English Grammar in Familiar Lectures / Accompanied by a compendium, embracing a new systematic order of parsing, a new system of punctuation, exercises in false syntax, and a system of philosophical grammar, in notes, to which are added an appendix and a key to the exercises : designed for the use of schools and private learners

OBSERVATION 1. The following absurd phrases so common in the sacred desk and elsewhere, should be carefully avoided by all who regard common sense:—"Sing the two first and three last verses." Just as if there could be more than one first and one last. There may be a first two, a second two, &c.; a first three, a second three, a last three. "Within the two last centuries;" "The second syllable of the three first words;" "The three first of these orthoepists have no rule by which their pronunciation is regulated:"—"the last two centuries;" "the first three words;" "the first three of these orthoepists."

2. Adjectives should not be used to express the manner of action. "The higher the river, the swifter it flows;" "James learns easier than Juliet; he sees deeper into the millstone than she:"—"the more swiftly it flows;" "learns more easily; farther into the millstone." "He conducted the boldest of any:"—"the most boldly."

3. More requires than after it. The following sentences are therefore improper: "He was more beloved, but not so much admired, as Cinthio;" "Richard is more active, but not so studious, as his companion." The legitimate mode of supplying the ellipses in these constructions, will show their gross impropriety: thus, "He was more beloved as Cinthio;" "Richard is more active as his companion," &c.

4. Adverbs, as illustrated on page 85, are generally substitutes for two or more words belonging to other parts of speech. "Will you accompany me to Europe next summer?" "Yes." "Do you believe that the voyage will restore your health?" "No." In these examples, the adverbs yes and no, are substitutes for whole sentences, and, therefore, do not qualify any words understood. Yes, in this instance, literally means, "I will accompany you to Europe next summer;" and no, "I do not believe that the voyage will restore my health." Many other adverbs are often employed in a similar manner.

"Firstly," is often improperly used instead of the adverb first; "a good deal," instead of, much, or, a great deal.

5. A nice distinction should be observed in the use of such and so. The former may be employed in expressing quality; the latter, in expressing a degree of the quality; as, "Such a temper is seldom found;" "So bad a temper is seldom found." In the following examples, so should be used instead of such: "He is such an extravagant young man, that I cannot associate with him;" "I never before saw such large trees."

The affected use of cardinal, instead of ordinal numbers, ought not to be imitated. "On page forty-five;" "Look at page nineteen;"—forty-fifth, nineteenth.

6. In the choice and application of prepositions, particular regard should be paid to their meaning as established by the idiom of our language and the best usage. "In my proceedings, I have been actuated from the conviction, that I was supporting a righteous cause;" "He should have profited from those golden precepts;" "It is connected to John with the conjunction and;" "Aware that there is, in the minds of many, a strong predilection in favor of established usages;" "He was made much on at Argos;" "They are resolved of going;" "The rain has been falling of a long time;" "It is a work deserving of encouragement." These examples may be corrected thus, "actuated by the conviction;" "by those golden precepts;" "by the conjunction and;" "predilection for;" "much of at Argos;" "on going;" "falling a long time;" "deserving encouragement."

7. The preposition to is used before nouns of place, where they follow verbs or participles of motion; as, "I went to Washington." But at is employed after the verb to be; as, "I have been at Washington;" "He has been to New York, to home," &c. are improper. The preposition in is set before countries, cities, and large towns; "He lives in France, in London, in Philadelphia, in Rochester." But before single houses, and cities and villages which are in distant countries, at is commonly used; as, "He lives at Park-place;" "She resides at Vincennes." People in the northern states may say, "They live in New Orleans, or, at New Orleans."

8. Passive agents to verbs in the infinitive mood, should not be employed as active agents. The following are solecisms: "This house to let;" "Horses and carriages to let;" "Congress has much business to perform this session;" because the agents, house, horses and carriages, and business, which are really passive, are, according to these constructions, rendered as active. The expressions should be, "This house to be let;" "Horses and carriages to be let;" "much business to be performed."

9. AMBIGUITY.—"Nothing is more to be desired than wisdom." Not literally correct, for wisdom is certainly more to be desired than nothing; but, as a figurative expression, it is well established and unexceptionable.

"A crow is a large black bird:"—a large, black—bird.

"I saw a horse—fly through the window:"—I saw a horsefly.

"I saw a ship gliding under full sail through a spy glass." I saw, through a spy glass, a ship gliding under full sail.

"One may see how the world goes with half an eye." One may see with half an eye, how the world goes.

"A great stone, that I happened to find, after a long search, by the sea shore, served me for an anchor." This arrangement of the members and circumstances of this sentence, confines the speaker's search to the sea shore; whereas, he meant, "A large stone, which, after a long search, I happened to find by the sea shore, served me for an anchor."

"I shall only notice those called personal pronouns." I shall notice only those called personal pronouns.

10. TAUTOLOGY.—Avoid words which add no thing to the sense; such as, "Now extant, free gratis, slow mope, cold snow, a hot sun, a flowing stream, a dull blockhead, wise sages." "I am just going to go there;" I am about to go.

11. ABSURDITIES AND IMPROPRIETIES.—"I can learn him many things."

It ought to be, "I can teach him." To learn, is to acquire or receive information; to teach, means to communicate it.

"I don't think it is so." You do think, that it is not so.

Ever, always. "I have ever been of this mind." I have always been. Ever and always are not synonymous. Ever refers to one indefinite period of time; as, "If he ever become rich:" always means at all times.

Excuse, pardon. The former signifies to release from an obligation which refers to the future; the latter, to forgive a neglect or crime that is past. "Excuse me for neglecting to call yesterday:" pardon me.

Remember, recollect. We remember a thing which we retain in our mind; we recollect it, when, though having gone from the mind, we have power to call it back.

Defect, deficiency. A thing which is incomplete in any of its parts, is defective; a total absence of the thing, is a deficiency.

This subject will be resumed in the appendix to this work.

CORRECTIONS IN ORTHOGRAPHY.

From among those words which are often erroneously spelled, the following are selected and corrected according to Johnson, and to Cobb's Dictionary.

INCORRECT.	CORRECT.
Abridgement	Abridgment
abscision	abcission
achievment	achievement
adze	addice
agriculturalist	agriculturist
ancle	ankle
attornies	attorneys
baise	baize
bason	basin
bass	base
bombazin	bombasin
boose	bouse
boult	bolt
buccaneer	bucanier
burthen	burden
bye	by
calimanco	calamanco
camblet	camlet
camphire	camphor
canvas	canvass
carcase	carcass
centinel	sentinel
chace	chase
chalibeate	chalybeate
chamelion	chameleon
chimist	chemist
chimistry	chemistry
cholic	colic
chuse	choose
cimetar	cimeter
clench	clinch
cloke	cloak
cobler	cobbler
chimnies	chimneys
chesnut	chestnut
clue	clew
connection	connexion
corset	corslet
cypher	cipher
cyphering	ciphering
dactyl	dactyle
develope	develop
dipthong	diphthong
dispatch	despatch
doat	dote
drouth	drought
embitter	imbitter
embody	imbody
enquire	inquire
enquirer	inquirer
enquiry	inquiry
ensnare	insnare
enterprize	enterprise
enthral	inthrall
entrench	intrench
entrenchment	intrenchment
entrust	intrust
enwrap	inwrap
epaulette	epaulet
etherial	ethereal
faggot	fagot
fasset	faucet
fellon	felon
fie	fy
germ	germe
goslin	gosling
gimblet	gimlet
grey	gray
halloe	halloo
highth	height
hindrance	hinderance
honied	honeyed
impale	empale
inclose	enclose
inclosure	enclosure
indict	endict
indictment	endictment
indorse	endorse
indorsement	endorsement
instructor	instructer
insure	ensure
insurance	ensurance
judgement	judgment
laquey	lackey
laste	last
licence	license
loth	loath
lothsome	loathsome
malcontent	malecontent
maneuver	manoeuvre
merchandize	merchandise
misprison	misprision
monies	moneys
monied	moneyed
negociate	negotiate
negociation	negotiation
noviciate	novitiate
ouse	ooze
opake	opaque
paroxism	paroxysm
partizan	partisan
patronize	patronise
phrenzy	phrensy
pinchers	pincers
plow	plough
poney	pony
potatoe	potato
quere	query
recognize	recognise
reindeer	raindeer
reinforce	re-enforce
restive	restiff
ribbon	riband
rince	rinse
sadler	saddler
sallad	salad
sceptic	skeptic
sceptical	skeptical
scepticism	skepticism
segar	cigar
seignor	seignior
serjeant	sergeant
shoar	shore
soothe	sooth
staunch	stanch
streight	straight
suitor	suiter
sythe	scythe
tatler	tattler
thresh	thrash
thwak	thwack
tipler	tippler
tranquility	tranquillity
tripthong	triphthong
trissyllable	trisyllable
valice	valise
vallies	valleys
vise	vice
vollies	volleys
waggon	wagon
warrantee	warranty
whoopingcough	hoopingcough
woe	wo
yeast	yest

CORRECTIONS IN ORTHOEPY.

The following words being often erroneously pronounced by polite people, as well as by the vulgar, their correction, in this place, agreeably to Cobb's Dictionary, it is presumed, will be useful to many. Some of the mispronunciations given are provincial.

About This Book

CORRECTIONS IN ORTHOGRAPHY.

CORRECTIONS IN ORTHOEPY.