John Hendricks Bechtel

“ The use of two negatives in a sentence is much more common than is generally supposed. To assume that only those who are grossly ignorant of grammatical rules and constructions employ them, is an error. Writers whose names are as bright stars in the constellation of literature have slipped on this treacherous ground. ”

“ To give his natural taste firmness and fineness a writer needs to read the best literature, not merely so as to know it, but so as to feel the beauty, the fitness, the charm, the strength, the delicacy of a well-chosen word. ”

“ So close is the connection between the thought and its expression that looseness of style in speaking and writing may nearly always be traced to indistinctness and feebleness in the grasp of the subject. No degree of polish in expression will compensate for inadequacy of knowledge. But with the fullest information upon any subject, there is still room for the highest exercise of judgment and good sense in the proper choice and arrangement of the thoughts, and of the words with which to express them. ”

“ An author’s diction is pure when he uses such words only as belong to the idiom of the language. The only standard of purity is the practice of the best writers and speakers. A violation of purity is called a barbarism.
Unlike the Latin, Greek, or Hebrew, the English is a living language, and, like all living organisms, manifests its life by taking in new material and casting off old waste continually. Science, art, and philosophy give rise to new ideas which, in turn, demand new words for their expression. ”

“ Few words among the many that go to make up the vocabulary of American slang have been in longer use and have a wider range than the word awful. From the loftiest and most awe-inspiring themes to the commonest trifle, this much-abused word has been employed. A correct speaker or writer almost fears to use the word lest he should suggest the idea of slang, and thus detract from the subject to which the word might most fitly be applied. ”

“ Why cannot is properly written as one word, and could not requires two, is not founded upon any principle of philosophy. The concurrent sanction of all classes in all parts of the English-speaking world establishes it as law.
Observe that the a in the verb can’t is broader in sound than the short a in the noun cant. ”

“ No rule of grammar is more familiar to the schoolboy than that which relates to the agreement of the verb with its subject, or nominative, and none that is more frequently violated. It would be a mistake, however, to assume that the schoolboy is the only transgressor. Ladies and gentlemen of culture and refinement, writers and speakers of experience and renown, have alike been caught in the quicksands of verb constructions.
“This painting is one of the finest masterpieces that ever was given to the world.” A transposition of the sentence will show that the verb should be were, and not was. ”

“ Why do most persons dislike letter writing? Is it not because they cannot say the right thing in the right place? This admirable book not only shows by numerous examples just what kind of letters to write, but by directions and suggestions enables the reader to become an accomplished original letter writer. ”

“ Rules of writing are the outgrowth of the study of the characteristics and qualities of style which distinguish the best writers from those of inferior skill and ability. Grammarians and rhetoricians, according to their several lines of investigation, set forth the laws and principles governing speech, and formulate rules whereby we may follow the true, and avoid the false.
Grammar and rhetoric, as too often presented in the schools, are such uninviting studies that when school-days are ended, the books are laid aside, and are rarely consulted afterward. ”

“ Who should be whom, for it is the object, and not the subject, of the verb should see.
“Whom do you think that tall gentleman is?” Whom should be who, as it is the attribute of the verb is.
“Who do you take me for?” Being the object of the preposition for, who should be whom.
After “To be”
“I knew it was him” is incorrect, because the word which forms the pronoun attribute of the verb was must be in the nominative case. But the infinitive of the neuter verb requires the objective case. Therefore we must say, “I knew it to be him,” not “I knew it to be he.” ”

“ When a noun of multitude or collective noun is the antecedent, the pronoun, like the verb, must be plural or singular according to the sense intended to be conveyed.
Ambiguity
Never leave the antecedent of your pronoun in doubt.
“John tried to see his father in the crowd, but could not, because he was so short.” If the father was short, repeat the noun and omit the pronoun, as “John tried to see his father in the crowd but could not because his father was so short.” If John was short, recast the sentence: “John, being short of stature, tried in vain to see his father in the crowd.” ”

“ There is no passport to good society like good manners. Even though a person possess wealth and intelligence, his success in life may be marred by ignorance of social customs. A perusal of this book will prevent such blunders. It is a book for everybody, for the select sets as well as for the less ambitious. The subject is presented in a bright and interesting manner, and represents the latest vogue. ”

“ Those who prefer to have wide latitude in speech will be glad to know that Murray, in one of the rules in his grammar, says, “Two negatives in English destroy one another.”
Shakespeare says, “It is a good divine that follows his own instructions. I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching.” ”

“ Good usage is the only real authority in the choice of reputable words; and to determine, in every case, what good usage dictates, is not an easy matter. Authors, like words, must be tested by time before their forms of expression may become a law for others. ”

“ Many errors arise from not knowing how to use the infinitive mood. Perhaps the most common fault is to interpose an adverb between the preposition to and the infinitive verb; as, “It is not necessary to accurately relate all that he said.” “You must not expect to always find people agreeable.” Whether we shall place the adverb before the verb or after it must often be determined by considerations of emphasis and smoothness as well as of clearness and correctness. In the foregoing sentences it is better to place accurately after the verb, and always before the preposition to. ”

“ A majority of the best writers still conform to the old custom of placing the possessive with else.
“People were so ridiculous with their illusions, carrying their fool’s caps unawares, thinking their own lies opaque, while everybody else’s were transparent.”—George Eliot.
Some make a distinction by placing the possessive with else when the noun follows, and with somebody when the noun precedes; as, “This is somebody else’s pencil,” and “This pencil is somebody’s else.” ”

“ The negative form of expression, “I have not enjoyed good health,” is not only correct, but is, at the same time, a polite way of modestly stating a fact. To say “I have enjoyed poor health for the past year” is to express a kind of enjoyment not generally appreciated. It is like being agreeably disappointed. ”

“ By compounding the pronoun with the verb and preserving the full adverb, as in “I’m not,” “You’re not,” “They’re not,” we also reduce the three vocal impulses to two, thus securing as short a contraction in sound and one that is as fully adapted to colloquial speech, and that is, at the same time, in much better taste.
The old form for ain’t was an’t, but this has now become obsolete. It will be a blessing to the English-speaking people when the descendant shall sleep with his father.
Are not is sometimes contracted into aren’t, but this form has not found much favor. ”

“ Certain authors and critics, including Coleridge, have objected strongly to the use of talented. One writer argues that since there is no such verb as to talent, the formation of such a participle as talented cannot be defended, and he further declares that no good writer is known to use it, Webster (The International Dictionary) states that, as a formative, talented is just as analogical and legitimate as gifted, bigoted, moneyed, lauded, lilied, honeyed, and numerous other adjectives having a participial form, but derived directly from nouns and not from verbs. ”

“ Many nouns that end in s have a plural appearance, and we are often perplexed to know whether to use this or these, and whether to employ a singular or a plural verb when the noun is used as a substantive.
Amends is singular. Assets, dregs, eaves, bees, pincers, riches, scissors, sheers, tongs, vitals, are plural. When we say a pair of pincers, or scissors, or shears, or tongs, the verb should be singular. Tidings, in Shakespeare’s time, was used indiscriminately with a singular or plural verb, but is now generally regarded as plural. ”

“ While most persons condemn slang, there are very few who are entirely free from its use. It varies greatly in its degrees of coarseness or refinement, and adapts itself to all classes and conditions. Many know no other language, and we are unwillingly compelled to admit that while their speech is often ungrammatical and unrhetorical, it is generally clear, concise, and forcible. ”

“ Some confusion exists in the use of the words drive and ride. In England the distinction is made of applying ride to going on horseback and drive to going in a carriage, whether you ride or drive. That usage is not closely followed in this country. He who guides the horse drives; the rest of the company ride. The noun and participial forms are more excusable than the verb. “Jones asked me to drive with him this afternoon.” But as Jones expects to do the driving himself, the speaker should have said, “Jones asked me to take a ride,” or “go driving,” or “take a drive,” etc. ”

“ Don’t is a contraction of do not. It is in very general use and in good repute. It may be employed wherever the expanded expression do not could be applied, and only there.
“One swallow don’t make a spring” is equivalent to saying, “One swallow do not make a spring.” We may say “I don’t,” “You don’t,” “We don’t,” “They don’t,” “The men (or birds, or trees) don’t,” but we must use doesn’t with he, or she, or it, or the man, the grove, the cloud, etc.
Unlike the verb do, its past tense form did undergoes no change in conjugation, hence the contraction didn’t is also uniform. ”

“ Rarely should be rare to form the adjective attribute of the verb.
Real, Really
Real is often incorrectly used as an adverb, especially by schoolgirls; as, “I think he is real mean.” The grammar will be improved by substituting really for real, but the expression, as a whole, being applied to all kinds and degrees of offenses, has become meaningless.
Real is often carelessly used in the sense of very; as real pretty, real bright, real kind. ”

“ We correspond with a person when we exchange letters. In speaking of the adaptation of one object to another, the preposition to should be used after the verb correspond; as, “This picture corresponds to that.” With is often incorrectly used in such cases instead of to.
Position
The old grammarian gave a very good rule when he said, “A preposition is a very bad word to end a sentence with;” but it is sometimes easier to follow his example than his precept. In general, the strength of a sentence is improved by not placing small particles at the end. ”

“ Whether we should say “One ought to know one’s own mind,” or “One ought to know his own mind,” is a question that the critics have earnestly discussed, but have never settled, except as each settles it for himself. ”

“ There is no need for the daughters of this community to seek colleges of distant climes whereat to be educated, for right here in their own city, God’s paradise on earth, is situated a noble college, the bright diadem of that paradise, that has done more for the higher education of woman than any institution in our land. ”

“ The verb has implies that only one man has departed, hence the sentence should be, “A great and good man has departed.”
“They sang the first and second verse,” should be, “They sang the first and the second verse.” “The literal and figurative meaning of words” should be, “The literal and the figurative meaning of words.”
“In framing of his sentences he was very exact,” should be, “In the framing,” etc., or, “In framing his sentences he was very exact.” “The masculine and feminine gender,” should be, “The masculine and the feminine gender.” ”

“ If some leading journal or magazine were to write somebody else as one word, others would, doubtless, follow, and the question of the possessive would settle itself. The word notwithstanding is composed of three separate words, which are no more closely united in thought than are the three words some, body, and else. ”

“ These sentences will serve to illustrate the proper use of ain’t, if it is ever proper to use such an inelegant word as that. “James ain’t a good student,” “Mary ain’t a skillful musician,” or “This orange ain’t sweet,” are expressions frequently heard, yet those who use them would be shocked to hear the same expressions with the proper equivalent am not or are not substituted for the misleading ain’t.
The expression ain’t is compounded of the verb am or are and the adverb not, and by the contraction the three vocal impulses I-am-not, or you-are-not, or they-are-not, are reduced to two. ”

“ A friend calls to see you, and, finding you alone when he expected to meet others with you, he says, “Good morning; I see you are all alone.” All is not a good equivalent for quite or entirely, either of which words would be better than all. In truth, the sentence is as clear and as strong and more concise without the use of a modifier. “I see you are alone.”
Inaugurate
To inaugurate means to induct into office or to set in motion with formality and serious ceremony. Pompous writers too often employ the word in referring to commonplace events. A new business is established. ”

“ The verbs flew and fled in the foregoing sentences should be transposed. Fly implies motion either from or toward. Flee implies motion from. Fly may be used, in a figurative sense, of persons, to indicate great speed as of wings. “I flew to his rescue.” “He flew to my rescue.” “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
The word flown is sometimes used erroneously as the past tense or perfect participle of the verb flow. The parts of this verb are flow, flowed, flowed. ”

“ Whatever may be said of the faults of speech of the American people, it is doubtful if any other nation, whether it covers a large territory or is limited in area, speaks the language native to the country with the uniformity that we do. ”

“ When our plans fail we are disappointed, but not agreeably disappointed. If the new conditions, which are not of our seeking, prove agreeable, it is only after the sense of disappointment has vanished. ”

“ The entire expression of day, month, and year is elliptical.
If the same preposition be required by several nouns or pronouns, it must be repeated in every case if it be repeated at all. “He is interested in philosophy, history, and in science.” This sentence may be corrected by placing in before history or by omitting it before science. The several subjects are individualized more strongly by the use of in before each noun. This is shown in the greater obscurity given to history by the omission of the preposition in the foregoing sentence. ”

“ When the noun or pronoun to which the participle relates is a passive subject, it should not have the possessive form; as, “The daily instances of men’s dying around us remind us of the brevity of human life.” “We do not speak of a monosyllable’s having a primary accent.” Change men’s to men, and monosyllable’s to monosyllable. ”

“ It is not found in good literary usage.
Favor, Resemble
The use of the word favor in the sense of resemble is a provincialism that should be avoided. “The son favors the father” is correct if the meaning be that the son shows favor or kindness to the father; but if reference to their similarity of appearance is intended, the verb resemble should be employed.
Balance, Remainder
This word, like numerous others, has been borrowed from the commercial world, and has had such a wide use that its faultiness is not noticed even by many who regard themselves as careful speakers and writers. ”