Part 2

28. "He was never known to be _covetous_:" pronounce _covetous_ as if written _covet us_, and _not covetyus_.

29. _The Three R.'s._--An ignorant and vain pedagogue, on being asked what he could teach, replied, "The three R.'s--_'ritin'_, _'rethmetic_, and _readin'_." Any persons among the readers of this little book, who may chance to be schoolmasters, are warned against giving such a course of instruction.

30. "Dearly _beloved_ brethren:" when _beloved_ is placed _before_ the noun, as in this instance, pronounce it in three syllables; when placed _after_, in two syllables, as, "She was much _be-loved_ by us all." When used as a noun by itself, it is pronounced in three syllables; as, "_Be-lov-ed_, let us love one another."

31. "Not _as I know_:" say, _that I know_.

32. "He came on purpose _for to do_ it:" omit _for_.

33. "He would never believe _but what_ I did it:" say, _but that_ I did it.

34. "He is quite _as good as me_:" say, _as good as I_. Also, instead of _as good as him_, say, _as good as he_. In both these instances _am_ or _is_ must be mentally supplied at the end of the phrase, to suggest the meaning; and the pronouns should, therefore, be in the nominative case.

35. "_Many an one_ has done the same:" say, _many a one_. _A_, and _not an_, is also used before the _long sound of u_, that is, when _u_ forms _a distinct syllable of itself_: as, _a unit_, _a union_, _a university_: it is also used before _eu_: as, a _euphony_, and likewise before the word _ewe_: as, _a ewe_: we should also say, _a youth_, not _an youth_.

36. "How do you like _these kind_ of pears?" say, _these kinds_; a noun in the singular number will not allow its adjective to be in the plural.

37. "You should have _went_ home:" say, _gone_.

38. "John went with _James and I_:" say, _James and me_.

39. "I _see him_ last Monday:" say, _saw him_.

40. "He was _averse from_ such a proceeding:" say, _averse to_.

41. "Have you _shook_ the table-cloth?" say, _shaken_.

42. "I have _rang_ several times:" say, _rung_.

43. "I _know'd_ him at once:" say, _knew_.

44. "You have _drank_ too much of it:" say, _drunk_.

45. "He has _chose_ a very poor pattern:" say, _chosen_.

46. "They have _broke_ a window:" say, _broken_.

47. "I have just _began_ my letter:" say, _begun_.

48. "Give me _them books_:" say, _those books_.

49. "Whose are _these here books_?" say, _these books_. _Here_ is superfluous and inelegant.

50. "_Who_ do you mean?" say, _whom_.

51. "The men _which_ we saw:" say, _whom_.

52. "The flowers _what_ you have:" say, _which_, or _that_.

53. "The boy _as is_ reading:" _who_ is reading.

54. "It was _them_ who did it:" say, _they_.

55. "_It is me_ who am in fault:" say, _It is I_.

56. "Was it _her_ who called me?" say, _she_.

57. "If I were _her_, I would accept his offer:" say, If I were _she_.

58. "He _has got_ my slate:" omit _got_; _has_ is sufficient for the sense. The addition of _got_, though not ungrammatical, but gradually becoming obsolete, does not in any degree strengthen the meaning.

59. "The pond is _froze_:" say, _frozen_.

60. "I know _I am him_ whom he meant:" say, _I am he_.

61. "You cannot _catch_ him:" pronounce _catch_ so as to rhyme with _match_, and not _ketch_--as the fishermen are in the habit of saying.

62. "_Who done it?_" say, _Who did it?_

63. "The club gives an _impetus_ to the ball:" pronounce _impetus_ with the stress on _im_, and not on _pe_.

64. "Spain and Portugal form a _peninsula_:" pronounce _pen-in-su-la_, with the accent on _in_, and not on _su_.

65. _Sar-da-na-pa-lus_: pronounce it with the accent on _pa_, and not on _ap_. The latter pronunciation cannot be changed for the former, without incurring a gross error.

66. "He must by this time be almost as far as the _antipodes_:" pronounce _antipodes_ with the accent on _tip_, and let _des_ rhyme with _ease_; it is a word of _four_ syllables, and _not of three_.

67. _Vouchsafe_: a word seldom used, but when used, the first syllable should rhyme with _pouch_; _never say vousafe_.

68. "The land in those parts is very _fertile_:" pronounce _fertile_ so as to rhyme with _myrtle_. _Ile_ in such words must be sounded as _ill_, with the exception of _exile_, _senile_, _gentile_, _reconcile_, and _camomile_, in which _ile_ rhymes with _mile_.

69. _Benefited_: often spelt _benefitted_, but _incorrectly_.

70. "_Gather_ a few ears of corn for dinner:" pronounce _gather_ so as to rhyme with _lather_, and _not gether_.

71. _Purpose and propose_: these two words, which are often confounded, are entirely distinct in meaning. To _purpose_ means _to intend_; _to propose_ means _to offer a proposition_.

72. _Directing and addressing letters_: _Directing_ designates the persons to whom, and the place to which the letter, as a parcel, is to be sent; _addressing_ refers to the individual to whom, as a communication, it is written. A letter _addressed_ to the President, may be _directed_ to his secretary.

73. "_Who_ do you think I saw yesterday?" say, _Whom_.

74. A popular proverb is expressed in the following language: "Of _two_ evils choose the _least_;" say, _the less_. Of no less than _three_ evils can a person choose the _least_.

75. _Exaggerate_: pronounce _exad-gerate_, and _do not sound agger_ as in _dagger_.

76. _Ladies School_: the _usual_ form, but _not correct_; write, _Ladies' School_. The apostrophe (') is thus used after nouns in the plural, and indicates _possession_. In the singular, it is placed _before the s_, as, _The lady's school_.

77. The following equivocal notice is said to swing out on a sign-board somewhere in the Western country: "SMITH & HUGGS--SELECT SCHOOL.--_Smith teaches the boys, and Huggs the girls._" _Huggs needs correction!_

78. "He keeps a _chaise_:" pronounce it _shaze_, and not _shay_; it has a regular plural, _chaises_.

79. "The _drought_ lasted a long time:" pronounce _drought_ so as to rhyme with _sprout_, and not _drowth_.

80. "The two friends _conversed together_ for an hour:" omit _together_, as the full meaning of this word is implied in _con_, which means _with_, or _together_, or _in company_.

81. "The affair was _compromised_:" pronounce _compromised_ in three syllables, and place the accent on _com_, sounding _mised_ like _prized_.

82. "A _steam-engine_:" pronounce _engine_ with _en_ as in _pen_, and _not like in_; also, pronounce _gine_ like _gin_.

83. "Several of the trappers were massacred by the Indians:" pronounce _massacred_ with the accent on _mas_, and _red_ like _erd_, as if _massaker'd_; never say _massacreed_, which is abominable.

84. "The King of Israel and the King of Judah sat _either of them_ on his throne:" say, _each of them_. _Either_ signifies the _one_ or the _other_, but _not both_. _Each_ relates to _two or more objects_, and signifies _both of the two_, or _every one of any number taken singly_. We can say, "_either_ of the three," for "_one_ of the three."

85. "A _respite_ was granted the convict:" pronounce _respite_ with the accent on _res_, and sound _pite_ as _pit_.

86. "He soon _returned back_:" leave out _back_, which is implied by _re_ in _returned_.

87. "The ship looked like a speck on the edge of the _horizon_:" pronounce _horizon_ with the accent on _ri_, and not on _hor_, which is often the case.

88. "They were early at the _sepulchre_:" pronounce _sepulchre_ with the accent on _sep_, and not on the second syllable.

89. "I have often _swam_ across the Hudson:" say, _swum_.

90. "I found my friend better than I expected _to have found him_:" say, _to find him_.

91. "I intended _to have written_ a letter yesterday:" say, _to write_; as however long it now is since I thought of writing, "_to write_" was then present to me, and must still be considered as present, when I recall that time and the thoughts of it.

92. _Superfluous R's_: Many persons pronounce words which have no letter _r_ in them, exactly as though they had; as _drawring_ for _drawing_; "I _sawr_ Thomas," for "I _saw_," &c. Some who do not insert a full-toned _r_, do worse by appending an _ah_ to almost every word they utter. They would do well to recall the reproof which the excellent Rev. John Gruber administered to a brother in the ministry, who was guilty of this habit. That eccentric clergyman addressed a note to his friend, as follows: "Dear-ah Sir-ah--When-ah you-ah speak-ah in-ah public-ah, take-ah my-ah ad-ah-vice-ah and-ah never-ah say-ah _ah-ah_!--JOHN-AH GRUBER-AH."

93. _Shall_ and _will_ are often confounded, or misused. The following suggestion will be of service to the reader: mere _futurity_ is expressed by _shall_ in the _first_ person, and by _will_ in the _second_ and _third_; the _determination_ of the speaker by _will_, in the _first_, and _shall_, in the _second_ and _third_. For example: "_I shall go by the way of Halifax_," simply expresses an event about to take place--as also _you will_, and _they will_: _I will_ expresses determination--as also _you shall_ and _they shall_. Brightland has the following illustrative stanza:

"In the first person simply _shall_ foretells; In _will_ a threat, or else a promise, dwells. _Shall_, in the second and the third, does threat;-- _Will_, simply, then, foretells the future feat."

94. "_Without_ the grammatical form of a word can be recognized at a glance, little progress can be made in reading the language:" [from a work on the study of the Latin language:] say, _Unless_ the grammatical, &c. The use of _without_ for _unless_ is a very common mistake.

95. "He claimed admission to the _chiefest_ offices:" say, _chief_. _Chief_, _right_, _supreme_, _correct_, _true_, _universal_, _perfect_, _consummate_, _extreme_, _&c._, _imply_ the superlative degree without adding _est_, or prefixing _most_. In language sublime or impassioned, however, the word _perfect_ requires the superlative form, to give it its fullest effect.

96. "I _had rather do_ it now:" say, I _would rather do_. The incorrectness of the first form of expression is very clearly seen by cutting out _rather_, leaving "_I had do_," which is ungrammatical and meaningless.

97. An obituary notice contained the following ludicrous statement: "He left a large circle of mourners, _embracing his amiable wife and children_!" _Comprising_ should have been used, instead of _embracing_.

98. "His _court-of-arms_ is very splendid:" say, _coat-of-arms_.

99. "They ride about in small carriages, which are called _flies_:" write the last word _flys_; _flies_ is the plural of _fly_, the insect.

100. "Victoria is Queen of the _United Kingdom_:" say, _United Kingdoms_. Who ever speaks of the _United State of America_?

101. "I have not traveled _this twenty years_:" say, _these twenty years_.

102. "Soldier arms!" Say, "_Shoulder arms!_" The latter is frequently corrupted into "_Sojer arms!_"

103. "He is _very much the gentleman_:" say, He is _a very gentlemanly man_, or, _He is very gentlemanly_.

104. "The _yellow_ part of an egg is very nourishing:" never pronounce _yellow_ so as to rhyme with _tallow_, as we so often hear.

105. "We are going to the _Zoological_ Gardens:" pronounce _Zoological_ in _five_ syllables, and place the accent on _log_ in _logical_; sound _log_ like _lodge_, and _the first two o's in distinct syllables_; _never_ make _Zool one_ syllable.

106. "He _strived_ to obtain an appointment:" say, _strove_.

107. "He always preaches _extempore_:" pronounce _extempore in four syllables_, with the accent on _tem_, and _never in three_, making _pore_ to rhyme with _sore_--but with _story_.

108. "Allow me to _suggest_:" pronounce _sug_ as to rhyme with _mug_, and _gest_ like _jest_; never say _sudjest_.

109. "That building is an _episcopal_ chapel:" pronounce _episcopal_ with the accent on the second syllable, and _not_ on _co_.

110. "The Emperor of Russia is a _formidable_ sovereign:" pronounce _formidable_ with the accent on _for_, and _not on mid_.

111. Before the words _heir_, _herb_, _honest_, _honor_, and _hour_, and their compounds, instead of the article _a_, we make use of _an_, as the _h_ is not sounded; likewise before words beginning with _h_, that are not accented on the first syllable: such as _heroic_, _historical_, _hypothesis_, &c., as, "_an heroic action_;" "_an historical work_;" "_an hypothesis_ that can scarcely be allowed." The letter _h_ is seldom mute at the beginning of a word; but from the negligence of tutors, and the inattention of pupils, many persons have become almost incapable of acquiring its just and full pronunciation. It is, therefore, incumbent on teachers to be particularly careful to inculcate a clear and distinct utterance of this sound.

112. "He was _such an extravagant young man_, that he soon spent his whole patrimony." This construction, which is much used, is not so elegant as, "He was _so extravagant a young man_," &c.

113. "The girl speaks _distinct_:" say, _distinctly_. _Never use Adjectives as Adverbs._

114. "The accident of which he was _reading_, occurred not far from _Reading_:" pronounced the first italicized word to rhyme with _feeding_, and the other, with _wedding_.

115. The combination of letters _ough_ is pronounced in eight different ways, as follows: 1. Th_ough_, in which it is pronounced _o_; 2. Thr_ough_, pronounced _oo_; 3. Pl_ough_, _ow_; 4. S_ought_, _awe_; 5. C_ough_, _off_; 6. R_ough_, _uff_; 7. Bor_ough_, _ugh_; 8. L_ough_, _ok_. The following sentence, which is of doubtful authorship, affords an example of each of these eight modes of pronunciation: "I put (1) _dough_ (6) _enough_ in the (5) _trough_ near the (3) _slough_ by the (8) _lough_, to last the ducks that I (4) _bought_ at the (7) _borough_ (2) _through_ the day."

116. "I saw his _august_ majesty, the Emperor of Hayti, last _August_:" pronounce the former word with the accent on _gust_; the latter, on _Au_.

117. "She is _quite the lady_:" say, She is _very lady-like in her demeanor_.

118. "He is _seldom or ever_ out of town:" say, _seldom or never_, or, _seldom if ever_.

119. "We _laid down_ to sleep:" say, we _lay down_, &c. We can say, however, "we laid _him_ down to sleep."

120. It is somewhat singular, that while _tie_ and _untie_ convey meanings directly opposite, _loose_ and _unloose_ signify precisely the same thing. _Loose_ is the original word, and _unloose_ is a corruption; both words, however, are now sanctioned by good usage, and may be indiscriminately employed, without offence against propriety.

121. "It is dangerous to walk _of a_ slippery morning:" say, _on a_ slippery morning. But the expression, "_walking on a slippery morning_," and all others like it, of which a strictly literal interpretation will not give the designed signification, are to be avoided. They often excite a smile when seriousness is intended.

122. "He who makes himself famous by his eloquence, makes illustrious his origin, let it be _never so mean_:" say, _ever so mean_. The practice of using _never_ in such phrases was anciently in vogue, but is now becoming obsolete. (See Introduction.)

123. "His reputation is acknowledged _through_ Europe:" say, _throughout_ Europe.

124. "The bank of the river is frequently _overflown_:" say, _overflowed_. _Flown_ is the perfect participle of _fly, flying_; _flowed_, of _flow, flowing_.

125. "I doubt _if this_ will ever reach you:" say, _whether this_, &c.

126. "It is not improbable _but I may_ be able to procure you a copy:" say, _that I may_, &c.

127. "He was _exceeding kind_ to me:" say, _exceedingly kind_.

128. "I doubt not _but I shall_ be able:" say, _that I shall_.

129. "I lost _near_ twenty pounds:" say, _nearly_, or _almost_.

130. "There were not _over_ twenty persons present:" say, _more than_. Such a use of this word is not frequent among writers of reputation. It may, however, be less improperly employed, where the sense invests it with more of a semblance to its literal signification: as, "This pair of chickens will weigh _over_ seven pounds." Even in this case, it is better to say _more than_.

131. "_Bills are requested to be paid quarterly_:" _the bills are not requested_, but _the persons who owe them_. Say instead, _It is requested that bills be paid quarterly_.

132. "There can be no doubt _but that_ he will succeed:" omit _but_.

133. "It was _no use asking_ him any more questions:" say, _of no use to ask him_, or _there was no use in asking_, &c.

134. "The Americans said they _had no right_ to pay taxes." [From a Fourth of July Oration.] They certainly _had a right_ to pay them, if they wished. What the speaker meant was, _they were under no obligation to pay_, or, _they were not bound to pay_.

135. "He intends to _stop_ at home for a few days:" it is more elegant to say _stay_. If the time, however, should be very brief, _stop_ would better express the idea; as, "We _stopped_ at Elmira about twenty minutes."

136. "At this time, I _grew_ my own corn:" say, I _raised_. Farmers have made this innovation against good taste; but for what reason, it is not apparent; there seems to be no sufficient occasion for so awkward a substitute for _raised_.

137. "Having incautiously _laid down_ on the damp grass, he caught a severe cold:" say, _lain down_.

138. "We suffered no other inconvenience _but_ that arising from the rain:" say, _than_ that, &c. _But_, to be properly used in this sentence, would require the omission of _other_.

139. "Brutus and Aruns killed _one another_:" say, _each other_, which is more proper. But many similar instances which occur in the New Testament, as, "_Beloved, love one another_," and others no less beautiful and cherished, have rendered this form of expression common, and almost unexceptionable.

140. In a recently issued work on Arithmetic, the following is given: "If for 72 cents I can buy 9 lbs. of raisins, _how much_ can I purchase for $14 49?" say, "_what quantity_ can I," &c. Who would think of saying, "_how much raisins?_"

141. WORDS TO BE CAREFULLY DISTINGUISHED.--Be very careful to distinguish between _indite_ and _indict_ (the former meaning _to write_, and the latter _to accuse_); _key_ and _quay_; _principle_ and _principal_; _marshal_ and _martial_; _counsel_ and _council_; _counsellor_ and _councillor_; _fort_ and _forte_; _draft_ and _draught_; _place_ and _plaice_ (the latter being the name of a _fish_); _stake_ and _steak_; _satire_ and _satyr_; _stationery_ and _stationary_; _ton_ and _tun_; _levy_ and _levee_; _foment_ and _ferment_; _fomentation_ and _fermentation_; _petition_ and _partition_; _Francis_ and _Frances_; _dose_ and _doze_; _diverse_ and _divers_; _device_ and _devise_; _wary_ and _weary_; _salary_ and _celery_; _radish_ and _reddish_; _treble_ and _triple_; _broach_ and _brooch_; _ingenious_ and _ingenuous_; _prophesy_ and _prophecy_ (some clergymen sounding the final syllable of the latter word _long_, like the former); _fondling_ and _foundling_; _lightning_ and _lightening_; _genus_ and _genius_; _desert_ and _dessert_; _currier_ and _courier_; _pillow_ and _pillar_; _executer_ and _executor_ (the former being the regular noun from the verb "to _execute_," and the latter a strictly _legal_ term); _ridicule_ and _reticule_; _lineament_ and _liniment_; _track_ and _tract_, _lickerish_ and _licorice_ (_lickerish_ signifying _dainty_, and _licorice_ being a plant, or preparation from it); _statute_ and _statue_; _ordinance_ and _ordnance_; _lease_ and _leash_; _recourse_ and _resource_; _straight_ and _strait_ (_straight_ meaning _direct_, and _strait_, _narrow_); _immerge_ and _emerge_; _style_ and _stile_; _compliment_ and _complement_; _bass_ and _base_; _contagious_ and _contiguous_; _eminent_ and _imminent_; _eruption_ and _irruption_; _precedent_ and _president_; _relic_ and _relict_.

142. "The number of _emigrants_ arriving in this country is increasing and alarming:" say, _immigrants_. _Emigrants_ are those _going out_ from a country; _immigrants_, those _coming into_ it.

143. "I prefer _radishes_ to _cucumbers_:" pronounce _radishes_ exactly as spelt, and not _redishes_; also, the first syllable of _cucumber_ like _fu_ in _fuel_, and not as if the word were spelled _cowcumber_.

144. "The _two last_ letters were dated from Calcutta:" say, the _last two_, &c.

145. "The soil in those islands is so very thin, that little is produced in them _beside_ cocoa-nut trees:" "_beside_ cocoa-nut trees" means strictly _alongside_, or _by the side_, of them. _Besides_, or _except_, should be used. _Besides_ also signifies _in addition to_: as, "I sat _beside_ the President, and conversed with him _besides_."

146. "He could neither _read nor write_:" say, more properly, _write nor read_. All persons who can _write_ can _read_, but not all who _read_ can _write_. This sentence, as corrected, is much stronger than in the other form.

147. "He was _bred and born_ among the hills of the Hudson:" say, _born and bred_, which is the natural order.

148. "THIS HOUSE TO LET:" more properly, _to be let_.

149. _Here_, _there_, _where_, with verbs of motion, are generally better than _hither_, _thither_, _whither_; as, "_Come here_; _Go there_." _Hither_, _thither_, and _whither_, which were used formerly, are now considered stiff and inelegant.

150. "_As far as I_ am able to judge, the book is well written:" say, _So far as_, &c.

151. "It is doubtful whether he will act _fairly or no_:" say, _fairly or not_.

152. "The _camelopard_ is the tallest of known animals:" pronounce _camelopard_ with the accent on _mel_; never say _camel leopard_. Few words, by being mispronounced, occasion greater blunders than this term.

153. "He ran _again_ me;" or, "I stood _again_ the hydrant:" say, _against_. This word is frequently and inelegantly abbreviated, in pronunciation, into _agin_.

154. "_No one_ should incur censure for being careful of _their_ good character:" say, of _his_ (or _her_).

155. "The yacht capsized in rounding the stake-boat, and the helmsman was _drownded_:" say, _drowned_.

156. "_Jalap_ will be of service to you:" pronounce the word as it is spelled, never saying _jollop_.

157. The word _curiosity_, though a very common term, and one that should be correctly pronounced by everybody, is frequently called _curosity_.

158. "He has just set out to _take a tour_:" pronounce _tour_ so as to rhyme with _poor_. Be careful to avoid saying, _take a tower_; such a pronunciation might suggest the Mamelon, instead of a trip of travel.

159. "The storm _is_ ceased, and the sky is clear:" say, _has_ ceased.

160. "Do you know _who_ this dog-headed cane belongs to?" say, _whom_. In expressing in _writing_ the idea conveyed in this question, a better form of sentence would be, "Do you know _to whom_ this belongs?" In familiar conversation, however, the latter mode might be thought too formal and precise.

161. "_Who_ did you wish to see?" say, _whom_.

162. "_Whom_ say ye that I am?" This is the English translation, given in Luke ix. 20, of the question of Christ to Peter. The word _whom_ should be _who_. Other instances of grammatical inaccuracies occur in the Bible; for example, in the Sermon on the Mount, the Saviour says: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where _moth and rust doth corrupt_," &c. "_Moth and rust_" make a plural nominative to "_doth_ corrupt," a singular verb. The following, however, is correct: "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where _neither moth nor rust doth corrupt_."

163. The word _chimney_ is sometimes called incorrectly _chimley_ and _chimbley_.

164. "I was walking _towards_ home:" pronounce _towards_ so as to rhyme with _boards_; _never_ say, _to-wards_.

165. "A _courier_ is expected from Washington:" pronounce _cou_ in _courier_ so as to rhyme with _too_, never like _currier_; the two words have entirely distinct significations.

166. "Let each of us mind _their_ own business:" say, _his_ own business.

167. "Who made that noise? Not _me_:" say, Not _I_.