Practical Exercises in English Part 35

5. He is apt (likely) to win the race.

6. A mutual (common) friends.h.i.+p.

7. The weekly reports are partially (partly) made out.

EXERCISE LXXI.

_Insert the proper word in each blank:_--

AGGRAVATING, IRRITATING.

1. Some of his remarks were ----.

2. The prisoner said his wife's conduct had been very ----.

3. He has an ---- manner.

4. He was too ---- by half.

5. The murder was committed under ---- circ.u.mstances.

ALL, THE WHOLE.

6. ---- (of) the boys were sent off at a day's notice to their homes.

[For additional exercises, see page 125].

APT, LIKELY, LIABLE.

7. An industrious man is ---- to succeed.

8. The s.h.i.+p was ---- to founder at any moment.

9. Bad books are ---- to corrupt the reader, 10. If a man does not care for himself, he is not ---- to care much for other people.

11. Youth is ---- to err.

12. Any kind of taxation is ---- to be looked on as a grievance.

13. We are constantly ---- to accidents.

14. Men are ---- to think well of themselves, their nation, their courage, and their strength.

BOTH, EACH, EVERY.

15. ---- of them has (have) taken a different course.

16. ---- went his way.

17. He told me to invite ---- brother and sister.

18. He gave his hand to ---- of them.

19. In ---- cheek (cheeks) appears a pretty dimple.

20. I am feeling better in ---- way.

21. The oak and the elm have ---- a distinct character.

22. He'll be hanged yet, though ---- drop of water swear against it.

23. ---- soldier has a musket, and ---- one fires as fast as he can.

24. ---- inhabitant, male or female, young or old, was there.

25. In ---- ten women that the G.o.ds make, the devils mar five.

26. There is a row of beautiful elm-trees on ---- side(s) of the road.

MANY, MUCH.

27. We saw as ---- as twenty tramps.

28. He blames his uncle for ---- of his misfortune.

29. I found that ---- of the accidents on this railroad are caused by negligence.

30. How ---- of your peaches have you sold?

MUTUAL, COMMON.

31. Charles and his wife were happy in their ---- love.

32. They parted with ---- good feeling.

33. We have a ---- friend in Mr. Phelps.

34. I find, Miss Vernon, that we have some ---- friends.

PARTLY, PARTIALLY.

35. Beware of acting ----.

36. All men are ---- buried in the grave of custom.

37. This is ---- true.

38. The city of York is ---- surrounded by a wall.

QUITE, VERY.

39. The country is ---- open.

40. The snow has ---- covered the ground.

41. Books ---- worthless are ---- harmless.

42. The island is ---- close to the mainland.

43. He was ---- dead when they found him.

44. You are ---- mistaken.

45. He is ---- ill.

SO-AS, AS-AS.

46. She is ---- amiable as she is beautiful.

47. He is ---- tall as his brother, but not ---- tall as I.

48. You have never ---- much as answered my letter.

49. Come ---- quickly as you can.

50. No other country suffered ---- much as England.

II.

APPARENTLY, EVIDENTLY, MANIFESTLY.--"_Apparently_ is properly used of that which seems, but may not be, real; _evidently_, of that which both seems and is real."[123] _Manifestly_ is stronger than _evidently_.

AVERAGE, ORDINARY.--_Average_ implies an arithmetical computation; if four persons lose respectively $10, $20, $30, and $40, the _average_ loss is $25. The word is used figuratively by Dr. O.W. Holmes in "The _average_ intellect of five hundred persons, taken as they come, is not very high."

In the sense of "usual," "common in occurrence," "of the usual standard,"

_ordinary_ is preferable to _average_.

BOUND, DETERMINED.--_Bound_ properly means "obliged," "fated," or "under necessity": as, "A man is _bound_ by his word;" "We hold ourselves in grat.i.tude _bound_ to receive ... all such persons." In the sense of "determined" _hound_ is not in good use. In the sense of "sure" it is in colloquial, but not in literary, use.

CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUS.--"_Continual_ is used of frequently repeated acts, as, 'Continual dropping wears away a stone;' _continuous_, of uninterrupted action, as, 'the continuous flowing of a river.'"[125]

DEADLY, DEATHLY.--"_Deathly_, in the sense of 'resembling death,' as, 'She was deathly pale,' is preferable to _deadly_, since _deadly_ also means 'inflicting death.'"[124]

DECIDED, DECISIVE.--"A _decided_ opinion is a strong opinion, which perhaps decides nothing; a _decisive_ opinion settles the question at issue. A lawyer may have _decided_ views on a case; the judgment of a court is _decisive_."[125]

DUMB, STUPID.--_Dumb_ properly means "mute," "silent." Its misuse for _stupid_ is partly due, especially in Pennsylvania, to its resemblance to the German _dumm_.

EXISTING, EXTANT.--That is _extant_ which has escaped the ravages of time (used chiefly of books, ma.n.u.scripts, etc.); that is _existing_ which has existence.

FUNNY, ODD.--_Funny_ means "comical;" in the sense of "strange" or "odd" it is not in good use.