How to Speak and Write Correctly

The _Dash_ is generally confined to cases where there is a sudden break
from the general run of the passage. Of all the punctuation marks it is
the most misused.

(1) It is employed to denote sudden change in the construction or
sentiment: "The Heroes of the Civil War,--how we cherish them." "He was a
fine fellow--in his own opinion."

(2) When a word or expression is repeated for oratorical effect, a dash
is used to introduce the repetition: "Shakespeare was the greatest of all
poets--Shakespeare, the intellectual ocean whose waves washed the
continents of all thought."

(3) The Dash is used to indicate a conclusion without expressing it: "He
is an excellent man but--"

(4) It is used to indicate what is not expected or what is not the
natural outcome of what has gone before: "He delved deep into the bowels
of the earth and found instead of the hidden treasure--a button."

(5) It is used to denote the omission of letters or figures: "J--n J--s"
for John Jones; 1908-9 for 1908 and 1909; Matthew VII:5-8 for Matthew
VII:5, 6, 7, and 8.

(6) When an ellipsis of the words, _namely, that is, to wit_, etc., takes
place, the dash is used to supply them: "He excelled in three branches--
arithmetic, algebra, and geometry."

(7) A dash is used to denote the omission of part of a word when it is
undesirable to write the full word: He is somewhat of a r----l (rascal).
This is especially the case in profane words.

(8) Between a citation and the authority for it there is generally a dash:
"All the world's a stage."--_Shakespeare_.

(9) When questions and answers are put in the same paragraph they should
be separated by dashes: "Are you a good boy? Yes, Sir.--Do you love study?
I do."

_Marks of Parenthesis_ are used to separate expressions inserted in the
body of a sentence, which are illustrative of the meaning, but have no
essential connection with the sentence, and could be done without. They
should be used as little as possible for they show that something is
being brought into a sentence that does not belong to it.

(1) When the unity of a sentence is broken the words causing the break
should be enclosed in parenthesis: "We cannot believe a liar (and Jones
is one), even when he speaks the truth."

(2) In reports of speeches marks of parenthesis are used to denote
interpolations of approval or disapproval by the audience: "The masses
must not submit to the tyranny of the classes (hear, hear), we must show
the trust magnates (groans), that they cannot ride rough-shod over our
dearest rights (cheers);" "If the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), will
not be our spokesman, we must select another. (A voice,--Get Robinson)."

When a parenthesis is inserted in the sentence where no comma is
required, no point should be used before either parenthesis. When
inserted at a place requiring a comma, if the parenthetical matter
relates to the whole sentence, a comma should be used before each
parenthesis; if it relates to a single word, or short clause, no stop
should come before it, but a comma should be put after the closing
parenthesis.

The _Quotation marks_ are used to show that the words enclosed by them
are borrowed.

(1) A direct quotation should be enclosed within the quotation marks:
Abraham Lincoln said,--"I shall make this land too hot for the feet of
slaves."

(2) When a quotation is embraced within another, the contained quotation
has only single marks: Franklin said, "Most men come to believe 'honesty
is the best policy.'"

(3) When a quotation consists of several paragraphs the quotation marks
should precede each paragraph.

(4) Titles of books, pictures and newspapers when formally given are
quoted.

(5) Often the names of ships are quoted though there is no occasion for it.

The _Apostrophe_ should come under the comma rather than under the
quotation marks or double comma. The word is Greek and signifies a turning
away from. The letter elided or turned away is generally an _e_. In poetry
and familiar dialogue the apostrophe marks the elision of a syllable, as
"I've for I have"; "Thou'rt for thou art"; "you'll for you will," etc.
Sometimes it is necessary to abbreviate a word by leaving out several
letters. In such case the apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letters
as "cont'd for continued." The apostrophe is used to denote the elision of
the century in dates, where the century is understood or to save the
repetition of a series of figures, as "The Spirit of '76"; "I served in the
army during the years 1895, '96, '97, '98 and '99." The principal use of
the apostrophe is to denote the possessive case. All nouns in the singular
number whether proper names or not, and all nouns in the plural ending with
any other letter than _s_, form the possessive by the addition of the
apostrophe and the letter _s_. The only exceptions to this rule are, that,
by poetical license the additional _s_ may be elided in poetry for sake of
the metre, and in the scriptural phrases "For goodness' sake." "For
conscience' sake," "For Jesus' sake," etc. Custom has done away with the
_s_ and these phrases are now idioms of the language. All plural nouns
ending in _s_ form the possessive by the addition of the apostrophe only as
boys', horses'. The possessive case of the personal pronouns never take the
apostrophe, as ours, yours, hers, theirs.

CAPITAL LETTERS

_Capital letters_ are used to give emphasis to or call attention to
certain words to distinguish them from the context. In manuscripts they
may be written small or large and are indicated by lines drawn
underneath, two lines for SMALL CAPITALS and three lines for CAPITALS.

Some authors, notably Carlyle, make such use of Capitals that it
degenerates into an abuse. They should only be used in their proper
places as given in the table below.

(1) The first word of every sentence, in fact the first word in writing
of any kind should begin with a capital; as, "Time flies." "My dear
friend."

(2) Every direct quotation should begin with a capital; "Dewey said,--
'Fire, when you're ready, Gridley!'"

(3) Every direct question commences with a capital; "Let me ask you;
'How old are you?'"

(4) Every line of poetry begins with a capital; "Breathes there a man
with soul so dead?"

(5) Every numbered clause calls for a capital: "The witness asserts: (1)
That he saw the man attacked; (2) That he saw him fall; (3) That he
saw his assailant flee."

(6) The headings of essays and chapters should be wholly in capitals; as,
CHAPTER VIII--RULES FOR USE OF CAPITALS.

(7) In the titles of books, nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs
should begin with a capital; as, "Johnson's Lives of the Poets."

(8) In the Roman notation numbers are denoted by capitals; as, I II III V
X L C D M--1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000.

(9) Proper names begin with a capital; as, "Jones, Johnson, Caesar, Mark
Antony, England, Pacific, Christmas."

Such words as river, sea, mountain, etc., when used generally are common,
not proper nouns, and require no capital. But when such are used with an
adjective or adjunct to specify a particular object they become proper
names, and therefore require a capital; as, "Mississippi River, North
Sea, Alleghany Mountains," etc. In like manner the cardinal points north,
south, east and west, when they are used to distinguish regions of a
country are capitals; as, "The North fought against the South."

When a proper name is compounded with another word, the part which is not
a proper name begins with a capital if it precedes, but with a small
letter if it follows, the hyphen; as "ost-homeric," "Sunday-school."

(10) Words derived from proper names require a Capital; as, "American,
Irish, Christian, Americanize, Christianize."

In this connection the names of political parties, religious sects and
schools of thought begin with capitals; as, "Republican, Democrat, Whig,
Catholic, Presbyterian, Rationalists, Free Thinkers."

(11) The titles of honorable, state and political offices begin with a
capital; as, "resident, Chairman, Governor, Alderman."

(12) The abbreviations of learned titles and college degrees call for
capitals; as, "LL.D., M.A., B.S.," etc. Also the seats of learning
conferring such degrees as, "Harvard University, Manhattan College," etc.

(13) When such relative words as father, mother, brother, sister, uncle,
aunt, etc., precede a proper name, they are written and printed with
capitals; as, Father Abraham, Mother Eddy, Brother John, Sister Jane,
Uncle Jacob, Aunt Eliza. Father, when used to denote the early Christian
writer, is begun with a capital; "Augustine was one of the learned
Fathers of the Church."

(14) The names applied to the Supreme Being begin with capitals: "God,
Lord, Creator, Providence, Almighty, The Deity, Heavenly Father, Holy
One." In this respect the names applied to the Saviour also require
capitals: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Man of Galilee, The Crucified, The
Anointed One." Also the designations of Biblical characters as "Lily of
Israel, Rose of Sharon, Comfortress of the Afflicted, Help of Christians,
Prince of the Apostles, Star of the Sea," etc. Pronouns referring to God
and Christ take capitals; as, "His work, The work of Him, etc."

(15) Expressions used to designate the Bible or any particular division
of it begin with a capital; as, "Holy Writ, The Sacred Book, Holy Book,
God's Word, Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel of St. Matthew, Seven
Penitential Psalms."

(16) Expressions based upon the Bible or in reference to Biblical
characters begin with a capital: "Water of Life, Hope of Men, Help of
Christians, Scourge of Nations."

(17) The names applied to the Evil One require capitals: "Beelzebub,
Prince of Darkness, Satan, King of Hell, Devil, Incarnate Fiend, Tempter
of Men, Father of Lies, Hater of Good."

(18) Words of very special importance, especially those which stand out
as the names of leading events in history, have capitals; as, "The
Revolution, The Civil War, The Middle Ages, The Age of Iron," etc.

(19) Terms which refer to great events in the history of the race require
capitals; "The Flood, Magna Charta, Declaration of Independence."

(20) The names of the days of the week and the months of the year and the
seasons are commenced with capitals: "Monday, March, Autumn."

(21) The Pronoun _I_ and the interjection _O_ always require the use of
capitals. In fact all the interjections when uttered as exclamations
commence with capitals: "Alas! he is gone." "Ah! I pitied him."

(22) All _noms-de-guerre_, assumed names, as well as names given for
distinction, call for capitals, as, "The Wizard of the North," "aul
Pry," "The Northern Gael," "Sandy Sanderson," "Poor Robin," etc.

(23) In personification, that is, when inanimate things are represented
as endowed with life and action, the noun or object personified begins
with a capital; as, "The starry Night shook the dews from her wings."
"Mild-eyed Day appeared," "The Oak said to the Beech--'I am stronger
than you.'"

CHAPTER VI
LETTER WRITING
Principles of Letter-Writing—Forms—Notes

Many people seem to regard letter-writing as a very simple and easily acquired branch, but on the contrary it is one of the most difficult forms of composition and requires much patience and labor to master its details. In fact there are very few perfect letter-writers in the language. It constitutes the direct form of speech and may be called conversation at a distance. Its forms are so varied by every conceivable topic written at all times by all kinds of persons in all kinds of moods and tempers and addressed to all kinds of persons of varying degrees in society and of different pursuits in life, that no fixed rules can be laid down to regulate its length,  or subject matter. Only general suggestions can be made in regard to scope and purpose, and the forms of indicting set forth which custom and precedent have sanctioned.

The principles of letter-writing should be understood by everybody who has any knowledge of written language, for almost everybody at some time or other has necessity to address some friend or acquaintance at a distance, whereas comparatively few are called upon to direct their efforts towards any other kind of composition.

Formerly the illiterate countryman, when he had occasion to communicate with friends or relations, called in the peripatetic schoolmaster as his amanuensis, but this had one draw-back,—secrets had to be poured into an ear other than that for which they were intended, and often the confidence was betrayed.

Now, that education is abroad in the land, there is seldom any occasion for any person to call upon the service of another to compose and write a personal letter. Very few now-a-days are so grossly illiterate as not to be able to read and write. No matter how crude his effort may be it is better for any one to write his own letters than trust to another. Even if he should commence,—"deer fren, i lift up my pen to let ye no that i hove been sik for the past 3 weeks, hopping this will findye the same," his spelling and construction can be excused in view of the fact that his intention is good, and that he is doing his best to serve his own turn without depending upon others.

The nature, substance and tone of any letter depend upon the occasion that calls it forth, upon the person writing it and upon the person for whom it is intended. Whether it should be easy or formal in , plain or ornate, light or serious, gay or grave, sentimental or matter-of-fact depend upon these three circumstances.

In letter writing the first and most important requisites are to be natural and simple; there should be no straining after effect, but simply a spontaneous out-pouring of thoughts and ideas as they naturally occur to the writer. We are repelled by a person who is stiff and labored in his conversation and in the same way the stiff and labored letter bores the reader. Whereas if it is light and in a conversational vein it immediately engages his attention.

The letter which is written with the greatest facility is the best kind of letter because it naturally expresses what is in the writer, he has not to search for his words, they flow in a perfect unison with the ideas he desires to communicate. When you write to your friend John Browne to tell him how you spent Sunday you have not to look around for the words, or study set phrases with a view to please or impress Browne, you just tell him the same as if he were present before you, how you spent the day, where you were, with whom you associated and the chief incidents that occurred during the time. Thus, you write natural and it is such writing that is adapted to epistolary correspondence.

There are different kinds of letters, each calling for a different  of address and composition, nevertheless the natural key should be maintained in all, that is to say, the writer should never attempt to convey an impression that he is other than what he is. It would be silly as well as vain for the common street laborer of a limited education to try to put on literary airs and emulate a college professor; he may have as good a brain, but it is not as well developed by education, and he lacks the polish which society confers. When writing a letter the street laborer should bear in mind that only the letter of a street-laborer is expected from him, no matter to whom his communication may be addressed and that neither the grammar nor the diction of a Chesterfield or Gladstone is looked for in his language. Still the writer should keep in mind the person to whom he is writing. If it is to an Archbishop or some other great dignitary of Church or state it certainly should be couched in terms different from those he uses to John Browne, his intimate friend. Just as he cannot say "Dear John" to an Archbishop, no more can he address him in the familiar words he uses to his friend of everyday acquaintance and companionship. Yet there is no great learning required to write to an Archbishop, no more than to an ordinary individual. All the laborer needs to know is the form of address and how to properly utilize his limited vocabulary to the best advantage. Here is the form for such a letter:

[INDENT]................................17 Second Avenue,
.......................................New York City.
.........................................January 1st, 1910.

................Most Rev. P. A. Jordan,
...................Archbishop of New York.
.
................Most Rev. and dear Sir:—
...................While sweeping the crossing at Fifth
................Avenue and 50th street on last Wednesday
................morning, I found the enclosed Fifty Dollar
................Bill, which I am sending to you in the hope
................that it may be restored to the rightful
................owner.
...................I beg you will acknowledge receipt and
................should the owner be found I trust you will
................notify me, so that I may claim some reward
................for my honesty.
...................I am, Most Rev. and dear Sir,

...........................Very respectfully yours,
...........................................Thomas Jones.[/FONT] [/INDENT]
Observe the brevity of the letter. Jones makes no suggestions to the Archbishop how to find the owner, for he knows the course the Archbishop will adopt, of having the finding of the bill announced from the Church pulpits. Could Jones himself find the owner there would be no occasion to apply to the Archbishop.

This letter, it is true, is different from that which he would send to Browne. Nevertheless it is simple without being familiar, is just a plain statement, and is as much to the point for its purpose as if it were garnished with rhetoric and "words of learned length and thundering sound."

Letters may be divided into those of friendship, acquaintanceship, those of business relations, those written in an official capacity by public servants, those designed to teach, and those which give accounts of the daily happenings on the stage of life, in other words, news letters.

[I]Letters of friendship[/I] are the most common and their  and form depend upon the degree of relationship and intimacy existing between the writers and those addressed. Between relatives and intimate friends the beginning and end may be in the most familiar form of conversation, either affectionate or playful. They should, however, never overstep the boundaries of decency and propriety, for it is well to remember that, unlike conversation, which only is heard by the ears for which it is intended, written words may come under eyes other than those for whom they were designed. Therefore, it is well never to write anything which the world may not read without detriment to your character or your instincts. You can be joyful, playful, jocose, give vent to your feelings, but never stoop to low language and, above all, to language savoring in the slightest degree of moral impropriety.

[I]Business letters[/I] are of the utmost importance on account of the interests involved. The business character of a man or of a firm is often judged by the correspondence. On many occasions letters instead of developing trade and business interests and gaining clientele, predispose people unfavorably towards those whom they are designed to benefit. Ambiguous, slip-shod language is a detriment to success. Business letters should be clear, concise, to the point and, above all, honest, giving no wrong impressions or holding out any inducements that cannot be fulfilled. In business letters, just as in business conduct, honesty is always the best policy.

[I]Official letters[/I] are mostly always formal. They should possess clearness, brevity and dignity of tone to impress the receivers with the proper respect for the national laws and institutions.

Letters designed to teach or [I]didactic letters[/I] are in a class all by themselves. They are simply literature in the form of letters and are employed by some of the best writers to give their thoughts and ideas a greater emphasis. The most conspicuous example of this kind of composition is the book on Etiquette by Lord Chesterfield, which took the form of a series of letters to his son.

[I]News letters[/I] are accounts of world happenings and descriptions of ceremonies and events sent into the newspapers. Some of the best authors of our time are newspaper men who write in an easy flowing  which is most readable, full of humor and fancy and which carries one along with breathless interest from beginning to end.

The principal parts of a letter are (1) the heading or introduction; (2) the body or substance of the letter; (3) the subscription or closing expression and signature; (4) the address or direction on the envelope. For the body of a letter no forms or rules can be laid down as it altogether depends on the nature of the letter and the relationship between the writer and the person addressed.

There are certain rules which govern the other three features and which custom has sanctioned. Every one should be acquainted with these rules.

THE HEADING
The Heading has three parts, viz., the name of the place, the date of writing and the designation of the person or persons addressed; thus:

[COLOR="white"]...................................[/COLOR]73 New Street,
[COLOR="white"].......................................[/COLOR]Newark, N. J.,
[COLOR="white"]..........................................[/COLOR]February 1st, 1910.
[COLOR="white"]..........[/COLOR]Messr. Ginn and Co.,
[COLOR="white"]..............[/COLOR]New York
[COLOR="white"]..........[/COLOR]Gentlemen:[/FONT]

The name of the place should never be omitted; in cities, street and number should always be given, and except when the city is large and very conspicuous, so that there can be no question as to its identity with another of the same or similar name, the abbreviation of the State should be appended, as in the above, Newark, N. J. There is another Newark in the State of Ohio. Owing to failure to comply with this rule many letters go astray. The date should be on every letter, especially business letters. The date should never be put at the bottom in a business letter, but in friendly letters this may be done. The designation of the person or persons addressed differs according to the relations of the correspondents. Letters of friendship may begin in many ways according to the degrees of friendship or intimacy. Thus:

[INDENT]      My dear Wife:
      My dear Husband:
      My dear Friend:
      My darling Mother:
      My dearest Love:
      Dear Aunt:
      Dear Uncle:
      Dear George: etc.[/INDENT]
To mark a lesser degree of intimacy such formal designations as the following may be employed:

[INDENT]      Dear Sir:
      My dear Sir:
      Dear Mr. Smith:
      Dear Madam: etc[/FONT].[/INDENT]
For clergymen who have the degree of Doctor of Divinity, the designation is as follows:

[INDENT]      Rev. Alban Johnson, D. D.
      My dear Sir: or Rev. and dear Sir: or more familiarly
      Dear Dr. Johnson[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
Bishops of the Roman and Anglican Communions are addressed as Right Reverend.

[INDENT]      The Rt. Rev., the Bishop of Long Island. or
      The Rt. Rev. Frederick Burgess, Bishop of Long Island.
      Rt. Rev. and dear Sir[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
Archbishops of the Roman Church are addressed as Most Reverend and Cardinals as Eminence. Thus:

[INDENT]          The Most Rev. Archbishop Katzer.
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Most Rev. and dear Sir:

          His Eminence, James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore.
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            May it please your Eminence[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
The title of the Governor of a State or territory and of the President of the United States is Excellency. However, Honorable is more commonly applied to Governors:—

[INDENT]          His Excellency, William Howard Taft,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            President of the United States.

          Sir:—

          His Excellency, Charles Evans Hughes,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Governor of the State of New York.

          Sir:—

          Honorable Franklin Fort,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Governor of New Jersey.

          Sir:—[/FONT][/INDENT]
The general salutation for Officers of the Army and Navy is Sir. The rank and station should be indicated in full at the head of the letter, thus:

[INDENT]          General Joseph Thompson,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Commanding the Seventh Infantry.

          Sir:

          Rear Admiral Robert Atkinson,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Commanding the Atlantic Squadron.

          Sir:[/INDENT]
The title of officers of the Civil Government is Honorable and they are addressed as Sir.

[INDENT]            Hon. Nelson Duncan,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]              Senator from Ohio.

            Sir:

            Hon. Norman Wingfield,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]              Secretary of the Treasury.

            Sir:

            Hon. Rupert Gresham,
[COLOR="White"]..[/COLOR]              Mayor of New York.

            Sir:[/FONT][/INDENT]
Presidents and Professors of Colleges and Universities are generally addressed as Sir or Dear Sir.

[INDENT]      Professor Ferguson Jenks,
        President of .......... University.

      Sir: or Dear Sir[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
Presidents of Societies and Associations are treated as business men and addressed as Sir or Dear Sir.

[INDENT]            Mr. Joseph Banks,
              President of the Night Owls.

            Dear Sir: or Sir[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
Doctors of Medicine are addressed as Sir: My dear Sir: Dear Sir: and more familiarly My dear Dr: or Dear Dr: as

[INDENT]            Ryerson Pitkin, M. D.
            Sir:
            Dear Sir:
            My dear Dr[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
Ordinary people with no degrees or titles are addressed as Mr. and Mrs. and are designed Dear Sir: Dear Madam: and an unmarried woman of any age is addressed on the envelope as Miss So-and-so, but always designed in the letter as

[INDENT]            Dear Madam[/FONT]:[/INDENT]
The plural of Mr. as in addressing a firm is Messrs, and the corresponding salutation is Dear Sirs: or Gentlemen:

In England Esq. is used for Mr. as a mark of slight superiority and in this country it is sometimes used, but it is practically obsolete. Custom is against it and American sentiment as well. If it is used it should be only applied to lawyers and justices of the peace.

SUBSCRIPTION

The Subscription or ending of a letter consists of the term of respect or affection and the signature. The term depends upon the relation of the person addressed. Letters of friendship can close with such expressions as:

[INDENT]          Yours lovingly,
          Yours affectionately,
          Devotedly yours,
          Ever yours, etc.[/FONT][/INDENT]
as between husbands and wives or between lovers. Such gushing terminations as Your Own Darling, Your own Dovey and other pet and silly endings should be avoided, as they denote shallowness. Love can be strongly expressed without dipping into the nonsensical and the farcical.

Formal expressions of Subscription are:

[INDENT]          Yours Sincerely,
          Yours truly,
          Respectfully yours,[/FONT][/INDENT]
and the like, and these may be varied to denote the exact bearing or attitude the writer wishes to assume to the person addressed: as,

[INDENT]          Very sincerely yours,
          Very respectfully yours,
          With deep respect yours,
          Yours very truly, etc.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Such elaborate endings as

[INDENT]    "In the meantime with the highest respect, I am yours to command,"
    "I have the honor to be, Sir, Your humble Servant,"
    "With great expression of esteem, I am Sincerely yours,"
    "Believe me, my dear Sir, Ever faithfully yours,"[/FONT][/INDENT]
are condemned as savoring too much of affectation.

It is better to finish formal letters without any such qualifying remarks. If you are writing to Mr. Ryan to tell him that you have a house for sale, after describing the house and stating the terms simply sign yourself

[INDENT]            Your obedient Servant
            Yours very truly,
            Yours with respect,
[COLOR="White"]..[/COLOR]              James Wilson.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Don't say you have the honor to be anything or ask him to believe anything, all you want to tell him is that you have a house for sale and that you are sincere, or hold him in respect as a prospective customer.

Don't abbreviate the signature as: Y'rs Resp'fly and always make your sex obvious. Write plainly

[INDENT]Yours truly,
[I]John Field [/I][/FONT][/INDENT]
and not J. Field, so that the person to whom you send it may not take you for Jane Field.

It is always best to write the first name in full. Married women should prefix Mrs. to their names, as

[INDENT]Very sincerely yours,
[I]Mrs.[/I] Theodore Watson.[/FONT][/INDENT]
If you are sending a letter acknowledging a compliment or some kindness done you may say, Yours gratefully, or Yours very gratefully, in proportion to the act of kindness received.

It is not customary to sign letters of degrees or titles after your name, except you are a lord, earl or duke and only known by the title, but as we have no such titles in America it is unnecessary to bring this matter into consideration. Don't sign yourself,

[INDENT]           Sincerely yours,
             Obadiah Jackson, M.A. or L.L. D.[/FONT][/INDENT]
If you're an M. A. or an L.L. D. people generally know it without your sounding your own trumpet. Many people, and especially clergymen, are fond of flaunting after their names degrees they have received honoris causa, that is, degrees as a mark of honor, without examination. Such degrees should be kept in the background. Many a deadhead has these degrees which he could never have earned by brain work.

Married women whose husbands are alive may sign the husband's name with the prefix Mrs: thus,

[INDENT]Yours sincerely,
[I]Mrs.[/I] William Southey.[/FONT][/INDENT]
but when the husband is dead the signature should be—

[INDENT]Yours sincerely,
[I]Mrs.[/I] Sarah Southey.[/FONT][/INDENT]
So when we receive a letter from a woman we are enabled to tell whether she has a husband living or is a widow. A woman separated from her husband but not a [I]divorcee[/I] should not sign his name.

ADDRESS

The [I]address[/I] of a letter consists of the name, the title and the residence.

[INDENT]          Mr. Hugh Black,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            112 Southgate Street,
[COLOR="white"]....[/COLOR]              Altoona,
[COLOR="White"]..............[/COLOR]              Pa.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Intimate friends have often familiar names for each other, such as pet names, nicknames, etc., which they use in the freedom of conversation, but such names should never, under any circumstances, appear on the envelope. The subscription on the envelope should be always written with propriety and correctness and as if penned by an entire stranger. The only difficulty in the envelope inscription is the title. Every man is entitled to [I]Mr.[/I] and every lady to [I]Mrs.[/I] and every unmarried lady to [I]Miss.[/I] Even a boy is entitled to [I]Master[/I]. When more than one is addressed the title is [I]Messrs[/I]. [I]Mesdames[/I] is sometimes written of women. If the person addressed has a title it is courteous to use it, but titles never must be duplicated. Thus, we can write

[INDENT]      Robert Stitt, M. D., but never
      Dr. Robert Stitt, M. D, or
      Mr. Robert Stitt, M. D.[/FONT][/INDENT]
In writing to a medical doctor it is well to indicate his profession by the letters M. D. so as to differentiate him from a D. D. It is better to write Robert Stitt, M. D., than Dr. Robert Stitt.

In the case of clergymen the prefix Rev. is retained even when they have other titles; as

[INDENT]Rev. Tracy Tooke, LL. D.[/FONT][/INDENT]
When a person has more titles than one it is customary to only give him the leading one. Thus instead of writing Rev. Samuel MacComb, B. A., M. A., B. Sc., Ph. D., LL. D., D. D. the form employed is Rev. Samuel MacComb, LL. D. LL. D. is appended in preference to D. D. because in most cases the "Rev." implies a "D. D." while comparatively few with the prefix "Rev." are entitled to "LL. D."

In the case of [I]Honorables[/I] such as Governors, Judges, Members of Congress, and others of the Civil Government the prefix "Hon." does away with Mr. and Esq. Thus we write Hon. Josiah Snifkins, not Hon. Mr. Josiah Snifkins or Hon. Josiah Snifkins, Esq. Though this prefix Hon. is also often applied to Governors they should be addressed as Excellency. For instance:

[INDENT]          His Excellency,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Charles E. Hughes,
[COLOR="white"]....................[/COLOR]            Albany,
[COLOR="white"]........................ ...[/COLOR]           N. Y.[/FONT][/INDENT]
In writing to the President the superscription on the envelope should be

[INDENT]          To the President,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Executive Mansion,
[COLOR="white"]....[/COLOR]               Washington, D. C.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Professional men such as doctors and lawyers as well as those having legitimately earned College Degrees may be addressed on the envelopes by their titles, as

[INDENT]      Jonathan Janeway, M. D.
      Hubert Houston, B. L.
      Matthew Marks, M. A., etc.[/FONT][/INDENT]
The residence of the person addressed should be plainly written out in full. The street and numbers should be given and the city or town written very legibly. If the abbreviation of the State is liable to be confounded or confused with that of another then the full name of the State should be written. In writing the residence on the envelope, instead of putting it all in one line as is done at the head of a letter, each item of the residence forms a separate line. Thus,

[INDENT]          Liberty,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Sullivan County,
[COLOR="white"].....................[/COLOR]            New York.

          215 Minna St.,
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          San Francisco,
[COLOR="white"].....................[/COLOR]        California.[/FONT][/INDENT]
There should be left a space for the postage stamp in the upper right hand corner. The name and title should occupy a line that is about central between the top of the envelope and the bottom. The name should neither be too much to right or left but located in the centre, the beginning and end at equal distances from either end.

In writing to large business concerns which are well known or to public or city officials it is sometimes customary to leave out number and street. Thus,

[INDENT]
          Messrs. Seigel, Cooper Co.,
[COLOR="White"]...................[/COLOR]          New York City,

          Hon. William J. Gaynor,
[COLOR="white"]......................[/COLOR]          New York City.[/FONT][/INDENT]

NOTES

[I]Notes[/I] may be regarded as letters in miniature confined chiefly to invitations, acceptances, regrets and introductions, and modern etiquette tends towards informality in their composition. Card etiquette, in fact, has taken the place of ceremonious correspondence and informal notes are now the rule. Invitations to dinner and receptions are now mostly written on cards. "Regrets" are sent back on visiting cards with just the one word "[I]Regrets[/I]" plainly written thereon. Often on cards and notes of invitation we find the letters R. S. V. P. at the bottom. These letters stand for the French [I]repondez s'il vous plait[/I], which means "Reply, if you please," but there is no necessity to put this on an invitation card as every well-bred person knows that a reply is expected. In writing notes to young ladies of the same family it should be noted that the eldest daughter of the house is entitled to the designation Miss without any Christian name, only the surname appended. Thus if there are three daughters in the Thompson family Martha, the eldest, Susan and Jemina, Martha is addressed as [I]Miss[/I] Thompson and the other two as [I]Miss[/I] Susan Thompson and [I]Miss[/I] Jemina Thompson respectively.

Don't write the word [I]addressed[/I] on the envelope of a note.

Don't [I]seal[/I] a note delivered by a friend.

Don't write a note on a postal card.

Here are a few common forms:—

FORMAL INVITATIONS

[INDENT][COLOR="White"]..[/COLOR]            Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagstaff request the
          honor of Mr. McAdoo's presence on Friday
          evening, June 15th, at 8 o'clock to meet the
          Governor of the Fort.
[COLOR="white"]........[/COLOR]          19 Woodbine Terrace
[COLOR="White"].......................[/COLOR]           June 8th, 1910.[/FONT][/INDENT]
This is an invitation to a formal reception calling for evening dress. Here is Mr. McAdoo's reply in the third person:—

[INDENT][COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Mr. McAdoo presents his compliments to
          Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagstaff and accepts with
          great pleasure their invitation to meet the
          Governor of the Fort on the evening of June
          fifteenth.
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          215 Beacon Street,
[COLOR="white"]..................[/COLOR]          June 10th, 1910.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Here is how Mr. McAdoo might decline the invitation:—

[INDENT][COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Mr. McAdoo regrets that owing to a prior
          engagement he must forego the honor of paying
          his respects to Mr. and Mrs. Wagstaff and the
          Governor of the Fort on the evening of June
          fifteenth.
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          215 Beacon St.,
[COLOR="white"]........[/COLOR]          June 10th, 1910.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Here is a note addressed, say to Mr. Jeremiah Reynolds.

[INDENT][COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Mr. and Mrs. Oldham at home on Wednesday
          evening October ninth from seven to eleven.
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          21 Ashland Avenue,
[COLOR="white"]................[/COLOR]          October 5th.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Mr. Reynolds makes reply:—

[INDENT][COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Mr. Reynolds accepts with high appreciation
          the honor of Mr. and Mrs. Oldham's invitation
          for Wednesday evening October ninth.
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          Windsor Hotel
[COLOR="white"]........[/COLOR]          October 7th[/FONT][/INDENT]
or
[INDENT][COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]            Mr. Reynolds regrets that his duties render
          it impossible for him to accept Mr. and Mrs.
          Oldham's kind invitation for the evening of
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          October ninth.
          Windsor Hotel,
[COLOR="white"]......[/COLOR]          October 7th,[/FONT][/INDENT]
Sometimes less informal invitations are sent on small specially designed note paper in which the first person takes the place of the third. Thus

[INDENT]
[COLOR="white"]........................................[/COLOR]          360 Pine St.,
[COLOR="white"]........................................[/COLOR]          Dec. 11th, 1910.
          Dear Mr. Saintsbury:
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          Mr. Johnson and I should be much pleased to
          have you dine with us and a few friends next
          Thursday, the fifteenth, at half past seven.
[COLOR="white"].............................[/COLOR]          Yours sincerely,
[COLOR="white"]....................................[/COLOR]          Emma Burnside.[/FONT][/INDENT]
Mr. Saintsbury's reply:

[INDENT]
[COLOR="white"]........................................[/COLOR]          57 Carlyle Strand
[COLOR="white"]........................................[/COLOR]          Dec. 13th, 1910.
          Dear Mrs. Burnside:
[COLOR="white"]..[/COLOR]          Let me accept very appreciatively your
          invitation to dine with Mr. Burnside and you
          on next Thursday, the fifteenth, at half past
          seven.
[COLOR="white"]................................[/COLOR]          Yours sincerely,
[COLOR="white"].....................................[/COLOR]          Henry Saintsbury.
          Mrs. Alexander Burnside.[/FONT][/INDENT]

NOTES OF INTRODUCTION

Notes of introduction should be very circumspect as the writers are in reality vouching for those whom they introduce. Here is a specimen of such a note.

[INDENT]
[COLOR="white"]...........................[/COLOR]          603 Lexington Ave.,
[COLOR="white"]..............................[/COLOR]          New York City,
[COLOR="white"]..................................[/COLOR]         June 15th, 1910.

          Rev. Cyrus C. Wiley, D. D.,
[COLOR="white"]......................[/COLOR]          Newark, N. J.
          My dear Dr. Wiley:
[COLOR="white"].........................[/COLOR]          I take the liberty of
          presenting to you my friend, Stacy Redfern,
          M. D., a young practitioner, who is anxious
          to locate in Newark. I have known him many
          years and can vouch for his integrity and
          professional standing. Any courtesy and
          kindness which you may show him will be very
          much appreciated by me.
[COLOR="White"].........................[/COLOR]          Very sincerely yours,
[COLOR="White"].....................................[/COLOR]          Franklin Jewett.[/FONT][/INDENT]

CHAPTER VII

ERRORS

Mistakes--Slips of Authors--Examples and Corrections--Errors of Redundancy.


In the following examples the word or words in parentheses are uncalled
for and should be omitted:

1. Fill the glass (full).

2. They appeared to be talking (together) on private affairs.

3. I saw the boy and his sister (both) in the garden.

4. He went into the country last week and returned (back) yesterday.

5. The subject (matter) of his discourse was excellent.

6. You need not wonder that the (subject) matter of his discourse was
excellent; it was taken from the Bible.

7. They followed (after) him, but could not overtake him.

8. The same sentiments may be found throughout (the whole of) the book.

9. I was very ill every day (of my life) last week.

10. That was the (sum and) substance of his discourse.

11. He took wine and water and mixed them (both) together.

12. He descended (down) the steps to the cellar.

13. He fell (down) from the top of the house.

14. I hope you will return (again) soon.

15. The things he took away he restored (again).

16. The thief who stole my watch was compelled to restore it (back again).

17. It is equally (the same) to me whether I have it today or tomorrow.

18. She said, (says she) the report is false; and he replied, (says he)
if it be not correct I have been misinformed.

19. I took my place in the cars (for) to go to New York.

20. They need not (to) call upon him.

21. Nothing (else) but that would satisfy him.

22. Whenever I ride in the cars I (always) find it prejudicial to my
health.

23. He was the first (of all) at the meeting.

24. He was the tallest of (all) the brothers.

25. You are the tallest of (all) your family.

26. Whenever I pass the house he is (always) at the door.

27. The rain has penetrated (through) the roof.

28. Besides my uncle and aunt there was (also) my grandfather at the
church.

29. It should (ever) be your constant endeavor to please your family.

30. If it is true as you have heard (then) his situation is indeed pitiful.

31. Either this (here) man or that (there) woman has (got) it.

32. Where is the fire (at)?

33. Did you sleep in church? Not that I know (of).

34. I never before (in my life) met (with) such a stupid man.

35. (For) why did he postpone it?

36. Because (why) he could not attend.

37. What age is he? (Why) I don't know.

38. He called on me (for) to ask my opinion.

39. I don't know where I am (at).

40. I looked in (at) the window.

41. I passed (by) the house.

42. He (always) came every Sunday.

43. Moreover, (also) we wish to say he was in error.

44. It is not long (ago) since he was here.

45. Two men went into the wood (in order) to cut (down) trees.

Further examples of redundancy might be multiplied. It is very common in
newspaper writing where not alone single words but entire phrases are
sometimes brought in, which are unnecessary to the sense or explanation
of what is written.

GRAMMATICAL ERRORS OF STANDARD AUTHORS

Even the best speakers and writers are sometimes caught napping. Many of
our standard authors to whom we have been accustomed to look up as
infallible have sinned more or less against the fundamental principles of
grammar by breaking the rules regarding one or more of the nine parts of
speech. In fact some of them have recklessly trespassed against all nine,
and still they sit on their pedestals of fame for the admiration of the
crowd. Macaulay mistreated the article. He wrote,--"That _a_ historian
should not record trifles is perfectly true." He should have used _an_.

Dickens also used the article incorrectly. He refers to "Robinson Crusoe"
as "_an_ universally popular book," instead of _a_ universally popular
book.

The relation between nouns and pronouns has always been a stumbling block
to speakers and writers. Hallam in his _Literature of Europe_ writes,
"No one as yet had exhibited the structure of the human kidneys, Vesalius
having only examined them in dogs." This means that Vesalius examined
human kidneys in dogs. The sentence should have been, "No one had as yet
exhibited the kidneys in human beings, Vesalius having examined such
organs in dogs only."

Sir Arthur Helps in writing of Dickens, states--"I knew a brother author
of his who received such criticisms from him (Dickens) very lately and
profited by _it_." Instead of _it_ the word should be _them_ to agree
with criticisms.

Here are a few other pronominal errors from leading authors:

"Sir Thomas Moore in general so writes it, although not many others so
late as _him_." Should be _he_.--Trench's _English Past and Present_.

"What should we gain by it but that we should speedily become as poor as
_them_." Should be _they_.--Alison's _Essay on Macaulay_.

"If the king gives us leave you or I may as lawfully preach, as
_them_ that do." Should be _they_ or _those_, the latter
having persons understood.--Hobbes's _History of Civil Wars_.

"The drift of all his sermons was, to prepare the Jews for the reception
of a prophet, mightier than _him_, and whose shoes he was not worthy
to bear." Should be than _he_.--Atterbury's _Sermons_.

"halaris, who was so much older than _her_." Should be _she_.--Bentley's
_Dissertation on Phalaris_.

"King Charles, and more than _him_, the duke and the Popish faction were
at liberty to form new schemes." Should be than _he_.--Bolingbroke's
_Dissertations on Parties_.

"We contributed a third more than the Dutch, who were obliged to the same
proportion more than _us_." Should be than _we_.--Swift's _Conduct of the
Allies_.

In all the above examples the objective cases of the pronouns have been
used while the construction calls for nominative cases.

"Let _thou_ and _I_ the battle try"--_Anon_.

Here _let_ is the governing verb and requires an objective case after it;
therefore instead of _thou_ and _I_, the words should be _you_ (_sing_.)
and _me_.

"Forever in this humble cell, Let thee and I, my fair one, dwell"
--_Prior_.

Here _thee_ and _I_ should be the objectives _you_ and _me_.

The use of the relative pronoun trips the greatest number of authors.

Even in the Bible we find the relative wrongly translated:

Whom do men say that I am?--_St. Matthew_.

Whom think ye that I am?--_Acts of the Apostles_.

_Who_ should be written in both cases because the word is not in the
objective governed by say or think, but in the nominative dependent on
the verb _am_.

"_Who_ should I meet at the coffee house t'other night, but my old
friend?"--_Steele_.

"It is another pattern of this answerer's fair dealing, to give us hints
that the author is dead, and yet lay the suspicion upon somebody, I know
not _who_, in the country."--Swift's _Tale of a Tub_.

"My son is going to be married to I don't know _who_."--Goldsmith's
_Good-natured Man_.

The nominative _who_ in the above examples should be the objective
_whom_.

The plural nominative _ye_ of the pronoun _thou_ is very often
used for the objective _you_, as in the following:

"His wrath which will one day destroy _ye both_."--_Milton_.

"The more shame for _ye_; holy men I thought _ye_."--_Shakespeare_.

"I feel the gales that from _ye_ blow."--_Gray_.

"Tyrants dread _ye_, lest your just decree Transfer the power and
set the people free."--_Prior_.

Many of the great writers have played havoc with the adjective in the
indiscriminate use of the degrees of comparison.

"Of two forms of the same word, use the fittest."--_Morell_.

The author here in _trying_ to give good advice sets a bad example.
He should have used the comparative degree, "Fitter."

Adjectives which have a comparative or superlative signification do not
admit the addition of the words _more_, _most_, or the terminations,
_er_, _est_, hence the following examples break this rule:

"Money is the _most universal_ incitement of human misery."--Gibbon's
_Decline and Fall_.

"The _chiefest_ of which was known by the name of Archon among the
Grecians."--Dryden's _Life of Plutarch_.

"The _chiefest_ and largest are removed to certain magazines they call
libraries."--Swift's _Battle of the Books_.

The two _chiefest_ properties of air, its gravity and elastic force,
have been discovered by mechanical experiments.--_Arbuthno_.

"From these various causes, which in greater or _lesser_ degree,
affected every individual in the colony, the indignation of the people
became general."--Robertson's _History of America_.

"The _extremest_ parts of the earth were meditating a submission."
--Atterbury's _Sermons_.

"The last are indeed _more preferable_ because they are founded on some new
knowledge or improvement in the mind of man."--Addison, _Spectator_.

"This was in reality the _easiest_ manner of the two."--Shaftesbury's
_Advice to an Author_.

"In every well formed mind this second desire seems to be the _strongest_
of the two."--Smith's _Theory of Moral Sentiments_.

In these examples the superlative is wrongly used for the comparative.
When only two objects are compared the comparative form must be used.

Of impossibility there are no degrees of comparison, yet we find the
following:

"As it was impossible they should know the words, thoughts and secret
actions of all men, so it was _more impossible_ they should pass judgment
on them according to these things."--Whitby's _Necessity of the Christian
Religion_.

A great number of authors employ adjectives for adverbs. Thus we find:

"I shall endeavor to live hereafter _suitable_ to a man in my station."
--_Addison_.

"I can never think so very _mean_ of him."--Bentley's _Dissertation on
Phalaris_.

"His expectations run high and the fund to supply them is _extreme_
scanty."--_Lancaster's Essay on Delicacy_.

The commonest error in the use of the verb is the disregard of the
concord between the verb and its subject. This occurs most frequently
when the subject and the verb are widely separated, especially if some
other noun of a different number immediately precedes the verb. False
concords occur very often after _either_, _or_, _neither_, _nor_, and
_much_, _more_, _many_, _everyone_, _each_.

Here are a few authors' slips:--

"The terms in which the sale of a patent _were_ communicated to the
public."--Junius's _Letters_.

"The richness of her arms and apparel _were_ conspicuous."--Gibbon's
_Decline and Fall_.

"Everyone of this grotesque family _were_ the creatures of national
genius."--D'Israeli.

"He knows not what spleen, languor or listlessness _are_."--Blair's
_Sermons_.

"Each of these words _imply_, some pursuit or object relinquished."
--_Ibid_.

"Magnus, with four thousand of his supposed accomplices _were_ put
to death."--_Gibbon_.

"No nation gives greater encouragements to learning than we do; yet at
the same time _none are_ so injudicious in the application."
--_Goldsmith_.

"_There's two_ or _three_ of us have seen strange sights."--_Shakespeare_.

The past participle should not be used for the past tense, yet the
learned Byron overlooked this fact. He thus writes in the _Lament of
Tasso_:--

"And with my years my soul _begun to pant_ With feelings of strange
tumult and soft pain."

Here is another example from Savage's _Wanderer_ in which there is
double sinning:

"From liberty each nobler science _sprung_, A Bacon brighten'd and a
Spenser _sung_."

Other breaches in regard to the participles occur in the following:--

"Every book ought to be read with the same spirit and in the same manner
as it is _writ_"--Fielding's _Tom Jones_.

"The Court of Augustus had not _wore_ off the manners of the republic"
--Hume's _Essays_.

"Moses tells us that the fountains of the earth were _broke_ open or
clove asunder."--Burnet.

"A free constitution when it has been _shook_ by the iniquity of
former administrations."--_Bolingbroke_.

"In this respect the seeds of future divisions were _sowed_ abundantly."
--_Ibid_.

In the following example the present participle is used for the infinitive
mood:

"It is easy _distinguishing_ the rude fragment of a rock from the splinter
of a statue."--Gilfillan's _Literary Portraits_.

_Distinguishing_ here should be replaced by _to distinguish_.

The rules regarding _shall_ and _will_ are violated in the following:

"If we look within the rough and awkward outside, we _will_ be
richly rewarded by its perusal."--Gilfillan's _Literary Portraits_.

"If I _should_ declare them and speak of them, they should be more
than I am able to express."--_Prayer Book Revision of Psalms XI_.

"If I _would_ declare them and speak of them, they are more than can
be numbered."--_Ibid_.

"Without having attended to this, we _will_ be at a loss, in understanding
several passages in the classics."--Blair's _Lectures_.

"We know to what cause our past reverses have been owing and _we_
will have ourselves to blame, if they are again incurred."--Alison's
_History of Europe_.

Adverbial mistakes often occur in the best writers. The adverb _rather_ is
a word very frequently misplaced. Archbishop Trench in his "English Past
and Present" writes, "It _rather_ modified the structure of our sentences
than the elements of our vocabulary." This should have been written,--"It
modified the structure of our sentences _rather than_ the elements of our
vocabulary."

"So far as his mode of teaching goes he is _rather_ a disciple of
Socrates than of St. Paul or Wesley." Thus writes Leslie Stephens of Dr.
Johnson. He should have written,--" So far as his mode of teaching goes
he is a disciple of Socrates _rather_ than of St. Paul or Wesley."

The preposition is a part of speech which is often wrongly used by some
of the best writers. Certain nouns, adjectives and verbs require
particular prepositions after them, for instance, the word _different_
always takes the preposition _from_ after it; _prevail_ takes _upon_;
_averse_ takes _to_; _accord_ takes _with_, and so on.

In the following examples the prepositions in parentheses are the ones
that should have been used:

"He found the greatest difficulty _of_ (in) writing."--Hume's
_History of England_.

"If policy can prevail _upon_ (over) force."--_Addison_.

"He made the discovery and communicated _to_ (with) his friends."
--Swift's _Tale of a Tub_.

"Every office of command should be intrusted to persons _on_ (in)
whom the parliament shall confide."--_Macaulay_.

Several of the most celebrated writers infringe the canons of  by
placing prepositions at the end of sentences. For instance Carlyle, in
referring to the Study of Burns, writes:--"Our own contributions to it,
we are aware, can be but scanty and feeble; but we offer them with good
will, and trust they may meet with acceptance from those they are
intended _for_."

--"for whom they are intended," he should have written.

"Most writers have some one vein which they peculiarly and obviously
excel _in_."--_William Minto_.

This sentence should read,--Most writers have some one vein in which they
peculiarly and obviously excel.

Many authors use redundant words which repeat the same thought and idea.
This is called tautology.

"Notwithstanding which (however) poor Polly embraced them all around."
--_Dickens_.

"I judged that they would (mutually) find each other."--_Crockett_.

"....as having created a (joint) partnership between the two Powers in
the Morocco question."--_The Times_.

"The only sensible position (there seems to be) is to frankly acknowledge
our ignorance of what lies beyond."--_Daily Telegraph_.

"Lord Rosebery has not budged from his position--splendid, no doubt,--of
(lonely) isolation."--_The Times_.

"Miss Fox was (often) in the habit of assuring Mrs. Chick."--_Dickens_.

"The deck (it) was their field of fame."--_Campbell_.

"He had come up one morning, as was now (frequently) his wont,"
--_Trollope_.

The counsellors of the Sultan (continue to) remain sceptical
--_The Times_.

Seriously, (and apart from jesting), this is no light matter.--_Bagehot_.

To go back to your own country with (the consciousness that you go back
with) the sense of duty well done.--_Lord Halsbury_.

The _Peresviet_ lost both her fighting-tops and (in appearance)
looked the most damaged of all the ships--_The Times_.

Counsel admitted that, that was a fair suggestion to make, but he
submitted that it was borne out by the (surrounding) circumstances.
--_Ibid_.

Another unnecessary use of words and phrases is that which is termed
circumlocution, a going around the bush when there is no occasion for
it,--save to fill space.

It may be likened to a person walking the distance of two sides of a
triangle to reach the objective point. For instance in the quotation:
"ope professed to have learned his poetry from Dryden, whom, whenever an
opportunity was presented, he praised through the whole period of his
existence with unvaried liberality; and perhaps his character may receive
some illustration, of a comparison he instituted between him and the man
whose pupil he was" much of the verbiage may be eliminated and the
sentence thus condensed:

"ope professed himself the pupil of Dryden, whom he lost no opportunity
of praising; and his character may be illustrated by a comparison with
his master."

"His life was brought to a close in 1910 at an age not far from the one
fixed by the sacred writer as the term of human existence."

This in brevity can be put, "His life was brought to a close at the age
of seventy;" or, better yet, "He died at the age of seventy."

"The day was intensely cold, so cold in fact that the thermometer crept
down to the zero mark," can be expressed: "The day was so cold the
thermometer registered zero."

Many authors resort to circumlocution for the purpose of "padding," that
is, filling space, or when they strike a snag in writing upon subjects of
which they know little or nothing. The young writer should steer clear of
it and learn to express his thoughts and ideas as briefly as possible
commensurate with lucidity of expression.

Volumes of errors in fact, in grammar, diction and general , could
be selected from the works of the great writers, a fact which eloquently
testifies that no one is infallible and that the very best is liable to
err at times. However, most of the erring in the case of these writers
arises from carelessness or hurry, not from a lack of knowledge.

As a general rule it is in writing that the scholar is liable to slip; in
oral speech he seldom makes a blunder. In fact, there are many people who
are perfect masters of speech,--who never make a blunder in conversation,
yet who are ignorant of the very principles of grammar and would not know
how to write a sentence correctly on paper. Such persons have been
accustomed from infancy to hear the language spoken correctly and so the
use of the proper words and forms becomes a second nature to them. A
child can learn what is right as easy as what is wrong and whatever
impressions are made on the mind when it is plastic will remain there.
Even a parrot can be taught the proper use of language. Repeat to a
parrot.--"Two and two _make_ four" and it never will say "two and two
_makes_ four."

In writing, however, it is different. Without a knowledge of the
fundamentals of grammar we may be able to speak correctly from
association with good speakers, but without such a knowledge we cannot
hope to write the language correctly. To write even a common letter we
must know the principles of construction, the relationship of one word to
another. Therefore, it is necessary for everybody to understand at least
the essentials of the grammar of his own language.