The most striking instance of prepositional ending is one quoted by Professor Hill from the illustrious Hooker : Shall there be a God to swear by, and none to pray to? Here the great divine is not expounding Christian doctrine; he is making a personal appeal, talking as it were with his hearers. The following, however, as an attempt at expounding Christian doctrine, is positively bad: It is a mystery which we firmly believe the truth of, and humbly adore the depth of. It is a mystery, the truth of which we firmly believe, and the depth of which we humbly adore. In truth, what we call "emphasis" should have much influence in determining the proper termination of a sentence or To let the pauses fall upon an unemphatic word is a clause. *Upon the bridge he met a leper, whom he ostentatiously threw a piece of gold to. * His gentleness, combined with his excellent delivery, made him superior to and far more attractive than the mass of country clergymen. Upon the bridge he met a leper, to whom he threw ostentatiously a piece of gold. His gentleness, combined with his excellent delivery, made him superior to the mass of country clergymen and far more attractive. The following is a curious specimen of confusion in the use of prepositions : His plan of conciliation was to restore a perfect trust in the colonies to the mother country. His plan of conciliation was to restore to the colonies their (former) perfect trust in the mother country. Awkwardness results frequently from the misplacing of pronouns and pronominal adjectives. are fairly representative: Before the death of Portia's father he had decided upon a plan by which Portia was to marry. * All through Macaulay's essays he displays, etc. The following blunders Before his death Portia's father had decided upon a plan by which Portia was to marry. All through his essays Macaulay displays, etc. * Hurriedly seizing them, he strode off with the bags of gold. Hurriedly seizing the bags of gold, he strode off with them. Many sentences are so badly conceived that they can be cured only by reconstruction: * Sin had the key to the gates of Hell, and not without her opening them could Satan get out. Satan declared his intention to pass through the gates and the futility of opposing him. *Addison was not as much of a Greek as a Latin scholar. * Another point of view was their [the colonists'] agriculture. *The language, as far as grammatical structure goes, has become greatly simplified. * Next came Sir Andrew Freeport, a merchant of great eminence in London for his industry, good sense, and wide experience. * When they [Chingachgook and Uncas] were alone their attitude. toward one another changed from chief to warrior to father and son. * For the great bulk of the English middle class to attain this culture, Matthew Arnold saw the first requisite to be a reform in the school system. *The articles which he had in the Spectator contain some of the finest language that has been produced in our tongue. *To be a poet requires just the opposite age that is required to be a scientist. Sin had the key to the gates of Hell; unless she opened them, Satan could not get out. Satan declared his intention of passing through the gates in spite of opposition. Addison was a better scholar in Latin than in Greek. Another point to be considered was their agriculture. In its grammatical structure the language has been greatly simplified. Next came Sir Andrew Freeport, a London merchant eminent for his industry, good sense, and wide experience. When they were alone, they were no longer chief and warrior but father and son. That the great bulk of the English middle class may attain to this culture, the first requisite, according to Arnold, is a reform of the school system. (For; see % 25, No. 4.) His papers in the Spectator exhibit some of the best writing in our language. The poet needs to live in an age just the opposite of that suited to the man of science. What will happen will rather be that there will be crowded into education other matters besides, far too many.-MATTHEW ARNOLD. But what it would be really wisest for him to do was to try and soften his father's anger against Dunsey.-GEORGE ELIOT. * A knowledge which it is extremely improbable that the boys and girls can possess. What will happen is rather this : other matters, far too many, will be crowded into education. also 35.) (See But really his wisest course would be to try to soften his father's anger against Dunsey. A knowledge which, in all probability, the boys and girls do not possess. CHAPTER III. GENERAL AND CHRONIC BLUNDERS. [Many of these blunders have been already touched upon in various sections of this book. It is desirable, however, to sum up the more usual blunders and discuss them in one place, by way of illustrating the prevailing carelessness of modern writing.] AND. 36. At present "and" is the worst abused word in the language. It is used by writers of every grade, from the author by profession down to the school-boy penning his first composition; used on every possible occasion; used to couple all conceivable forms of statement. It is misused so persistently and so universally as to lose its true force and become a meaningless patch-word. Properly used, "and" is a term of addition. Its function is that of the algebraic sign +, namely to connect two terms of the same class, two or more subjects, two or more objects, two or more modifiers, two or more verbal actions following each other in mere chronological order. The word "and" does not express the relation of cause and effect, does not express concession, comparison, chronological dependConsequently "and" should not be used to connect ence. the members of a conditioned statement. Examples of correct use are: James and his brother were my companions. I visited New York and Boston. The trial has been fairly and humanely carried on. You observe the mark of a dirty hand on the window-frame, and perhaps. you notice the impress of a hob-nailed shoe on the gravel.— HUXLEY. In the following, note the incorrect use of "and" to express cause or effect, concession, chronological dependence: The report of the South Africa committee is out, and the mystery of the hushing-up policy is a mystery still. Sir Wemyss Reid is a calm observer of politics, and he calls it the most discreditable episode in the history of parliament. I turned to descend, and as I did so could see the valley below alive with Indians, etc.-PARKMAN. If he [Harold] was forced to give battle, he resolved to give it on ground he himself had chosen, and advancing near enough to the coast to check William's ravages, he entrenched himself on a hill, etc.-J. R. GREEN. The radiant heat from the sun goes along with the light from the sun, and when you shut one off, the other is intercepted at the same time. -TAIT. * Bassanio was away, trying to win a very pretty lady's hand. This beautiful person was called Portia, and the way she was to get her husband was, etc. No letter, however, is used twice, and there can be no confusion. * He had a high sense of justice and a single unjust act would arouse his anger. An impulse seized her, and she squeezed between the rails of the fence and stood in the road. Bassanio was absent, trying to win the hand of a beautiful lady named Portia. The manner in which Portia was to get her husband was, etc. Since, however, no letter is used twice, there can be no confusion. His sense of justice was so acute that a single unjust act would provoke his anger. Seized by a sudden impulse, she squeezed herself between the rails of the fence and stood in the road. |