BLUNDERS AND BLEMISHES.

A AND AN.-A is used before nouns beginning with a consonant or with a vowel that makes a consonant sound. It stands before Y when that letter is a consonant, as "a youth," "a yew-tree"; before long U, either preceded or not preceded by a silent h, as "a university," "a union,' "a European," "a humour," "a humorist;" before ew, as "a ewe,' "a ewer," and before one, as "such a one.' An is used before a vowel, as "an episode," an incident," an understanding;" before silent h, as "an honour,' "an heir," "an hostler," "an hour," an honest man; " and before aspirated h, beginning words having the accent on the second syllable, as "an hotel," "an hydraulic engineer," an historian.' We say a hero," but "an heroic action;' a history," but "an historical account."

86

44

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS.—Adjectives and Adverbs must not be confounded. Adjectives qualify nouns; Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. An adjective is frequently joined with a verb to complete a statement regarding the subject: as "Flour feels SMOOTH;""She appeared timid." It would be wrong to say, "Flour feels smoothly." He was exceeding good," should be "He was EXCEEDINGLY good." That dog looks wonderful sagacious," should be "That dog looks WONDERFULLY sagacious." "She near lost her life," should be " She NEARLY lost her life." "We are like to be reprimanded," should be "We are LIKELY," and so on. "I went to Paris previous to his coming," should be PREVIOUSLY. 44 Agreeable to my promise I now send," should be AGREEABLY. "Conformable to your instructions," should be CONFORMABLY.

When a verb is intransitive, that is, when its action does not pass on to an object, an adjective is used, as "The schoolmaster looked severe;" but when the same verb is transitive, that is, when the action passes on to an object, an adverb is used, as "The schoolmaster looked severely at him."

ADVERB, PLACE OF THE.-There is much carelessness displayed with regard to the placing of the adverb in a sentence. It should commonly come before adjectives and after verbs, but it may stand between the auxiliary and the verb, as "He was respectfully received by all."

The emphasis in pronouncing only, wholly, rarely, fully, and other words of a like kind is generally sufficient to show the speaker's meaning, and they are therefore thrown into a sentence without deliberation. "I only gave sixpence," should be "I GAVE ONLY Sixpence." "They put their hands to the fire, and only found out their mistake when they had burned their fingers," should be "and found out their mistake ONLY when they had burned their fingers." In writing, which appeals to the eye, we ought to follow the rule, and put the adverb in its proper place.

Very common also is the misplacement of members of couples, such as not only, but also. We not only find remains of towns in all parts of the country, but also of villas." This position of not only leads us to expect some verb to correspond with find. But the writer does not mean to contrast finding with doing anything else; what he intends is to contrast "remains of towns" and "remains of villas." He ought therefore to have placed the words not only and but also so as to point the contrast with precision; and, if he had done this, it would have led him to improve the order in other respects. Read: "In all parts of the country we find not only remains of towns but also remains of villas; " or, if you wish to avoid repetition of "remains," "we find remains not only of towns but also of villas."

ALONE, ONLY.-Alone is sometimes improperly used for only. Alone strictly means by one's self. "I love him alone," or "I love him only," is "I love him by himself, I love him and nobody else." But it is improper to say "It was alone by the help of James that the design could be carried out." This should be, It was only by the help of James," or, with very nearly the same sense, "It was by help of James alone."

Alone, when it is to be taken with a verb, should always follow it, as "She was sitting alone on the terrace." This means She was sitting on the terrace, and there was nobody with her." In "She alone was sitting on the terrace," the word alone has special reference to "she," implying that "She, and no one else, was sitting on the terrace." She only was sitting on the terrace," should be avoided as ambiguous.

AM COME, HAVE COME.-The distinction is this: "I am come" rather points to my being here; "I have come" to my having come. He was no sooner gone than I came," and "They were no sooner left than I came," should be " HAD no sooner."

Where the subject is not a person "be" is generally felt to be more appropriate: The box is come," rather than "has come."

44

ANTI, ANTE.-Anti is a Greek word, meaning against, opposed to; Ante is a Latin word, meaning before, or previous to. Thus Anti-papal," against or opposing popery; "Ante-room,” a room before, or leading into, the principal apartment.

ARE REQUESTED, IT IS REQUESTED.-"Accounts are requested to be settled weekly," should be "IT IS REQUESTED that accounts be settled weekly." We request not things but persons. Similar expressions are very common, but ought to be scrupulously avoided.

AS, THAT, THAN.-"There is no beauty so permanent as cannot admit of decay," should be, "There is no beauty so permanent THAT (or THAT IT) cannot admit of decay."

"The man as we just met " ought to be "The man that we just met."

"This road is much shorter as that" ought to be "shorter than that."

BETWEEN, AMONG.-Between (from by twain) has reference to two objects. Among, to more than two. "I went between the (two) posts." "The prize money was divided equally among the crew."

"There was an extremely short interval between each flash." Say "between every two flashes," or simply "between flashes."

BUT WHAT, BUT THAT.-"He will never believe but what I have deceived him," should be "He will never believe but THAT."

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE.-Better not say, "John is the eldest (or the youngest) of two children;" say, "the ELDER (or the YOUNGER)." Say "my brother is STOUTER than I" (am understood), not "is the stoutest." "Of two evils choose the LESS," not "least." Remember that these, and like phrases, imply comparison; therefore the comparative degree should be used.

Some writers show a tendency to break away from a strict observance of the comparative form. Thackeray says, this court had been the most magnificent of the two." But ordinary writers should not imitate is licence.

When one individual or set is compared with another individual or set, the comparative must be used, as, "Sarah is prettier than her sisters." Here "Sarah " and "sisters" are opposed to each other; they belong to different sets or classes.

When a person, or thing, of one class or kind, is compared with all others of the same class, or kind, either the superlative degree can be used, or the comparative with the word other attached; as " Kemble was the greatest of all tragedians; or, "Kemble was greater than all other tragedians." "Kemble was greater than all tragedians" would be incorrect, for Kemble was himself a tragedian, and could not be greater than himself. "This newspaper has the greatest circulation of any in the kingdom," should be "the greatest circulation of all newspapers," or "a greater circulation than any other."

Such adjectives as extreme, correct, chief, complete, honest, universal, perfect supreme, true, full, empty, consummate,

right, wrong, and some others, logically admit of no comparative or superlative, as in themselves they express the highest degree. The sense of such comparative and superlative forms, when used, is "nearer or nearest to" the extreme position indicated by the adjective. "He is more honest than you suppose" means, "he is nearer to being absolutely honest," or "he is more scrupulously honestor honest in more particular cases." Such adjectives should be but sparingly compared.

CONCEIVED. "A letter conceived in the following terms" should be expressed.

CONJUNCTIONS.—Certain conjunctions and adverbs, and adjectives with adverbial sense implied, require certain conjunctions to follow them. Thus whether, or, as Whether I be strong or weak." Though, yet, as "Though dead unto the world, yet living unto God." Yet may be omitted after though, as "Though lost to sight, (yet) to memory dear." Both, and, as "Both you and I heard it." Either, or, as" He will either call or write." Neither, nor, as Neither you nor your brother saw me." So that, as He is so ill, that he cannot speak." Such, that, as Such is the weight of evidence against him, that no jury can acquit him." affirmatively, thus, Hers is as large as yours." negatively, thus, "Mine is not so good as theirs."

"

As, as, is used
So, as, is used

Not is sometimes followed, by nor, as " He is not well educated, nor is he intelligent."

"I will not do it without you promise to come." Better, "UNLESS you promise."

"You or he are to be punished," should be, "You or he is to be punished." 'Neither you nor she were praised," should be, "Neither you nor she was praised." Or and nor being disjunctive conjunctions, that is, separating words, the verb must be in the singular number.

But should not be used for than. "No other THAN she," not "No other but she."

Whether should not be used more than once in a sentence. Thus "I have not heard whether he is alive or whether he is dead;' omit the second whether.

"I should not be surprised IF IT WERE so," not "I should not be surprised but that it was so."

That may be omitted after verbs of telling, hearing, and knowing, as "We know (that) we must die." When that is equivalent to in order that, it cannot be omitted; as "We eat that we may live."

CONJUNCTIONS, MISPLACEMENT OF.-Under "Order of Adverbs" we remarked on the misplacement of not only, but also. Neither, nor are also frequently misplaced in like manner. "He neither knew how to wait an opportunity nor to use it when he had it." The conjunctions ought to stand immediately

before the contrasted things: "He knew neither how to wait an opportunity nor how to use one when he had it." The misplacement not only is bad in itself, but leads to further looseness in other respects. "A variety of other articles, some of which had neither name nor were capable of description, lay in confusion about the room." This is very careless. They had neither name nor-what? Say, "which neither had name nor were capable of description."

EACH, EVERY, EITHER. - These words are commonly confounded, and care must be taken to distinguish between them. Each can be applied to two or any higher number of objects to signify every one of the number independently. Every requires more than two to be spoken of, and denotes all the persons or things taken separately. Either denotes one or the other of two, and should not be used to include both. "There was a

We

steep bank on either side of the river;" it should be EACH. can walk on either side of the street," is correct; on the one side, or, if not on that, then on the other side. Either must never be applied to any one of more than two. Not either of three or more, but any, or each. In the phrase "I go to Paris every four years,' every may be used, because four years is taken collectively as one period.

EAT, ATE.-"I eat (or am eating) the bread;" "I ate the bread;" "I have eat (or eaten) the bread." If the past participle form eat is used (instead of eaten), it must be pronounced et. Remember that the past tense ate is also pronounced et, and must be therefore carefully distinguised from the past participle form eat.

EFFLUVIA, EFFLUVIUM.-Never say, "An unpleasant effluvia;" it should be "An unpleasant EFFLUVIUM." Effluvia is the plural of the Latin word effluvium. Some Latin words which have been adopted into our language, as Memorandum, Encomium, form their plural by adding s to the singular; but the classical plurals, Memoranda, Encomia, are still used by some persons.

EQUALLY THE SAME.—“It is equally the same;" omit equally.

EXCEPT, UNLESS.-"I will write except I am prevented," should be, "I will write UNLESS."

EXPOSÉ. This French word is commonly, but erroneously, used to mean an exposure of wrong doing. The word means an explanation of facts, a recital, a detail, as "a political exposé," "a financial exposé;" but it is perhaps too late to correct the error into which fashionable society has fallen.