Word Study and English Grammar by Frederick W. Hamilton (free novel reading sites TXT) π
Illiterate people sometimes try to make their speech more forceful by combining the two methods of comparison in such expressions as more prettier, most splendidest. Such compounds should never be used.
Some adjectives are not compared. They are easily identified by their meaning. They indicate some quality which is of such a nature that it must be possessed fully or not at all, yearly, double, all. Some adjective
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Same should not be used as a pronoun. This is a common usage in business correspondence but it is not good English and can be easily avoided without sacrificing either brevity or sense. Same as in the sense of just as, in the same manner should be avoided.
Score should not be used for achieve or accomplish.
Set should not be confused with sit. To set means "to cause to sit."
Sewage, meaning the contents of a sewer, should not be confused with sewerage which means the system.
Show should not be used in the sense of play or performance. Show up should not be used for expose.
Since should not be used for ago.
Size up should not be used for estimate or weigh.
Some should not be used for somewhat as "I feel some better."
Sort of should not be used for rather.
Splendid means shining or brilliant and should not be used as a term of general commendation.
Stand for means "be responsible for." Its recent use as meaning stand, endure, or permit, should be avoided.
Start should not be used for begin, e. g., "He started (began) to speak."
State should not be used for say.
Stop should not be used for stay.
Such should not be used for so. Say "I have never seen so beautiful a book before" not "I have never seen such a beautiful book before."
Sure should not be used as an adverb. Say surely.
Take is superfluous in connection with other verbs, e. g., "Suppose we take and use that type." Take should not be confused with bring. Take stock in should not be used for rely or trust in.
That should not be used in the sense of so. "I did not know it was that big."
Think should not have the word for added, e. g., "It is more important than you think for."
This should not be used as an adverb. "This much is clear" should be "Thus much is clear."
Through should not be used for finished.
To is superfluous and wrong in such expressions as "Where did you go to?"
Too alone should not modify a past participle. "He was too (much) excited to reply."
Transpire does not mean happen. It means to come to light or become known.
Treat should be followed by of rather than on. This volume treats of grammar, not on grammar.
Try should be followed by to rather than and. "I will try to go," not "I will try and go."
Ugly should never be used in the sense of bad tempered or vicious. It means "repulsive to the eye."
Unique does not mean rare, odd, or unusual. It means alone of its kind.
Upward of should not be used in the sense of more than.
Venal should not be confused with venial.
Verbal should not be confused with oral. A verbal message means only a message in words; an oral message is a message by word of mouth.
Very should be used sparingly. It is a word of great emphasis and like all such words defeats its purpose when used too frequently.
Visitor is a human caller. Visitant a supernatural caller.
Want should not be used in the sense of wish, e. g., "I want it" really means "I feel the want of it" or "I lack it." Want, wish, and need should be carefully distinguished.
Way should not be used in the sense of away in such expressions as "Way down East."
Ways should not be used for way, e. g., "It is quite a ways (way) off."
What is often misused for that, e. g., "He has no doubt but what (that) he will succeed."
Whence means "from what place or cause" and should not be preceded by from. This applies equally to hence which means "from this place."
Which should not be used with a clause as its antecedent, e. g., "He replied hotly, which was a mistake" should be "He replied hotly; this was a mistake." Which being a neuter pronoun should not be used to represent a masculine or feminine noun. Use who. Between the two neuter pronouns which and that let euphony decide.
Who should not be misused for whom or whose, e. g., "Who (whom) did you wish to see?" "Washington, than who (whose) no greater name is recorded." Impersonal objects should be referred to by which rather than who.
Without should not be used for unless, e. g., "I will not go without (unless) you go with me."
Witness should not be used for see.
Worst kind or worst kind of way should not be used for very much.
Womanly means "belonging to woman as woman."
Womanish means effeminate.
Tables of Irregular Verbs
Table 1 contains the principal parts of all irregular verbs whose past tense and perfect participle are unlike.
Most errors in the use of irregular verbs occur with those in Table 1. The past tense must not be used with have (has, had). Do not use such expressions as have drove and has went. Equally disagreeable is the use of the perfect participle for the past tense; as, she seen, they done.
Table I Present Tense Past Tense Perf. Part. arise arose arisen be or am was been bear, bring forth bore born[1], borne bear, carry bore borne beat beat beaten, beat begin began begun bid bade, bid bidden, bid bite bit bitten, bit blow blew blown break broke broken chide chid chidden, chid choose chose chosen cleave, split { cleft, clove(clave)[2] { cleft, cleaved,
cloven come came come do did done draw drew drawn drink drank drunk, drunken drive drove driven eat ate (eat) eaten (eat) fall fell fallen fly flew flown forbear forbore forborne
Table II
This table contains the principal parts of all irregular verbs whose past tense and perfect participles are alike.
Present Tense Past Tense andPerf. Part. Present Tense Past Tense and
Perf. Part. abide abode mean meant behold beheld meet met beseech besought pay paid bind bound put put bleed bled read read breed bred rend rent bring brought say said build built seek sought burst burst sell sold buy bought send sent cast cast set set catch caught shed shed cling clung shoe shod cost cost shoot shot creep crept shut shut cut cut sit sat deal dealt sleep slept feed fed sling slung feel felt slink slunk fight fought spend spent find found spin spun (span) flee fled spit spit (spat) fling flung split split get got (gotten) spread spread grind ground stand stood have had stick stuck hear heard sting stung hit hit string strung hold held sweep swept hurt hurt swing swung keep kept teach taught lay laid tell told
Table III
This table includes verbs that are both regular and irregular.
A
Verbs in which the regular form is preferred.
Present Tense Past Tense Perf. Part. bend bended, bent bended, bent bereave bereaved, bereft bereaved, bereft blend blended, blent blended, blent bless blessed, blest blessed, blest burn burned, burnt burned, burnt cleave, stick cleaved (clave) cleaved clothe clothed, clad clothed, clad curse cursed, curst cursed, curst dive dived (dove) dived (dove) dream dreamed, dreamt dreamed, dreamt dress dressed, drest dressed, drest gild gilded, gilt gilded, gilt heave heaved, hove heaved, hove hew hewed hewed, hewn lade laded laded, laden lean leaned, leant leaned, leant leap leaped, leapt leaped, leapt learn learned, learnt learned, learnt light lighted, lit lighted, lit mow mowed mowed, mownpled) { pleaded (plead or
pled) prove proved proved, proven reave reaved, reft reaved, reft rive rived rived, riven saw sawed sawed, sawn seethe seethed (sod) seethed, sodden shape shaped shaped, shapen shave shaved shaved, shaven shear sheared sheared, shorn smell smelled, smelt smelled, smelt sow sowed sowed, sown spell spelled, spelt spelled, spelt spill spilled, spilt spilled, spilt spoil spoiled, spoilt spoiled, spoilt stave staved, stove staved, stove stay stayed, staid stayed, staid swell swelled swelled, swollen wake waked, woke waked, woke wax, grow waxed waxed (waxen) wed wedded wedded, wed whet whetted, whet whetted, whet work worked, wrought worked, wrought
B
Verbs in which the irregular form is preferred.
Present Tense Past Tense Perf. Part. awake awoke, awaked awaked, awoke belay belaid, belayed belaid, belayed bet bet, betted bet, betted crow crew, crowed crowed dare durst, dared dared dig dug, digged dug, digged dwell dwelt, dwelled dwelt, dwelled
The verbs of the following list also are irregular; but as they lack one or more of the principal parts, they are called defective verbs.
Defective Verbs
Present Past Present Past can could ought ..... may might ..... quoth must ..... beware ..... shall should methinks methought will would
All the participles are wanting in defective verbs.
The verb ought, when used to express past duty or obligation, is followed by what is called the perfect infinitiveβa use peculiar to itself because ought has no past form.
Example: I ought to have gone yesterday.
Other verbs expressing past time are used in the past tense followed by the root infinitive.
Example: I intended to go yesterday.
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Composition and Rhetoric. By Lockwood and Emerson. Ginn & Co., Boston.
The Art of Writing and Speaking the English Language. By Sherwin Cody. The Old Greek Press, Chicago.
The Writer's Desk Book. By William Dana Orcutt. Frederick Stokes Company, New York.
A Manual for Writers. By John Matthews Manly and John Arthur Powell. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Any good Grammar.
Putnam's Word Book. By Louis A. Flemming. G. P. Putnam's Sons, Chicago. (For reference.)
QUESTIONS
In addition to the questions here given there should be constant and thorough drill in the use of grammatical forms and the choice of words. Frequent short themes should be required. In these themes attention should be given to grammatical construction, choice of words, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, sentence construction, and paragraphing.
1. Why is the subject important?
2. How many families of words are there, and what are they?
3. What is a noun?
4. What are the three things about a noun which indicates its relation to other words?
5. How many numbers are there, and what do they mean?
6. How do ordinary nouns form their plurals?
7. How do compound nouns form their plurals?
8. What is one very important use of number?
9. What can you say of the use of the verb with collective nouns?
10. What is case?
11. How many cases are there, and what does each indicate?
12. What can you say about the relation of a noun to a preposition?
13. Are prepositions ever omitted, and why?
14. How are the nominative and objective cases distinguished?
15. How is the possessive case formed in the plural?
16. Do possessive pronouns take an apostrophe?
17. What is it's?
18. How are compound nouns, appositives, etc., treated in the possessive?
19. What is an adjective?
20. What do degrees indicate, and how many are there?
21. How are adjectives compared?
22. When should the long form of comparison be used and when the short?
23. What danger attends the use of most?
24. Give two irregular adjectives and compare them.
25. Should the two methods of comparison ever be combined?
26. Why are some adjectives never compared?
27. What is an article?
28. How many articles are there?
29. What kinds of articles are there?
30. When should you use a?
31. When should you use an?
32. What is a verb?
33. Of what three parts does a simple sentence consist?
34. Name them and describe each.
35. What is the relation of the verb to the subject with regard to person and number?
36. What is voice?
37. How many voices are there, what is each called, and what does it indicate?
38. What is tense?
39. How many tenses are there, and what are they called?
40. What is the rule for tense in subordinate clauses?
41. What is the reason for the rule, and how can accuracy be determined?
42. What happens when the statement in the subordinate clause is of universal application?
43. What is mood?
44. How many moods are there, and what are they called?
45. How is the indicative mood used?
46. How is the subjunctive mood used?
47. How is the imperative mood used?
48. What is the potential mood?
49. What is the exact meaning of (a) may, (b) can, (c) must, (d) ought?
50. What is tense?
51. How are shall and will used in direct discourse (a) in simple statements, (b) in questions, (c) in other cases?
52. How are shall and will used in indirect discourse?
53. What are the exceptions in the use of shall and will?
54. What is the general use of should and would?
55. How are should and would used in subordinate clauses, in indirect discourse?
56. What exceptions are there in the use of should and would?
57. Why do we make mistakes in the use of compound tenses?
58. What is the case of the object in participial construction?
59. What should be avoided in the use of prepositions?
60. Do passive verbs ever have objects?
61. What is a pronoun?
62. What common error occurs in the use of plural possessive pronouns?
63. What common error occurs in the use of cases in subordinate clauses?
64. What danger is there in the use of pronouns, and how can it be avoided?
65. What is an adverb?
66. What is the important distinction in the use of adverbs and adjectives?
67. What rule is to be observed in the use of negatives?
68. What is a preposition?
69. Where is it placed in the sentence?
70. What is a conjunction?
71. What is said of and and but?
72. How should we pair either, neither, or, and nor?
73.
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