merce with nations who feel power and forget right, advancing rapidly to destinies beyond the reach of mortal eye - when I contemplate these transcendent objects, and see the honor, the happiness, and the hopes of this beloved country committed to the issue and the auspices of this day, I shrink from the contemplation, and humble myself before the magnitude of the undertaking. Utterly indeed should I despair, did not the presence of many whom I here see remind me that in the other high authorities provided by our constitution, I shall find resources of wisdom, of virtue, and of zeal on which to rely under all difficulties. To you, then, I look with encouragement for that guidance and support which may enable us to steer with safety the vessel in which we are all embarked, amidst the conflicting elements of a troubled world.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), "First Inaugural Address"

CHAPTER XVIII

COMMON ERRORS

LESSON I

Common errors of speech. A story is told — whether true or not it makes no difference of some officers in a regiment who entertained at dinner a private who had performed a conspicuously courageous deed. Hot soup was placed before each one, and then a waiter passed a dish full of small cubes of ice to be put into glasses that were to be filled with vichy. The waiter served the private first; and he, being somewhat embarrassed, took a piece and put it into his soup. The ice was then passed to the officers; every one put a piece in his soup.

There are many excellent persons who make social errors in their speech. We should not laugh at them; we should not make them feel uncomfortable by drawing attention to their slips for that would be unkind. But just because they are excellent persons, it does not follow that we need copy their mistakes. Following are a number of terms frequently used incorrectly.

1. Done for did. (Did is the past indicative; done, the past participle.)

He did the work. NOT He done the work.

2. Don't for doesn't. (Don't is the abbreviation of do not; doesn't, of does not.)

He doesn't do his work. NOT He don't do his work.

3. Use to for used to. (Use is the present tense; used, the past tense.)

He used to live in Texas. NOT He use to live in Texas.

4. Must of for must have.

He must have been very strong. NOT He must of been very strong.

5. Can for may.

May I leave the room? (Have I permission to leave the room?) NOT Can I leave the room? (Have I the ability to leave the room?)

6. Lay for lie

and vice versa. (Lay, laid, laid is tran

sitive; lie, lay, lain is intransitive.)

I lay down on the bed. NOT I laid down on the bed.

Lie down. NOT Lay down.

9. Leave for let.

(To leave means to set out; to let, in

this connection, means to allow.)

Let me do it. NOT Leave me do it.

10. Some place for somewhere; any place for anywhere; no place for nowhere.

I put the book somewhere. NOT I put the book some place.

K

II. Hadn't ought for ought not. (Ought is the past tense of owe, and means practically the same thing as should.)

I ought not to have done it. NOT I hadn't ought to have done it.

12. Like for as if.

He spoke as if he was angry. NOT He spoke like he was angry.

He said that she should go. NOT He said for her to go.

14. Very, as a modifier of the past participle. The word may modify an adjective.

He was very cold. She was very much frightened. NOT She was very frightened.

Punctuation. A semicolon [;] should be used:

1. To separate the clauses of a compound sentence when no connective is given.

The sunrise comes; the dew-drop slips into the shining sea.

2. To separate two or more clauses, one or all of which are subdivided by commas.

If he comes, we will greet him; but I doubt if he comes.

LESSON II

Supply the correct forms in the exercises given below.

2. He

done

{ did

S done

"Well

did

}splendidly in his part, and richly deserved the

!" that greeted him on all sides.

J have
of

used}

to insist that the man could not speak the truth;

because he not only had a lying tongue, but false teeth as well!

5.

6.

{Cay} the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?

Doesn't

Don't

Leave

9. Let Can

IO.

{

May

the people admire him?

} him{

I go to the library this evening?

II. The king {sits in Dumferling toune,

it.

where to look for lady-slippers.
place

he was going to say something.

for him to

}

that he should go home; he

to have come out with such a cold.

15. "Mamma, Willie has fell down."

"Leave him lay where he is." (Correct all errors.)

Explain the use of the semicolon in the following exer

cises.