I. II. He was too much1 fatigued (or, too tired) to eat. He was too fatigued to eat. Grammarians who insist that "very" and "too" should be "avoided with all past participles except such as have been turned fully into adjectives," go too far. Under this rule, it would be difficult to account for the difference in usage between "very (or, too) tired" and very (or, too) fatigued. Neither "tired" nor "fatigued" has ceased to be a participle, if that is what is meant by being "fully turned into an adjective," and both "tired" and "fatigued" sometimes serve as adjectives; but good use favors "very (or, too) tired," and does not favor very (or, too) fatigued. The distinction between participles that do, and those that do not, go with "very" and "too" is made by good use; but it cannot be stated in the form of a hard and fast rule. Other adjectives or adverbs that may be confounded with one another or that are otherwise misused are abstractly and abstractedly. decisive and decided. designed and destined. distinctly and distinctively. equable and equitable. evidently and manifestly. extant and existing. external and exterior. farther and further. haply and happily. healthy and wholesome. luxuriant and luxurious. oral and verbal. practicable and practical. professional and professorial. subtile and subtle. unusual and uncommon. unreverential and irreverent. visible and palpable. Beware of misusing ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS. 1 See page 123. Adjectives and Adverbs incapable of Comparison. Some adjectives and adverbs are incapable of comparison. I. The sky gradually became cloudless. His shouts gradually became inaudible. In this characteristic, Coleridge is unique. The vote was so nearly unanimous that I threw up my hat. We go about, professing openly total isolation. II. The sky became more and more cloudless. His shouts grew more and more inaudible. In this characteristic Coleridge is most unique. The vote was so unanimous that I threw up my hat. We go about, professing openly the totalest isolation. The sky may be "cloudless," - that is, have no clouds in it; but it cannot be more cloudless, that is, have fewer clouds than none. Shouts may be "inaudible," - that is, out of hearing; but they cannot be more inaudible,· that is, more out of hearing. A poet cannot be more than "unique," (the only one of his kind), a meeting more than "unanimous " (of one mind), or isolation more than "total." Among the adjectives or adverbs which are absolute in meaning, and with which, therefore, more, most, so, too, and very cannot properly be coupled, are the following: In poetry or in impassioned prose, adverbs of comparison are coupled with some words that are absolute in meaning, and are therefore, as matter of principle, not susceptible of comparison: e. g., "graceless," "hopeless," "merciless," "priceless." In simple prose, some others take inflections or adverbs of comparison: e. g., "safe," "satisfactory," "sound," "true," "truly," and perhaps "certain," "certainly," "complete" and "perfect." This liberty should not, however, be abused. Beware of using the comparative or the superlative of ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS INCAPABLE OF COMPARISON. Misplaced Adverbs.- Adverbs are often put where they do not belong. I. He early began to write poems and essays which were envied even by the Professors. I have rewritten themes in the class-room only. When he took command in India, he had only three hundred Englishmen and two hundred Sepoys. II. He early began to write poems and essays which were even envied by the Professors. I have re-written themes only in the class-room. When he took command in India, he only had three hundred Englishmen and two hundred Sepoys. So far as the rules of grammar permit, an ADVERB should be so placed as to indicate its exact relation to the other words in the sentence. Usually it should come next to the word, or words, which it modifies. Adverbs between To and The Infinitive. - Adverbs and adverbial phrases are often placed between "to" and the infinitive. I. I would have told him not to shoot. II. I would have told him to not shoot. This example shows a common fault, one into which even good writers occasionally fall, that of putting an adverb or an adverbial phrase between "to" and the infinitive, words so closely connected that they should not be separated. Often, as in the example given above, the adverb thus misplaced gives a harsh sound to the sentence. Other examples are I. The soldiers of the guard refused to fight longer. You've no idea what a bother it is to be always neat and in order. Various means were sought by his Majesty to kill Gulliver secretly. If the criticism of a tutor helps me to accomplish my purpose better, I see no harm in it. His father telegraphed to him to return instantly. He moved to postpone the subject indefinitely. He moved that the subject be indefinitely postponed. So to do (or, To do so) would be to sacrifice truth to convenience. The American knows how to use to the best advantage the mechanism of life. We hope to do without advertisements even. The question is, whether he will pledge himself to support loyally and faithfully the candidate of the party. Properly and promptly to handle the mass of matter that goes through his hands is a vast undertaking. II. The soldiers of the guard refused to longer fight. You've no idea what a bother it is to always be neat and in order. Various means were sought by his majesty to secretly kill Gulli ver. If the criticism of a tutor helps me to better accomplish my purpose, I see no harm in it. His father telegraphed him to instantly return. He moved to indefinitely postpone the subject. To so do would be to sacrifice truth to convenience. The American knows how to fullest use the mechanism of life. We hope to even do without advertisements. The question is, whether he will pledge himself to loyally and faithfully support the candidate of the party. To properly and promptly han dle the mass of matter that goes through his hands is a vast undertaking. I. It is well for me, first of all, to tell you why I visited Netherfield. As the fog cleared, the life-boat was seen still to struggle gallantly to reach "The Eider" (or, still gallantly struggling to reach "The Eider"). II. It is well for me to first of all tell you why I visited Netherfield. As the fog cleared, the life-boat was seen to still gallantly struggle to reach "The Eider." These examples, which are drawn from various sources, should suffice to show both the prevalence of the fault indicated by the italicized words, and the ease with which it may be remedied. Its prevalence has led some students of language to insist that good use sanctions, or at least condones, the practice of putting adverbial expressions between "to" and the infinitive; and one well-known scholar has adduced what at first sight seems to be a formidable array of citations, ranging from the time of Wickliffe to the present day. On examination, however, it turns out that the names of some of the highest authorities on a question of good use Addison, Goldsmith, and Cardinal Newman, for instanceare conspicuous by their absence; and that each of several other authors of highest repute is represented by only one example. "How it has come to pass," naïvely remarks the indefatigable author to whose industry we are indebted for the list in question, "how it has come to pass that professional authors so voluminous as Dr. Johnson, Lord Macaulay, and Mr. De Quincey are seen to furnish, so far as appears, only one example, each, of the phraseology under discussion, it would be fruitless to inquire. It is, however, somewhat remarkable, that the consideration which prompted those scanty examples, whether it was that which has been suggested above, or whether it was a desire of terseness, or of euphony, did not operate to multiply them in the pages of the vigilant stylists who have thus just countenanced their type."1 1 FITZEDWARD HALL. The American Journal of Philology, vol. iii. (1882). |