Practical Exercises in English Part 42

10. Religion is a comfort in youth as well as old age.

11. It's no use to give up.

12. This side the mountain the country is thickly settled; the other side there are few inhabitants.

13. I wrote Mr. Knapp to come Wednesday, and promised that he should find us home.

14. Wealth is more conducive to worldliness than piety.

15. He is not home, but I think he is coming home to-night.

REDUNDANT PREPOSITIONS.[140]--Beware of inserting prepositions which are not needed.

[140] Ibid., p. 150.

EXERCISE Lx.x.xV.

_Strike out the redundant prepositions:_--

1. He met a boy of about eighteen years old.

2. Cadmus stood pondering upon what he should do.

3. Let a gallows be erected of fifty cubits high.

4. Hercules was very willing to take the world off from his shoulders and give it to Atlas again.

5. No one can help from loving her.

6. From thence in two days the Greeks marched twenty miles.

7. There was much of wisdom in their plan.

8. A workman fell off of the ladder.

9. On one day I caught five trout, on another twelve.

10. We must examine into this subject more carefully.

11. A child copies after its parents.

12. The proposal to go to the woods was approved of by all of the boys.

13. At about what time will father return?

14. After having heard his story, I gave him a dollar.

15. The spring is near to the house.

16. Bruno followed on after his master.

17. Wanted, a young man of from sixteen to twenty-one years of age.

18. They went on to the steamer soon after dinner.

19. Look out of the window.

CHAPTER VIII.

OF CONJUNCTIONS

VULGARISMS.[141]--Every educated person is expected to know the correct use of the following words:--

LIKE, AS.--In good use _like_ is never a conjunction, and therefore it cannot be used instead of _as_ to introduce a clause. It is incorrect to say, "Walk _like_ I walk," but one may say, "He walks _like_ me," or "He looks _like_ his grandfather."[142]

EXCEPT, WITHOUT, UNLESS.--_Except_, which was originally a past-participle, was once in good use as a conjunction; but in modern use it has been displaced as a conjunction by _unless_, and is now a preposition only. We may say, "All went _except_ me," but we may not say, "_Except_ you go with me, I will stay at home." Another word not in good use as a conjunction, but often heard instead of "unless," is _without_.

[141] "Foundations," p. 152.

[142] See page 109.

EXERCISE Lx.x.xVI.

_Insert the proper word in each blank:_--

LIKE, AS.

1. Do ---- I do.

2. She fears a chicken ---- you fear a snake.

3. Thin bushy hair falls down on each side of his face somewhat ---- Longfellow's hair did in his later life.

4. I wish I could sing ---- she can.

5. I will be a lawyer ---- my father.

6. I will be a lawyer ---- my father was.

7. She looks ---- (if) she were crying.

8. He acted ---- (if) he were guilty.

9. Our snow-tunnel looked ---- we imagined Aladdin's cave looked.

10. He treated me ---- a cat treats a mouse.

11. Seventy-five cents a day will not feed those men ---- they wish to be fed.

12. The lines in this stanza are not forced ---- in other stanzas.

13. If I were a boy ---- Ralph is, I would try to stop the thing.

EXCEPT, WITHOUT, UNLESS.

14. I do not know how my horse got away ---- somebody untied him.

15. Do not come ---- you hear from me.

16. I will not go ---- father is willing.

17. I will not go ---- father's consent.

18. ---- you study better, you will be dropped.

19. It will be cool to-morrow ---- a hot wave comes.

20. I cannot go ---- money.

21. I cannot go ---- father sends me some money.

22. I will be there promptly ---- I hear from you.

23. Do not write ---- you feel in the mood for it.

24. She has no fault ---- diffidence.

25. She has no fault ---- it be diffidence.

26. He cannot enlist ---- with his guardian's consent.

MISUSED CONJUNCTIONS.[143]--Conjunctions are few in number and are more definite in their meanings than prepositions. Most errors in using them spring from confused thinking or hasty writing. "A close reasoner and a good writer in general may be known by his pertinent use of connectives."[144]

AND.--_And_ has, generally speaking, the meaning of "in addition to."

BUT.--_But_ implies some exception, opposition, or contrast.

Equivalent, or nearly equivalent, expressions are "however," "on the other hand," "yet," "nevertheless."

AS.--"_As_ has so many meanings that it is better, when possible, to use a conjunction that covers less ground."[145]

BECAUSE, FOR, SINCE.--The difference between these words is chiefly a difference in emphasis. "We will not go, _because_ it is raining" is the strongest way of expressing the relation of cause and effect. In "_Since_ it is raining, we will not go," the emphasis is s.h.i.+fted from the cause to the effect, which becomes the prominent idea. In "We will not go, _for_ it is raining," the reason, "it is raining," is announced as itself a bit of news. Often the choice between these words is decided by the ear.

HOW.--_How_ properly means "in what manner" or "to what extent." It is often misused for "that" to introduce an object clause.