EXERCISE LVII Supply any pronouns needed to make the meaning clear or the grammatical construction correct: 1. Dr. Jones and wife were among the passengers. 2. It was Lewisham had persuaded her to delay the visit. 3. His horse is better than any other man in town. 4. My inability to get work, and destitute condition, depresses me. 5. Accept thanks for lovely present. Hope we may have the pleasure of using together in the near future. 6. His own upholstering and decorating business will be continued as usual, and will endeavor to fill all orders intrusted to his care. 7. Lind did not trouble to answer further. 8. Their inclination is always toward that which is commonly called the "sentimental," but some would call the "Christian.” 9. The Citizens' Committee ought to avail of this opportunity for doing something distinctly practical. 10. These desertions came from the universal confidence in his measures Jefferson had the art to inspire. CHAPTER VI VERBS Vulgarisms. Some blunders in the use of verbs are, or should be, confined to the illiterate. I That's right, isn't it? You aren't so fleshy as you were. Am I not glad [or How glad I am] to see you! He must come to grief because he doesn't work. Haven't you been here before? The house ought not to be so cool. He ought to have told the whole story; he ought not to have concealed it. You were well then, weren't you? II That's right, ain't it? You ain't so fleshy as you were. He must come to grief because he don't work. Hain't you been here before? The house didn't ought to be so cool. He had ought to have told the whole story; he hadn't ought to conceal it. You was 2 well then, wasn't you? It should be needless to note vulgarisms so gross as these; but they are sometimes on the lips of boys and girls who ought to know better, and even of men and women in their unguarded moments. If correctly used, contractions are of course natural and proper in conversation and in some kinds of writing; the speech of a person who never said "can't" for "can not," "don't" "he 1" Aren't I" is said by Bostonians to be current in New York; don't" has been termed by a New York journal "Bostonese" but the fact is that no vulgarism of this class is confined to one city or section. 2 "You was," which is now a badge of vulgarity, was once, like many other vulgarisms, good English. Examples from various authors (from Henry More, 1651, to Dugald Stewart, 1819) are given by the late Dr. Fitzedward Hall, in the "Nation," March 10, 1892. for "do not," "isn't" for "is not," would seem stiff or affected. I She had been thinking that perhaps she had [or might] better1 go upstairs. Had you not better rest now? II She had been thinking that perhaps she would better go upstairs. Would not better rest now? you "Would better," which seems to be increasingly common in conversation and in hasty writing, is not in accordance with the best usage. I I should be delighted to go to the World's Fair. She is a little lanky as yet, but Any one of your children may expect to come here. II I should admire to go to the World's Fair. She is a little lanky as yet, but she will cure of that. He favors you in the face. She features her mother. Any one of your children may look to come here. The italicized verbs as used in the sentences under II are found in some old authors, but are now obsolete. Carry and talk as used in the sentences under II are "commercialisms" that are not sanctioned by good use. I He had heard of man-eaters in the South Sea. II He had heard tell of eaters of men in the South Sea. "Hear tell" occurs in Shakspere's sentence "She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband"; 2 but the phrase is not in good use to-day. 1 See pages 15-16. 2 Much Ado about Nothing, ii. 1. I After breakfast Tom taught1 Jim and me how to steer. II After breakfast Tom learned1 me and Jim how to steer. Learn in the sense of "teach," which was in good use in Shakspere's time, is now a vulgarism. I He wouldn't let me go. Our object was to enliven things a little. II He wouldn't leave me go. Our object was to liven up things a little. Leave in the sense of "let," and liven up in the sense of "enliven," have never been in good use. Avoid vulgarisms in the use of verbs. EXERCISE LVIII Illustrate by original sentences (1) the correct contractions of "is not," "are not," "does not," "do not,” “has not," "have not "; (2) the positive and the negative use of "ought"; (3) the correct negative-interrogative form of the first person singular of the present indicative of the verb "be," and that of the second person singular ("you") of the preterite indicative. EXERCISE LIX In place of any vulgarisms, substitute expressions that are in reputable use: 1. In three months he will learn you any language you like to know. 2. Ain't we going to the beach to-day? 3. The manager featured his friend. 4. The probability of a coal famine is freely talked in some quarters. 5. "You would better follow me, now," said Miriam. 6. You hadn't ought to try to do so much all at once; you ain't strong enough. 7. I will never leave go of her, if you should cut my hands off. 1 "Teach," says Mark Twain, "is not in the river [the Mississippi] vocabulary." 8. I should admire to go to Niagara. 9. When did you come? I didn't know you was here. 10. We don't carry that line of goods, madam. 11. Let her go away; she needs to be livened up. 12. The child will cure of that as he grows older. 13. You had ought to have told me the circumstances. Incorrect Forms. Some incorrect forms of verbs stray into print; many more are heard in the street. I He called his servants and bade them procure firearms. She bade them good-night. Prussia bid high for German leadership. II He called his servants and bid them procure firearms. She bid them good-night. Prussia bade high for German leadership. The preterite tense of "bid" in the sense of " command," and in expressions like "bid good-night," "bid good-by," "bid welcome," "bid fair," is "bade," the past participle "bidden"; the preterite tense, as well as the past participle, of "bid" in the sense of "bid at auction," "offer a price for," is "bid." I All were expert divers, and John always dived to the bottom. II All were expert divers, and John always dove to the bottom. Dove as the preterite of "dive" is common in conversation, and has been used by some good authors; but "dived" is now proper as both preterite tense and past participle.1 1 Straight into the river Kwasind Dived [in early editions dove] as if he were a beaver.- |