trcas11rn. ii. Thc:rc .is.n't
Ho otH1 hem wl111 k1111ws. '1. I tlidn't sec 110 fin:; 111y op111wn
is that there was11' t Ho 1ire.
XLTV. Stwly Hnl c 122. The fo ll owing sc~tcnces n.rc
incorrec t. Corn:ct alHl rewrite them. 1. Jt will n ot take
but a mi nu tc. 2. l didn't sec but two m en there. :3. I can't
hardly beli eve it. '!. I did not feel hardly ~trong ~nough.
5. She couldn't stay only a week. G. He said angrily that
he wouldn't o-ive only forty cems. 7. You wouldn't scarcely
b elieve the r~al story. 8. I hadn't scarcely passed by when
the stone fell.

Incorrect
negation
with
h a rdly,

etc.

Exe1'cises chirfly in Spelling
XL v. Strnly Hul es J 40, 150. W1:it,_e the infinitive, the Doubling
present participl e , and the past part1c1ple of en.ch. of the fi 11al confollowing verbs ( e.(f., stop, stopping, stopped): rob, crib, stab, sonants
bed, shecl, bucl, bP.(1, flnr1, sprig, rig~ hl'~n, ran~, hu!n, pla.n,
skin, shnn, pin, rip, drop, stop, grip, tip,
d.IJJ, wlnP_,
·slip, scar, mar, debar, occur, den!ur, prl'f'!1, 1~fC1_, coi~fe,1,
bat, pet, rot, .ff.it, quit, rern·et, omtt, commit, pe1mit, admit,
repel, propel, compel, expel, impel.

cqw!1,

XLVI. Study lfoles 140, 150. Write th~ infinitive and Doubling
the present participle of each. of th e fol~owml? v er l~s (c.q., final conFlit, sitting): bid, rid, shed, dtg , run, bey1.n, spin, swun, win, sonants
sit, set, bet, get, let, cut, hit, put, shut, split.

.[

188
Drofping
tina e

llropplng
fi11;d e

..
APPENnJX A

XLVH. Study Huie 151. Write the following words, together with the adjectives ending in able derived from them
(e .g., love, lovable): love, <'Xcuse, believe, nam.P., tmnt.', sale,
dr:plu)'(:, ll)i)iew;e , a., c, jiJl'u/ vr;, live, shake.

LVI. ·w rite each o f the following w~rds together wi_th its
deriva tiv e in ally (r>.(! ., accidr>nt, acc1~l e nt a ll?f~ : accident,
inddent . hrrni,,, 7>11Pt.fr , rlromnlic, 7wusaic. occasion .
!. \'I I. \\"ri k 1!1<· f.,Jj .. " ·i1 1,!.( 1\•. >1 -.fe<, 1,J 1c;Pn·i11g tli :1 t in tli r~

XLVllI. Sludy Hules lr>1, 1 5~.

\\'ril.t • t.!11· i11n11if(':tnrl tlir
prcsp11t parli ci 1J ie et cacl1 "f tl1c fulluwi11g n ·rh;; ( r·-rr., 1•!111·1"
plw:in!J) : pl lf n', ur1u·r, slim/I', rec ed e, a!Ji<le, ul11i11r', /J11irtl' ,
stnke, bake, lrtkc, cume, ho11t c, ;;hi11c, dine, <ll'l'1tnr1 e, sl11/"' •
scrape, pnrr', scrrre, _!Jle11s1' , se i.;·c, l use, write, bite, prur'i't ts-

tinate, grate, hat e, lw1Je, 1<lrive, rot>e, rai•e.
Fi11al eretained

Change of
y to i:
P lurals

Chauge of
y to i ·
Vcrl.Js

189

APPENDIX A

XLIX. Study Rule 15:3. Write each of the foll owing
words together with its derivative endi ng in ous ( e. y.,
courage, courageous) : courar;e, acfoantagc, outrage, umbrage. Write each of the following word s together with
its derivative ending in able (e.g., notice, nuticeable) :
notice, p eace, manage, change.
L. Study llule 154-. Write the singular a11d the plural
of each of th e following n ou ns (e.g., larly, ladies): larly,
body, buggy, lily, folly, dummy, ninny, company, harmuny,
copy, berry, library, century, country, courtesy, city, party,
frivolity, valley, monkey, chimney, money, pulley, vulley,
kidney, troll ey, donkey, galley.
LI. Study Rule 155. Write the first and third p erso ns,
present indicative, and th e first person past, of each of the
following verbs (e.g., I cry, he cries, I c1·ied): cry, fly, fry,
try, apply, S1lJJJJl!f, dr>f!J, deny, satisfy, dass{fiJ, hurry , marry,
carry, tarry, /Jury.

Clia11go of
ie toy

J,II. Study Hui e J Gil. Write the i11fl11itive and the prnsent parti cipl o of each of the following verbs ( e.g. , lie,
lying) : lie, die, tie, vie.

Plurals In
s autl es

LIU. Study H.ulo 157. Write the singul:u and the plurnl
of each o f the following n ouns ( e.g. , bead, beads) : bead,
road, leak, fr eak, wh eel, pail, beam, scam, screen, steep,
leap, paradox, hiss, heir, f air, r epair, pass, glass, beet, boat,
boot, flash, crash, cow, row, crow, dish, box.

"Accidentally,"
et.c.

'!'hr rn1l in g:--: /,, a 11d
iii•· 1- 11di11 .:'. is lr•, 1111l v :\ _ J,.11·_ 1·11il 11 1g Jn
; il, ~ •·n· n ·t li: il. j 11 ·1111s l. 111 t.l1 l: \\' (lrds 1•11d111 g 111 rl, t'11: 1111,t! el
S\'l lalili •. i.~ pn.,.,.d 1· d l1 y r , m, 11r '//.
,-111/ I'. rrn1/1/1· . 11.•lr//I' , '.'_.1! ~ ,
;7,1>/I' Ril•li' IJ1 rf,/1/r, /i/'<lllllJl C, /J1l l'klr>, h11 !U f', /J1//1/i/r , In 11/li,
;" t/llr: cnldr: n· 11 r/ i 1', 1·11ddlc, 1·rar:/.-/r, o n ullr, 1" '. -'//I', d 1 11111l~,
1z,; ,.,-/(' rlrorrllr. '71111/il r', d1ri11 rl/ I' . l'rt !// f' . _(l'r> IJ/r' , J11l1/r. j11wllr,
'r; (( li/1' , ,1; 11 ,111' . 1111;1(/lr, (/rtll/IJ/f', 11111111/!' . Ii 11 1 /11/1", 1n11lc,
1
'. · I ': rrnlr ·J·,-; 1; r11,, i i11r1/(' /((r/ / r, 111 rl)' /1/c , rnwlr//,. , m ap le,
u·1_r f'z1' )II;; .;/ 1'
-7'11 ;. nr1'z r '11ad17lr 1wwllr pr1171lr', ri11il1/Jl 1! ,
1n u l r. <?, nn > r , Jl1 > J 1 '
~
'
'
1
•

r,'.

"rr~t. in~ jn ril y

;,:tl,,

rillLlle rab/Jl e , rifle, -ripple, stnblr, sa l1l c, rnm!i/r , stnp, ,,,
subtle' ~arldl" si 1rin!.:le, sickl e, ta/Jl e, tack le, t1llr:, tn7•ple,
li:esa c', i'win.!•1;, w r inkil', 1nr l'stle, 1rhis /l l', rnm1tle ( :1 g :1rnw11t).
Jll'vl'l, clrit•l'l, !/ltvr>l , yravt' l, hovr'l, level, 11 av,. l, novel,
r avl'l, revel, £lishr:v1•/, shrivr'l, snivd, trri v<'l. Ca?l/J'l , enamel,.
tramm el. Flrtnnd , fnnnel, _paiicl, tunn el. !3_al1cl, ?ab el,
libel. Angel, vessel, chisel, nickel, mantel (a ch11nn ey-p1ece).

LVIII. Write th e following adjectives, observin g tha~ in
all the endi n o- is not full , but Jul: useful, b ea ut~ful,
cm'.efiil, mercif~l, joyful, awful, sk~llfu_l, hopeful, v engeful,
m ournful, chcei ful, wonde1ful, delightjul.
LIX . w ·ritc t he fo ll ow in g worcls, observin g that in all,
th e cnditw is nnt us, h11t 011s: lwm.nrmc s, c111rra(!P011s, 71l~nte ­
ons, mi.oi:li.im•o11s, si'llt'lllllfll P.1111s, 1nisn:/lrt11.1 11us, 7>rl'f.r>nti1111s,
lurn£11.o11s, rirlinc.lu11s, !)r fcnous, f/lurions, 7>1111ntr_m1s, out1

The adj cc•
ti,·e e11ding /ul
The ad jec1i vc cncli11g

01lS

rageous, hicl1:rJ11s, heinous, troublous, yarr11.lous, ln/J11lous.
J,X . " ' rit.c t.lH~ followinp; wonls, ol>scrvi11g I.hat in all, the The a<lvcrh preprefix is not all, lmt al : already, alto(/! lh cr, almost, also.
1

Present
LIV. Study Rule 158. Write the indicative present first
third sing- and third persons singular of the following verbs (e. g., refer,
ul ars in s
ref ers) : refer. deem, claim, gleam, disdain, f eel, squ eal,
and es
pass, 1·ush, d~ffe r, assign, toss, gash, miss, fix, eat, twist.
A.dverbs
LV. ·w rite each of th e following words, together with
in lly
its derivative inly (e.g ., final, finr1Jl11): final, usual, actual,
continual, p ·r incipal, practica l, casual, general, oral, orig·
inal, occasional, special, partial.

LXI.

Study Jlule 150.

Copy the following:
receipt
Celia.
receive
belief
Celia
believe
deceit
Celia
deceive
relief
Celia
relieve
conceit
Celi a
conceive
Celia
perceive
LXII. ·write the following words, observin? that i_n eac!1,
the prefix is n ot cliss, but dis: dis-appea~·, dis -app~mt, disgrar,e, dis-closP, dis-gorge , dis-honor, dis-band, dis-locate,
dis-dain, cli.'f-tur/J.
LXIII. ·w rite following word s , observing that !n eac_h,
the prefix is not prof but pro: pro-j essor, pro-fesswn, p1 O·

fix al

R eceive ,
believe,
etc.

Disappear
and di sappoint
Professo r,

etc.

·.

.·

190

·ecede ,
Jceed,

:.~i ness

Al'l'ENDIX A

fessional, pro-vide, pro-found, pro-voice, pro-tect, pi·o-bation·
pro-nounce, pro-ceed, pro-gress.
'

Liszt . 3. Most of tho rebels were offered panlon and
- - -ell it ; but th e lead er s were - - -ed fr om the offer.
4. H e burn ed all the h ousehold goods, n ot - --i11g even
the h eir1001ps .. 5. Why did you - - - Ch arles from your
invitation ? He wouldn 't have -·--eel anyway.

. LX!V. Write the following words, observing the varia,..
tions m the spelling of the last syllable:
precede
proceed (but procedure)
supersede
rel'eue
exceed
·
concede
• ·succeed
intercede
LXY. vYrite the following pairs of worcl fl:
h:1ppy
l1appi -11t;::;::;
n1~y

:e and

;e

lDl

APPENDIX: A

LX~'f.

l'!!Sl - lll 'SS

111ilr.v

11111li -111 •;;.<.;

<·. r:u.v
diu.\·
lo11r:ly

1· r;i zi-111·~·"
diu.i-110.'<S

l.rn sy

b11 s i-111•s;;

l<>11<'li - 111·s~

is a vc rli ; {nos !' is a11 adj1 T ti1·c. \\'ri te Lhc
fo llo wrng Sl'llf~ 11c cs, filling the IJl:u1ks 1vitlt lose or luusr~ :
1. Th e srrcw ~s - - -. . ~. D on 't - - - iL. ;.;, lf it get::;
- - - , ynu wi ll - - - il. 4 . I1i s co:•L i;.; - --er tl1:1 11
Y?nrs, bnt mi n e is tl1 n ---est of al l. G. By - -- ill "
his - -- ch ange, t.! 10 - -- joi11t p1\ f.ra.vclc r sufff'n·d='
u. Turn him - - - ; there' s no danger of ---ing h i;11 , ·
f ,osp

:d and

~XVII. The ~rincipal parts of. lead are l eac.l, led, Zed.
Wnte the followmg sentences, fillin g th e blanks with lead
or l ed: 1. H e m et m e a 1!d - - - me in. 2. They will
- - -. ns a8tray , as our fr1 c!1ds were - - - astray. 3. It
w~s tlus act that - - - to hrs 8UCccss. 4. I was - - - t.o
thmk that this would - - - to misfortune. 5. If she h ad
asked m e to - - - , I should have - - - .

, to,
two

Lxyrn. Too is an adverb; it m eans excessivelit (as
"Ile is t oo weak") or also. To is a preposition. 'i wo is
a number. ( = 2). vVrite the foll owing sentences, fill ing t h e
bl~nks w1Lh too, to, or two : 1. It is - - - w eak - - -·
withstand - - - winters . 2. lie t h oug ht th e - - - m en
were -.- - h arsh, and ~ thoul;"{ht so - - - . 3. - - - say
th at, 1s - - -. say a thmg wit.It - - - 111 ca11i11gs. 4. li e
was - - .- miles from h orn e and was lnrngry - --- . G. I
---wJSh---dispute your---staternents. 6. - - take one would be - -- uncharitable ; it would be cruel
- - - tak e - - - .

LXX. See A.O-rct in the Glossary. Write t hti following 4tl'ect and
sentences, filling the blanks with a.Oect or e.O'ect: 1. That e..fject
state m~nt is t rue, but it does n ot - - - the case. 2. T he
··failure of t.he l:ia11 k did nnt. - -- his erprn.nimit.y. ;-1 , The
:u.lm o11itio11 c f tile dean Jiad a .!.'.'-"-"l - - - -. '1. The g1: r1crab
- - - -f'd :-i. .i1111r· t inn, 1'111 tl1io; :-ir·~nn h :-i rl 11n - - - - nn tlt0
('111'111\'. i 1. J [i s i1r,,1 HliJI !_'. ·---- - l'IJ J1i :< iw;1 Ji Ii . fi. 'J'J1P lltJllllSL ·l'll11rls 11[ liis J•hY s !l'i;111 cr• 1ild 11<1 t. - -- a 1·11ri "
L:'\Xf. :-;t111ly !~11]1 : ]Iii) iiwl111li11 !.'. tl1c 11 1>tr'. \\'ritP 1111• I' ri n r•ipal
fnlln1vill .!.'. :-l'11ti·1ir·1·:.;. lllli11 .g fliL' ld:.1111;,.; wit.ii 7i ri11f'ljiu/ or :111d p ri nci1 ifo
7irf11,·i1'I " : J. Tl 1" - -- sl ITl ' I rt11 1s J1 1>rl\1. '.!. 'l'\1 (' - -11f tlw S ('.!ill1il w:is ;i 111a11 nf :-:tr»ll!.'. - - - .".
:~. Tl1 " - -i11\·1Jlvcd is 1d 1at. l - - --!\' lliiir>l'.t. to. ·L ll. \Y >IS :ig:1 ins t
his - --s tn use JJH)]°(' u;:-111 t!1f' i 11 v•rr·st.; fhr· - - - lie
k,' l'L i11t:-i c. t. G. !!is - - - occ11p:-itio11 \Yas to rnas tcr tlic
- - - s "r gco111cl ry.
LXXIL Rt.11cl v l{ul e ]()() i11clt1ding f.h 0 11 nt c. W rit 0 t.r' ll Pr incipal
sr 11 1.rnces m;ing .prinr:ip rrl correctly rrn(l ten us i11 g princ1j1le and 7irincorrectly.
cip/e
J,XXIII. Ti cganlin g advicr, advise , device, dl'.vise, r em em- A 1/11ire ,
a1/11ise,
ber the fo llowin g for11111l rL:
c/r11ice ,
Y <' rlis
devise
N011ng
advise
a1l vico
devise
dev ice

W"rite th e foll owing se n te nces, fillin g th e bla n ks with
2. Il e was
- - -ed n ot to take th e lawy er 's - - -. 3. A m essage
fr om his - - - e r brouglit important - - -es. 4. Il e
- - -ed m e , and I thought it - - -able to fo llow his

arJ.vice or advise : 1. I - - - yon to I.my.

vVrite th e fo llowin g sen te nces, fillin g the blanks with
f>. It is an iugenious - - - , lmt can't
we - - - a better one ? G. Many - -- cs were employed. 7. He - - - a machin e ; but m erely ---ing
was not enough. 8. The - - -es and d esires of our h earts.

devfol'. or devise:

lpt

LXIX. See E xcept in the Glossary. ·w rite th e follo win "
except sentences, fillin g the blanks with accept or except: I.
would - - - the offer , - - - for my reli crious scruples.
2. He is the best pianist in Europe ; I do n~t - - - even

I

E xercises chiefly in Punctuation
LXXIV. Study Rul es 24 and 230. Write the following
sentences and groups of sentences correctly punctuated and

Hl2

Al'l'ENDIX A

capitalized: 1. Well I must go now goodby I'll see you
lat.er. 2. She knew nothing of the world\ her 011e duty
fault,"
bemg the care of h er father's house'while ll'er sister knew
and the ·
nothing of houscho~d a_ffa~·s aml care{t nothing for the quiet
confound- pleasures of the tircs1d e.J.the ope1,;p, the ballroom and the
ing of
promenad~bsorbiug all -h er .i,i.1terelt. 3. As sod1 as we
clauses
had fini shed our lun ch~ we jumpeil clown into the pit.; this
a11d senwas the entrance to the cave we had come to explor~stoop­
tences
ing a littleiin order not to strike our heads on the low roof
we enter~ the cav~ the boys leading the way with thei;J
candles. 4. If one sa71W' a black and white dog;" one
me'.ws_n1H; cl11p:1 t.Jrn c";LL o\;'vlii1·li . i.s F11·tly Li;\1.'k :111<1 1•:11·1Jy
white / wl11le 1l" one says .a black and a wl11t.r; do[;·)' 11110
rneau!> Lwo uogs. 0. l suppose 1 11111s1. gu; if I d1111't. lt1-'ll he
anxious. (i. J\ million dollars would yi(~ld an i11 r,0 1~11 1 quii.c
sullicicnt for my needs.r'Lnd.i1 liLtlot1~ Hp:tru t.l111s cliHpoc:.i11g of
the great pro1Jlc111 oi:-e:1n1111g a h vuw :tllnw11w 11111 :ilc:11 1.0
\
(\levotc 111yselt to tl1e g1>od of 'o ther. pcr;ilo. 7. ;I'hu p11st111:rn
~~ ) (,.;. '1 \ t\th~n ?-pproached,' he. wouJa s_urcly stop,[ thought. 8. ~i11ce
tlus. 1s t~ie case. I mtenll_ eILher, to continue my cnnrs1• in
engm eenng or else at the tind of this year to rlrnp this r•o11rse
and begin tll'e study of law makin~ a spr~cialt.y, in t.lie la.tter
casepf economics and history. li. It, was delight.fol tn !1 ;we
· - '. !
! \
no classes to attend-n oth ing to do hut. rest anrl read "nlRn to
,,
meet my old fri ends who had come back, as I harl t~ Rpend
),'1 I ~ · ~
the vacation at ho1rle. 10. This belt runs very slowly and
: , , ._t •1. on it .theyre~s-man puts the papers ;they are t.h (~ n carri/~tl to
\. . ·
the cl1stnbutrng room. 1 l. At th n·b o'clock th e second edition is printed ' none of this edi t ion is sJid in the city.
12. The first pApers of the third. ed iti on go to the neYvsd ealer'\. these take from fift1 to two thousand corics each:
next tne news!Jo.~· s get then· ten or twcn ty copi es ea ch. ·
13. Should the rn1lroad cut a man's Janel, the man ge nerally
has th e con1pany agree to build a pass under the track or a
road way over it thus giving th e owner easy access to the two
field s separated by th e track. 14. If that were my good
fortun_e 1~ shou.ld surely go next summer to E17gland, the
count1y rn winch my father was born and wluch I lrnve
always lon ged to visit 1 also to Swi~erland for I am
certain I should excel if1 mountain climbing. ) 15. After
they have d ec ided upon the route .ihey send out two parties
of surveyors the first party takes surface m easurements and
drives stakes with the measurements written on th em
this party also keeps a careful r ecord of a ll the mca.surements marked on the stakes. lG. Grout, is next thrown
in and tamped and leveled this forms tl1 e body of the
sidewalk.
The

"comma

J

183

Al'l'.ENDIX A

LXXV. Study Rule 224. Write the following sentences,
designating afte r ea.ch one whether the relative clause is
restrictive or 11 011-restrictive, and omitting or inserting
commas accordingly : 1. He committed a serious error in
correctiug which he had much trouble. 2. He inquired of
the man who had charge of th e gate. 3. The old genLleman
across the aisle who had been getting more and more nervous now stood up. 4. In my grandfather's day the coach
attained a speed of fifteen miles an hour which was the
highest speed it ever attained . 5. Some sparks fell among
the straw which covereLl Lhe fluur. G. T he uay8 that I speut
1l 1cn: Wt'l'f' kiJ'l'.\' 11nf ·s. 7. T11111 l\ri .c:g·s \\'h n111 I 11s1·d t11 l\1111w
whPn I was fl h11.\' i,.; 111iw a f:rn1<1us 1·n!;illf'r·r. 8. D"11' t
gi1·c up the adrn11Lac:1·s t k 1t 1·11 u l1a1c !;:1i11<'tl. !l. The
111n11 1\'lio wn 11 till' r:11 'I' i.s a. l1111 i11 r. lfl . 'J'l11• Br<lll kl yn
brid.L'.C which spa ns tl1e East. I:i~ 1·r ltas l:tt1·ly bcr·1 1 n·pa.ir«:d .
11. I kn• tlJ('y ffltJIJ(l :1. 1111111lH'l" o f lir:1.~s <':rn11fl1t wliicli t li(•y
dl'c:Lr11vr·1l. I ~ . Tl 1e li"11J; 1Yhicl1 we :tn• n·:1rli11" l1:1s llH>l'l' in
it tl1a1; tl1 c E tl1i npia11' s bllok. i:J . 'l'l1c B ilJlr: 1~hi c li is :1. cn llcctinn of bo11lrn wriU.c:n at diff<~rc11t. li1ncs co11Lai11s a wide
rnnge of li terature. H. l'hilip spoke of the l1i sto ri cn l l1ac kgro u11cl of the cliaptcr which tlte man w;is r c: 1rli11 g. JG . T lt e
Nicene creed is a s l:1te111 c11t that 1rn.s clrn.11· 11 up IJy t he
Coun cil of Nica' :i.. rn. The locomot.ive tliat was 11se<l in
1840 looks ridi c11lous ly old-fnsltionefl t o-d ay. 17 . Tltc'l"e is
no scientific theory whi ch is not open to r ev is ion. JS. No t
much is e xpccte1l of thnse who ltavc r ece ntl y been initiated .
LXXVI. fltmly Huls..?:11 b. ·write th e foll ow in g sentences,
properly pu11 cL11aLcrl: Q) Tltesc screws control the r eticule
hence they arc e:tlll·d rdic11l e screws.
I ouj c<.:l~ Lo tlte
pl:tn howe ver si11cc he wa.s bC'nt on it l y idd ed. ~ A hot
fire is n ecessary there fore a strong draft l!lust be pro vided.
4. The wood lta.rl O CP ll .inj11red ~ warping morno1·pr thr;
m etal pa.rt.s were ba.dl y rusted . ~ Sickness dcln.yC" il thr ~ir
moving th erefo re we did not get th e h ouse so soon as we had
planned. 6. £ha.t y ou say is true n everthel ess the thing is
impossible. f,J) The meerschaum becornes finally saturated
~ith ni cotine th en th ere is less danger of its breaking.
~ All the cracks were filled with tow thus the cr aft was made
seaworthy.

®

LXXVII. Study Rules 221-237. Write th e following sentences, punctuating th em correctly . After each mark of
punctuation, write within brackets the nmnber of the rule
in a.cconlancc wil.h which the mark is 11s< ~ d. 1. On the
south side for about fifty feet in it is divided into two stories.

Restrictive and
11on-re-

strietive
clauses

.

''

Sentences
or clanses
i 11 l.ro tl 11ce<l li y

}

su, tlirTc-

f ure , etc.

.,
'·

General
exercise
in punctuation

·"

.. - - - - - .. - ..

194
@

APPENDIX A

It will never rank high as an intercollegiate game for the
students find greater enjoyment in a contest between t eams.
3. First of all Jet me say do not come here unless you have
plenty of money for expenRf'S am high. -4. T nilviRf' you
hovrnver lo ill vet!Ugate for yourself. o. Huliu9-pe1i::; like any
other sharp instrument become dull with nse. L' fl . ·w hen tho
instruments are laid away especially if they :.tre i10t to be
used for some LilllC the c6mpasseos s!ioul<l be left opc1~ for
1
otherwise they will lose their spring, 7. The bctj4r the
health of the men is the more they call accomplish. la} The
benefit does not lie only in the development of iJHlividnal
students but it lies also in the good clone to the college as a\
whole. ®The r eport will spread to remote vilhtges anu
~pie in the backwoods will be induced to seek U1 e college.
\!!) The yard is bordered on the west side by a row of pine
p;ees and other trees and shrubs arc planted about the J;i,wn.
QJ.J Along the east side are a number of plum trees and several flower beds dot the lawn near by. 12. This statement
~s made to Mr. A. E. Storey chairman of the committee.
~ w If our laws ap\ not what they should be it is time they
were amended. W While we were eating a child the son of
one of the natives approached. •15. Some were armed witb
bolos but an order was given that no one should firn.
C(tl) After the ship is in the upper gate of the Jock is cloRed .
11. Bishop of Beauvais thy victim died in fire. 18. 1 slept
very late slept in fact until noon. rn. The back of the table
its squ.a re corners its size its h eav iness these are features I
did not p erceive. [:20. At the seanc(', tli e following incident
occurre<l a gauze robed figure glidi11g as it seemed from uehind a screen said she was the spirit of my sister and f ell on
my neck. b 21. This phenomenon has received a recognized
name among alienistsr-namely, aphasia. 22. The great difference, in fact 1betweeli the two kinds of thinking is this~that
empirilal thinking is reproductiv~ but reasoning is productive. 23. It shone by its own lig11t,.a strange thing to see.
24. We think that the premises <ff both controversialists
were unsound;tlrnt on these premises Addison reasoned well
and Steele ill •and that consequently Addison brought· out a
false conclu~onJwhile Steele blundered upon the truth.
25. It was due t the great satiriRt who alone knew how to
use ridicule without abusing it ~iho without inflicting a
wound effected a great social rmorrn 'who reconciled wit
and virtue after a long and disastro&s separation' during
which,wit had been led astray by profligacy and viltuc by
fanatiqism. 26. The pamphlet contains seventy-two pages
and much information concerning the work of the past yea?
is furnished within this spacr:nuch more than was given to

Al'l'El\jJ>lX A

the public in the i:;mallcr publications of l!)Olt. HJO?_, and
1903. 27. The state's attorney 1who has been inuefatrga:?le
in the effort to obtn.in evidence against Magil~ the detective
on the ca::selaud tliP sperial granrt jnrynwn are all puzzled.
LXXVIII. Study Rule 278. "Write the following sPn- Capitn,Js
tenf'es, fillin g the lilanks \YiLl1 En!;Ush. Fr1~ 11cli, rirrnwn ,
Latin, Urr:rk, ])11tcli, Jnd ian, or S11u.11ish : l. ln the b:ctt.le
tlrn - - - c;1ptain n1f't a - - - corporal. 2. Some - - and - - - h""ks cn tcrt.;1.inl'(l him , wl(ile lie dranl~ - - wi11e and srnnk1'<1 a. - - - pipe. :i. Tlw - - - r;li1ps were
dcstrovccl h y t.lic - - - , assisted by tlH·ir - - - allies.
StuJy Jtu'ic 27G. \Vrilc a composilion abont a. cn,\c11clar,
usin"' ti1P nn,nws of all the da.ys of the week, all the months,
and t he four seasons.

LXXIX. \.Vrit.e the following passage , correctly puncLu- General
] 1mg
·
· · ~1 exercise in
atinu, cn,1>itali zi11µ;, n,1ul paragrn,p
1't· : .'l'l 10 Jll'lll(;tp~,
"
"I 1~s spelling,
peculiarity
of pro[essor coll ins was a.bse 11t-m111ll e< 1'.1css,..,
puuctnatoften led him to mislay or lose articles 11 ecessa1y to 111s ing , capibusiness ,s uch as Looks. lectur91otes_.et<@ne d.ay as h: and talizing,
anothei'professor werr! w:ilkiug down a stre e11~ the v1lln,gc italici zing,
in wh _ich the college was s ituate.c~ prof~ssor coll ms _suddenl,Y and parastoppe~ooked perplexed ~nd sn,1ll ,why lll,Y nite~ fo1 .to-c~'."Y s graphiug
lecture ;iavc disappeareit'. bJ1 thrt s a \l. nght. fm1d. his fuend
smiling ~iye an Wlpro!llpttl>J ecturefl,~le SU?JeCt IS too ~on_iplieatc~ for tlml] a.11 swl)re1l profess'llr coll111 sn,rnly ~l11s 1s
serious if I don't linll thosn notes son~ I mirnt c'f'fs:ippo111t my
chss 0 f<jl"LY law sl11tl~) 11ts ~hat is trr'.Lt i11 your haml41 ask ed 11
his friend,&. p:ick:ige I 111tend ed to mail :it that last post-?ox
was th e answe~ contains some copies of the bv~ rev1:w•
my notes were m a separate envelope of about tl?e same size.
t (wa it for me a mim1teJ~aid the other professorlJ.>'1th a knowinO' look~e went to the post-box which they had passed a
mfirnte betore and took from the top of it a large envelope.
fl,his h e broug~.t to professor collins s~yingl~on't lose th~s~
'""hecessn,ry thin"S
again..~rofessor collms deltghted at _be~n"'
0
relieved· from t hc n,11xicty which he had been sulfenng
seizccl t he paclrn.gP, :-t1HI said -grateful ly .:ts 1{1ngfcllow puts
j((th:ui ks tha.nlrn to th ee 111y worthy friend l'q_h never fear
I'll not lose them a.gain at least not to-day.
'

'?

,/'

'

.

Al'l'ENlJlX H

APPENDIX B
A Grammatical Vocabulary explaining Grammatical and Other
Technical Terms used in this Book
Jsolute . A substan~ive. with a m?difier (usually a participle) at.
tached to a pred1cat10n but havmg no syntactic relation to any
noun or verb in the predieat.ion is cal!i·d an absolute substantiv~.
An absolute substantive and its modifier are together cal led an
absolute phrase. Thi; italieizcrl part of the fnllu'\Yirn:; srntcn< c is
an absulnte 11hrase: "The 1cind /iring j(71'rJffliJlc, the3:-embarked . "
For other cx~wiples sec H tiles 1:\~ a antl J::l2 1J.
:tive voice.

8ee Voice.

ljective. A word used to Jtl<ltlify or li111it tl1c rnra11i11g nf a sulislantive; fL(/., black, hnnum, old, br>1111t(f1tl, m,,lulll(', dry.
ljective clause. A clause used to modify a substa11tive in tlie rna1111er
of an adjective ; e.g. , "The· rai11 that fell yeste1·da1J vvas a bl essing,, (the italicize<l clause moJi1ies Lite llOUll "rain " ) . "Tlte
house where he use(l tu live ii; vacant" (t!Je italichoeLl. cl;wse
modifies t h e n oun "house"); "There \va,s once a citr n11. thr n11t skirts. of which lay a pestilential morass" (the itaJiciicd clau::;c
modifies the noun "city"). Adj ective clauses hre often called
relative clauses.
ljunct. lVlodificrs and predicate su bstan ti 1-cs or predicate a.<ljcct i1cs
have the general name of adjuncts. A modilicr is said to be a,n
adjunct of t!te sentence-member it modifies; a predicate su bstantive or adjective is said to be an adjunct of the verb it completes.
!verb.

A word used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs ;

e.g., slowly, politely, accurately, very, too, then, up, down, out.
verbial clause. A clau~e used to modify an adjective, an adverb, or
a verb ; e.g., " He is greater than his father was" (the italici zed
clause modifies the adj ective "greater"); " He walked faster
than I did" (th e italicized clause modifies the adverb "faster")·
"_I will co1_ne if my .salary is paid when it is clue" (the clans~
"1f . • • paid" modifi es the verb "will come" ; the clause
"when • . . due" modifies the verb "is paid").
HJ(}

l o-I
v

Adverbial substantive. A substantive used to limit adverbially , an
adjective, an adverb, or a verb; e.g.; "It is worth ten cents"
("ten cents" limits the adjective "worth"); "He walked
two rniles fa rth er" ("two miles" limits the adverb "farther ");
" He walke<l two miles (" two miles " limits "walked" adverbi;illy).
Antecedent. The word, as used in this book, means the substantive to
which any pronoun refers. In the sentence " He who runs
may r ead," "he" is the antecedent of "who." In the sentence
" He picked up a stone and threw it," " stone" is the antecedent
of " it."
Anticlimax. See Climax.
Appositive. A substantire attached to another substantive and denoti11g 111P sa.111f' l''"r'<nn or tl1i11g hv a •liff Pl'r>l lf 11;i111P is rC1 Jl,_..-1 ;i11 ::i11Jl'~c:itiVt', Pr is s:ti <l to be'- in. apposition with tliP snlist:rnti~· r~
ll\(ldiii<'1l. !11 lhl' se1 1t1 ncc "Edward till· ki11g is ell.i".1-i11g Iii.~
f:L\'Dri Lc spo1t. - .\a t·ht ing," "kin[.'. ' ' is i11 a11p<1.si1in11 with "Ftlw;cnl," a11d "y:1t'ht.i11g" is in :111posiLi<1 11 w ith "sp1 irt."
1

Article. Tlw word !Ii i' i.s c;tll<'d the definite article; tlw wo rd rt or nn is
<':tli«d Ii<<' ind efinite article.
Auxiliary . Th<' v1·rl1s i>I', !iol'1', rlo, s!11rl1, 7"ill, mm/, ('(Ill , m us t, a1!1l
01u!l1t, 1ViU1 tli,,ir i11flc 1·li"llal f<1n11s (r>.~/ .• '11'11-' , 11m , did, s/1011/,/,
might. 1_·1mltl, etc.) wlicn tiH'.V assist ill for111ing tl1c voice:<, mudt•s,
and tc11sPs of other verbs, ;ere call1 d :wxili:1rit>.s. Tl1e italiciz<:d
words fo llo1vi11g are auxiliaries: "llrt1•c \'"ll .!.'. "Ill'?" " l did n11t
s ee , " "I le has not been heard, " " l ·shoulti be g ri cl'e ll if it
1r11s l_irnLt·ll . •'
Cardinal number. Tlie words m11?, t1rn, th rN', a rnl the r.nrrcsponcl ing
words for ot he r immb ers are cardinal numbers ; the \\'Ortis first,
second, thirrl, de., ;ire ordinal numbers .
1

Case.

The dilforr11t. fnrllls thn.t a suhstantiv1: t.akPs when it. stands in
differe nt sy 11 t;ict ic relations arc ca.ll etl casPs . The form or pair
of form s (si 11 gul:ir a.nd plurnl) t.ha,t a s ubstantive t:ikcs \Yhcn it
is the subject of a finite verb is call ed t he nominative case; the
form or p;tir of forms that it takes when it modifi es a11otl1er substantive by indi cating a possessor is callt·d t he possessive case;
the form or pair of forms that it takes when it is the object of a
verb or a preposition is callerl the objective case. The three
cases of typical nouns and of the principal pronouns that are
infiected are shown in the tablPs of cl eclr nsion 11 nclcr Substantive. It wi ll b e obse r ved that in t h e n ouns the nominati\·e ;ind
objective cases are identical, but that in the pronouns they are
(with tile exception of the nomi11ative and objective singular of
it) distinct.

.•

'

."

•'

.

108

Al'l'J.;NDIX ll

Causal conjunction. A conjunction that introduces a statcm<mt of
cause or reason; e.g., for (coordinating); because allll since
(subordinating).
Clause. A ~roup ~f words composed of a snbjcct aml a predicate and
combmed with another gro up of words likewise composed. In
the sentence (a) " When I awake, I am still with thee," the two
groups of words separated by the comma are clauses. A dause
that plays the _part of a c<?nstituent element (a subject, a predi?ate su?sta~trve, a modifier, etc.) in the clause with which it
I~ com J;imed rs 3: dependent or subordinate clause (see Substantive clause, Adjective clause and Adverbial clause). A clause
~bat does not form a constituent part of another, but makes an
mdependent assertion, is a principal clause. The italicized
groups of words in the following sentences are principal clauses:
(b) "Tf the rope breaks, he is lost." (c) "The bellsound.,d, itnd
eve·ry une ruse." A principal clause on which a sulmnlinate
clause ~cpends is called a governing clause; e.q., the pri11r~ipal
clause rn sc11tcncc b, above . Clauses Llmt play U1e same part in
a ser!l.t-rncc, \"._he~hcr they are alike prinf'ip:d or alike dcpeiHl!'llt.,
:1rc called coordmate clauses. Sec, "·~'" Ll1<: t11·11 princip;il •·l:i1is!'s
m sentence c, above; and the two dependent. cla11Rf's in 1.11 8 fnllowing sentence: (d) "'J'ho11yh 1 mn tirPr/, an([ tlio1u1h 11111 ;;/wr·s
pinch, I am going on. "
·
·
:::limax. A Rr: rirs of asscrlious or coiinlinatc sentence-element.'> so arrangcJ. that. each one is stronger or more impn·ssin• tl1;111 t.lie
prccerl111g one . See , r.:f . , t.lie c;c n tcnces rn:ukcil lm j1r111 ·r·1/ u11d'.'r
_Rule 8~) . . A se~ies of ~ssert.ions or scntcncc-clcments dccrr:asing
m strengtlt or 1mpresstveness is an anticlimax. See, e.q., the
sc11te1u:t:>s marked ~Ve11lc u11dPr Huie 8!.!.
·
~ommon noun.

A no1rn ns<'<~ to designate ~. ny mcr11ber of a. class ; e.g.,
n:an, .ruler, .r,rn~ntry, r'lty , strrr't, l111il 1li11r1. A non11 us(·d t.o clistmgurslt an mcl1v1rlnnl member of a r J:i,.;s from oth('r rncmucrs is
a proper noun; r.g., :Tnlw, A ndcr.0011, Cresrtr, rlr>rnuJ.m;. JJoslnn,
B_road1;0ay, ~1cropulis . A proper name is a11 appellation of any
kmd (mcludmg proper nonns) userl to distinguish an iml.iddu;iJ
P.erson or thing;. e.g., IIr;nry the Sccon(l (or H enry JI.), Rcvolutwnai·y 1'f'.'ar, First National Bank, Democratic Party, Second
P1:esbyter.ian Church, Domesday Book, Forty-.first Street, Ohio
R_iver, ~iagara Fa!ls, Edgar County, Calcgonian Literary Society, Sumner High School, Columbia College, .Jforningside
Park.

~omparative.

See Comparison.

~omparison. Whe n an adject,ive or an adverb is in the inflectional
for!n that simply designates a quality or manner without indicatmg the degree in which that quality or manner is present, it

e
~!;;.,:

HJ9

APPENDlX ll

)s said to be in the positive degree ; this form is, with a few exceptions, the s hortest form the word can have, - e.g., sweet,
,qtrong, fast, hanl . An adjective or an adverb Is said to b e in
the comparative degree (L) when it is in the form which indicates that the quality or. manner is present, in a greater
measure relatively to some standard (i.e., with a few exceptions,
the form endi ng in ei·; as sweeter, stronger, faster, harder),
or (2) when its positive form is co muined with more (e .g., more
sweet, more strong, more rapidly, more laboriously). An adjective or an adve rb is in the superlative degree (1) when it is in
the inflectio nal form ending in st (e.g., sweetest, strongest, most,
best), or (2) whe n its positive fo rm is combined with most (e.g.,
most sweet, most rapidly). Th e formation of the three degrees
of an adjective or an adverb is called comparison.

Complex sentence. A scnt.PnCP that. <'<mtain" r1. rlPpPndPnt c!a11!'P .
Ree, P..[J., RPlltences a, 71, and d under Clause.
Compound sentence. Two or more principal ch11scs connected by
coilplin:1.1.inu: ( 1. nnj1111l'. Li1n1~:

or 1.wn or 1non~ pr i11ci p:tl claust•s noL

1·11 1111\'dl'd Lv ,.,;11j1lllt'li"11', 11111. 11·1 ilt<'11 \\il h s1w l1 111rnrl11afi"n
and capitali;:ation, or spnken w ith s11<'li sl i,c;lit p:rnsps lwt1v1·t·n
tlJ('lll, as will i11diral(' tl1at tll<'y :1r1• cn111bi1Jr'd. ~1'1', r .rf. , s1 ·11t.1 ·111·e 1: 1111der Clause, aml 1.h1• follnwi11g fil' lll l'JH"l'S: (rr) "r
c.:1.11w, r sa.w , J r:ll mp11•recl." (Ii) "f\fust I olit:y you? must I
<'rnnch betore ynn '.' ''
Cond ition al. Sec• Mode .
Conjunction. ,\ wonl 11sc1l to connect one \\'Ortl 1Yit.h ;i.nnthcr or one
gw11p with ;1.1111lh<'r ; r> . r/., a11rl, 1f. for. l'onj1111cli1>11s may lie
di.st.i11 gu isl11 :d frmn prr.positions ('/. l'.) by the fr>llllwin.c: fart. :
A11v l'rl!lj11111 :li 1111 e;i11 lin 11.sr:d t.o co1111rct. 011P pn d icat.in11 w ith
a111;t.lwr .( "·!'·. " I "7H'ned t/11~· dour Wiif'll /ii; nrp;ir-cl '·), - :rn
ollic.I'. whit :li a. prcp>sition c:t111wL perform ; UJH: of the two
r-lr111r·11ts en111lf'rt.1 d hy ;i. pn'JH1sitio11 1n11st alll'ays be a s11hst.a11t.i1P (" ·!/ · ," !Ir Ji II into t/1f' r·rr/rl U'lf/f'l' ,.) . - Coordinating
conjunctions ari: t.liose ,,·Jiic:li, when thl'y join t 1yo prcdicat io11s,
111a.ke those pn~ dicaLions of equal rank, -11citll<'r tlqie11rlent ()JJ
the other; e.!T .. " I called aml they cam(' . . , The p r i11cipal
coordinating cDnjn11ct.i ons are the simple conjunctions, nml, but,
or, nor, neither, a nd fur; the correlative co11j11nct il>11 s, /Jolh . ..
and, either . . . or, neither . . . nor; and the conjunctive adverbs, so . also, therefore, hence , ho wever, nevl'l'thc/l'ss, mnreovrr,
accordin(;ly, brsidcs,· thus, th en, still, and 11rl. - Subordinating
conjunctions arc those which, wh e n they join two predicati ons
ma.kc onn of l11nsn predica.t.io ns subordinate to the other; f'..(f.,
"Thr•y cmne when I cal!Pd." The prineip:tl subordinaf.i11g
con j1111 ction s are ~f, though, whr't/1,r'.r, lest, unlr:ss, than , a8 ,
that, because, since, w hen, while, after, whereas, providetl.
1

1

'/

Al'PENDlX .il
junctive adverbs. Wor1ls that are used sometimes as adverbs and
sometimes as conjunctives. See Conjunction.
sonant. See Vowel.
stru~tion.

The g1:ammatical office performed by any word in a
given sentence is called the construction of that word. Ji'or example, in the sentence "He walks fast " the construc tion of
" he " is that of subject of "walk~" ; the construction
of "walks" is that of predicate of " he" ; the construction
of "fast" is that of adverbial modifier of "walks."

·dinate . Sentence-eleme nts that are
within a s entence are coordinate.
she talked long and earnestly and
" sh e," " talked " and " agreed," "
coordinate.
dinate clause.
1ia.

in the same construction
In th e sentence "I le and
at last agreed," "h e " and
long" and " earnestly " are

£'.(!.,
ur .

onstrative adjectives. '1''10 wn rrl s this a11d t!1rsr, //1ut ;iml those .
w h!'ll thl'Y aro nse1l ;rn adject iv es; e.g .. "this rn:111." "tli"~c
l ll P-Jl , ' '

See Ten se .

See Tense.

Gerund. ,\ vrrh-fnrm rnrling in inr: is rilllrrl :1 gr rnnrl wli rn it is us rrt
as :L 11 uu1i. \\'lien SLtcl1 a lun11 is u~ cd- as a11 a<l j1·ct.il C', it. is
rallPil n. partfriple. Tn tliP ;;1•111!:'11!'" · '' C:n111in !! .,].,,.;p. l1 P wlii."1w n·d ." "r:r1111i11c:· " j,.; 11 .,1·d as :11 1: 11l.ir•r·li1e1 11 11rlify i11 £.(." ii<'' ' ;i111l
is tilt'rcilJrL.: :L part.iciplc. 111 L11c sc 11 kncc •'I 11s cuJlllllg \\':t;-; ex]' ('('I 1I I ' "
" (' i l 111 i 11 '. '. . ' i ~ 11 ~ ('ii :1:-< :t 11 "11 11' t It (' .~ 11 hi (.('I "f " II :LS
r xp rr t r·rl." :111d i .~ tltrrrf"rr a, .C"rnllld.
;\ grninrl ma,v fnlfill
thl' 11ri1 11·ip: 1l 11l1it'r ·s ,,f :t 11 111111 . It 111:n· lH' tl1t' s11l .1r•f'L nf :t Y< rli
(i'.rf ., "Fi.,J1i11,c>: is t.irr 'Sll llltl "); Uw "hjr ·l'(, nf :1. Yr ·rli (1' .f/ . , " I
k1. t.1 ', li.sl1i1w ., ) : t.1 111 "hit·ct. nf :1. 1n · ''l'"~itin11 (r'.f/., " I 11:1 \'!' :in
a \" t'l"'i"1t tll fi.slr i11 .c-: "); :1. pn·di1·al1 ' llflt111 (1'. f/., "\\. l1 :1t. I 11111st.
<]pf,.~!. is fi~lti11c-: "):an :1p p" s it i1ci (1 '. r/., "Tli:1t. dl'f Psl:tlil(' am11~c­
rn c111. Jislti11c-:, I !':11lll ll t t'Illl111 '' "' ); <)!' :111 :ihsol11tc llllllll ( r' .f/.,
"Fishing 1Jci 11g my a1·ersin11 , lei. u::; 11ot fo;Jt ").
1

onstrative pronouns . T he 1vorJs tfiJ_q and thr·sc , that and tlw.w~
wheu t hey ani m;cd as substantives; !'.[/., " T hat is n ot tntt',.,
" \Vhat is tliis? 11
See Clause.

:t a dd ress. lli sc,> l!rse i11 tl1P s C'c nn rl person (.~r·r• Person ) ; r.o . ,
"Si r , r s;illlt.e yn n . 11
T he r·x prr•ss i(ln a substantive used in
direct address 111eans ;i, s11bstantive t hat indicates to ,Yliolll t he
discourse is a cldre;;scJ ; e.g., "::i ir " in the foregoing example.
t question . 8ee Direct quotation.
t

See Mode.

Future-perfect tense.

The verb tu be, or any nf it.<: forms .

ndent clause.

Figure of speech. Certain u e vic~s of c.xpr~ss i on that m.ay be used for
making discourse intl'restrng, elfec t1yc, or bcautitul ar? call ed
figures of speech; othe rs are not m clud ed uml ~ r this term.
VVhich of th em are included cann ot b e stated bn efly, for the
applicati o n of the term is arbitrarJ'., ~ e in g b a>;ed si.mpl.y on custom :tncl 110t. o n a n y common p cculia.nty of th e d evices m clncl ed.
Of the d ev icf's n1 c11ti oncd in this book, the following arc figur es
of speec h: si111il c, n1ntaph or , climax, ir o 1~y (~cc these words in
this vocab ulary), and the use of the h1stoncal present (technically called vision).
Future tense.

See Conjunction.

elative conjunctions. Conjuuct,ions that are usP.rl in p::iirs;
h0th . . . rmrl , rithrr . . . m·, 111•ifhf'I' . •• 110r, 1cT1r:thu . . .
ension. Sec I nflcclion .

Factitive adjective. An arlj<!Ct.ivc, wlwn it denotes a cprnlity or state
produced by th e act.ion of :t verb, is called a factitive adj ective;
e. g., "lt will make you strong."

Finite.

See Clause.

dinating conjunction.

201

Al'J'ENDIX B

quotation (ofte1~ called direct discourse). Quotation of discourse exact,Jy as it was spoken or written ; e.g. , He said "J will
help. " Statement of the substance of quoted discourse withont
the use of the exact won.ls is indirect quotation (or indirect diRc?urse) ; e.g., !Ie said that he would help. A question indirectly quoted 1s called an indirect question; e.g., He askrd
wheth.er I would help. 1'; <Jnes tion ~ir ectl y qnotr d, o r no t quoted
but directly asked, 1s a direct question; e.g ., Will you help'!

Gerund phrase.
Govern.

s,,,. Phrase .

'!' lie n·l:1fill11 lwl111·1·11a. 1·r·rl1 a11rl its ol1.i1 ·ct rn:1.1· lie st;ill'1l cilhr•r

by s:iv inc; t.lia.L tl 1c s111Jsta11ti1·,, is th e• "hiL'C'L of illl: l'l'rh , or liy

sining tl1aL tlt1! vr ·rh !_'.fl\'t•nis (,J1 L'. s11\1.sf:111t iq• . L ikc 11· isP tlw n·l:1tir;11 lwtw t' (' ll :i pn ·pns it.illll and its nl1.ic"t. lll:l. Y IH' sl:if(•d h1· s;iyinc;
that the prc p"s iLi n11 g·o1·cn1 s tl1c sulJ.str111tin'. A l' l:t11 sr', 11hctl1r·r
principal or subo rdi11 atc, 011 which ;1notht·r clause d1•pe nds , is ~mid
to govern th e latte r clause. Jn tl1e sl'11te11 cc "~ h e '"ept '"l 1l' n
she saw t.h e injury that. had bee n done," thr ~ clause " s he WC'pt"
governs th e cb.nse ""·he n slw saw th e inj ury," anrl the latte r
clause governs the clause " that lrnd be e n d one."
Grammar. The sci ence that deals with (1) the classificat.ion of words
with reference to the functions tlt cy perform in discourse (see

---

202

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX B

Parts of speech).; (2) the inflection of words (see Inflection) ;
and (3) the relat10ns that words bear to one another in discourse
(see ~yntax). ~ram mar is distinguiR.h~d from rhetoric by the
followmg fact: lhe statements cornpr1smg the science of grani.
~ar tell us how words 11~a.y bo i11 fleeted, used singly, a11tl com bin ed.
I he statements comprrn1ng tho science of rhetoric tell us how
words should b~ used and combined in onler to make discourse
clear and effective.
The words each, either, neithe1·, some, any, rnany,
few, all, both, one, none, a:ught, naught, somebody, something,
somewhat., anybody, anything, eve1'ybody, everything, nobody,
and 1.1-othing, when they are used as substantives, are called in-

203

tive " or "The verbs stand and sit are intransitive."-The use
of i1~finitives in various substantive constructions is an important
ma.tter for the st.ndcnt to und erstand. An infinitive may be
mm<l (1) :i.s I.he Hnbjoct of a verb (P-.ff., "To road hi~tory is inst.ructivo ") ; (~) <LS t.ho nli.kct of a vm·b (e.y., "I l1ko. to rc:ul
hiHt.ory ") ; (:1) ;u; a prcdic:tte noun (r..y. , "An instructive occ~­
pation is to rc;ul history"); (4) <LS au appositive (e.g., "It is
instructive to r ead history"); (G) as au absolute noun (e.g.,
"To read history being so instructive, let us read it") ; (6) as
an adverl.Jial noun (e.g., "History is instructive to read").

ndefinite pronoun.

Infinitive-sign.

See Infinitive.

iliary verbs tha;t a speaker uses when he conceives the action of a
verb as .a fact, is not the same as the set he uses when he conceives
the act10n as doubtful.
Compare, for example the sentences
"!f.e is a coward " and "If he be a coward, h~ should be dismissed." The f~nner. set is called the indicative mode of a verb·
the latter the ~Ub]uncbve mode. The indicative and subjunctiv~
forms of a typical verb are shown on pages 213 ff.
tdirect question. See Direct quotation.

Inflection. Change in the form of a word to show variation of meaning
(as with inflections of number, comparison, and .tense), .or to
show the relation of a word to another word (as with the rnflections of case a.nd person). The inflection of substantives is called
declension, that of adjectives and ad verbs comparison ( q.v.), and
that of vcrl.Js conjugation. The various forms that a word receives in i11tlcctin11 are its inflectional forms; e.g., love, lovest,
loveth loved lovedst, and loving are the inflectional forms of
the ve~-b to l~ve · man, man's, men, men's, are the inflectional
forms of the wn(11 man; see also the tables under Substantive
am! opposite Verb.

1direct quotation.

Intensive.

defimte pronouns.

ndica~iye. · The set of inflectional forms and of combinations with aux-

See Direct quotation.

That ~nflectional form of a verb which may be combined
with to (as m the sentences" To err is human " "I wish to go "
'.' He. ~~fus~d to. m~:>Ve," ".It is impossible to' see") is called ~n
mfim~ne."hen. 1t is used. m one of the following ways: (1) in
c~mbmat10n. ~1th to, as illn~tra.ted above; (2) in combination
with an ~uxd1ary verb ( e.g.,," I will go, " "I cn.n see "); (:3) as
th~ predicate of a substantive, tho wh ole prcd icn.ti on being t.he
ObJ.e~~' o~ anot.~H"r vrrb (e.g.," Jt ma.~ c me gasp," " I :-;a,; liifll
~:Hile ~, (4), '.n one .of t.lio .constr:1ct10ns of :i s uhsta11t.ive (e. 11 .,
Do } ou d,ue go 111?" m wluch "go" is the obied of
'.'dare"). The word tn, when it is combi11ed with an infinitive
IS not a yrepositiou ; it is merely a sort, of prntix , servin!! 110
f(ra.m~11af1'.;;~I Jlltrposp, t>XC<'pt t(l c;how that the \'r.•rl.J-forrn folln.\vi1w
is an m.fimt1.v~. F~r this reason it is called the sign of the in:finitiv~
or th e I?fim.h .ve-s1gn. The infinitive-sign is not a. rn•cpssary part
of the m~111t1ve. Jn tile sentences "I cannot see," "I dare
go," '.' \'\•ill :r;?u come ? " " I heard the clock strike," " You had
better
speak, . tl1e. .words "see ' " ""O
" "co rnP- ' " "st1-·11e " ('·111 l l
k,,
Cl
'
'
'
\. , ,
"
spea
are mfimt.1ve.fi , f.hougb the inflnitive-fiign drws not acco1n p~ny them. 111 mentioning a11 infinitive, the intinit,ive-sign may
with equal correctness be put before the infinitive or be omittPd ·
thus we may say either "The verbs to stand and to sit are intra1~si~

The pronouns myself, thyse~f. himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, yourself, themselves, and oneself, when th~y
are used in apposition, are called intensives (e .g., "1 myself will

tfinitiv~.

do it," " He saw the bishop himself") . vVhen they are used
as the object of a verb and designate the same person or thing ;u;
the subject of that verb, they are called reflexives (e.g., "I hurt
myself," "They benefit them.selves ").
Interjection. A word that expresses emotion a.ncl that has 1_10 syntactic
r oiations with other words; e.g., oh, alas, ha, ah, hello, hurrah,
huzza.

Interrogative pronoun. Tho words whn, 11:hnt, wh£1:h, and whether
(archaic), when they ::tre nsed 11.s ;=mbst::tntives ::tnd in an illterrogat.ive fH~nHe (c.!f., "\Vho are you?" "\VhaL do you wa.nt?"
"\Yhich clo you choose ? " "\Yllethn of the t;wain is jnst.ified? ") ,are called intcrrogatirn pronouns. TF!tat aml which,
when they are used as adjectives and in an intrrroga.tirn sense
(e .g., " What song dirl yon sing? "
" Which book do you
choose?"), are called interrogative adjectives.
Intrans itive.
Irony.

See Transitive.

Tho sn"gestion of a. thought or fact by an expression which, if
taken literally, wonld convey the opposite of what is mea.llt.
" You are very kind," spoken in a certain tone to a bully who

Al:'YKNDIX B

Al:'.PENDIX B

has. been abu~ing the _speaker, is irony. In the expression "arsen.1c, co1Tos1v~, subl.1111~t:, prussic acid, and other mild and
han'!'less dru:~s the ~tahc1zed words are ironical. - Sarcasm, as
~p:phe? to ?1scourse, 1s contemptuous, taunting, or inte ntionally
· ~rr1tatmg discourse. Sarcasm may or may not be ironical, and
irony may or may not be sarcastic.
.imit.

The _o?jec~ of ~verb .is ~aid to limit the verb; the object of a

pr~pos1t:o n. is said to 111111t the preposition; and any modifier is

said to hnut the element it modifies.
'Ietaphor. The d enoting of a pers~n or thing or the stating of a thourrht
or ~~ct by the use o~ an expression which, if taken literally, wo~ld
des1onate not ;;ha~ 1s meant but something resembling it, is call ed
metaphor, or 1s said to be metaphorical; e.g., (a) "These words
cut ~1e to ~he ~ eart." A single word or expression u sed m e taphoncally 1s said ~o J:>e. a metaphor; e.g., t.lie word cut ill exam1;le a .a'.1d the"1tal1c1zcd words in the followin1; ::;cntc nces aro
!? ?~·lP h?tS · (b)
Hu po111·i;d out. a .fluntl of eloquence." (c)
lhat IS. a knotty p~·ob_lem." - An explicit state111ent that a person or tlnng_ or f~ct 1s hke anoth er is a simile ; e.g., ( d)" The
emy a~·e fie emg hke frighten ed rabbits ." - Metaphor and ::;imil11
~ut~ s11uw res:I?blance, -m etaphor hy suggestion or implicati on,
sumle by exp!Jc1t statement (llSually by Lin; use of like, as, seem.
o~ ~~mc_ ,oLlicr suc'.1 -::ord) . For this reason any rnf't.1.pllor ma>:
b~ !.!!:1.llt;ed to a sam1e • and ·ci,,n
··e1·sa
crl1P.. r11-r·
n
'
• • •
-v u
u
. •
.., ·n l'1111!S In "· I) ,
:llld 1·, al " '1e, 111:ty Lie clt:m!,:ed tu si1ttil1"' tint': (a ) " ( l1 1 ltr·:Hitw
t!H·sc \Y<>nl.s, I r.. 1t :is if'· !J:id ill' CJl rllt t11 tl11· lw:1rL." (11) " J:lu~
<]lH' lteC sr·r·nwd t" ] " lilt' 11kr• :t Jln rn l fr o m !tis l ips "
(c) ' · Jt · ...
tliilit;ult Lu tleal wit11 that. prni>)Prn as it is to s~w a Jrnnttv ·);;:·~~
,\lld 'L'l~e si11til1• in cx:unpl~ 17 m:1y I H• <'h:1tt .cct·d ti> a 111 ,.t:ipltrir tli~:s:
(d)
1 lte ellcn 1y arc 1le1 ·111g - tlte frigltLl'ncrl r:tlJLJil.s ! "

en-

ode.

A 1t1odc .u f :L H'l'u is th :tt. s1 ·t nf i11Jli ·cti "n:i.J fornis :incl n•rbphrac;cs 11.lttcl1 :1 s1"::d;:1•r w;1·s fl) rqrn•,.;1·ttl. tlt1' :tcti" 11 ol' lite HTu
H'. .~ ce rL:L1.1'. 1.111•dc (1.r.,_ rna~111 r r ) . . 'f'!1" ~t·I. \\'liif'li ]11• 11 " " ' 1" rq>1esc11t tlH . •LcL1tJ11asa1:11'. t IR 1111! inchcative mode; th:iL 1rliicli lie
uses to r epresent tlin act.inn as <1nul1tful , thn subjunctive mode.
that w!11ch he useR to r<'present the action as cnnclitio11cd 0 ~
someth1_ng, Lile cond!tional mode ;_ that which hn 11 scs to represent
the. actwn a,s pP.nrnt.t.ed or possible , the potential mode· that
which. he uses.to,represent t!1e ~ctfon as ohligatnry, t1 1e obligative
mode, th,tt wh~ch lt c uses m g1vmg a cornma1J rl, t.h1 ~ imperative
mod~; that :vh 1 c~1 _lrn nses wlwn he employs the Ycrb ::us a substantive, the_mfii:1~1ve mode (the forms constituting this mode are
called some mfimhves and others gerunds) ; that which h e u ses
when he e mpl o~s the verb as an adjective, the participial mode (the
fo~ms con~t1tut,mg this ~n.ode are called participles). The indicative, subJunct1ve, co11d1twnal, potential, obligative, and impera-

:200

tive modes are called finite modes ; the others, non-finite modes.
(See also Indicative, Infinitive, Gerund, and Participle.)
The
different modes of a typical verb are shown on pages 213 ff.1
Modifier. See Modify.
Modify. A wonl which, by being combined in discourse with another
word or cxprcs::;ion, is made to m ca.n something different from
what it would mean if it stood alone, is said to be modified by
that other word or expression. Thus, the meaning of the sentence "I dis! ike oranges" is changed if we insert sour, so that
the sentence reads " I dislike sour oranges" ; it is changed because'' sour oranges'' means something different from" oranges'' ;
"sour" is therefore said to modify (i.e., change) "oranges."
Likew ise " m any men" and "few men" mean something different from "men"; "many " a nd" few" modify "men." "Call
softly" 111l'a11s so111et.hing different from "call"; " softly "
mndific·s "c:dl." "I ha.t.c wom<•n wl10 mm slang" m ea11::; so111ethi11!! diff1·n·nL from" I l1at.c wo111cn": "who use Hia11!!" lll()(li1ies '' wu1111·11." A won! or express ion which thus changes the
m eaning of another word is called a modifier. -The modifi':'rs of
sul.Jstantives are adj ectives (including participles), adjective
nl1rn;;cs. :LLl iec Li ve clauses. aJ)l)ositives, and. subs Lan tives in the
p ossc:ss(ve crrse. The ffi•Jdific-rs of adj Ge ti ·;Gs, 1:crbs, a nd ad verbs
an.. ;nlv1-q·l>s, a1lvc,rl1-pltra.s1·.f:, a1lvel'lii;i.l rolanses, anfl aih-.-,rl1ial snbst;i,ntiv es. V oeath·es and absolute phrases may be considered
rn 11diJin.s 11£ l'r"'·lit·:tli1111,;.
Monosyllabic.

Sr,e Monosyllable.

Monosyllable. A \\'nrd of nnn syll:i.!Jlc (<' .(!., word, nn~, stop, strl.'.11yth)
i ~ .s:1id t 11 lw :1 111"111>syll:il>lc, or to lie i11u111_1sy llalJie .
Nominative . ~1·1· C;i.se .
Noun . ~1·(· Substantive.
Number. \\' lii•11 :L .stil•;;t:i.11t.ivc is in an i11f11'cl. ill11:1l fnrlll wl1i1·li .shnws
t!t:1t. 11111• p1 ·r., 1111 111' tlii11 .cc: i;; d1·;.;i .!.'.11:1l1'<l ( ''.!/ .. /u111 , lu111's) . it, is sa id
to be in 1.111, singular number; wl11·11 in a11 it1ll"l'Li1111:il f11rt11 wl1ich
shows that mure tt1a11 one pcrso11 or thi11g :1n ' d1·si .cc:n:1t1 ·d ( '"f/ ..
0011:;, lwys') it is said to 1.Je in tlic plural number.
Tltc forn1s
constituting the Ringula.r and pl11r:il nu111lll'r;.; nf typ ic:il 1111n11s
and of tlie lll'i1tcip:tl intlectecl pru11ou11s are sl1011·11 in Lhe LaI The classification of certain vc rh-phrases as 1hc Cfln<liliflnal mnilr. tho
potential mode, a nd the obligaLive mode has heP,n adopted h r•r1' :111d in
the paradigm on pp. 213 ff., upun consi1lernt.iu11s which scc111 to 111c tu outweigh the obj ection s Lhat may properly he lllarl e on philological gn>1 111il s.
These comdderatio11s are stated in Whit.111 ~ .v ' s J•,'sscntiuls of 1':11glish Grammar, pp. 120 ff., particularly 12G; and lVl:tcEwan's The Essentials uf lhl3
English Sentence, p. 53.

206

A P1' Li.\DL\. .13

APPENDIX B
bles und er Substantive. When a verb is in an inflectional form
properly ~sed .with a s~ngular ~ubject (e. g., am, was, takes, goest),
the verb is said to be m the smgular number ; when in a form
properly used with a plura l subject (e.g., are, were take go) it
is said to be in the plural number. (See pages 213 ft) '
'

Object. A substantive used in connection with a verb and d esignating
the person or thing upon whom or which the action of the verb
is represented as taking effect is called the obj ect of the verb.
In the following sentences the italicized words are the objects of
the respective verbs: "I built a house," "I wrote a letter,"
"Whom do you wish?" A substantive that designates th e p erson
or thing directly affccte<l by the action of a verb (as tho objects
in the foregoing examples d o) is ca.li ed a direct object; one ·that
d esignates the p erson or thing indirectly affected is called an
indirect object; e.g., the italicized words in the sentences following: "I built my w~fe a house," "I wrote him a Jetter." R egarding the obj ect of a preposition, see Preposition.
Objective.

See Case.

Part of speech. A part of speech is a body of words all of which perform t~ e same fun ction in discourse. The p arts of speech generally
recognized by grammarians, a s the classes into which all words
in the English language are divided, are eight in number ; viz .,
nouns, pronouns. adjecti veR, vP-rhs, acl verbs, prPpof'itions conJ
jnn cti o n !'l, a n rl in t (' r ir'c t inns.

Particip le.

'

T he word p articiple a s ord inarily used mcam;

a,

been moved. "
Verb.
Passive.

verb-fo rm

Past-perfect.

Perfect.

For further information, see Gerund, Mode, a11d

See Voice.

Past tense.

See Tense.
See Tense.

See Tense.

P erson .

T lir word s I (wlth iL-; i11 f1 .. c fio11a l f"rn1.o.;. - J11r'. 11·" · !'fr1. ; ""''
U1e lalJl•~::; u11Jer S ul.Jst.:111 tive ), 111.11.\/:l/, unnl'.!1: •., , ;i.nd Llin 11 -l;;.i.i-."
1"/i", 11·!,,·11 ih :t11i<T1·dr·11t i s "111• 11t tl1<' l"l<'(.'. 11 i111: 1111rrls. :11!' <':tll< ·rl
pronouns of the first person. Tlll' 1y,,1r[, ~111,,;; ( 11·itli · it,, i111lc ,. _
1i ,, 11: tl f fl 1111s. - ~ lfr11·,

?/rm,

f'i<' . ; ;;r ·r'

Suhstantive). t!111s1/(.

1111111 ·-

""Tf. w •11rse/r1•s. :111<111w n·l :Jli1·r' 11-/1n , wi11'11 it s :11Jfr •ef'ilr•11r i~ "ii''
11 r t iil' f, •re ·g" i 11 g 11·11nls, :1 n· ea lif'd pronouns of the second person .
T li v n 1l:i t.i v11 1c/1u , 1rl 1c·11 u.-.: <·<l <> l.l 11· n1·is r· 1.1 1:1.11 ;1 ..o.; :t. I H1 v1 11 1< ·11l.i n 111'd,
a ll nlh1•r l'r"n"n1 1s 1Jia11 t ii<1se ah"1·1· lllC'11ti"ncd, :rnd all JJ()llllS, :no
1•

sai<l to belong to the third person. - A verb-form or verb-phrase
that 111ay correctly be trned with a subject in the first person is said
to bclo11 g to the first person of the verb ( e.g. , am, are bound) ;
one that may correctly be used with a subj ect in the second person is sa id to b elong to the second person of the verb (e.g., art,
hast gone) ; one that m ay .correctly be used with a subject in
the third pers on is said to belong to the third person of the verb
(e.g., is, dues, has gone).
(Seepages213ff.)-Discourse is said
t o be in the first person when the speaker designates himself by
pronoun s of the first person (e.g., the Twenty-third Psalm) ; in
the second person when the speak er add resses s ome p er son or
thing, using pro1101111 s of th e scconcl p erso n (e.g., th e J,ord's
l'ray nr); in the third person wh e n neither pronouns of th e first
p erson nor pronouns of the second person are used ( e. g., the
first two le tters on page 130).
Personal pronouns. Th e worcls I, thou, he, she, and it, together with
th e ir i111lcctio1rnl forms (see the tables under Substantive) are
called p ersonal pronouns.
Phrase. The t erm phrase is often used to m ean any short group of
words ; a s ''the slang phrase 'That's h a rd lines.' " But as the
t e.rm !s used in ~r~mmar, a. ph~·ase is a group of w?rus not ~on­
st1Ln t111g o r ~o nta, in1ng a prerh cat1nn. i\ verb-phrase is a c o111b1nn.tion of a principal verb a nd one or m ore aux iliaries that is
an~l ng o11 <: tn ~· <:in g l P infl Pf'tinn f1 1 fnrm (":J ·, hrr .~ :Jn?>P , .~l1nl7 '"'""
<7,,n, ) .

like inou inu ur 11iuuei1 . \\.lt e u tlmt. form is 11s1e1 l w i i.il Uie v aiu e ui
an adj ecti\.le, as in '"\V e a re m ovin!! t~da:,; .· "'l;lt e ni 11.110 h:rn

:201

., \

1>reposi ~ ion - pl1ra s e L~ ;i 1· ··r11 l 1i 1i;1!i 1 1n 1-1f\y1-1r d.~ :1n:1 l r-•.c:-n11~

tr1 :t ~i11.~l1 · l'l' l·11tt ....;i 1i11n \ ''·!/ ·:

in rr·!Jrti" rl lu: rt ...,· Ji1!') · _j\fl ad jective11 1nd i! v fl "l!h<:tri11t1 vP (P J/ .. "A mflrhin P
of grcat.;; alnc " ) . .An adverb -phra s e i'5 :t v 1i r a'5c u:oc r.l ar1aL'i;'-•etsly

p l!r !l~e

i<:

rt

p lir:1 <:P n <:r>d

fr )

t•-1 ;1.n ~t-1?\.-' 1-~r h f ;-'..; ; t ! J.I~ r•·-H i;du !Ju-· 11- ,; f_ ,_·-;' ,, '... A n;.'" 1J1r ;; _~c'. c n n sisting of a p1~p~;ition ~nd its ~-bj ~~t i~ ~- pre'positiona''i phrase (a
Le rtu uoL Lo ue i.;oufu::;eu wiLh p repui;iliun-phrai;e ): e.y., Llie adjective and adverb phrases above quoted are prepositional phrases.
A participial phrase is a phrase consisting of a participle and its
adjuncts (e.g., "Looking to the north, I saw the lake"). A
gerund-phrase is a prep ositional phrase in which the preposition governs a gerund (e.g., in talking, instead of shouting).
Con cernin g absoiute phrases, i::ee Absoiute.
Plural. S<T Number.
P ossessi ve acljrdive.

TIH' \Y{)nls

11111. 111i11f' , u11r. "111·.,·.

1!111. thi11r' . 11n11 r,

hers . its. thr'il' , t/1rirs. ~ 11d 11·hns f' :ire r01ller! p11ss1•ssi\r adj e •·1i\·ps, "r llr'SSl 'SSivcs , ;is Wl1ll :ts iJlfiPction;il forlllS uf
1ltl ' J'l'r.c:.111:11 pr< >lillll!IS .
!frJlll'S , 111·s, hn',

Possessive case .

Predicate.

St1c Case.

Sec Subject.

Al'l ' K~JJ1X

Predicate adjective.

li

See Predicate substantive.

Predicate complement.

See Predicate substantive.

Predicate substantive. A substantive designating what a verb asserts
a person or thing to be, is a predicate substantive (e.g., "He is
a carpenter,"" Th ese are strawberries"). An adjective desirrnating a quali ty which a verb asserts belongs to a p erson or tJ1 iJ~r
is a predicate adjective (e.g., "He is skillful," "These berrie~
are sweet"). A predicate substantive, or a predicate adjective,
or a phrase or clause used as th e one or the other is said to be
the predicate complement of the verb it completes.'
Predication. Any group of words consisting of a single subj ect and
predicate, whether a simple sentence or a clause.
Preposition. A word used to show the r elation of a substantive to
another w?rd ; e.g. , in, on, into, toward, frorn, f or, against, of,

between, with, without, within , before, behind, under, over, above,
among, at, by, around, about, through, throughout, beyond, across,
along, beside. A preposition always requires to co111plet e ils
m eaning a substantive, with which it cornbin es into what is felt
to be a unit of express ion; e. g., "in the wat!!r," "into t.h e
h ouse," " a m ong the lc:wcs, ,, "Leh ind th e hol! S(!." This fact
dist. in g ui~hes prepositio nA from adverbs, which d o Hot r equire ;i,
substantive to complete th e m ; e. g., "Go out," "Colll e in,"
" Please walk before."
(Jn , bPfore, on, for, but, ar,ross, a nd
many other English words belo11g each one t.o several parts of
speech; there is a preposition across and an adverb across. a
preposit.ion for and a conjunction for, etc.) F or the distin ction
between prepositions and conjunctions, see Conjunction. The
substantive combined with a preposition in t he m an n er illustrated
above is called the object of the preposition.
'reposition-phrase.
?repositional phrase.
'resent.

See Phrase.
See Phrase.

See Tense.

'rincipal clause.

Sec Clause.

>rincipal parts. The principal parts of any verb are (1) the present
infinitive, (2) the past first si11gul;i,r , and (3) the past participle
(see Verb); e.(J. , ,nee, ,Tted , ;ted; clwosP., chnsP, r.hnsP.n; ln1•(' ,
loved, luved; set, set , set.
·
>rinc i.1;1~1 -yerb.

A verb n ot nserl a s an anxiliary, in cl ud ing the aux 1lian es thc m sel n·s w hen t hey are used i11d cpcmlc11tly ( e. g., "I
hare a bofl t, " " II e did wonders " ).
,ronoun. See Substantive.

Al'l'.ENDlX ll

Proper name.

See Common noun.

Proper noun.

See Common noun.

Relative adjectives.
Relative clause.

20B

See Relative pronoun.

See Adjective clause.

Relative pronoun. Thc.wonls that, who, what, which, whoever, whatever,
and whichever, when they are used as substantives and in such
a way that the clauses in which they stand are made adjective
clauses (q.v.), are called relative pronouns.
The words wl~at,
which, whatrmer, and whichever, when they are used as adJeCtives awl in such a way that the clau ses in which they stand
are mad e adjective clauses, are called relative adjectives.
Rhetoric. See Grammar.
Sentence. The wonl sentence means (1) a group of words composed
of a suuject (with or without adjuncts) a11d a predicate (with
or without adj un cts) and not grammatically dependent on any
words outside it.self (e.17., "I will go,"" l, being th e p~rson b~s t
a cquainl.t!d with t he situation , will go as soon as th e carnage .w~11 ch
I onlen •d has come''); or (i) two or more such groups JOmed
by coiirdin :iLin!.; con:j1111 ctio 11s or prcs~ntc! l in such a. way a~ ~o
show tha.t t.hcy arc to be tak en a,; a unit. A se nten ce o f tyr;e. - is
called a compound sentence. Sente nces of t y pe 1 are divided
into two c lasses , - simple sentences and complex sentences.
All se n te!lces ;u·u U1cr0fo r c u .suallv sairl to fa.JI int.o thrr.i: r.!asscs,
simple, co mpl ex, and · compound~ These are d escribed in this
vocabulary und er their several names.
Sentence-element. A suLjecL, a p red icate , a predicate substantive or
adjective , an absolute phrase, a modifie r, a clause, or an y other
unit of sentence-structure. Any sentence-element other than a
principal clause fall s under the term subordinate sentence
element, as used in th is book.
4

Sign of the infinitive.
Simile.

Sec Infinitive.

S ee Metaphor.

Simple conjunction.

Sec Conjunction.

Simple s entence. A srnlcn cc cn111p0 .~r rl of only onr Fml1jrct an~ prrnl
r:i.t.E' and not. rnnt.a ining a rlPpPndf>nt. clan sP ; P..g., "He seized the
hamm er," "T~iki11g off his coat and rolling up li is sl(•P1·cs, he
se ized th e Jw:i.vv r;Jedge-ha.n1nH·r in liis f'trnng liatHls, swung it
Jiio-h almn• his. h ead , and lirnuuh t it. down with irrrsist.ilile
fo~cr , shatterinu t0 J> ief'es t h e pr icr•less cabinet, the heirlo om
i1a nded dnwn through five generations."
4

S ingular.

Sec Numbe r.

p

210

I~

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX B

Subject. A substantive combined in discourse with a verb (except a
gerund or a participle) and representing the person or thing
regarding which the verb asserts something is called the subject
of the verb; and the verb, in tun1, is called the pred icate of the
substantive, or is said to be predicated of the sul>siantive.
Thus, in the expression "He goes," "he" is the subject of
''goes,'' and ''goes '' is the predicate of '' he.'' The words subj ect and predicate are often (in this book and elsewhere) used
to designate respectively a subj ect and a predicate, as above d efin ed, together with any adjuncts they m ay have. Thus in the
sentence "The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,"
the phrase " the ploughman " may be said to be the subject a nd
the phrase " homeward plods his weary way " the predicate ;
or th e noun " p loughm a n" alone may be said to be the subject
and thP, verb " plods ., the predicate.
Subjunctive. See Mode and also I nd icative.
Subordinate clause. See Clause.
Subordinate sentence-element. See Sentence-element.
Substantive. A substantive is a word by which, as by a name, some
person or thing is called; e.g., man, house, happiness, beauty,
song, speech, Jupiter, Charlemagne, he, she. A fe w substantives
are c:i.l!rd pronouns; t.lirc;r arr ;ic; fnllows: I, th c111, l1c, sl1r, it, :11Hl
their compounds ending in self or sdves; this, that; wlw, rnhat,
wh ich, t~· h ethe r, and thei r componnrls ending in ct:cr, or sorra;
eath, ~ithrr, nr:ifhf'I·, s1_mu?, any, many, few, all, 7rnlh, rfuyht,
naught, such, othe1', one, none, and a few others. The pronouns
are divided into fi ve classes: personal, rle•11onstrative, iu terrugat.ivA, rPlat.iv.,. , an •l in~lrr111it..., l'l'l'll!l ! llli' (!-'.,..., !lwR•' heading~ in the
Vocauula.ry). All suusta11tives other than µroHouns are called
nouns. -The declension of typical nouns and of the principal pro·
nouns that are inflected is shown in the following tables 1
DECJ,ENSION OF NOUNS

Nam.
Poss.
Obj .
Nam.
Poss.
Obj.

Singular
boy
boy's
boy
man
m an's
man

Plural
boys
boys'
boys
men
men's
men

DECLENSION OF PRONOUNS .

Nam.
Poss.
Qb.f.

Singular
I
my, mine
me

Pforal
we
our, ours
us

211

Plural
Singtdar
ye, you
thou
Nom.
yonr, yours
thy, thine
P oss.
you
Obj.
theo
he
N om.
they
thc1r, theirs
Poss.
his
them
him
Obj.
she
they
N am.
their, theirs
Poss.
her, hers
them
Obj.
her
they
Nam .
ft
their, theirs
its
Poss.
them
Obj.
it
Nom .
who
who
Poss.
whose
whose
Obj.
whom
whom
A substantive m;i.,y be used syntactically in the following ways
(whi ch ;i.,rc explained in ~his Vocabulary uml~r th e appropr~ate
b eadings) : (1) as a snbJect, (2) as a p redicate substantive,
(3) as an appositive, (4) as a ~ ossess iv e substa1.1t_ive, (5) as the
objec t of a verb, (u) as the objec t of a prepos1t1011, (7) as an
advnrhi:tl snhstantive, a nd (8) ns a 11 al_1!';.ilute substantive.
Substantive clause. A elanc:c may Ii" 11sr;d ;i.;i tltP s11 hj eet. of ;i.. vcrh
( P.. rf., "
Th rr.t lw is a scholar is certain"): as t he ol>ject of a verb

(r.g.; "I knnw thrr.t

hr is rr. sf'hnlorl; R!'i11IP nhjPC1. nf ~

prPpnsi-

tion (e.g., "There is no doubt as to whether he is a sr.holar");
as a prcclicate sul>sUrntivc (e.p., ''The truth is that he is u
scholar") ; as an appositiYc ( c.(J ., "This isccrlain , -- th:.tih c is
a sclwlar "); a:; an ~iill'nlJi:d snl1c;f:111til-.· ~r.11 . , " l :1111 surr· tlwl

h e is a scholar): aml a:> an aLsolute suustauLive (c .y. " Grnutetl
that he is a st:holar, h e nrn.y yp t, b f> m iRtaken ") A clause
used in one of t hese ways is a substantive clause.
Superlative. Sec Comparison.
Syntactic. Sec Syntax.
Syntax. The r elations that words, when they are combined in discourse,
bear to one another ( e.g., the r elation of " h e '' to " goes " in th e
sentence "He goes," or of "carpenter" to "Nelson," in the
sentence "Nelson, the carpenter, is here") are called syntactic
r elations, or collectively syntax .
Syntactic r elations comp rise
(1) the r elations a single word m ay bear to another word or to a
group of words (e.g., tJ1 e relation of a subject to a verb, of an
adjective to a· substantive, of a n oun to a n ad jective-phrase, of a
vocative substantive to a sentence); an d ( 2 ) the relations a
predication m;i.,y l>car to another predication (viz., the relation
b etween a principal and a d ependent clause and the r elation
b etween coordinate chtuses).

212

APPENDIX B

Tense.

APPBNDTX R

The several sets of forms ancl combinations that a verb has
when it represents action as occurring at different points of ti mo
are called its tenses. Of these sets th ere are six, callecl rcspecti vely the present tense, the past tense, the future tense, U1e
perfect tense, the past-perfect tense, an<l the future-perfect
tense. Tho tenses of a typical verb arc shown 011 pages 21:J ff.

CON.J UGATION OF THE VERB 'l'O 'l'Al{E
P1tINCIPAL PArtTS:

Verb.

\\' nnl n~rrl to assert an a.cLL dl ,
of :1.n n.etinn ; f'.ff.,

.,..,.

a, C.UHUl LlVll .

slrnu7. slrik(', rhnnse , h~ ,

take , took, taken
PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE VOICE

Transitive. A verb representing an action that necessarily affects some
person or thing in such a way that the name of that person or
thing may be made the direct object of the verb, is called a transitiye verb; e.g., love, hate, have, carty, build. A verb r epresen ting an action of such a kind that a direct object cannot logically
be used with the verb is called an intransitive verb; e.g. , stand,
arise, be, come, whimper, bark, quarrel. Many verbs may be
used either transitively or intransitively ; e.g., "The fire burns
brightly" (" bu rm; " is intransitive); "lie lrnrns the paper"
("burns" is transit.ive); "'l'he corn has gro\vn" ("has g rovv n"
is intrnnsitive); "IIe has grnwn a beard" ("has !!Town" is
tra,n.sit1ve).

1·

Indicative mode
SINGULAR

PLURAL

SINGU LAR

PLURAL

SIMPLE

1. I take
2. thou takest

3. he tnkes (tnkcth)

we take
you take
th ey take

1. I am taken
2. thou art taken
3. ho ls taken

we are taken
you are taken
they are taken

j Wrl~ trli::0n

"';f' \Y('rr' t ~l~r·n

EM PH A.TIC
~.

T tln t !l1"n
tll 1_•u ~l '.~ ~t

8. he does
L,:, ..

or

wntlo btkn
t~~:'=-"'

y#=-~1

(doth)

thev do take

1 -::-

tnk·~

rrtOGilE5SIYE

s 11:17>r, 1111rlPrqo.
Tlrn v;uio11:< inf! .-,-.1i"ll" :rnrl enrnhin:1 t'.ci11~
Voic e, r.Toc1e,
Tense; Person, ailtl Number) of a, typicai verb are si1uvv11 iu the
t:'lh!r: nn pa.gr•_:;:, ~1;·;-21X . rrti e \VrJrd::3 I, thou , h e, u.·c\ lJuu, l/l, .if, a11t.l
f( P.l'P ins rtPf1 lnf'rt ·h · fr1 ;~hrny tl 1~· 1\·:1 \. i11 \\ ! 1ir·l 1 ti l e f r )i·trh t h 1 \.
J1n·e• ·dp ;trn nsrd ; t h~'.Y sh "11lrl ll'-'t ]_,,_. ]:c;.::tnl•..:u :.LS n ccc:-:::;1. ry p::.:-1;,
nf th n~f' f"n11 .~, fnr 1111 ·.1· an• 11ul. p:u!..; ;11~ :\.!I. \\'01.J.s i11c· I• ··" "! jn
p:ll'f'lll il!'.SC.'i :tlC \':tl'i:u1L.s <Jf tl1c \\(IJ'ils tiH',Y f 1>llfl\\',

l. I run ml-:
·I

\n \ ;ire

f ii , >11 :i;·f

taking

1111 :1: 1· t: il ,1 11;.::

.i :.·

R!!\fl'l.E

0

0

Vocative substantive.
address.

Voice .

A s11l•s ta 11live us(•d in riiref't :idrlrrs'<.

,\·r tnnk

i tnnk
''

t I ti•! I t ~ •• •l\ ,-. ;;:; t

Y<ll!

tr )('\.

J.

'!., I lit>\t \\' H:-'I ( wr•rt)

!1Hti(
tr> 11 k

l :1 1 ~

:~. lw '' n:--; t ak(• IJ
l .\fl ' I! .\ I I ('

~ ('('Direct

1. 1 ,1;. 1 I ti
_. 1 )11 •I : ii l< I
1:: i·. 1'
0 . he did take

,\ \"l'rli is s :tiil i11 lir_• i 11 l.lic: active voice 1Y l 1<'11 iL ;1.'·'' ·1 I ..; tl1:tf,
TH'rc:nn nr thin ~ n'1n· r"-~r 1 n 1 r , r l hy t1H 1 ~- t~ 1·.i1 1 · i i< , '1 1 l f'_<...;, .·,r lii11!1 rgucs s1Ju1c.thino;; "-·ff. , "l-h• i"lrik,.s." " fi r hr;irrl," " .J sec." .._'\._

'"" ,]; I I
\ " I •I ! I
il1l'\' did t:ih.c

t.l1P

verb is s:i.id Lo lw i 11 tho passive vofre wl.tc11 it a.:c;snrt.s that. 1'0l11Pthing is June to the person or thing represented by tlrn RnhjPct. ;
e.µ., "Ile is struek," " HP wri~ hrarrl," "1 am scrn ." ''Tit.!;

n11P PXf'Pplinn ;ii! t~ r )1.1.~.,in" f<"1n11c; 11f :111y 11'!'l1 arP crq 1 1p1>.~e.J ,,f
till' i-'1~vor:il f •,rn1.; (Ir i.111· :1nxilia.ry tu 1J<'. :rnd tl1c ]'aSL p;1rtici11J,,
of the Jirincipal VPrb; Uw one cxccpti•11t i.s tho past panicirilo
itself. Seu tlie i:tLk oppnsit.e .

I L J

usr·cl as i11

11'rrlk,

a1 1rl !I 11Ji .. 11 11scd as in 1101111r1, arc Cll!ls1111:rnts; w

when us1;cl as in how, and y when usccl as in try arc vowels.

\\-11~

I

-

\H_' \\-tci"t-> t11h.i11~

tah.ln!:!

" th~~~,~~~'t

t wrrt)

3. he was t.nkinl!

- -- - - - -

·;,
c;

f-<

c.:

c;

yon "·rrr t1k1ng-

t.h ev were bking-----

;-;.J'.11 ' 1.J'

,_.,
Cf:

~

T he lel.lrrs ri, r, i. o, n111l 11 :1rc vn \YP! s. TlH• lt•t.l1Ts 71, r, d. /,
g, h, ), k, 1, in, 11, j), '/ , r, s, t, 11, :r, :11111 ;~are CtJJ1Sll11:1,11t.s . If' wli1'11

Vowel.

(\ll

1 l s11:1ll ( 11·ill1 t:ik,·
" t hn11 "·i It \'li:tll)

t :ik"
:i. J;r -.1 ill

t id-:<~

'-'

(chc ll )

"·r· '11:1 II !" illl I .1k 0
'\"O i l

•

f ~ tl\

\\·j l!

( ~ Ji:t il l

I '

I hr·\· \\ i II (sli:1 ll)
title"

l'Jt()f;HVSSJYP,

re.,

.<li:ill (11 i ll) 1, r laking, ele .
J ~f'n

tlw 1·xpla11n.tory rcr11arks 1111<ler Verb.

yn11 w1·n• tnkf· !1

Al'l'.ENJJlX B

ACTIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

c==:==-======================;=========================
PASSIVE VOICE

I

ACTIVE VOICE

Indicative mode -continued

I

SINGULAR
l'1

Subjunctive mode-continued

PLURAL

I

SINGULAR

ltl

zl'1

E<

~

r.i

r..

Ill

SIMPLE

1. I have taken
2. thou hast taken
3. he has (hath)
taken

r.l

we have taken
you have taken
they have taken

l'1

z

r.i
E<
E<

~

p.,

SIMPLE
r.i
ltl

z

r.i
E<

we had taken
you had taken
they had taken

I had been taken, etc.

r.i

z

SIMPLE

I shall (will) have taken, etc,

fol

I shall (will) have been taking, etc.

I shall (will) have been taken, etc.

r.i l'1
Ill"'
Pz
E< r.i
E<

t:

PROGRESSIVE

(,)

r..

Subjunctive mode

~ r.i
r.i ltl
r.. z

SINGULAR

PLURAL

SINGULAR

I

PLURAL

1. If I were tnkcn
2. If th on wore
(wcrt) tnkcn
3. If ho wcro tnkon

If we were taken
If you were taken
If they were taken

1. ifl did take
2. if thou did take
3. If he did take

If we did take
If you <lid take
If they did take

PROGRESSIVE

I had been taking, etc.

ltl

SINGULAR

EMPHATIC

1. If I were taking
2. If thou were
(wert) taking
3. if he were taking

PROGRESSIVE

l'1
E<
E<

if we took
If you took
If tboy took

1. It I took
2. If thou took
3. If ho took

ltl

I have been taking, etc.

1. I had taken
2. thou hadst taken
3. he had taken

PLURAL

SIMPLE

I have been taken, etc.

PROGRESSIVE

i..

215

APPENDIX B

PLURAL

Ill r.i
~ E<

If we were taking
If you were taking
If they were taking

[The future subjunctive is exactly like the future indicntlve, except thnt shall and.
will nre unchanged throughout; e.g., if thou will tcike, if thou shall be taken,
etc.)

[The perfect subjunctlvo Is exnctly llkt> tho perfect lnrllcntlve, except that hav ~
Is unchnngcd throughout; e.g., if thou h ave taken, if he have been taken,
etc.]

SIMPLE

1. If I take

If we take
If you take
If they take

2. If thou take
3. If he take

EMPHATIC

1. !fl do take
2. If thou do take
3. If he do take

If we do take
If you do take
If they do take

PROGRESSIVE

1. If I be taking
2. If thou be taking
3. lfhe be taking

If we be taking
If you be taking
if they be taking

1. if I be taken
2. If thou be taken
3. If he be taken

If we be taken
If you be taken
If they be taken

I

['1

ii:"'

z [The past-perfect subjunctive Is exactly lik e the past-perfect Indicative, except thnt

r.i
"'r.i

'E<
E< E<

~u
p., r.i
r..

had ts nnchangcu throu ghout; e.(J., if tlwu had taken, if thou had been taken,
etc.]

d: r.i
r.i"'
"'z
' l'1 [The future-p erfect subjunctive Is exactly like the future-perfect Indicative, except
~ E<
p E<
E< (,)
0 r.i

""'r..

that 8hall and will nre un chnnged throughout; e.(J., if th01i will have taken, if
thou shall have been taken, etc.]

216

APPENDIX B
ACTIVE VOICE

I

PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE VOICE

Conditional mode 1
SINGULAR
r.l

I

z

r.l

f<
f<

z
r.l
gj
0:
p..,

Potential mode - continued
SIMPf, J'J

I mny or cnn have t.nkc n, etc.
I should (wou ld ) be taken, etc.

SIMPLE
I should (would ) hnve taken, etc.

f<

r.. z

0: r.l
r.l f<

SIMPLE
I might or could hnve tnken, e tc.

I should (would) have been taken, e tc.

Obligative mode

1. I

may or
take
2. t hou mayst
canst take
8. be may or·
take

t

C/J

z
r.l
z

r.l

C/J

r.l

I mny or can be taken , etc.

0:

p..,

1. I rnuRt, or ought
to, take
2. thou mu st, or
onghtest to,
take
3. he mu st, or ought
to, take

l<1
C/J

"'w

E<

1

See tbe footnote on page 205.

w e mu s t, or ought I mu st, or ought to, be take.., etc.
to, t.nke
you mu st, or ought
to, take
they m 11 s t, or
ought to , take

SIM !'!,E
I must, or ought to, have tnkcn, etc.

t:;

PROGRESSIVE
I might or could be taking, etc.

Pr, URAL

PROGRESSIVE
I must, or ought to, be taking, etc.

PROGRESSIVE
I mny or cnn be ta king, etc.
SIMPLE
1. I might or cou ld we migh t or cou ld
tnke
take
2. thou mightst or you m I g ht or
cou ld s t tnke
cou ld t nke
3. he might or could they m I g ht or
take
could take

I

srMPl.. E

r.l

f<
f<

PLURAL
SIMPLE
can we mny or cnn
tnke
or you mny or ca n
take
can they may or can
take

I

SIN GULAR

Potential mode
Si"l'GULAR

I might or could have been taken, etc.

PROGR ESSIVE
I might 01• cou ld have been taking, etc.

PROGRESSIVE
I shou ld (would ) have been taki ng, etc.

p..,

I may or cnn hnve been taken, etc.

PROGRESSIVE
I m ny or cnn hnvc bee n tnk lng, e tc.

PROGRESSIVE
I should (wou ld) be taking, etc.

0 r.l
r.l C/J

PASSIVE VOICE

PLURAJ,

SIMPLE
1. I should (would) we should (would)
take
tak e
2. thou wou l dst you would
(s houldst) tnko
(should) tako
3. he wou ld (should) they woul<I
take
(shou ld) tnke

C/J

217

APPENDIX B

w

:;i

I m ight or could be taken, etc.

I must, or ought to, have been taken, etc,

PROOR F.SS!VE
I must,

or ought to, hnvo been taking,

etc .

w

p..,

Imperative mode
SIMPLE: take
EMPHATIC: do take
PROGRESSIVE: be taking
1

See the footnote on page 205.

be taken

218

APPENDIX B
ACTIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

Infinitive mode
8IMPJ, R INFINITIVE: to take
PROGRESSIVE INFINITI VE: to
GERUND : taking

bo taking

S1MPLE INFINITIVE: to have taken
PROGRESSIVE INFINITIVE: to have

taking
GERUND:

having taken

been

lNFINITIVR: to bo tnken
GERUND: being taken

INFINITIVE: to have bee n taken
GERUND: having been taken

Participial mode
f;

z r.l
r.l Ill

~~E-<

taking

being tnkon

p..

f; r.l

ls no pnst participle In tho active tnkon
~~r.l [Thora
voice.]

p..

E-<

~~1
~
~

z

p..

r.l
E-<

·

IMPLE :
avm taken
h . 'having been
PROGRESSIVE:

APPENDIX C
A List of Words that are often Mispronounced
IN the case of a few words in the following list, pronunciations different from those indicated in the right-hand column
are admitted by some authorities ; these words are marked
with an asterisk (*). The pronunciations given opposite
such words are those favored by the great majority of lexicographers. In the case of all the words not marked with an
asterisk, the pronunciations indicated are the only correct
ones.
The accentwil :t11tl diacritical marks are not intended to ·
give :tn cxh:w stive d P8cription of the pronunciation of each
word, l>ut on ly to point out common errors. Of the signs
that are not scH-expln.natory the meanings are shown in the
following tn.l>lo :

a
having been taken
taking

is pronounced like a in at.
is pronounced like a in mate.
is pronounced like a in climate.
a is pronounced like a in arm.
a is pronounced like a in ask.
e is pronounced like e in m en.
e is pronounced like ee in see .
~ is pronounced like e in the first syllable of event.
e is pronounced like e in fern.
I is pronounced like i in tin.
is pronounced like i in wine.
i5 is pronounced like o in lot.
o is pronounced like o in host.
u is pronounced like u in bun.
ii is pronounced like u in use.
u is pronounced like u in unite.
v. is pronounced like u in bull.
60 is pronounced like oo in tool.
oo is pronounced like oo in foot.
ou is pronounced as in thou.
zh is pronounced like z in azure.
219

a

a

220

APPENDIX C
wo1ms OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED

Correct p1'0nunciation
Words

often
accented
on the
wrong
syllable

abdomen*
acclimate
acumen
address
admirable
adult
alias
ally*
alternate (adjective and
noun)
applicable
apropos
brigand
choleric
condolence
construe*
contour*
cuckoo
despicable
exquisite
extant*
formidable
gondola
grimace
harass

Herculean
hospitable
illustrate*
impious
incognito·
incomparable
inevitable
inquiry
lamentable

ab <lo 1meu
ac cli:1mate
a cii. 1men
ad dress'
ad'mirable
a dult 1
a'lias
ally'
al ter 1nate
ap'plicable
ap 1ro po'
brl'g'and
kol'erie
con do'lence
con'strue
con tour'
kook'oo
des'picable
ex'quisite
ex'tant
for'midable
gon'dola
grimace'
bar' ass
Her cii 'le an
hos'pitable
il lus'trate
im'p1 ous
in cog'nito
in com 1parable
in ev'itable
in qui 1ry
lam'entable

221

Correct pronunciation

misconstrue-X·
obligatory*
pariah·*
peremptory*
pianist*
piquant
precedence
precedent (adjective)
precedent (noun)
presage (noun)
presage (verb)
sepultnre
vagary

mis con 1strue
ob'ligatory
pa'riah
per 1emptory
pi an 1ist
pek'ant or plk'ant
pre ced 1ence
pre ced'ent
pres' e dent
pre'sage or pres 1age
pre sage
sep'ulture
va gii 1ry

Adonis
alrna rnater
altercation*
amenable
apparatus
apricot
Basil
biographical
biography
bouquet
brooch*
brougham
brusque*
cantaloupe*
chock-full

A do'nis
alma mater
altercation
a me'nable
apparatus
apricot
Baz'il
biographical
biography
boo kii. 1 or boo'ka (not "bO- ")
bro ch
broo'am or broom
broosk
can 1ta loup
Pronounced as spelled; not
"chuck-full."
kol'er
Cleopatra
klek
ki:in stable

choler
Cleopatra.
clique
constable

,

Words in
which cer·
tain

vowels
are
often
mispronounced

222

WOIWt:; O.F'L'lrn 1\USl'lWNOUNCED

Al'PENDIX C

Corrp,ct pronunciation

Correct pronunciation

coupon
courtesan*
creek
crotch
culinary
defalcate
defalcation
demise
extol*
gape* (verb)
garrulous
genealogy
genuine
ghoul
gratis
hearth
heinous
hoof
implacable
Italian
joust
jugular
literature
mineralogy
nape
P all ~fall
pa1w!-'yric
premise (nmrn)
prcmic<r (-verh)
prest!1ttation
pretty

koo'pon
kur te zan
krek
Pronounced as spelled ; not
"crutch."
ku1inary
de fal' cate (not "-fawl-")
de !al cation or def al cation
(not "-fawl-")
de miz'
extol'
gap
~var n.ivlous (not "gar yulous ")
Jen e alogy or je ne alogy
(not " -ology ")
jen u fo (not "-in")
gool
gri1 tis
hiirth
ha nous
hoof
im pla'cable
i tal yan (not "i- ")
just or joost
ju gu lar (not "jiig-")
lit er a ture (not "-toor")
min er al ogy (not " -ology ")
n:'i.p
PCl ~1c1
pnn c jir ic or pan c j \'.r ic
1~ren1 'i~~

1•rc

programme
quay
regular
rinse
roily
roof
root
route·*
sacrilegious
salve*
simultaneous*
sinecure
sleek
slough
status
trow
virulent
xylophone
zoology
aversion
designate·*
excursion*
flaccid
has (in expressions like
He has to go)
}mvf:' (i II RX Jllt,kkiOJIFl like
I lt·11•e t•>:10)
o lco-margari no

m!7.'

prez cub.Lion
prlt ty

223

partuer

pro'gram (not "-grum")
ke
reg yu lar
Pronounced as spelled ; not
"reuse."
Pronounced as spelled; not
"ri ly."
roof
root
root
sac ri le'jus (not "-religious") ·
sav
simultaneous
sine cure
slek
slou
stii. tus
tro
v'fr' 1:1 lent (not "-yulent ")
zi lophonc
zo ol ogy (not "zoo·")
aver shun (not "-zhun")
des ignate (not "dez- ")
ex cur shun (not "-zhun")
flak'sid (See Rule 153, note.)
haz (not "bass")
hftv (not " 111!.f")

'l'hr.

is h::trcl, ::ts i 11 pct. (Sec
Hi1le ] !" "J :i, notr .)
Pro 11mrn1·!:tl as spelled; not
" panl Iler."
.rf

Words In
which certain consonants
are often
mispronounced

224

APPENDIX C

WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED

Correct pronunciation

Words,
from
which
certain
sounds are
often incorrectly
omitted

Words to
which an
additional
sound is
often incorrectly
added

Persia
Persian
turgid
used (when followed by to)
version
with

Per sha (not "-zha ")
Per shan (not "-zhan ")
tur jid (See Rule 153, note.)
uz<l (not "fist ")
ver shun (not "-zhuu ")
The th is pronounced as m
thus.

auxiliary
February
Messrs.*

auxiliary
February
mesh yerz or mes'yerz
(" Messerz " is wholly un·
authorized.)
piano-for'te
pump kin

piano-forte
pumpkin
almond*
athlete
athletic
buoy
casualty
cerement
column
conduit
daguerreotype
elm
falcon*
grievous
mischievous
often
poignant*
salmon

a mond
ath'lete
ath let'ic
bwoi or boi
caz'u al ty (not "-al'i ty")
ser ment
kol um (not "-yum")
kon'dit or kiin'dit
<la ger'o type
One syllable.
faw con
grev'ous
mis'chev ous
of en
poi'nant
sa mon

ad infinitum

ad in fi ni'tum

225

Correct pronunciation

charivari
debut
dishabille*
<lishcvel
drarnatis personre
finis
foyer (e.g., the foyer of
a theater)
gaol
irrelevant
larynx
posthumous
rendezvous
sarsaparilla
sough*
viz.

vaudeville

sha re'va re' (not "shiveree")
<la/bu
dis'a° bll'
di shev'cl
dram'a tis per s6 1ne
fi'nis
fwa'ya'
jal
Pronounced as spelled ; not
"irrevelan t."
Iar'inx or la 1rinx (not
"lar nix")
post'humous or pos'tumous
ren <le voo or ran de voo
sar sa pa ril la (not "sassparilla ")
siif
A sort of arbitrary sign for
the Latin word videlicet
(pronounced vi del'i set).
In reading viz. aloud, say
"videlicet"
or
either
" namely" (the English
equivalent of videlicet);
do not say "vizz."
v6<l'vn

Words
often
mispronounced in
various
ways

INDEX
NUMBERS REFER TO PAGES

Explanations of grammatical ancl other technical terms are In general not cited below,
since they can easily be found in the nlphabetlcal vocabulary on pp. 196 ff.
Comments on the spelling, writing "solid" or not "solid," hyphening, and pronunciation of particular words, are In general not cited under the words; such comments can
easily be found through the citations under Spellin(J, Solid, Hyphen, and Pronuncia-

tion.
.A..D., 143.
Abatement, coherence of an, 66.
AbbreviatioHs, objectionable, 112 ;
permissible in some conucctions,
113; of titles, 11 3; in letters, 12!)
ff.; of names of cities, 134; punctuation with, 90.
" About, at,'' 144.
"Abreast of the times," 6.
Absolute construction, not euphonious, 58; over~frequent use of, 59;
pnnctuation with, !JO.
Absolnte phrase, mistaken for sentence, 12, .I !JI- I !l2.
ACCC]Jt and CXCf'p t, IGO, l!JO.
A ccordinyly, pu11 c t.nalio11. with, !)G,

rn:1.

Agreement, grammatical, 14 ff., 176.
"Ain't,'' 1.
" All in all,'' 6.
"All is not gold,'' 7.
" All nature,'' (i.
"All the higher," etc., 143.
"All work and no play,'' 7.
Allusions, hackneyed, 7.
Almost, position of, 32, 182.
"Along the line of,'' etc., 7, 156.
"Alright,'' 6H.
Also, misuse of, 43; punctuation
with, !)(i.
A ltcrations in Ms . , 89.
Allr.rnativc, 143.
Amid, !J.

An:whro11 011fl part.iciplos, 2:3.
Addiwlll, 2.
Ana.logy, st.a11tli11g of words not detcn11i 11 etl hy, 4.
Address, in t.ho h ca!li11g of a le tter,
l21i; inside - - of Jolters, 131; 011 Analytical outlin es, 121 ff.
cnvclopo, 141.
And, illogical, 41, 42; too frequent,
Addressee's title in letters, 132, 141.
43; oblique, 7G; comma before, in
Adjectives, used for other parts of
a series, 92.
speech, 3-4; and adverbs, 19; "And etc.,'' 144.
punctuation with series of, 92.
"And oblige,'' 131, 134.
Adverbs, used for other parts of " And which,'' 41.
speech, 3-4; and adjectives, 19 .
Anent, 144.
.Ajf'ect and e.-ff'ect, 143, 191.
Antecedent, reference to, 23 ff., 180;
Affectation, !J--11.
parenthesized, 25.
After, over-frequent use of, 59 ; Anticlimax, 37 .
"after having," 14:.l.
Any, misuse of, 4.
Afterthought, marked by dash, !l!l. Any one, concor<l of, 15, 170.
Age, number d esignating, 115.
Any place, for anywhere, 144
.Aggravate, 143.
Anybody, concord of, 15, 176
227

228

INDEX

INDEX

Apostrophe, use of, 106; shape of, 76.
Appositives, case of, 17; punctuation
with, 90.
Appreciate, 144.
Arise, for get up, 9.
Arnold, 2, 37.
Arrangement of Ms.: Ms. as a wJ1ole,
77; pages, 77; paragraphs, 78 ff.;
writiug verse, 85; extended quotations, 87; tables,87.
Articles, omission of, 40.
As clause in double capacity, 38.
"As luck would have it," 7.
As, misuses of, 144; case of a substan t ive following, 17, 178.
As to, misuse of, 40.
As well as, subject not made plural
by, 15.
"At ahout," 144.
Aught, 14-4.
"Auto," 4.
"Autobiography of my life," li5.
Auxiliaries, double use of, 38.
Avail, 144.
Avoidance of repetition, 56.
Awful, 14-4.
Aw:kwardness, caused by collocat10n , 35; by separating preposition
from object, 36 ; by repetition, 56;
by avoidance of repetition, 5G; by
use of absolute construction, 58;
by pa renthesizing antecedent, 25;
by double use of auxiliari es, 38;
by use of p~ssive voice, 20; hy
change of porn t of view, 31; hy
ove rl a pping dependence, 47; by
lack of balance, 49; by improper
parallelism, 52.
'Badger State," 7-8.

73adly, 145.
73alan ce , 145.
Bank on, 145.

Barbarisms, 4.
Barn, 14-5.
'Baseballist," 4.
73e, double use of, 38.
Beg, 14-5.
73egan and begun, 175.
8 esides, punctuation with, 9G.
' Best la id plans, the," 7.
Blanks used for names or dates, 10.
'Blowed,'' 175.
Borrow and lend, 145.

Brackets, 101.
"Breathless suspense," 7.
Bring forth, 145.
Broke and broken, 175.
"Buckeye State," 7-8.
Bunch, 14-5.
" Burglarize," 4.
Burke, 2.
Burns, possessive of, 106.
But, illog ical, 41-42; too frequent,
43; r epeated, 44.
But that, but what, 145.
"Cablegram," 4.
Calculate, 145.
Can, for may, 145.
Canceling in Ms., 89.
Canine, 4, 8.
"C:u1 't hardly,'' u5, 187.
"Can't seem,'' 1()5.
Capitals, 110 fT., l!J5.
Case, matters of, lG fT., 177 ff.
Cause, illogical use of, 14(), 186.
Celia, mnemonic word, 68, 189.
Change of point of view, in sentence,
31; in composition, 61, 62.
Characteristic, 146.
"Charge of,'' 146.
" Cheesery," 4.
Claim, 147.
Clauses. Dependent : mistaken for
sentences, 12, 191-1!)2; used as object of preposition, lG ; overlapping,
47; introduced by when or uihere,
used as predicate coinplemen t, 14;
introduced 1.Jy when, misuse of, 48;
introduced by than or as, elliptical,
17, 178, used in double capacity,
38, other or else in, 53; dangling
e lJiptica l, 28;
modifying, misplaced, 33; r elative, position of,
33, "and which,'' 41, r estric tive
and non-restrictive, 92, 193; substantive, incongrnous junction of,
52; coordinate, with common d epemlence, 48, clearness of coiira !nation among, 40.
Principal:
illogica l use of, 42; excessive use
of, 4-:3; consecutive, introduccrl
alike by but or for, 44; introduced
by so, 4:1, 184. Punctuation bctwe~n co.iirdinate, when joined by
conJunct1ons, !J5, when not so
joined, 91; between principal and

d epen<lcnt, !ll; with relative, !J3;
before substantive, introduced by
that or how , !J4.
·
Clearness of se ntences: refere nce, 23
ff ., 180; r elation of participles,
gerunds, aud elliptical clauses, 2()
ff., 181: order of parts, :·12 ff., 18L;
coordination, 44; parall e lism, 4-!J IT.
Of whole compositions: gained in
narration by use of names, 10; coherence, 65 ff. Of paragraphing,
78 ff. Of punctuation, !:JO ff.
Cle1·k, used as verb, 3.
Climax, in arrangement of sentences,
37; misuse of the word, 14G.
Close o f a sentence, forcible, 30; with
a preposition, 37.
Coherence, b e tween sentences, 3G; of
c.01111H•Ri licrns, fifi.

Coincirlrulcc, .14fi.

Co lon, !18.

Combine , usecl a s 11om1, 4.
Co mic writing, 8.
Comma, 00 ff.
"Comma fault,'' the, 95.
Common noun, elem ents of proper
names, capitalized, 117; improper
capitalizing of, 118.
Company, misuse of, 14-G.
Comparative degree, than clause
after a word in the, 17 , 53.
Comparisons, un co mpl eted, 41; with
than or as c lause trn cd in dou!Jle
capacity, :IX; illogical, 5:1.
"Complected ,' ' 4, H!i.
" Completed t he sce ne,'' It.
Compound sentence, strin gy , 29.
Concl'lllle, mi suse of, 14G.
Conclusion, of Rcntenccs, forcibl e, 3(;;
with prepositions, :n; of letters, 1:a.
Concrete narration, 84.
Concurrence of like sounds not euphonious, 58.
Conj unctions, r epetition of suhordi11 ati 11g, for clearness, 4fi; simple,
distinguished from conjunctive adve rbs, 90, l!J!l.
Conjunctive ad verbs, cl istii1 g uis hcrl
from simple co 11ju11ctio11s, !.JG;
p1111ctuation with, !)Ii.
Connection, smooth, between scrntences, 3G; h etwccn parts of a composition, G5, GG; of letters iu a
word, 76.

229

Connective phrases, between parts of
a composition, 05, flO.
Consequence, cohere11t introduction
of a statement of, Go.
Considerable, misuse of, 4.
Constitution, quotation from, 36.
" Co ntact, those with whom we come
in,'' 7.
"Contemplate on or of,'' 146.
Contemptible and contemptuous, 147,
Continual and continuous, 147.
Contractions, inappropriate in formal
context, 4; apostrophe with, 106.
Contradictory statement, coherent
introduction of, 66.
Contrasting part, coherent introduction of, fifi.
Coiinliuat.ion, ungrammatical, 41;
"and whkh,'' 41; illogical, 42; exccsH ivc, 42 i clearness of, 44.
Correlatives, Iii.
"Coul<l of,'' 15!1.
"Couldn't seem," 1G5.
Co unterfeit humor, 8.
Cowardly, used as adverb, 4.
"Cream City, the,'' 7.
Cross-strokes of t' s and x' s, 76.
Crowd, for party, 147.
Crowdi ng in Ms., 73 ff.
Cunning, misuse of, 147.
Cupid, 7.
"Cute,'' 147.
Da11gli11g participles, 2G; gerund
phrases , 27; elliptical clau~es, 28.
Dash, use of, !J8 fT .; u se of, m place
of names or dates, 10.
Data, 147.
Date, 147.
Dates, in letters, correct method of
writing, 127, 136; r ep r ese ntation of
numbe rs in, 113 ; represented by
dashes , 10.
Days, used as adverb, 3.
Deal (nom1), mi s use of, 147.
"Deal 011," "deal of" for deal with,
147.
"Dear friend" in letters, 130.
Demand, 147.
1Jemonstral'.ive adjectives, reference
of, 24; i11clcfi11it.o use or, 5.
Depe11dc ~ 11 t clauses; see Clauses.

Depot, 147.

De Quincey, 2.

I

I:

l

230

'letermlnatlon, fnture of, 20, 180.
Jialogue, paragniphi11g of, 8J, l!l5;
punctua.tion of, 101, 102, 108, 1!)5.
)ickens, 2; possessive case of the
name, 106; Our Mutual Fi·iend,
158.
)iction, 1 ff.
)ictionaries, use of, 3, 4.
'Different than," 147.
'Jiner, for dining-car, 148.
)irect quotation, paragraphing of,
80 ff., 195; punctuation of, 93, 98,
101, 102, 108, 195.
'Discourse sweet music,'' 6.
'Jisinterested, 148.
)issimilar elements in seri es form,
52, 186; incongruous junction of,
51.
)ivision, of a word at the end of a
line, 107, 110; of words that should
be written "solid," 73.
)ivisions of a composition, organization of, 62; coherence between, 65;
paragraphing of, 78 ff.
'Do away with," 148.
'Do justice to a dinner," 6.
)one, misused as in "I am done,"
ms; misused for dicl, 174.
'Done away with," 148.
)on't, in appropriate use of, 4 ; ungrammatical use of, 148; position
of apostrophe in , lOli.
' Doomed to di sappointment," G.
)ots of i's and j 's, 76.
>ouble capacity, use in, of auxiliaries, 38; of to be, 38; of principal
verbs, 38 ; of than or as clauses,
38; of other modifiers, 39; of
nouns, 39; of to in as to, etc., 39.
>ouble negative, 54, 187.
' Dove" for dived , 148.
)own used as verb, 4, 148.
)rank and drtmk, 175.
)rove and dl"iven, 175.
)runk, us ed as noun, 4.
Jue to, 148.
>well, dwelt, 9.
~ach,

lND~X

INDEX
E(!ect and affect, 148, 191.

l~(/'ort for bouk , !J.

E.q., punctuation with, 107.
Either, concord of, 15; correct use
of, 148.
"Electrocute," "electrocution," 4.
Elegant, IM).
Element, 149.
Eliot, George, 2.
·
Ellipsis in letter-writing, 133.
Elliptical clauses, introduced by
than or as, 17, 178; dangling, 28,
181.

'

Else, possessive case with, 149.
Emerson, 2.
Endorse, 149.
Enj oyable, 6.
"Enough that," " enough so that,"
149.
"Enthuse," 4, 149.
Envelopes, kinds of, 138 ff.; enclosing of letters in, 108 ff.; addresses
on, 141, 142.
Equine, 4, 8.
Erasure in Ms., 89.
Etc., inappropriate or vague use of,
14!1; "and etc.," 150.
Euphony, 58.
Evenings, used as ad verb, 3.
Ever, posit.ion of, 32, 182.
Every, concord of, 15, 176.
Every place, for anywhere, 100.
"Every so often," lfiO.
"Everything went along nicely," G.
Ex cept and accept, 150, 100.
Excessive coordination, 43, 183, 184.
Exclamation point, comma used instead of, 93; relative positions of
quotation marks and, 102.
Exercises, in grammar, 173 ff.; in
sentence-structure, 180 ff.; in
spelling, 187 ff.; in punctuating,
191 ff.; in capitalizing, l!J5.
Expect, misuse of, 150.
Expectation, future of, 20, 180.
Extemporized words, 4.
Extended quotations, position of, in
Ms., 87.

eve,.y, etc., concord of, 15, 176.
Each and every," 6.
Factitive adjective or adverb, HJ.
~ach other, 148.
Fa ctor, 1[>().
11
Eating house,'' 148.
Fair maiden," 7.
:ditorial, composition of an, G3; edi- F alls , used as singular, 150.
torial we, 10, 11.
" Fatal affray," 8.

Fava,., for lette,., !l,

1~3;

"ostoomed,"

1:.m .

"Favor with a selection," 6.
Featurn, 150.
Feline , 4, 8.
Fiction, usage of r ecent, 2.
F 'ine, 150.
First rate, 150.
" Firstly," 150.
"Fistic encounter," 8.
Fix, 150, 151.
Folding of letters, 138 ff .
Folios, to be written in Arabic, 77;
to be r epresented by fi g ures, 113.
For, iutroduci11 g co usecuti ve senteu ces, 44; comma before the
conjunction, fll .
Forcible order in sentences, 36.
Formal 11otes i11 third person, 135.
Fol"mer a11d latter, 100.
· " Friend .Jolrn ," 130.
Friendly, used as atl verb, 4.
Fi·i,qhten, used as intransitive , 151.
Froze :rnd frozen, 175. .
Function, h ack neyed use of, 7.
Future te11 se , use o( shall anrl will in
forming, 20; misused for presc11t in
letters of acccptaucc or reg re t, 13li.
Gaps between letters in Ms., 76.
" Ge11t," 4.
Gentleman, ltil; [Jcntlcman friend,
l()J.

231

crcisos in , 173 ff.; principal terms
of, explained, l!J(i ff.
Grammatical agreement, 14 ff., 176,
177.
Grand, 152.
Grip, 152.
"Gripsack,'' 152.
Guess, 152.
Hackneyed expressions, 6 ff.
Had better, had best, 152.
"Had have" or "had of," 152.
"Had ought," 160, 176.
Jlad rathe1., 152.
Hardly, position of, 32; incorrectly
used with n egative, 55, 187.
"Has w ent,'' 175.
Have, misuses of, 152.
Have ,qot, 152.
Hawthorne, 2.
Heaps, a heap , 153.
11
Hear to it,'' 153.
Help, used for servants, etc., 153.
11
Help but," 153.
H ence, punctuation with, 96.
High-flown lang uage, 9.
Hill, A. S., qnoted, 37.
"Hired girl,'' 153.
Histori cal present, 9.
Holmes, 0. "vV., 2.
Home , mi suse of, 153.
"Homey," 4.
Jlonora.ble, the , lr.4.
Hopes, for hope, 153.
Hose, 9.
H ours of the day, to be spelled out
115.
House numbers, 113, 12G.
How clauses not to be · set off by
commas, 94.
How ever, position of, 35; punctuation
with, 00, 96.
"Hub, the," 7, 8.
lluma.n, used as n oun, 4.
Humor, real and counterfeit, 8.
Jlung for h anged, 153. ·
llustle, 2, 153.
Hyphen, 107; see also Syllabication.

Geographical names, punctuation
with, 91.
Gerund, possessive case with, 18.
Gerund phrase, dangling, 27, 181.
Get, as in " get to go,'' 151; see also
Got.
Get up, for prepare, etc., 151; arise
us ed for, 9.
Go to b_ed , 1·etire used for, 9.
Going on (e .g.," fiv e , going on six"),
151.
Good, used as arlYcrb, 4.
Good usage, cl efinc<l, 1; expla ined,
1 ff . ; errors rcg:ud ing, 1 ff. ·
"Goph er State, the," 7, 8.
Got, have _qot, 1fi2.
i, the dotting of, 71>.
Gallen, .17ut preferable to, 152.
I, properly used in beg inning a let"Gotten up," lfi2.
ter, 134; too fr cqyen t use of, in
Grammar , de fi11 cd, 201; <listinguishcrl
lett ers, 134; omission of, in letters.
from rh eto ri c, 202; rul es ·of, see
134.
individual grammatical terms; ex-

INDEX

INDEX
"I would say," "will say," or "can
say," 134.
i.e., correct use of, 153; punctuation
with, 107.
If, for whether, 154.
" Ignorance is bliss," 7.
Ilk, 154.
Iilogical comparisons, 53, 54.
Illogical coordination, 42, 183.
" Illy"' 4.
Implied reference of pronouns, 25.
"Impressive sight," 6.
Improprieties, 3, 4.
In, for into, 154.
"In a pleasinr manner," 6.
"In back of,' 154.
"In evidence," 6.
"In our midst," 157.
In re,gard to, misuse of, 39-40.
"In reply would say," 134.
"In search for," 165.
"In touch with," 7.
Includin,q, subject not made plural
by, 15.
Incongruous substantives, junction
of 52.
Indefinite it, 5; they, 5; you, 5; that
and those, 5.
Indefinite narrative, 84.
Indention, in paragraphing, 78; in
writing verse, 85, 8li; iu tabulating,
87.
Indirect discourse, quotation marks
not to be used with, 101.
Indirect questions, question mark
not to be used with, 98.
Individual, 154.
Indorse, 149.
Indul,ge, 154.
"Inferior than," 167.
Infinitive, case of subject or predicate complement of, 17; perfect,
misused for present, 23; split, 35,
183; sign of, repeated for clearness, 46.
Initials used for names in narration,
10.
Ink, 77, 137.
Insertion in Ms., 89.
"Inside of," 154.
Intensives, 5.
Iuterjections, commas with, 93.
Interrogation point, after direct, not
indirect question, 98; misuse of

Line, lines, figurative use of, 7, 156.
Lines, for reins, l/iG.

parenthesized, 98; relative posl.
tions of quotation marks and, 102.
Intervening words, obscuring grammatical subject, 14, 17().
Introduction, distinct, of the divisions
of a composition, 65 ; paragraphs
of, 79; nususe of the term in analytical outlin es, 122.
Invite, used as noun, 4.
Irony, 203; improper labeling of, 98,
105, 120.
Irving, 2.
It, used indefinitely, 5.
Italics, 118ff.
"It seems,'' 7.
Its, no apostrophe with, 106.

Literary ornameut,. 7.
Loan, 151.
Locate, 151.
Logical agreement, 53, 186.
"Long-felt want," 7.
" Lose 011 t," 157.
Lovely, 157.

j, the dotting of, 76.
"Jell/' 4.
Jocularity in newspaper style, 8.
Junction, of incongruous substantives
or clauses, 52; clearness of, secured
by repetition, 44 ff.; mistaken,
prevented by c01nmas, 92.
Just, position of, 32.

Key-words, colierm1ce secured by
conspicuous placing of, (ifi.
" Kin<l, these or those," 155.
](ind of, 15/i.
"Knights of the pen,'' 8.
"Kuo wed," 175.
Labeling humor or irony, 98, 105, 120.
Lady, lady friend, 151.
Lady Clara Vere de Vere, 30.
Lady of Shalott, The, 185.
Larger units of discourse, structure
of: unity, 59 ff.; organization, 62
ff.; coherence, 65, 66.
"Last but not least," 6.
Latinistic phrases, 59.

Latter, lf.)1.
Lay and lie, 15!i, 173.
"Leave go of," 155.
Legil>ility, 73 ff.
Less, for fewer, 155.
Letter-writing, 126 ff.
Liable, 155.
Lie and lay, 155, l 73.
"Light fantastic,'' 8.
Like, 156, 179.
"Liked, would," 156.
Limb, 9.

I)

Macaulay, 2, 71.
Mad, 157.
. "Made a pretty picture," 6.
"Make hay," etc., 7.
Manuscript, writing materials for,
77; legil>ility in, 73 ff . ; arrangement of pages in, 77; paragraphing
in, 78 ff.; alterations in, 88, 89;
not to be rolled, 77.
Margin in Ms., 77; in letters, 137.
"May of," 159.
Mean (adjective), 157.
Merely, position of, 32.
~Messrs., 129, 159.
Metaphors, mixed, 11, 12.
"Metho() in his madness," 7.
'1'fid, 'midst, !l.
" .Midst, in our," 157.
" Might or," lli!J.
Military, used as noun, 4.
Mill, ,J. 8 ., 2.
Milton, quote(!, 18.
Misplaced modifiers, .82 ff., 181, 182;
parts of a composition, G4.
Miss (tit.le), 158.
Misspelling; see Spellin,q.
Mixed figures of speech, 11, 12.
Modifiers, position of, 32 ff., 181,
182.
"Monarch of all," etc., 7.
Money, sums of, method of representing, 114.
Monosyllal>les, not to be broken,
112.
Monotony, of sentence-structure, 59;
from frequent use of I, 134.
Moreover, position of, 35; punctuation with, 96.
1lforn, 9.
.1'fornin,gs, used as adverb, 3.
Most for almost, 4, 158.
Mrs. , 158.
Mushroom, 1G9.
"Music hath charms," 7.

"Musicianly," 4.
"Must of,'' 15!).
Mutual, 11)!).
Myself, for I, 6; "--and family,''6.
Names, in narration, represented by
initials or dashes, 10; a means to
clearness and smoothness, 10.
Narration, unity of tense in, Gl;
unity of point of view in, 61, 62;
use of names in, 10; concrete and
indefinite, 84.
Nau,ght and au,qht, 144.
N ear b?J, 4, 1.'i!J.
Nearly, position of, 32; misused for
near, lli9.
'Neath, 9.
Negation, double, 54, 187; incorrect,
with hardly, etc., 55, 187.
Neither, correct use of, 159; concord
of, 15, 176; not to be correlated
with or, HiO.
" N es tied among the hills," 6.
Never, position of, 32; misused for
not ever, 33.
"Never put off," etc., 7.
Nevertheless, position of, 35; punctuation with, !Hi.
Newspapers, characteristic st.yle of,
2; mannerisms of, 7, 8, 57.
"Newsy," 4.
Nice, 15!).
Nicely for well, l!l.
Niclrnames, of states and cities, 7, 8;
quotation marks with, 103, 104.
Ni,ghts, used as adverb, 3.
No good, 159.
No less than, subject not made
plural by, 15.
No one, concord of, 15, 176.
.No place, for nowhere, 144.
No use, 15!1.
Nobod?J, concord of, 15, 176.
Nominative case, 16.
Not to exceed, 159.
Notorious, lfi!J.
Nouns, for other parts of speech, 3.
Novelty of phrase, straining for,
7, 8.
"Nowhere near," 159.
Number, agreement in, of verbs and
pronouns 14 ff., 176.
Numbers, method of representing,
113 ff.

234

INDEX

0 and oh, 69.
Object of a verb or a preposition, in
objective case, 17.
Objective case, 17.
Observance and observation, 15!J.
O'er, !J.
Of for have, lli!J.

"OC three years old," HiO.
"Off of," IGO.
"Officiating clergyman," 8.
Oft, ofttimes , oftentimes, !J.
"Old, of three years," 160.
Omission, of articles and possessives, 40; of prepositions, 40; of
part of a statement of comparison,
41.

On the side, 160.
"On this particular day," 6.
One, preferable to you, 5; concord
of, 15, 176; not to be preceded by
a, 160.
"Ones, the," 160.
Only, position of, 32, 182; use of a
negative with, 55, 187.
Or, subject not ma<l e plural by, 15;
misused for nor, IGO.
Order of parts in a s e ntence, 32 JI.,
181, 182.
"Order out of chaos," 7.
Organization of sentences, 30, 31,
185; of whole compositions, 62 ff.
Ornament, literary, 7; in handwriting, 77.
Other or else in than or as clauses,
53.
Other times , 160.
Ought, misuse of had with, lGO, 176.
Our .Mutual Friend, tho title, 158.
Our.~elves, for we, 6.
'Out loud," lGO.
)utlines for co mpos itions , valne of,
li2, G:J; m eth od of making, 121 fi.
'Outside of," mo.
)verlapping subordination, 47.
'Over with," 160.
' Overly," 160.
Pachyderm, 8.

~ages,

manuscript, arrangement of,
77; numbering of, 77; in letters,
arrangement of, 137, orde r in
which to use, 137.
0
air, used as plural, IGO.
'Pants," 4.

Paradise Lost, quoted, 18.
Paragraphs, 78 ff.
Parallelism in sentence-structure, 4,!J
1I., 184; misuse of, ul, li2, 18G; utilized in organizi11g- long sentences,
00, :31, 180.
l'aronthosis 111 a l'lrn, 100; anto<"e«lm1t
oC a pro1101111 .enclosctl i11, 2o; 1igures enclose<! 111, llo.
Parenthetic matter, set ofI by commas, 90; by paren thesis marks,
100; by dashes, 9!J.
Parenthetic position of therefore,
however, etc., 35; of modifiers in
general, 34.
·
Partake of, 161.
Participial conclusions in letters 134.
Participial phrases, mistaken' for
sentences, 12, 191, 192.
Participle, anachronous, 23; dangling, 2G, 27, 181; preceded immediately by too or very , 1(;9.
Parts of a co mposition, organization
of, 64; order of, 62, G3; misplacing
of, 64 ; cohererrce between, HG, (i().
Parts of speech, errors r egardi11g
(improprieties) , 3, 4.
!'arty, lfi1.
P assive voice, 20, 31- 32.
Past-perfect tense, past misused for,
22.
Past tense, indefinite use of, 22; misu sed for past-perfect, 22.
"Peek," Hil.
Per (Latin preposition), 161.
l'er cent., 4, 73, lfil.
Perfect conditional forms, misused
for prese nt, 2:3.
Perree t infini tivcs, misused for present, 23.
Period, use or, DO, D5.
l'e1·son, a, concord of, 15, 176.
Phase, 161.
Phenomena, 161.
"Phone," 4.
"Photo," 4.
Piano, misuse of, 161.
Piece for distance, 161.
"Pigskin-chasers," 8.
Place; see Any place, Every place,

1Vo place, Some place.
Places, used as adverb, 3.

Plain English, remark or. 9.
"Plan on," llil.

235

INDEX

Please , will you please preferable to, Proper names, capitals with, 116, 117,
134.
"Pl ease firHl enclosc<l," 1:14,
'' Plca8ing n1au11cr, in a,"{).

l'lcnly,

4; lfi~ .

l'loo11af"rn, fiii, 58.
l)o o, ~l'o<llk <li c l.in11, !l.
l'oetry co rrect met.h od of putting,
on paper, 81i, 81i.
Point of view, in sentences, 31; in
whole co mpositions, 61, U2.
Poorly, for ill, HJ.
Portray, 1G2.
Position of members in a sentence,
32 ff.' 181.
P ossessive adjectives, no apostrophe
with, 106.
Possessive case, misuse of, 18; with
gernnds, 18; apostrophe with, lOli.
Postage st.amp, aflixing of, 142.
l'ostal, W2.
Postell, 1G2.
Pred ieate adjective and ad verb, rul e
co ncrm1i11g, rn.
Predicate snhstantive, with finite
verb, case or, 17 , 178; with infinitive, case of, 17, 178; sentence us etl
as, 14; when or where clause used
as, 14; verb attracted from correct
n mn ber by, 15.
" Prefer than," 162.
Preposit.io11, case of ohjcct of, 17;
awkward panse :dt.er , :.ii;; e nding a
sentence, ::$7; repetition o f, 45; incorrect omission of: time modifiers, 40; size, lfi(i; way, 170; no
use, l5!J.
Present, the histori cal, !J; parti c ipl e,
use<l armchro11011sly, 2:1.
Preten t iousn ess of sty le, prod need by
hi g h-flown lan g nage, !J; by poetic
diction, !) ; by the u se of the histori cal present, !) ; by using we and
the writer for I, 10.
"Pretty picture, made a," 6.
"Preventative," 4.
Principal verbs,- use of, in double
capacity, 38.
"Privilege, had the," 6.
Pronouns, misuses of, 5-6; reference
of, 23 fi., 180.
Pronunciation, correct, of certain
words often mispronounced, 219 ff.

11J5.

Propose, for purpose, 162.
l'roposition , Hi2.
"l'ronrl

pOSHCHH<>I',

"Proven," i,

ihe ," 7.

.If>~.

l'rov e rhH, had< 11 oyn<l, 7.

J'rovirliny, for 11rovir/P.tl, 1G2.

P11netuatio11, !JO ff . , J!ll ff.
P ·u t in, for spend, 1G2.
"l'ut in an appearauce," 162.

Quality , 163.
Question m a rk, 98.
Questions, shall and will in, 20, 21,
180; punctuation of, 98, 102, 195.
Quite , 163; position of, 32.
"Quite a few," 163.
" Quite a Ji ttle ," 163.
Quotation marks, shape of, 76; use5
of, lOL ff., 108-lO!J, l!l5.
Quotations, hackneyed , 7; extend ed,
position of, 011 page , 87; paragraphing of, 80 1I., l!J5; punctuation of,
lOi 1I., 108-lO!J, 1U5.
Rn.ise, for rear, 1G3 ; for increase
(11ouu), 16:3; coufounded with 1ise,
163, 173.

R an and run, 175.
R ang and nm,q, 175.
"Rarely ever," 1G3.
Real, used as ad verb, 4, 1G3.
R eason , illogical use of, 164, 186.
"Recipient, the, of," ().
Redundance: tautology, 55; pleo·
11as m, G5; wordiness, 55, li7.
Rererc11ce of pronouns and pronominal expressions, 23 1I ., 180.
Re lative clause, pos ition of, 8:~34,
181-182; "and which," 41; restrictive and 11on-restri ctive, 92, 193.
"Remember of," 164.
Remote r eference of pronouns, 24.
'' Render a selection," etc., 6.
Rendition, 6.
Repast, 6.
Repetition, of words, with change of
meaning, 56; awkward, 56; awkward avoidance of, 56; of the conjunction that, 57; of prepositions,
subordinating conjunctions, and
the infinitive-sign, for clearness.
44 ff.

-

236

INDEX

Replete, 6.
Residence, 9.
Restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers, 92, 193.
Retfre, !J.
Reverend (title), 1G4.
Rhetoric, defined, 201; distinguished
from grammar, 201.
Rhetorical ornament, triteness in, 6
ff.; affectation in, !) ff.; mixed
figures of speech, 11, 12.
Ri,q, 164.
"Right away,"" right off,'' 1G4.
Rise and raise, 163, 173.
Rode and ridden, 175.
Roman numbers, not used for page
numbers, 77; shape of, 77.
Rose and rfaen, 175.
Run, for ran, 175; for operate, 164.
Ruskin, 2.
"Sadder, but wiser," 7.
Said, as in "he said to come," 165.
Swne, used as a pronoun, 134, 164;
as an adverb, 164.
Sanq and s1m,q, 175.
Sarcasm, distinguished from irony,
204.
Say, as in" He says to go on," 165.
"Scantily attired," 8.
Scarcely, position of, 32; negatives
incorrectly used with, 55, 187; than,
till, and until incorrectly used with,

ms.

dination and subordination in,
41 ff.; parallelism in, 4!J ff.; logical agreement amoug men1lwrs of,
53-54; redundancc of words in, 55;
repetition of words in , 5u-57; euphony of, 58; variety in structure
of, 5!J; transitional, G5.
Sentinel, hackneyed figure of
speech, 6.
Series, dissimilar elements in the
form of, l\2; punctuation of:
comma before the conjunction, 92.
Set and sit, 165, 174.
Set, used as plural, lGO.
Shall and will, 20-21, 180.
Shape, misuse of, Hi5.
Shifting of tense, in narration, 61,
indescription,(i2; ofpointo(view,
in sentences, 31, in whole compositions, GI, li2.
"Should of," l!;B.
Show, misuses of, 1G5, 100.
"Show up," mu.
Showy language, 9; synonyms, 57.
" Sight, a," 166.
Simile, incongruous, 11-12.
Sit and set, 1G5, 174.
Size, used as adjective, 166.
"Size up,'' 166.
Sleeper, for sleepin,q car, 148.
Smoker, for smokin,q car, 148.
Smoothness, in narration, 10; in sen·
tence-order, 35-3().
Snap,

237

INDEX

rnn.

Scare, used as intran sitive, 151.
School, for college, 1U5.
Search, "in search for," 165.
See and saw, 174.
"Seem, can't, or couldn' t," 165.
St!e n, fur saw, 174.

So for vci·y, lGG; preferred to

"Sel<lorn ever," "seldo1n or ever,''
Hl5.
Selection, misuse of, 165.
Semicolon, 95 ff., 191 ff.
Sentences, defined, 209; classified,
209; subordinate elements mistaken for, 12, 1!)1-192; grammatically incomplet e, 13; used as subject or predicate complement, 14;
fundamental grammatical rules regarding, 14 ff. ; unity of, 2!J ff. ;
stringy, 29; straggling, 30; change
of point of view in, 31 ; arrangement of members of, 32 ff.; coor-

l!J:J.
So habit, the, 43, 184.

a.~,

after a negative, 144; in<'.OtTcctly
used to cm111cct verbs, 4:l; cx<:. es~
s ive use of, for compo umling sc11 .
tenccs, 4:1 ; p1111ct.uatiu11 with, when
used to compound sentences, !JG,
"Social function," 7.
"Solid,'' words that should be writ.
ten, 73, 107; words incorrectly writ.
ten, 73.
Some, used as ad verb , 4, 166.
Sorne one, concord of, 1.'i, 176.
" Some one bas said," 6.
Some place, for somewhere, 166.
Somebody, concord of, 15, 176.
"Sort, t h ese or those,'' 166.

Sort of,

H~i.

"Sought his downy couch," 6.

Space in l\Is., between lines, 73; between words, 73; between sentences, 74; m:trgins , 77.
Spacing-out, at 011d of paragraph, 78.
Specie, for s}l ecfos , WG.
Species, correct use of, lGG.
"Specimen o f hum:wity," 6.
Spellin ,g, rul es regarding, and exercises in : doubling Jinal co usonants ,
67, 187; dropping finale, (i7, 188;
retai11i11g final e, G7, 188 ; change of
final y to i, GS, 188; of fimtl ie to y,
68, 188; plnr:tls in s aml es, G8, 188;
present t hird singu lars in s a11d e~~ ,
US, 188; receive, believe, etc., GS, lS!J;
principal am! pri.ndple, G8, lnl ; 0
and oh, G!J ; ad verhs i 11 lly, 188; ly
written for ally, 18!); the endings el
a1ul le, 18!1; t.ho acljcct.ivc ending
f11l, 18!1; t.h!\ :tdj ndivo ending 011s,
18!J; tho ad V<! rh prefix al, lS!l;
disaPJJear and llisapJJ Oint, 18!);

professor, lS!J; precede, proceed,
recede, concede , succeed, and supersede, l!JO; busi ness , l!JO; lose and
loose, 100; lead and led, 100; to, too,
and two, 100; accept and except,
190; a.f}ect and e.ftect, l!Jl; advise,
advice, devise and device, 192 ; a

Subordination, value of, in composition, 4:3; exercise in securing variet.y of, 184; overlapping, 47; improper, by means of when clauses,
48-4!J.
Substantive clause; see Clauses.
Substantives, used for other parts of
speech, 3; other parts of speech
misused for, 3-4.
Such, for so, 167; "such who,'' 167;
"such so that," 167.
Such as, punctuation with, 107.
Su.icide, used as a verb, 3.

Summer's day,

!).

Sums of money, method of r epresent·
ing, 114.
"Sundown," 1G7.
"S1111flowcr State,'' 7.
"R111111p," Hi7.

"Superior th:u1," 1G7.
Superlative, Lite of phrase limiting
a, 54.
Superscriptions of letters, 141-142.
Su spicion, used as verb, 3.
Swain and swum, 175.
Sw ell, used as adjective, 167.
Syllabication, 110 ff.
Synonyms, used for clear r eference,
24; objectionable use of, 57.

list of words often misspelled, 6!J;
t, cross-stroke of, 76.
general exercise, Hlfl.
Tabulations, indention in, ·37; to be
Split infi II i ti vcs, ;_1;;, rn:i.
set apart 011 the page, 88.
S11ranr1 and s11r1rny, 175.
Take, for study, lli7.
Squinting mrnlifinrs, 34.
1'ake in, for attend, 1G7.
Start for bryhi, lW.
Take it, introducing an illustration,
Start out, lliG.
HiS.
Stea l, 11sccl a.s noun, 4.
Toke stock in, ms.
Stcvc1rno11, 2, :i.
Taste in literary style, 7 ff.
St'ill, punctuation with, !JG.
"Tasty," 4.
Stop, fnr slay, lfi7.
Tautology, 5fl.
Straggli ng sc11tc11ccs, 30.
Tawdry English, 8.
Strata, 1G7.
Team, 167.
Stringy sentences, 29.
T ennyson, 30, 86, 103, 185.
Strong close of a sentence, 36.
Tense, shifting of, in narration and
"Struggling mass of humanity,'' 8.
description, 61, 62; see also Present,
"Student. body, the," 6.
Past tense, F'uture tense, Perfect.
Subject, illogical use of, 167.
Subject, of a verb, case of, 16, 177- Thackeray, 2.
Than, misuse of, with superior and
178; of a composition, 60.
inferior, 1G7; with vrefer and prefSubordinate clanse; see Clauses.
erable , 1G2; with hardly and
Subordinate sentence-clements , misscarcely, 1G8; case of a substantive
taken for sentences, 12, l!Jl-l!J2.
following, 17, 178; clause introSubordinating conjunctions, repetiduced by, used in double capacity,
tion of, for clearness, 46.

238

INDEX

INDEX

other or else in, Ci3; than To1·e and torn, 115.
Transitional sentences,
whom, 18.
graphs, 80.
That, used as adverb, 1G8; indefinite
38;

use of, 5; weak reference of, 24;
conjunction, careless repetition of,
57; clauses introduced by, not to
be preceded by comma, 94.
That is, punctuation with, 107-108.
"That there," 168.
Them, used as adjective, 4.
Then, used to connect verbs, 43;
punctuation with, HG, 193.
Therefore, posi tion of, 85; punctuation with, 9(), HJ3.
" These here," 11i8.
"These kind," " These sort," 155.
They, indefinite use of, 5.
This, used as adverb, 1G8; weak reference of, 24.
"This here," 168.
Those, indefinite use of, 5.
"Those kind," "those sort," 155.
"Those present," 6.
·
"Those there," 168.
" Those with whom we come in contact," 7.
Through, misuse of, 168.
"Throwed," 175.
Thus, participles preceded by, 27;
punctuation with, 9li, 193.
"Tie the knot," 8.
Till, for when, after hardly or

scarcely, lli!l.
Ti m es , used as adverb, 3.
'Tis, in prose ; 9.

(it);

para·

Transitive verbs misused as intrausi·
tive; see Hustle, Locate, Set, Lay,

Raise, J!'ri.qhten, Scare .
Transpire, 169.
Transposition in Ms., 89.

" Treat on," " treat with," for treat
of, 169.
Trend, 169.
Trite expressions, 6.
"Try and," 169.
'Twas , 9.

U,qly, 169.
Unauthorized words, 4.
Uncompleted comparisons, 41.
Undated past tense, 22.

Underhanded,

1()!).

Ungrammatical coordination, 41.
Uniting of expressions properly written as separate words, 73.
Unity, of sentences, 2!) ff.; of whole
compositions, 59 ff. ; of paragraphs, 83.
Until, for when, 1G9.
"Untiring efforts," 6.
Up, combined with certain v erbs, 1G9.
Up to date, 170.
Upside-down subordination, 49.
Usage, good, 1 ff.

" Want I Ahon Id go," and similar exprcssiurn:i, 170. ·
" ·\.Yant in" aml similar expressions,
170.
Way, for away, 170; u sed adverbially witl!Out a preposition, 170. l.Yays , used as singu lar, 170.
We, for I, 10; the ed itoria l, 10-11.
'Weak reference of this and that, 24.
Well, colloquial, 170.
"Wended his way," 6.
·went and _qone , 175.
lVhen, mi s use of, 170; clause introdnce(I hy, use( ! a~ predicate complemcn t, 14, usctl tu eml.Jody a
statement u[ primary importance,
48, 4~1.
J.Vherc, for th at, 171; clause introduced by, usctl as predicate complement, 14.
"Where to," 171.
'Which, applied to persons, 171.
While, misuse o f, 171..
Who, applied to a nimals, 171 ; u sed
for whom, 17, 177, 178; whom used
for, rn, 177, 178.
Whole compositions, unity of, 59 ff.;
organization of, 62 ff.; coherence
of, 65 ff.

Whose, 171..

239

Will and shall, 20-21, 180.
"Win out," 171.
"Windy City, the," 7~8.
l.Yire, misuse of, 3, 171.
With, subject not made plural by, 15.
1'Voods, used as singular, 171.
Word-breaking; see Syllabication.
Wordiness , 55, 57.
Words, used in double capacity, 37
ff.; repetition of, 44 ff., 56-57;
pronunciation of, 219 ff.; see also
Diction.
.
Woulcl bett er, wo11ld best , 171.
lVould have, for h acl, 171.

"\.Yould liked," 156.
" vVonld of," 171.
Would rathei·, 171.
"Write up," 171.
J.Vi ·iter, the, for I, 10.
Writing materials, 77, 137.
Wrote and written, 175.

x, crossing of, 76.
You, used indefinitely, 5.
" Yon was," 171, 176.
"Yours," "yours received," in let
ters, 183.
Youi·self, yourselves, for you, 6.
"Yourself and family," 6.

Variety of subordination, valnc of,
43, exercise in securing, 184; of
sentence-structure, 59.
"Variety, the spice of life," 4.
Verbs, misused as nouns, 4; other
parts of speech misused as, 3, 4;
agreement of, with subjects, 14
ff., 176.
Verse, arrangement of, on the page,
84, 86.
Very, preceding participles, 170.
"Vim," 3, 170.
Violin. misnse of, 170.
Viz., punctuation with, 107-108; pro11unciation of, 225.
Vocal, used as noun, 4, 170.
Vocatives, pun ctuation with, 90.
Voice, misuse of, 170.

Titles, of persons, not to be abbreviated, in general, 113, which are
properly abbreviated, 113, when
capitalized, 116; of compositions,
elliptical clauses in, 28, composition to b egin coherently, regardless
of, 65, position of, on the page, 77,
not to be quoted, 104; of literary
and artistic works in general, principal words in, to be capitalized, 117,
to be italicized, 118, initial the in,
when includ ed, when excluded, 118.
To, in as to, in regard to, etc., used
in doubl e capacity, 39--40.
Toadstool, 169.
To.qether with, subject not made
plural by, 15.
Wait on, for wait for, 170.
Too, preceding a participle, 169.
"Waited in breathless suspense," 7.
Topic, illogical use of, 169, 186.

_-.;i

