Drownded. Drownded is not a proper form of the verb drown. Say drowned.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
177/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
(Pronounced drownd. )
Each other. Do not use each other to refer to more than two objects. See §44.
Wrong: The members of the regiment helped each other.
Right: The members of the regiment helped one another.
Effect, affect. Do not confuse effect and affect. Effect means a result, or to cause a Page 225
thing to be done. Affect means to disturb or have an influence on.
Wrong: The news effected him seriously.
Right: The news affected him seriously.
Wrong: The affect of this news was to cause war.
Right: The effect of this news was to cause war.
Either. Do not use either with reference to more than two objects, nor folow it by a
plural verb. See §43.
Wrong: Either of the three wil do. Either you or John have done it.
Right: Any one of the three wil do. Either you or John has done it.
Emigrate, immigrate. Do not confuse emigrate and immigrate. To emigrate means to
go out of a place, to immigrate means to come into a place.
Right: The Italians emigrate from their country.
Right: Of those who immigrate to America, a large number are Italians.
Enough. Do not folow enough by a clause beginning with that or so that.
Wrong: I studied enough that I could recite the lesson.
Right: I studied enough to recite the lesson.
Enthuse. Do not use enthuse in the sense of to create enthusiasm.
Wrong: He tried to enthuse his audience.
Right: He tried to arouse enthusiasm in his audience.
Etc. Etc. stands for et cetera, and means and so forth. Do not spel it ect. Do not use it
in composition that is intended to be elegant.
Everybody. Everybody should not be folowed by a plural verb or a plural pronoun. See
§21.
Except, accept. Do not confuse these two words. Accept means to acknowledge. Page 226
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
178/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Except means to exclude.
Right: I cannot accept such slovenly work.
Wrong: I except your apology.
Except. Do not use except for unless. See §85.
Wrong: I can not sleep except it is quiet.
Expect. Do not use expect in the sense of suppose or think.
Wrong: I expect you have read that book.
Right: I suppose you have read that book.
Fine. Do not use fine in place of some more definite word. Fine is a much over-worked
word.
Wrong: The book is fine for class-room work.
Right: The book is well adapted for class-room work.
Firstly. Firstly should never be used. Say first. See §40.
First-rate. Do not use first-rate as an adverb in the sense of very well.
Wrong: That does first-rate.
Right: That does very well.
Right: He is a first-rate fellow.
Former. Do not use former when more than two are referred to. Say first. See §41.
From. Do not use from with whence, hence and thence.
Wrong: From whence have you come?
Right: Whence have you come? From where have you come?
Funny. Do not use funny for singular or strange. Funny is an overworked word.
Wrong: It is funny that he died.
Right: It is singular that he died.
Gent. Do not use the word at al. Say gentleman or man.
Gentleman. Do not use gentleman to denote sex only. Say man. Gentleman is properly Page 227
used, however, to denote a person of refinement.
Wrong: Only gentlemen are alowed to vote in Pennsylvania.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
179/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Right: Mr. Lincoln was a gentleman in the true sense of the word.
Got. Do not use got with have or had to indicate merely possession or obligation. Got
means acquired through effort.
Wrong: I have got the measles. You have got to do it.
Right: I have the measles. You must do it.
Right: After much study I have got my lesson.
Grand. Do not use grand in place of some more definite and accurate expression. It is
another over-worked word.
Wrong: We have had a grand time this afternoon.
Right: We have had a very pleasant time this afternoon.
Guess. Do not use guess in the sense of think or suppose.
Wrong: I guess the trains are late to-day.
Right: I suppose the trains are late to-day.
Right: Can you guess the riddle?
Had ought. Do not use had with ought. See §54.
Hardly. Do not use hardly after a negative. See §46.
Wrong: I can not hardly believe that.
Right: I can hardly believe that.
Have. Do not use have after had.
Wrong: If I had have been able to go.
Right: If I had been able to go.
Heighth. Do not use heighth for height.
Hung. Do not confuse hung and hanged. Hanged is the proper word to use in reference Page 228
to executions.
Wrong: He was condemned to be hung.
Right: He was condemned to be hanged.
Right: The picture was hung in the parlor.
Humbug. Do not use humbug as a verb.
Wrong: He has humbugged the people for years.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
180/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Illy. Do not use illy for the adverb ill. See §40.
In, into. Do not confuse in and into.
Wrong: He went in the house.
Right: He went into the house.
Right: He exercised in a gymnasium.
Kind. Do not precede kind by those or these.
Wrong: I do not like those kind of plays.
Right: I do not like that kind of play.
Kind of a. Do not use a or an after kind of. See §47.
Wrong: It is one kind of a mistake.
Right: It is one kind of mistake.
Lady. Do not use lady to designate sex only. It is properly used to indicate persons of
refinement.
Wrong: Is Mrs. Johnson a colored lady?
Right: Is Mrs. Johnson a colored woman?
Right: Mrs. Johnson is a colored woman, and a lady.
Latter. Do not use latter to refer to more than two objects. Use last. See §41.
Lay. Do not confuse lay and lie. See §57.
Learn. Do not confuse learn and teach. Learn means to acquire knowledge. Teach
means to impart knowledge.
Wrong: He can learn you as much as any one can.
Right: He can teach you as much as any one can.
Leave. Do not confuse leave and let. Leave means to let remain. Let means to give Page 229
permission.
Wrong: Wil your mother leave you go?
Right: Wil your mother let you go?
Right: I shal leave my trunk in my room.
Liable. Do not use liable for likely.
Wrong: It is liable to rain to-day.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
181/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Right: It is likely to rain to-day.
Right: He is liable for al that he has agreed to pay.
Lightning. Do not use lightning as a verb in place of lightens.
Wrong: During the storm, it lightnings frequently.
Right: During the storm, it lightens frequently.
Like. Do not use like for as. Like is a preposition. As is a conjunction.
Wrong: He doesn't talk like he did yesterday.
Right: He doesn't talk as he did yesterday.
Right: It looks like a mahogany chair.
Lit on. Do not use lit on in the sense of met with or discovered.
Wrong: I at last lit on this plan.
Lot. Do not use lot in the sense of a great number or a great deal.
Wrong: A lot of people were there, She talks a lot.
Most. Do not use most for almost.
Wrong: I have most completed the book.
Right: I have almost completed the book.
Right: He has done the most of the work.
Mrs. Do not use Mrs. before titles; as, Mrs. President, Mrs. Professor, Mrs. Doctor.
Much. Do not use much for many. Much refers to quantity. Many refers to number.
Page 230
Wrong: As much as five hundred people were present.
Right: As many as five hundred people were present.
Mutual. Do not confuse mutual and common. Mutual means interchanged.
Wrong: John and Wiliam had a mutual liking for Mary.
Right: John and Wiliam had a common liking for Mary.
Right: John and Wiliam had a mutual liking for each other.
Near. Do not use near for nearly.
Wrong: He ran near al the way to the station. I came nearly making the same mistake.
Right: He ran nearly al the way to the station. I came near making the same mistake.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
182/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Nerve. Do not use nerve in the sense of impudence.
Newsy. Do not use newsy in the sense of full of news.
Neither. Do not use neither with reference to more than two objects, nor folow it by a
plural verb.
Wrong: Neither of the three could come. Neither of the two are here.
Right: No one of the three could come. Neither of the two is here.
No good. Do not use no good in the sense of worthless or not good.
Wrong: The book is no good.
No place. Do not use no place after a negative. See §46.
Wrong: I am not going no place.
Right: I am not going anywhere. I am going nowhere.
Notorious. Do not use notorious in the sense of famous or noted. Notorious means of
evil reputation.
Wrong: Gladstone was a notorious statesman of England.
Right: Several notorious thieves were arrested.
Nowhere near. Do not use nowhere near for not nearly. See §40.
Page 231
Wrong: Nowhere near so many people came as were expected.
Right: Not nearly so many people came as were expected.
Right: James was nowhere near the scene of the fire.
Of. Do not use of for have in such expressions as could, have, might have, should
have, etc.
Wrong: If I could of been there.
Right: If I could have been there.
Only. Guard against the improper use of only after a negative. See §46.
Wrong: There are not only four books on that subject.
Right: There are only four books on that subject.
Outside of. Do not use outside of for aside from.
Wrong: Outside of James, al had a good time.
Right: Aside from James, al had a good time.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
183/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Over with. Do not use over with for over.
Wrong: I must write the letter and have it over with.
Pants. Do not use the word pants for trousers.
Photo. Do not use photo for photograph.
Piece. Do not use piece in the sense of way or distance.
Wrong: I shal walk a little piece with you.
Right: I shal walk a little way with you.
Place. Do not use place after any, every, no, etc., in the sense of anywhere,
everywhere, nowhere, etc.
Wrong: I can not find it any place.
Right: I can not find it anywhere.
Plenty. Do not use plenty as an adjective or an adverb.
Wrong: Money is plenty. He is plenty able to do it.
Right: Money is plentiful. He is quite able to do it.
Poorly. Do not use poorly for ill or bad.
Page 232
Wrong: He feels very poorly.
Principle, principal. Do not confuse principle and principal. Principle means a rule or
truth. Principal means leader, chief, the most important.
Propose. Do not use propose in the sense of intend.
Wrong: I propose to tel al I know.
Right: I intend to tel al I know.
Providing. Do not use providing for if or on the condition.
Wrong: I wil go providing you can get tickets for three.
Right: I wil go on the condition that you get the tickets.
Raise, rise. Do not confuse raise with rise. See §57.
Recommend, recommendation. Do not use recommend as a noun. Recommendation
is the noun.
Wrong: Her employer gave her a good recommend.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
184/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Right: Her employer gave her a good recommendation.
Right away, right off. Do not use right away or right off in the sense of immediately.
Wrong: After the play we wil come right off.
Right: After the play we wil come at once.
Same. Do not use same as a pronoun.
Wrong: I wil write the letter and mail same at once.
Right: I wil write the letter and mail it at once.
Say. Do not use say in the sense of order or command.
Wrong: Your mother said for you to come home at once.
Right: Your mother said that you should come home at once.
Scarcely. Do not use scarcely after a negative. See §46.
Wrong: There was not scarcely a pound of meat for us al.
Right: There was scarcely a pound of meat for us al.
Seldom ever. Do not use seldom with ever. Say instead seldom or seldom, if ever.
Page 233
Wrong: Fires seldom ever occur.
Right: Fires seldom occur. Fires seldom, if ever occur.
Shut of. Do not use shut of in the sense of rid of.
Wrong: We are shut of him at last.
Sight. Do not use sight in the sense of many or much.
Wrong: A great sight of people flocked to hear him.
Right: A great many people flocked to hear him.
Sit, set. Do not confuse these two words. See §57.
So. Do not use so alone as a conjunction. Say so that.
Wrong: He spoke in the open air, so more could see and hear him.
Right: He spoke in the open air, so that more could see and hear him.
Some. Do not use some as an adverb in the sense of somewhat or a little.
Wrong: He plays the violin some.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
185/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Right: He plays the violin a little.
Sort of a. Do not use a after sort of. See Kind of a.
Sort. Do not precede sort by these or those. See Kind.
Such. Do not folow such by who, which, or that as relatives.
Wrong: Al such persons who think so wil soon see their mistake.
Right: Al such persons as think so wil soon see their mistake.
Right: He spoke with such force that we were compeled to listen. ( That is not a relative
here.)
Tasty. Do not use tasty in the sense of tasteful.
That. Do not use that as an adverb.
Wrong: I did not think the book was that smal.
Right: I did not think that the book was so smal.
That there, this here, these here, those there. There and here, in al these expressions Page 234
are worse than unnecessary.
Them there. Do not use them there for those.
Wrong: Bring me them there books.
Right: Bring me those books.
Three first, two first, etc. Do not say three first, but first three. There can be only one
first.
Too. Do not use too alone before a verb or a participle.
Wrong: He is too excited to listen to you.
Right: He is too much excited to listen to you.
Very. Do not use very alone before a verb or a participle.
Wrong: You are very mistaken.
Right: You are very much mistaken.
Wait on, wait for. Do not confuse these two expressions. Wait on means to serve. Wait
for means to await.
Wrong: Do not wait on me if I do not come at noon.
Right: Do not wait for me if I do not come at noon.
www.gutenberg.org/files/22577/22577-h/22577-h.htm
186/202
8/8/12
Practical Grammar and Composition
Wake, awake. Do not confuse wake and awake. See §57.
INDEX
Page 235
References are to pages. Sections or subdivisions on the pages are sometimes indicated in parenthesis
after the page numbers.
Since the EXERCISES follow throughout the subjects treated, exercises on any subject may be found
by looking up that subject in this text index.
A, use of article, 44.
Abbreviated words, rule against, 187.
Abbreviations, punctuation of, 137 (§102); use of, in letters, 156, 158, 159, 160, 162, 163, 165, 171.
Accept, for except, 190, Glossary.
Active voice and passive voice, explained, 56; forms of, 92-100.
Adjectives, defined, 2, 32; capitalization of proper, 136 (95); confused with adverbs, 32-33; distinguished
from adverbs, 32-33