In the last example, "the" before "beauties" is necessary to show that "the poems of his youth" resemble "his maturer work" in two distinct ways. "The faults and

weaknesses would be correct, because faults and weaknesses are so closely akin as to mean almost the same thing. So, too, "the" is not necessary before "children" in "The women and children were in a safe place before the bombardment began," for the phrase "women and children" means non-combatants; or before "Fellows " in "The President and Fellows of Harvard College," for "The President and Fellows means "The Corporation; 66 or before stripes" in "the stars and stripes,"

that is, the American flag.

Articles that are needed to make the meaning clear or the sentence grammatical should not be omitted.

A or One The article " a and the numeral “ one were originally the same word, but in the language as it now exists they have separate functions.

I.

During the recess, I have returned from a party at about half-past ten, and have then made a call on a girl, which lasted until half-past eleven.

II.

During the recess, I have re turned from one party at about half-past ten, and made a call on a girl, which lasted until halfpast eleven.

The emphasis is upon "a party" as distinguished from "a call," not upon one party as distinguished from another.

A and ONE should be carefully distinguished.

The or This. "This" is sometimes wrongly used instead of "the."

I.

I shall try to estimate the worth of the principle which sustains my proposition.

II.

I shall try to estimate the worth of this principle which sustains my proposition.

In this example, considered apart from the context,"the" is the proper word, because it leads the reader to expect to be told what "principle" is referred to, and he is told in the clause beginning with "which." This implies that the reader already knows what "principle” is referred to, either because it has been mentioned before, or because it is pointed out at the time,- suppositions apparently unwarranted by the facts.

THE and THIS should be carefully distinguished.

Chapter III.

OF NOUNS

As compared with pronouns and verbs, nouns suffer few changes of form, but those few should be mastered.

Use and Misuse of the Apostrophe. In modern English, the apostrophe serves as a sign of the possessive case.

I.

In spite of our hero's services, the king begins to wish he were well rid of such a monster.

He thus won not only a wrestling match but a lady's heart.

II.

In spite of our heros services, the king begins to wish he were well rid of such a monster.

He thus won not only a wrestling match but a ladies heart.

These examples need no comment. The only excuse for putting them into this book is that the faulty sentences come from compositions written by candidates for admission to Harvard College.

I.

She had known everything about them, from the boys' bills and the girls' gloves to the heart and the disposition of each.

II.

She had known everything about them, from the boys' bills and the girl's gloves to the heart and the disposition of each.

If more than one girl is meant, the apostrophe should come after the " s" in "girls," as it does in " "boys"."

I.

Many of Scott's more romantic

novels are not nearly so true to

life as Miss Austen's.

II.

Many of Scott's more romantic novels are not nearly so true to life as Miss Austens'.

If the reference is to the dice," the apostrophe should be put before the "s."

author of "Pride and Preju

I.

I shot Mrs. Briggs's cat.

Fate that day decreed that no horse-jockey should become the possessor of Godfrey Cass's beloved mare.

II.

I shot Mrs. Briggs' cat.

Fate that day decreed that no horse-jockey should become the possessor of Godfrey Cass' beloved mare.

The weight of authority seems, on the whole, to be with the second "s" in the possessive case of proper names ending in "s"; but good use is not uniform. With some proper names, e. g., "Cass," the second " seems to be imperative. In others, -e. g., "Highlands," "Socrates," - euphony seems to settle the question the other way, as it certainly does in "for conscience' sake," which sounds much better than "for conscience's sake."

I.

I bought these rolls at Wright

the baker's.

II.

I bought these rolls at Wright's

I bought these rolls at Wright's the baker. the baker's.

The practice of putting the sign of the possessive case with only the first of two nouns that are in apposition cannot be deemed absolutely wrong, for it is supported by a certain amount of authority; but the best usage favors the apostrophe either with the second noun or with both nouns. One reason for putting the apostrophe with the second noun is that it naturally comes at the end of the possessive expression. In the sentence quoted, "shop" is understood; and surely we should say "Wright the baker's shop" or "Wright's the baker's shop," not "Wright's the baker shop."

I.

His generosity is especially marked when compared with his brother John of Lancaster's (or, with that of his brother, John of Lancaster).

II.

His generosity is especially marked when compared with his brother's John of Lancaster's.

This sentence as originally written is intolerable in sound and misleading in sense.

I have received your cards, I have received your cards, but not anybody else's. but not anybody's else.

Those who prefer as some recognized authorities do anybody's else to "anybody else's" do not hesitate to say anybody's else cards; but the weight of good usage seems to incline to "anybody else's" and "anybody else's cards." Nobody, however, says who else's in preference to “whose else."

I.

They were frequent visitors at the manor house of Mr. Bingley (or, at Mr. Bingley's manor house), where Mr. Darcy was staying.

II.

They were frequent visitors at the manor house of Mr. Bingley's, where Mr. Darcy was staying.

"The manor house" belongs to Mr. Bingley, not to Mr. Bingley's.

An APOSTROPHE should be put exactly where it belongs.

Use and Misuse of the Possessive Case. It is sometimes a question whether to express the relation between two nouns by putting one of them in the possessive case, or by using the preposition "of."

I.

I had a full understanding of (or, I fully understood) the significance of the fact.

II.

I had a full understanding of the fact's significance.

In the older language the possessive (or genitive) case was more frequently used than is proper now. The King James translation of the Gospels, for example, speaks of the shoe's latchet, the novelist Richardson wrote stair's foot,