Right and Wrong Use of Words in Speaking and Writing
A and An.—a is used before a consonant sound; an, before a vowel sound; as, “a boy;” “an eye;” when a vowel has a consonant sound, as in the word eulogy, a, and not an, is required. In the case of words beginning with h, an is always required when h is silent; as, “an heir;” when h is aspirated, a is required, unless the accent is on the second syllable, when an is used; as, “a history;” “an historian.”
Abbreviations.—Such abbreviations or contractions as e’er, ne’er, o’er, e’en, ’tis, ’mid, and ’neath, are legitimate in verse, but should not be used in prose.
Ability for capacity.—Ability is the power of doing; capacity the faculty of receiving. “The ability is in me to do him good.” “Man’s capacities have never been measured.”
Abortive.—That is abortive which is premature, not brought to completion. A plan may be abortive but not an act. We may speak of an abortive effort.
About.—Not to be used as almost. “The day is almost gone,” not “The day is about gone.”
Above is an adverb, not an adjective. Say “The address given above,” not “The above address;” the “foregoing section,” not the “above section.”
Accept of.—Never use the preposition after this verb. We accept invitations, presents, hospitality, and the like.
Accept and Except.—Accept means to take when offered; except means to leave out, to exclude. I accepted the gift. All except two will go.
Accord.—To accord means to render or bestow upon another, as honor: therefore one should never say, “The information he desired was accorded him.”
Administer.—The man died from blows administered by the policeman. Oaths, medicine, affairs of state are administered. Blows are dealt.
Affect, Effect.—To affect means to influence or to pretend. To effect means to bring about. “He affected intoxication.” “He affected the audience strongly.” “I shall effect a reform.”
Afraid.—The adjective afraid should not be used for the verb fear; thus: we say, “I am afraid of fire,” but “I fear I cannot go,” not “I am afraid I cannot go.”
Aggravate means to heighten, intensify, or make worse. Do not use it for annoy or provoke.
Ain’t.—This is illiterately employed as a contraction for are not, am not, is not. Even as a contraction of am not it is censured by many critics, the form I’m not being universally preferred. “Am I not?” is required in interrogative sentences.
Allow.—This word is frequently misused for think, as “I allow that I shall go to town.” Say, “I think that,” etc.
Allude means to refer to indirectly, and not the same as mention. “By mentioning his lifelong companion he alluded to his wife.”
Almost.—Careless speakers sometimes err in saying most for almost, as, for example, “I have read most all the books in the library,” for “almost all.”
Among and Between.—Among is distributive, and may apply to any number more than two; between is used of only two persons or things; as, “They discussed this among themselves;” “This is between us two.”
Among One Another.—“Among one another” is censured by critics, “with one another,” or “among themselves” being suggested as preferable.
And should not be used instead of to in such sentences as “I’m going to go and get it,” for “I’m going to get it”; “Try and do it,” for “Try to do it.”
Angry At and Angry With.—“Angry at” is used when expressing anger for an animal or an inanimate object; “Angry with,” for a human being; as, “He is angry at his dog;” “He is angry with his brother.”
Anybody else’s, Anybody’s else.—The predominance of usage seems to be in favor of the first form, which is correct according to analogy of similar cases, which “throw” the apostrophe and s to the last word of the unified expression, generally nouns in apposition.
Any One, One, anybody, each, any one, everybody, either, neither, one, some one, somebody, should be followed by singular pronouns, or verbs.
Any one, anybody, each, every one, everybody, either, neither, nobody, some one, somebody, may be followed by he or his.
“Any one of these patterns is suitable.” “Every one of the ladies is here.” “Each one of the soldiers has a new uniform.” “If any one wishes to make a suggestion, I wish he (or she, or he or she) would make it.” “Anybody in his senses would have done it.”
One should be followed, by one or one’s. “One dislikes to be told of one’s errors.”
Appreciate means to estimate justly. “I appreciate his ill-will.” means “I am fully aware of the extent and intensity of his ill-will.”
Apt, Likely, Liable.—Apt means quick or skillful. “He is apt to learn,” means that he learns readily. “He is likely to learn,” means that he will probably learn. “He is liable to learn,” is incorrect. Liable for means responsible for; liable to means subject to. “He is liable for the entire sum, and liable to imprisonment if he does not pay.”
Apprehend and Comprehend.—Apprehend means to perceive; as, “I apprehend danger.” Comprehend means to understand; as, “I comprehend your meaning.”
As should not be used for that in such constructions as, “I do not know that I do.”
As—As, So—As.—Use the former in affirmative and the latter in negative propositions. “We are as wise as our teachers.” “I am not so young as I used to be.”
As If It Was.—Were, and not was, is required after as if, for the reason that the supposition is not known; thus: “It looks as if it were all right,” not “it looks as if it was all right.”
As though is often used for as if. In the sentence “He walked as though he were lame,” if the ellipsis is supplied the error will be evident. “He walked as (he would walk) though he were lame.” As though is seldom correct.
At, At and To, At All.—The presence of at improves such constructions as “He is at home,” instead of “He is home.” At and to are superfluous in such sentences as, “Where is he?” and “Where has he gone?” hence, their use should be avoided. At all is superfluous in such sentences as, “There is no use in your going;” “I do not know him.”
Authoress, Actress.—The terms “authoress,” “doctress,” “editress,” “poetess,” “lecturess,” are no longer used, author, doctor, etc., being correct for both sexes. Actress, not actor, however, is the required form for the feminine gender.
Avocation, Vocation.—Avocation should not be used for vocation. Vocation is one’s employment; avocation, one’s diversion from that employment.
Awful, Awfully.—Do not use these words as intensives or for supposed force. Awful should mean that which inspires awe. “The awful mysteries of the world unseen.”
Bad, Badly.—Bad is not to be used for severe, as “I have a bad headache.” Badly is also inelegantly used for very much, as “I need money badly.”
Character.—It is in general wrong to speak of a person as a character. Character is justly applied to the ideal personages delineated by novelists. Possessing no real personality, they are characters and nothing more.
Character, Reputation.—One’s character is what one really is; one’s reputation is what people think of one. We may have a good character and a poor reputation, and vice versa.
Choose, Chosen.—“She has chose the blue silk.” Say “has chosen.” But say, in the imperfect, “she chose him in preference to the others.”
Combine together.—“He combined them together.” Omit together.
Commence, Begin.—Begin, when followed by a verb, takes to and the infinitive after it. Commence should take the present participle. We “begin to do,” we “commence working.” Begin may take the participle, but commence should take the infinitive.
Consonant.—“It is consonant to our nature,” is a more usual expression than “it is consonant with.” But consonant with is not improper.
Contractions, while not permissible in dignified utterance or in formal writing, are in accordance with the conversational employment of the language. The following is the list:
I’m not, you’re not, he’s not, we’re not, they’re not are used in the declarative form, and isn’t he (she, or it), aren’t you (we, they) in the interrogative. In the declarative form, You’re not, he’s not, etc., are preferable to you aren’t, he isn’t, etc. Am I not is not contracted, ain’t being regarded as objectionable for am I not, and as a vulgarism for isn’t. [See ain’t.]
“He (she or it) don’t” for He (she or it) doesn’t is always incorrect. I don’t, you don’t, he doesn’t, we don’t, you don’t, they don’t, are in accordance with the conversational employment of the language.
Mayn’t I (or may I not) is correct in the interrogative form; you can’t (or you can not) in the declarative form. In this connection note that may is used when asking and granting permission, and that can, which ordinarily expresses ability, is used in the declarative form when denying permission; thus: “May I go.” “No, you can not.”
The contractions shan’t and won’t are in accordance with conversational usage.
Conversant.—We are conversant with men and in things. Conversant about things is improper.
Converse together.—“They conversed together for more than an hour.” Omit together.
Copy.—We copy after a person; we copy after actions. We copy from things, as from a picture, or from a statue. In such case, a copy from the work is also said to be a copy after the artist.
Correspond.—Correspond, meaning to hold intercourse by means of letters, is followed by with. “I have corresponded with him for several years.” With is also used with correspond, to signify consistent with. Correspond is frequently followed by to, when it expresses adaptability or appropriateness. “His style of living corresponded to his means.”
Cover over.—“He covered it over.” Say “he covered it.”
Dead corpses.—“Evil spirits are not occupied about the dead corpses of bad men.” Omit dead; it is implied in corpses.
Dependent.—“He is dependent of his father.” Say “dependent on.” But with independent say of.
Derogate.—Say derogate from, derogatory to, “derogation from,” or to.
Depot, Station.—A depot is properly a place where goods or stores are kept. The place where a railway train stops for passengers may better be called a station.
Did, Done.—“Who done it?” Say “who did it?” “who has done it?”
Differ.—We differ with a person in opinion. One differs from another in other respects. The English barbarism of differ to, different to, is intolerable, and reverses the meaning of the word to.
Direct, Address.—We address a letter to a person. We direct it to his post office, to the point at which, or to the person through whom, he will receive it. A letter addressed to the president may be directed to his secretary.
Disappointed, Agreeably Disappointed.—It is better to say agreeably surprised. The meaning most closely associated with disappointment is that it is not agreeable.
Dissent.—We dissent from, not with.
Distinct, Distinctly.—“The girl speaks distinct.” Say “speaks distinctly.”
Divide.—We divide things between two, among many.
Drank, Drunk.—“He was very thirsty, and drunk eagerly.” Say “drank.” “He has drank three glasses of soda water.” Say “has drunk.” “Drunken,” the ancient form of the participle, is not now used.
Drove, Driven.—“They have drove very fast.” Say “they have driven.” But, using the imperfect, say “They drove the people out, and locked the gates.”
Dry.—“I am dry, let me have a glass of water.” Say “I am thirsty.” Using dry in this sense suggests the dramshop.
Each, Either.—“A row of trees stood on either side of the river.” The use of either in such cases is disapproved by some writers, but it is sanctioned by long and unexceptional usage, and by the deliberate judgment of well-informed critics. The use of each—“a row of trees stood on each side of the river” is indisputably correct.
Each, Every, Either are singular, and take the verb in the singular number. Such errors as the following should be guarded against: “Each of the daughters take an equal share.” Say “takes.” “Every leaf, every twig, every blade, every drop of water, teem with life.” Say “teems.” Also, instead of “one of those houses have been sold,” say “has been sold.”
Eat, Ate, Eaten.—Say “I ate my breakfast at five o’clock this morning,” not “I eat it,” or “I et it.” “I have eaten my dinner,” not “I have ate it,” or “I have et it.”
Either is followed by or. “I shall either send it or bring it myself.”
Either and Neither are used when two objects are mentioned, or two assertions are made; when there are more than two objects or assertions, they need not be employed. In such case, instead of either, no pronoun or conjunction need be used; instead of neither, no or not may be employed. When two persons are mentioned, “Either you or I must go.” In case of three persons, “You or I or John must go.” With two assertions, negative, “He will neither do it himself nor let any one else do it.” With three negative assertions, “He will not publish the accounts of his office, or allow the public access to them, or permit them to be examined by competent, impartial parties.” Usage on the last point is not uniform. Very many good writers use neither, nor, nor, with three or more negative assertions.
Emigrant, Immigrant.—An emigrant is a person who goes out from a country or a state to reside in another; an immigrant is one who comes into the state to live, from abroad.
Equally as.—As should not be used after equally. Say equally high, equally dear, equally handsome, etc.; not equally as high, equally as dear, equally as handsome.
Equally as well as.—“I can do it equally as well as he.” Omit equally; it is implied in the words as well as.
Equally the same.—“It is equally the same.” Say “it is the same.”
Everybody, Anybody.—Refers to male and female.
For want of a pronoun of common gender, use the masculine—he, his, him—unless the other sex is specified. “They” is plural and must not be used.
Anybody can do what they like. (wrong.)
Anybody can do what he likes.
Everybody will have to make up their minds. (wrong.)
Everybody will have to make up his mind.
Everybody has their faults. (wrong.)
Everybody has his faults.
If anybody calls, let them wait. (wrong.)
If anybody calls, let him wait.
Exceeding, Exceedingly.—“He was exceeding kind to me.” Say exceedingly kind. “She was exceeding careful.” Say exceedingly careful.
Except, Unless, are often used confusedly. “I shall go except I am ill.” Say “unless I am ill.” “I saw them all unless two or three.” Say “except two or three.” The correct usage is easily learned by observing that except should be used as a preposition, unless as a conjunction.
Fall.—We fall under reproach, notice, censure, etc. We fall from our friends, from virtue; we fall upon our enemies, among evil associations, into bad habits.
Farther, Further.—Farther refers to space; further to time, degree, and extensions of thought. The distinction is not a necessary one, but it is now very generally observed.
Fewer, Less.—Fewer relates to numbers, less to quantities. “No man had less friends,” should be fewer friends. But say less money, less strength, etc.
Few, Little, Many, Much.—Few and many refer to number; little and much to quantity. In speaking of articles that are rated by counting, use few and many; in speaking of articles which are rated by measure, use little and much. “A few potatoes,” “so many days.”
First.—“The two first” should be “the first two.” There can be only one first.
Fluent, Fluently.—“He speaks very fluent.” Say very fluently.
Forward, backward, toward, upward, onward, downward, hitherward, thitherward, afterward, heavenward, earthward, etc., should be written without the final s which is often added to them.
Funeral obsequies.—Say obsequies. The sense of funeral is contained in this word. It would be as proper to speak of a “wedding marriage-ceremony” as of “funeral obsequies.”
Generally, always, never, often, rarely, seldom, sometimes, are adverbs which generally come before the verb.
Gentleman friend, Lady friend.—Instead of “my gentleman friend,” say “my friend Mr. ——.” Instead of “my lady friend,” say “my friend Miss ——,” or Mrs. ——.
Gentleman, Lady.—These titles have been applied without discrimination till they have lost almost all the meaning they once had. Many persons have ceased to use them entirely, and employ man and woman as good enough titles for anybody. There are no nobler titles than man, woman; no higher expressions for qualities of grace or virtue than manly, womanly.
Get.—“I am afraid Mary is getting crazy.” Say “is growing,” or “is becoming crazy.” “John got left by the train.” Say “was left.” We get anything that we come in possession of. We may also get a disease. But get must be followed by a noun as its object.
Good for Well.—“He can do it as good as any one else can.” Say as well.
Got.—I have a pen. Not I have got a pen.
Gratuitous.—“That is a gratuitous assumption.” It is better to say “unfounded,” “unreasonable,” or “unwarranted.”
Guess.—Guess is commonly used in the United States to mean think, as in “I guess you are right” for “I think,” etc.
Had ought.—Provincial and incorrect. Had or any form of the verb to have cannot correctly be used as an auxiliary with ought. Use should or ought not. Not “He hadn’t ought to have gone,” but “He should not have gone.”
Hain’t.—A vulgarism. There is no such contraction for have not or has not.
Hang, Hanged.—The verb hang has two forms for the past participle, hanged and hung. Hanged is used for persons; hung for other objects. “The man was hanged.” “The coat was hung on the rack.”
He, Him.—It is him whom.—“It is him whom you said it was.” Say “it is he.”
Healthy, Healthful.—That is healthy which is in good health; that is healthful which promotes health. “Bread and milk is a healthful food which makes healthy children.”
I and Me.—“They went with James and I.” Say “with James and me.”
If I was.—Use the subjunctive in all cases where the conditions are contrary to fact. “If I were you, I should go.” “If I were a man, I should practice law.” I am not you, and I am not a man. Use the indicative in cases of uncertainty. “If I was in town that day, I did not see you.” I am uncertain as to whether I was or not.
In, Into.—Use in to signify rest in a place; use into to signify motion toward a place. “He was standing with his hands in his pockets.” “I put my hands into my pockets.” “I came in an automobile.” “The stranger walked into the room.”
Indeterminate possessive.—“Every child should obey their parents.” Say “his parents.” “No one should incur censure for being careful of their good character.” Say his, or her if talking more particularly of women. “Let each of us mind their own business.” Say “his own business.” Their is frequently used improperly, as a substitute. In such cases, his or her should be used, according as the object most prominent in the expression, or in the speaker’s thought, is masculine or feminine. In cases of doubt or indifference, use his. In the nominative we may say one. But in the possessive and objective we must say his, him or her.
Indifferent, indifferently.—“He was indifferent honest.” Say “indifferently honest.”
Infinitive.—See Split Infinitive.
Ingenuous, Ingenious.—Ingenuous is simple, honest, open, unaffected. Ingenious is skillful, versatile, ready in contriving.
Jew, Hebrew, Israelite.—A Jew is a member of the Hebraic division of the Semitic race; in consequence Hebrew is the linguistic name of the Jews. Historically, under the theocracy, they were known as Hebrews; under the monarchy, as Israelites; and during foreign domination, as Jews. The modern representatives of this stock call themselves Hebrews in race and language, and Israelites in religion, but Jews in both senses.
Jewelry, Jewels.—Jewelry is a collective noun, and jewels is a plural noun. In nice usage the term jewelry designates the stock of a jeweler; jewels, the articles of adornment worn by a lady.
Join issue and Take issue.—In nice usage, “join issue” means to admit the right of the denial of a statement. “Take issue” means merely to deny.
Kind of should not be used for somewhat. Instead of “I am kind of tired,” one properly says, “I am somewhat tired.”
Kind of a.—A is superfluous in such constructions as, “What kind of man is he?” (not “kind of a”). The same rule applies to sort.
Kind and Kinds.—See These and This.
Know, Knew, Known.—“I knowed it.” Say “I knew it.” “I have knowed it all along.” Say “I have known it.”
Latter end.—“I expect to get through by the latter end of the week.” Say “by the end of the [721] week.” “The latter end of that man shall be peace.” Say “the end of that man.”
Learn, Teach.—These words are often confounded. The pupil learns, the instructor teaches. One person cannot learn another, but must teach him.
Leave, Lief.—Say “give me leave to tell you,” not lief. But “I would as lief do it as not,” not leave.
Leisure upon one’s hands.—“If you have any leisure upon your hands.” Say “if you are at leisure.”
Lend, Loan.—“Loan me five dollars.” Say “lend me five dollars.” The money having been lent him, the borrower has obtained a loan of that sum, or has borrowed it.
Lengthways, Sideways, Otherways.—These forms are erroneous. Say, and write, lengthwise, sidewise, otherwise.
Lie, Lay.—Distinguish between the verbs:—
lie—to tell lies
Present Tense—He lies like truth.
Present Tense—He is lying.
Past Tense—But he lied unto him.
Past Tense—Wherefore have ye lied to me?
Past Tense—Why have you been lying to me?
lie—to lie down
Present—The dog lies under the table.
Present—The dog is lying under the table.
Past—He lay upon the bed.
Past—He has lain there for hours.
Past—He has been lying there for hours.
lay—to put a thing down
Present—The boy lays his books on the table.
Present—The boy is laying his books on the table.
Past—He laid his head upon the block.
Past—The hen has laid an egg.
Past—The hen has been laying all the winter.
Liable, Apt.—Apt means fit, ready, quick to do a thing, or to be subjected to certain conditions. It generally implies willingness. Liable signifies bound to duties, subject or exposed to inconveniences or dangers, and implies no regard to the will of its subject. “John will be apt to catch the fever if he goes into that house,” should be “John will be liable,” etc. A person who is studious may be spoken of as apt to learn, and liable to become dyspeptic.
Like.—“We don’t do that like you do.” Say “as you do.” This misuse of like is common with English women novelists. As should be used when a verb follows, or is understood to follow. Where no verb is implied, like may be employed.
Like for As.—Like should not be used as a conjunction. Say: “Do as I do,” not, “do like I do,” or, “do like me.”
Like, Love.—Love is often used instead of like, and is thereby made to lose all its force. We love what the heart goes out to, that for which we entertain a fond and lasting affection. We love wives, husbands, parents, children, near friends. We like what we have a taste for, what pleases us in passing, or what is generally agreeable to us, as acquaintances, sweetmeats, pleasant weather, music, painting, reading. We regret for a long time the loss of what we love, we soon cease to be troubled at missing what we like.
Limb.—“She fell, and bruised her limb.” Say what limb. The arm is a limb, as well as the leg. The foolish shame which avoids mentioning the leg by name, is not modesty, but prudery.
Lit.—Not to be used for lighted. Instead of saying “He lit the gas,” say “he lighted the gas.” Do not say “He lit on his feet,” but “he lighted on his feet.”
Locate.—“I shall locate in Iowa.” Say settle. Locate has acquired a certain technical currency. The purchaser of land warrants locates by selecting a particular tract to claim under it. Place, settle, fix, establish, can be substituted for it in most cases, and are better.
Mad.—Should not be used for angry.
Mail man.—An inelegant form for postman.
Me being.—“Me being absent, the young folks lived high.” Say “I being absent,” or “while I was absent,” or “during my absence.”
Me, I.—“Is it me you mean?” Say “is it I?” or “do you mean me?”
Me, My.—“In consequence of me neglecting.”—“The horse got away in consequence of me neglecting to fasten the gate.” Say “in consequence of my neglecting,” etc.
Monstrous.—Monstrous does not mean large. It means ill-formed, misshapen, deviating from the course of nature, of a character to inspire unpleasant feelings. But an object so unusually large as to appear terrible may be figuratively styled monstrous.
More—than, not more—as. “He was more beloved but not so much admired as his brother.” This sentence must be recast.
“He was more beloved than his brother, but not so much admired.” Or,
“Though not so much admired as his brother, he was more beloved.”
Mortgagor, Mortgagee.—The mortgagor is the debtor, who pledges the property which is in mortgage. The mortgagee is the creditor, to whom the mortgage is made.
Most.—Not to be used for almost; as “He is here most every day.”
Mutual.—Does not mean common, but reciprocal. “We may have a common friend, but a mutual dislike”; that is, a dislike for each other.
Myself.—Not to be used for I. Do not say “John and myself are friends”; but “John and I,” etc.
Near, Nearly.—“I lost near twenty pounds.” Say “nearly twenty pounds.”
Neither for Either.—“That is not the case, neither.” Say “either.” The double negative is wrong.
Neither, Nor.—Negatives other than neither may take or or nor as their correlative. With subjects connected by “either—or,” “neither—nor,” the verb must be singular:—
Neither he nor his brother were trained for the ministry.
should be
Neither he nor his brother was trained for the ministry.
Either the master or his servant was responsible.
Neither ignorance nor negligence has been the cause of his ruin.
New beginner.—Say beginner. When one begins anything, he is new at it of course.
Nice.—A very generally misused word. Properly nice means delicate, discriminating, fastidious. The works of a watch show nice construction; a man may be nice in his manners. The word should not be used to mean agreeable or charming as “I had a nice time.”
Nicely.—Do not use nicely for well, as “The sick man is doing nicely.”
Nobody else.—“There was nobody else but him.” Omit else.
No for Not.—“I cannot tell whether this is correct or no,” is wrong. Say, “I cannot tell whether this is correct or not.”
None, is the same as no one, and is properly singular. It is, however, used in both numbers, according as the context seems to make appropriate.
Not as I know of.—Incorrectly used for not that I know of.
Not me.—“Who made that noise?” “Not me.” Say “not I.” “It wasn’t me.” Say “it wasn’t I.” The use of me is defended by some writers.
Not only—but also.—Correlatives must be placed immediately before the words connected.
“He not only lent me his horse but also sent his carriage.”
“He lent me not only his horse but also his carriage.”
Number, Quantity.—Number should be used in [722] speaking of objects that are counted, quantity with those that are measured. Much, little, and less, answer to quantity, and many, few, and fewer, to numbers; more answers to both.
Of.—“A child of four years old.” Say “a child four years old,” or “a child of four years.”
Off of.—“There were ten yards of the cloth before I cut this piece off of it.” Say “before I cut this piece off it,” or “from it.”
One.—One is the only singular personal pronoun of common gender.
“One must not forget one’s duty to one’s country.” This frequent repetition is disagreeable.
“No man must forget his duty to his country.”
“A man must not forget his duty to his country.”
Only is best placed immediately before the word it modifies. In case there can be no ambiguity it may be placed immediately after the word it modifies.
Only I wrote to him to-day. (No one else wrote.)
I only wrote to him yesterday. (I did not telephone.)
I wrote only to him to-day. (I wrote to no one else.)
I wrote to him only to-day. (No longer ago than to-day.)
I wrote him to-day only. (I had not written before.)
This car for members only. (For none but members.)
Only, Alone.—“He alone can do it,” implies that he can do it without help. It would be better, “He can do it alone.” “He only can do it,” signifies that he, and no other person, can do it. Using alone in the sense of only may lead to ambiguity.
Onto.—We get on a horse and on a chair, not onto.
Orate.—An unauthorized form commonly used to mean to give an oration.
Over.—Do not use over in the sense of more than; as, “I have over a hundred dollars”; “The stick is over a yard long.”
Over a bridge.—“He went over the bridge.” It is more exact to say, “he went across the bridge.” A bird may fly over a bridge, if it does not touch the bridge.
Overhead and ears.—“We went in overhead and ears.” Say overhead. The head carries the ears. But “overhead and ears in debt” is a phrase which it will be hard to abolish.
Partial, Partially.—“This view is partially correct.” “Partly correct,” or “in part correct,” is better. Partially means, properly, one sided, with bias.
Persuasion, in the sense of religious denomination or belief, is objectional. Sect, denomination, belief, or “school of belief,” are proper substitutes.
Plunge down.—“He plunged down into the stream.” Omit down.
Possessives.—
Rule.—Use the apostrophe and the letter s (or change the form) only when the noun (or pronoun) itself represents the possessor.
This is a photograph of my uncle.
She is a servant of my aunt’s.
This is a criticism of John. (Some one else wrote it about John.)
This is an opinion of John’s. (John’s opinion; that is, John uttered it.)
This is an opinion of John. (Some one else uttered it.)
Plural and Singular Words.—Molasses is singular. The habit of giving it a plural construction is an error. Say “that molasses is souring,” not “them molasses are souring.”
Words like scissors, snuffers, tongs, trousers, etc., denoting articles which are paired or coupled, are plural, and take a plural verb. “The scissors are dull,” not “is dull.”
This is the birthplace of the President. (Not President’s.)
This is the private office of the Secretary. (Not Secretary’s.)
He is a friend of the Bank’s. (One of several friends.)
He is an enemy of mine. (One or more possessed by me.)
He is a brother of mine. (One or more possessed by me.)
He is a friend of hers. (One or more possessed by her.)
I cannot endure that rasping voice of Bridget’s. (One voice.)
Prepositions.—Never use a preposition to end a sentence:
For whom is that? To whom are you writing? The matter to which I am referring.
Two prepositions should not come together, as: “That is the man I went to for advice.” But, “That is the man to whom I went for advice.”
Previous, Previously.—“He wrote me previous to his coming.” Say “previously to his coming.”
Quantity, Number.—Quantity is used of that which can be measured; number, of that which can be counted; as, “There is a large quantity of sugar on hand”; “There are a large number of eggs in the basket.”
In connection with the use of the singular or the plural verb with the word number, note that the plural verb is used when number means several; the singular, when number is used to stand for a unit; as, “A number of persons are going” (several); “The number is limited to five.”
Quite.—“There are quite a number of Americans here.” Say “there are several.” One is quite a number. It is correct to say “there are quite twenty” to express that the number is completely made up—which is the meaning of quite.
Raised.—“I was raised in the South.” Say “brought up.” “I was raised in Mr. Stephens’ family.” Say “taken care of,” “brought up,” “instructed,” or “trained.” We “raise” horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and crops, but apply a more refining process to human beings.
Ran, Run.—Say “this horse has often run a mile in two minutes and a half; yesterday he ran a mile in two minutes and three-quarters.”
Rang, Rung.—“I have rang the bell half a dozen times.” Say “have rung.” But say in the imperfect, “they rang the bells merrily for Christmas day.”
Rather—than, Prefer—to.—“He preferred doing nothing rather than run the risk of doing wrong,” should be “He preferred doing nothing rather than running the risk of doing wrong”; or “He preferred to do nothing rather than to run the risk of doing wrong.”
Receipt and Recipe.—One properly says, “The receipt calls for three cupfuls of flour,” recipe being restricted in its use as a medical term. Century gives the following: Receipt is distinguished from recipe by the common restriction of that word [recipe] to medical and relative uses; as, “A receipt for a pudding.”
Reckon.—Provincial for think. “I reckon he will come soon.” Say “I think” or “I believe.”
Reference, Recommendation.—A person seeking employment or position, names certain persons who know him as his references. They may, if they are so disposed, and can do so with truth, give him their recommendation.
Regard.—“In regard of this matter.” Say “in regard to,” or “with regard to.”
Regarded from that standpoint, but looked at in that light.
Relations, Relatives, Kin, Kindred.—It is better to speak of ones relatives than of his relations. Relations has other meanings. Kin and kindred are old English words, which deserve to be more in fashion than they are.
Relative Pronouns.—Who is used exclusively with persons, which exclusively with things, and that [723] with persons and things. In common conversation that is more frequently used with persons than who. But who is considered more elegant.
Examples of the correct use of the relative pronouns, who, which, that, and what:
I gave the money to the driver, who will give it to his employer.
I brought her a book, from the library, which she enjoyed very much.
This is the house that she bought.
I do not want you to repeat what I have told you.
(1) In the last sentence what is equivalent to that which or the thing which. It differs from the other relative pronouns in that its antecedent is never expressed, it being implied in the word itself (that which).
(2) What is always of the neuter gender, and is used in only the nominative and the objective case. Who, whose, and whom are either masculine and feminine (common gender) and are used, respectively, in the nominative, the possessive, and the objective case.
(3) Which is neuter and may be used in either the nominative or the objective case.
(4) Whose is the form of the possessive for either who or which.
Remarkable, Remarkably.—“She is a remarkable pretty girl.” Say remarkably pretty.
Reside and Live.—The simple word live is preferable to reside when referring to one’s place of residence, reside being reserved for more stately occasions.
Respect.—Instead of “in respect of,” say “in respect to,” or “with respect to.”
Respectfully and Respectively.—Respectfully mean in a respectful manner; respectively refers to persons or things thought of singly; as, “He behaved respectfully toward his parents”; “The names of the boys are, respectively, John, Henry, and James.”
Rise up.—“He rose up and left the room.” Say “he rose”; say also, raise, lift, hoist; not raise up, lift up, hoist up.
Saw, Seen, See.—“I see him last Monday.” Say “I saw him.” “I seen him yesterday.” Say “I saw him.” “I haven’t saw him for along time.” Say “I haven’t seen him.” See is present, saw imperfect, seen the participle. The habit of confusing them prevails widely.
Section.—“Mr. —— does not live in this section.” Say “in this neighborhood,” “vicinity,” or “part of the country.” A section, in geography, is one square mile, or six hundred and forty acres of land, which has been laid out by the government.
Shall and Will.—Shall in the first person and will in the second and third persons denote mere futurity.
Will in the first person and shall in the second and third denote volition.
In asking questions shall must always be used with a subject in the first person. In the second and third persons we use shall and will according to the answers that we expect. When we expect the answer shall, we use shall in asking the question. When we expect the answer will, we use will in asking the question.
Similar statements are true of should and would.
The proper use of shall, will, should, and would in indirect discourse may be determined by turning the sentence into the direct discourse and choosing the proper word according to the rule.
With all three persons, we may use would to express a wish. Also we may use would without regard to future time, to denote that an action is customary; as, “He would often fish for days in succession.”
Should is sometimes used in its original sense of ought; as, “You should not do that.”
The forms given below are examples of the simple future statement.
Examples:
| I shall be happy. | We shall be happy. |
| You will be happy. | You will be happy. |
| He will be happy. | They will be happy. |
If we wish to add the idea of a compelling force, or of determination or obligation, the proper auxiliary for the first person is will; for the second and third persons, shall.
Examples:
| I will go | means | I am determined to go. |
| You shall go | means | You must go. |
| He shall go | means | He must go. |
| We will go | means | We are determined to go. |
| You shall go | means | You must go. |
| They shall go | means | They must go. |
I shall have satisfaction means that the satisfaction will come in the course of time.
I will have satisfaction means I am determined to have it.
Sink down.—“The stone sunk down in the water.” Omit down.
Some for Somewhat.—“He is some better today.” It is better to say “he is somewhat better.”
Split Infinitive.—To explain, to thank (infinitive). These words should not be separated (split). “Have the goodness to clearly explain,” should be “Have the goodness to explain clearly.”
“I want to personally thank you,” should be “I want to thank you personally.”
Tenses.—In subordinate clauses the tense of the verb is relative to the tense of the principal verb.
“He intended to have done so,” should be “He intended to do so.”
The imperfect tense, I did is used in speaking of events which took place before a time that is past.
The perfect tense, I have done, is used in speaking of events which have been completed before the present time.
Than me.—“He is taller than me.” The word after than should be in the same case with the word before it.
Than him.—“You are stronger than him.” Say “than he.”
That.—See Relative Pronouns.
Thee and You.—“I owe thee a heavy debt of gratitude, and you will not permit me to pay it.” Avoid such confusion of numbers. Use the same word—either thee or you—in both clauses.
Them, They.—“It was them.” Say “it was they.”
These, This.—I don’t like these sort of folks (this sort).
Those kind of boots—that kind (those kinds).
These kind, Those sort.—Kind and sort are singular nouns, and should be modified by singular adjectives. Say “this kind,” “that sort.”
They, Everyone.—Do not use they indefinitely instead of everyone, as, “They are always in a hurry in the city”; better say “Everyone is in a hurry in the city.”
Though is followed by yet. “Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor.”
Through.—Often misused in the sense of finished. “I am through with my breakfast,” instead of “I have finished my breakfast.”
To be.—The verb “to be” takes the same case after it as before it. Example: “Who is there?” “It is I.” Say “It was I who rang the bell.”
Trousers, Waistcoat, Gown, Petticoat, are good old respectable English words, which point out particular garments without possibility of mistake. They are better than the new ones, pantaloons, vest, dress, skirt.
Try and.—“I will try and do it.” Say “I will try to do it.”
Unique is not properly modified by very, unique meaning the only one of its kind.
Use to.—Used to, not use to, is the correct form; as, “I used to go there very often.” In negative constructions “didn’t used to” is always incorrect.
View to and View of.—One properly says, “With a view to finding out.” or “With the view of finding out.”
Visit with.—Visit is improperly followed by with in such constructions as, “I am visiting with friends in New York,” “I am visiting friends,” etc., being the correct form.
Vocation.—A man’s vocation is his calling, his regular business. His avocation is something outside of his business with which he occupies himself incidentally. My friend’s vocation is the practice of law; his avocation is photography. Still, while avocation, in the sense of vocation, is usually avoided by good writers, such use has some sanction of authority.
Want.—Avoid want in the sense of “ought” or “had better,” as, “You want to hurry if you are going to catch the car”; better say “You had better hurry if you expect to catch the car.”
Was, Were.—“Was you?” “You was.” Say “were you?” “You were.”
Way, Away.—Way should not be used for away. “I saw him away (not way) down the road.”
What for Who, Which, and That.—See Relative Pronouns.
Where for In which.—“It is a cause where justice is particularly concerned.” Say in which. “We presented a paper where his case was fully explained.” Say “a paper in which.” But where may be used instead of which and a preposition when place is the predominant idea. “The old house where I was born.”
Whether is followed by or. “Whether he will go or not, I cannot tell.”
Which.—See Relative Pronouns.
Who.—See Relative Pronouns.
Without, Unless.—Without must not be used for unless. “You won’t catch the train without you run,” should be, “You won’t catch the train unless you run.”
“My uncle would not take me without my mother wished it,” should be “My uncle would not take me unless my mother wished it.”
Wrong and Wrongly.—Wrong is an adverb as well as an adjective. For this reason, wrong is often interchangeably used with wrongly; as, “The mail was sent off wrong” (or wrongly). When preceding the verb, wrongly is required; as “The letter was wrongly addressed.”