272. Two or more negatives. In the older language a negation was strengthened by using two or more negatives; this is now improper:

1. Old style:

He nevere yet no vileynye (= discourtesy) ne sayde

In al his lyf (= life) unto no maner wight (= manner of person).. CHAUCER (about 1386).

SHAKESPEARE..

2. Old style: Nor this is not my nose neither. 3. Faulty: I didn't say nothing. (Say 'I said nothing'; or, 'I did not say anything'.)

4. Faulty: There weren't no pies equal to hers. (Omit n't.) 5. Faulty: She won't go, I don't think. (Omit don't.)

6. Faulty: I haven't no time now. (Omit no.)

In present usage two negatives in the same clause make an affirmative (but see the third example):

1. Nor did they not perceive their evil plight. (= They did perceive their evil plight.)

2. His language, though inelegant, is not ungrammatical.

3. He will never consent, not he, no, never. (Here every negative has a negative force; the last three are added repetitions, § 474.)

NOTE. Do not use a negative with such words as hardly, barely, scarcely, only (§ 276):

1. I couldn't hardly tell what he meant. (Omit n't.) 2. He hadn't only (or but) one horse. (Omit n't.)

273. Also, too. The adverbs also and too both mean 'in addition', but too is less formal than also, and hence commoner in the spoken language. Be careful to place them where they will unmistakably modify the proper word (see § 276). If they ought to stand at the end of the sentence or clause, do not hesitate to put them there, but without a comma before them (§ 480); when you use them in the middle of a sentence to refer to a preceding sentence, set them off from the rest of the sentence by commas (also is not a conjunction; see § 298, N.):

1. She too (or also) must see Rome; she must also see Rome; she must see Rome too (or also).

2. You must sell the heirlooms too.

3. There was also a strife among them.

4. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 5. I found that he was at home. I found, also (or too), that he was at leisure.

6. The increased cost of supplies, the delays in service, and (not ' also ') the decreasing profits make the business uncertain.

274. Enough. The adverb enough stands after the word it modifies:

1. The weather is warm enough.

2. We did not go slowly enough.

275. First, secondly, etc. One of the commonest errors is the use of the adjectives 'first, second', for the adverbs first (not 'firstly', § 267), secondly, and so forth; anybody who says 'first, second', for first, secondly, should also say 'final' (or *last') for finally (or lastly), but nobody does that.

The adverbs are first (=in the first place), secondly (=in the second place), thirdly, . . . tenthly (or finally, or lastly), § 267; the adjectives are first, second, third,... tenth (or final, or last), § 121; but the adjectives should be accompanied by the, my, his, or the like (but see § 238, a, 11):

a. Adverbs:

1. His three reasons were, first, that he was busy; secondly, that he was without sufficient means; and thirdly (or finally, or lastly), that he was not interested in the matter.

2. His three reasons were these (or as follows): first, secondly, ...; thirdly (or finally, or lastly),

...

...

Secondly, .

(When neces

3. She had several objects in view. First, ... Thirdly, ... Tenthly (or Finally, or Lastly), sary, these adverbs are placed at the beginning of paragraphs, as shown at the bottom of page 150.)

4. This action should have three qualifications in it. First, it should be but one action. Secondly, it should be an entire action; and thirdly, it should be a great action. ADDISON.

b. Adjectives:

1. He had three reasons: the first was, that he was busy; the second, that he was without sufficient means; the third, that he was not interested in the matter.

2. He had three reasons. The first was,... The second was,.

...

3. There are also two kinds of thoughts which are carefully to be avoided. The first are, such as are affected and unnatural; the second, such as are mean and vulgar. — ADDISON.

276. Only. The adverb only may stand before or after the word or words which it modifies; but, like other modifiers, it should be so placed that the meaning is unmistakable (§ 366); do not hesitate to place it at the end of a sentence or clause if it ought to stand there:

1. There was only one day left.

2. He asked them for lodging for one night only. — DEFOE.

3. Only take heed to thyself; take heed to thyself only.

4. Talking in the rear room only. († Talking only in the rear room' means either that the rear room is not to be used except for talking, or that talking is not permitted except in the rear room.)

277. Quite. Primarily, the adverb quite means completely, wholly (see § 414, N.):

1. The room was not quite without ornament.

2. A man should be quite certain of what he knows.

Secondarily, quite means actually, really, positively (implying that the case or circumstances are such as justify the use of the word or phrase qualified; but even this is objectionable):

1. It is quite a comfortable dwelling. (Omit quite.)

2. She was quite charmed with her new lodger. (Omit quite.)

But quite should not be used in the loose or erroneous sense of to a considerable extent', 'noticeably' (avoid ambiguity):

1. This room is rather warm. (Not 'quite warm'.)

2. He is a pretty fair artist.

3. He is fairly well. (Not

(Not 'quite an artist'.)

quite well', which properly means entirely well, but, as generally misused, 'not entirely well '.)

278. Right. The adverb right usually means straight; be careful not to misuse it (see immediately, § 417):

1. The airship flew right over the town.

2. She works without stopping. (Not 'right along '.) 3. The train starts immediately. (Not 'right off'.)

4. There is a considerable crop this year. (Not 'right smart'.)

279. The... the. In expressions like the sooner you go, the better it will be', or 'the sooner the better', the first the is a subordinating conjunction meaning 'by how much'; the second the is an adverb of degree meaning 'by so much'. The first expression means by how much sooner you go, by so much will it be better'. The second clause with the, being a principal clause (§ 8), may be used independently, and the is then frequently modified by all: He will work the busier'; 'He goes all the more '.

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280. Very, too. Do not use very (or too) with past participles that are felt to be more than mere adjectives. Very is generally too handy, and its use not only robs words of their proper meaning, but robs the speaker's vocabulary of synonyms (§ 385; see bad, § 417); in the spoken language the intonation or emphasis of the speaker indicates his meaning of very, but in the written language these aids are absent (§ 363):

1. I was made very tired (adjective) by the journey.
2. I was too much exhausted (participle) by the journey.
3. He is well educated. (Not 'very educated '.)

4. She was greatly pleased to go. (Not 'very pleased '.)

281. What. What is sometimes an adverb, meaning partly: What with pride, projects, and knavery, poor Peter was grown distracted. SWIFT. (Exercise XXVI, § 571.)

THE PREPOSITION

282. Preposition. A preposition is a word used to connect a noun or a pronoun with some other part of the sentence. The noun or pronoun is called the object of the preposition. The preposition with its object is called a prepositional phrase (for its use, see §§ 114, 165, 253). Some prepositions were originally adverbs (see $ 383):

1. The meeting broke up. (Adverb.)

2. He rode up the hill. (Preposition, connecting hill with rode; up the hill is an adverb phrase, § 253.)

283. List of prepositions. The most common prepositions are as follows:

1. A (§ 288), after, at, but (= except), by, down, for, from, in, of, off, on, out, over, past, round, save, since, through, till, to, under, up, with.

2. Aboard, about, above, across, along, alongside, amid, amidst, among, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, into, outside, throughout, toward (or towards), underneath, until, upon, within, without.

3. Barring, concerning, considering, during, except, excepting, notwithstanding, past, pending, regarding, respecting, saving, touching. See § 232.

284. Compound prepositions. Certain idiomatic phrases may be conveniently classed as compound prepositions:

According to, as for, as to, because of, by means of, by reason of, by way of, for the sake of, in keeping with, in regard to, in spite of, instead of, on account of, out of, outside of, with reference to, with regard to, with respect to.