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I.

That poem I like better than any other single piece.

The carriage rattled down Prickett's lane, to the great amusement of that place.

He was not nearly so prolific a writer as Wordsworth.

The house was quite large enough.

There is n't a finer situation in the world for a house.

The outside of the earth, after it had cooled somewhat, was hard and solid.

I remember when allusions of this sort were pleasant.

I never have anything to do with that kind of person.

There is, first, the old distinction of the laws of science.

They treated him ill.

What he said amused me much.

We reason from experience thus.

II.

That poem I like most of any other single piece.

The carriage rattled down Prickett's lane to the much amusement of that locality.

He was nowhere near so prolific a writer as Wordsworth. The house was plenty large enough.

There ain't a sightlier place in the world for a house.

The outside of the earth, after it had cooled some, was hard and solid.

I remember when these sort of allusions were pleasant.

I never have anything to do with those kind of people.

There is, firstly, the old distinction of the laws of science. They treated him illy.

What he said amused me muchly.

We reason from experience thusly.

In each of the last four sentences as originally written, the fault consists in the addition of the adverbial termination "-ly" to a word that is an adverb without it. Of these incorrect forms only one is to be found in serious writings by good authors. That one is firstly, the prevalence of which comes, perhaps, from the belief that it belongs with "secondly," "thirdly," etc. This supposed analogy is, however, a false one. "Second," "third," etc., are adjec tives only; "first" serves both as adjective and as adverb. Illy is current among the uneducated in some parts of America. Muchly is popular with American "humorists,"

from Artemas Ward on.

Thusly figures in the writings

of the ignorant as well as in those of "humorists."

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The adverb "accurately," not the adjective accurate, is correct; for the word qualifies "translate."

Other vulgarisms of this class are

I.

The ancients were not so very badly off.

Of Coleridge's three greatest productions, "The Ancient Mariner" is that which we can most easily criticise.

Swift treated Stella as meanly as a man could treat a woman. Byron could be terribly scathing.

You are so uncommonly tall.

Avoid VULGARISMS.

II.

The ancients were not so very bad off.

Of Coleridge's three greatest productions "The Ancient Mariner" is the one which we can easiest criticise.

Swift treated Stella as mean as a man could treat a woman. Byron could be terrible scath

ing.

You are so uncommon tall.

Adjective or Adverb. It is sometimes a question whether to use an adjective or an adverb.

I.

When his money was at an end, these unprincipled friends began to look coldly upon him.

II.

When his money was at an end, these unprincipled friends began to look cold upon him.

The qualifying word belongs with the verb, not with the subject of the verb. The coldness is in the way in which his friends looked at him, not in his friends. In "You look cold," on the contrary, it is "you" who are "cold.”

I.

An old shoe feels easy.

An old shoe goes on easily.

II.

An old shoe feels easily.

An old shoe goes on easy.

In the first example, "easy" belongs with "shoe;" in the second, "easily" belongs with "goes on."

I.

Miss Amy looked pretty.

Miss Ayr danced gracefully.

II.

Miss Amy looked prettily.
Miss Ayr danced graceful.

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“Looked pretty" means almost the same thing as was pretty;" "danced gracefully" does not mean the same thing as "was graceful."

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As a rule, it is proper to use an adjective whenever some form of "to be" or "to seem may be substituted for the verb, an adverb when no such substitution can be made.

I.

I came in late, and I felt badly when I wrote this theme.

II.

I came in late and I felt bad when I wrote this theme.

In this example, "bad" might, according to the rule just stated, seem to be the proper word. The reason for preferring "badly" is that bad is ambiguous, "bad" being in use in two senses.

I.

We learned that really clear

days were rare.

II.

We learned that real clear days were rare.

The adverb "really," not the adjective real, is proper; for the word qualifies "clear."

1.

Relatively to her population, England has nearly four times as many railway passengers as the United States.

II.

England has, relative to her population, nearly four times as many railway passengers as the United States.

"Relatively to," not relative to, is proper; for the expression belongs with a participle which is understood. The meaning is: "Considered relatively to," etc.

I.

On important occasions the party went solid.

II.

On important occasions the party went solidly.

"Solid" is preferable to solidly, for the quality spoken

of seems to belong to the "party

I.

The Christmas recess is prized not only by those who can go home: it is welcome to all.

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" rather than to its action.

II.

The Christmas recess is prized not alone by those who can go home. It is a welcome time to all.

'Only" is correct, for the writer means that the recess is prized by others besides those who can go home: alone implies that there is something besides the recess that is prized.

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She was not only an object of She was not alone an object of love to him, but also a bond be- love to him, but a bond between tween him and his him and his childhood. childhood. pure pure

As the writer means to say that "she" was both an object of love and a bond, "only" is the proper word.

I.

Only by comparison with similar characters in real life can the choice between the two interpretations be made.

II.

The choice between the two interpretations can be made alone by comparison with similar characters in real life.

If we put "only" in the place occupied by alone in this sentence as originally written, we leave the reader uncertain whether the word goes with "made" or with "by comparison." To remove the ambiguity, a change of order

is necessary. The practice of using alone instead of "only" is common; but it is not sanctioned by good use, and it often obscures the meaning.

The question whether to use an adjective or an adverb is determined by the rules of thought rather than by those of grammar.

ADJECTIVES go with nouns and pronouns: ADVERBS with verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Omitted Adverbs.

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In haste of speech or of composition, adverbs that are necessary to the sense are omitted.

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The verb "behave," like the noun "behavior," requires a qualifying word to determine the meaning.

Adverbs necessary to make the meaning clear, or the syntax grammatically correct, should never be omitted.

Redundant Adjectives and Adverbs. Untrained writers stuff their sentences with useless, or worse than useless, adjectives and adverbs.

I.

He was absorbed in thoughts of the boy.

II.

He was absorbed with exclu

sive thoughts of the boy.

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