In this example, "because" expresses the meaning much more distinctly than as.

I.

I set "The Ancient Mariner " above all these poems, in melody, imagination, weirdness, sweetness, and completeness.

II.

I set "The Ancient Mariner " above all these poems, both in melody, imagination, weirdness, sweetness, and completeness.

The use of both to refer to more than two persons or things, though not without authority, is forbidden by the best usage.

I.

They lament that the brewers are getting control of the city.

II.

They lament how the brewers are getting control of the city.

"They” lament the fact that the brewers get control, not the manner in which they get control.

I.

She said that her daughter had been troubled by a dream, and that she had heard a voice.

II.

She told how her daughter had been troubled by a dream, and how she had heard a voice.

If, as seems probable, the author of this sentence means

to mention two facts, the hearing of a voice,

the trouble caused by a dream and

but does not mean to speak of the manner in which either fact came to pass, "that," not how, is the proper word.

I.

Though the world has advanced in other respects, the problem of comfortable travelling by night is still shrouded in darkness.

II.

If the world has advanced in other respects, the problem of comfortable travelling by night is still shrouded in darkness.

"Though" is correct; for the meaning is, that, in spite of the fact that the world has advanced, travelling is not

entirely comfortable. If implies a doubt whether "the world has advanced in other respects."

I.

I am convinced that neither my tastes nor my talents lie in this direction.

The furniture was neither so well-kept nor so interesting his torically as we had expected.

II.

I am convinced that neither my tastes or my talents lie in this direction.

The furniture was neither so well-kept or so historically interesting as we had expected.

It is necessary to express the negative meaning in the second branch of each of these sentences as well as in the first. "Nor" is, therefore, proper.

Although "nor" does not strictly correspond with "no," it does serve to repeat in the second branch of the sentence the negative meaning expressed in the first branch, and is therefore correct.

I.

His fame as an athlete is established along the Charles River, but is not confined to that locality.

I was still unmarried, but I was engaged to wed Annie Jones.

II.

His fame as an athlete, though not confined to that locality, is established along the Charles River.

Though still unmarried, I was engaged to wed Annie Jones.

These sentences as originally written present a common error in its simplest form. If we substitute for though an equivalent expression, the last sentence will read: "Notwithstanding (or, In spite of) the fact that I was still unmarried, I was engaged to wed Annie Jones," — an

absurdity. "But," on the other hand, sets the fact that I am a bachelor over against the fact that I have taken the first step toward marriage.

I.

He shaded his eyes as if he were looking at the sun.

II.

He shaded his eyes as though he was looking at the sun.

"As if" is, on the whole, preferable to as though, because "if" expresses the exact meaning, and though does not. In colloquial language and in novels which adopt colloquial language, as though is frequently used instead of "as if." In careful writing, however, "as if" is preferred, not only because it expresses the meaning more exactly, but also because it is less clumsy than as though.

I.

Soon, however, the walk be

came almost a nightmare.

II.

Soon, though, the walk became almost a nightmare.

Though, in the sense of "however," is so common in conversation and in colloquial prose that it cannot be absolutely condemned; but it should be used sparingly, for it gives a slovenly air to a sentence.

I.

We may tell our hostess that we have had a delightful evening, though we have all the time wished ourselves at home.

II.

We may tell our hostess that we have had a delightful evening; when we have all the time wished ourselves at home.

"Though" is the proper word; for the writer means to say that, notwithstanding the fact that we have really "wished ourselves at home," we "tell our hostess that we have enjoyed the evening; that is, we tell a conventional lie.

I.

While hunting for a subject in Hazlitt, I found that some one had marked the striking passages.

II.

When hunting for a subject in Hazlitt I found that some one had marked the striking passages.

When refers to a point of time, "while" to a period of time. Both of the following sentences are correct: "When [that is, at the time that] I hit on my subject, I found marks on the book;" "While [that is, during the time that] I was hunting, I found marks on the book." This distinction sometimes disappears: e. g., "When Nero was Emperor, there was a persecution of the Christians which lasted for years," is correct; "While Nero, etc.," might at first be understood to mean "throughout Nero's reign." "When " fixes attention on a date or a period; "while" fixes attention on the lapse of time.

I.

To make a large body of men sing together is a laborious task, but to (or, task; to) make an orchestra play together is even more difficult.

II.

To make a large body of men sing together is a laborious task, while to make an orchestra play together is even more difficult.

In this example, if any conjunction is used, "but" is the proper one; for the writer means to contrast the proposition which comes before the conjunction with that which comes after it.

I.

He was seated on the sidewalk, and beside him was a pair of crutches.

II.

He was seated on the sidewalk, while beside him was a pair of crutches.

The writer of this sentence did not mean to say that "he was seated on the sidewalk" during the time that, or at the same time that, or as long as, his crutches were beside

him; but he meant to mention two independent facts. If the crutches had been taken away, the man might still have remained where he was.

"While" is correctly used in the following sentence: "A pan of peas slid from her lap while she nervously pulled at the corner of her apron."

To say that "while" should never be used except in the sense of "during the time that," "at the same time that,” or "as long as," would be going too far; but the word is often employed by writers who vaguely feel that some connective is needed, but who either do not know what they mean, or are too lazy to hunt up the word that exactly expresses their meaning. "While," like "as" and "how," is an overworked conjunction.

Use the conjunction which exactly expresses your meaning.