COMMON MISTAKES, THAT OCCUR DAILY, IN CIATION, CORRECTED AND "We must never offend against Grammar; nor make use of words which are not really words. This is not all: for not to speak ill is not sufficient' we must speak well. Vulgarism in language is a distinguishing characteristic of bad company, and a bad education."-LORD CHESTERFIELD. 1. HAVE you learned French yet? say, learnt, as learned is now used only as an adjective: as, a learned man: pronounce learned in two syllables. 2. The business would suit any one who enjoys bad health: [from an advertisement in a New York newspaper:] say, any one in a delicate state of health, or, whose health is but indifferent. 3. "We have no corporeal punishment here," said a schoolmaster once to the author of this little work: sorporeal is opposed to spiritual: say, corporal punishment. Corporeal means having a body. The Almighty is not a corporeal being, but a Spirit, as St. John tells us. 4. I offered to renumerate him: say, remunerate. 5. We keep them at various prices: pronounce prices exactly as written, and not prizes. 6. That was a notable circumstance: pronounce the first syllable of notable as no in notion: Mrs. Johnson is a notable housewife, that is to say, careful: pronounce the first syllable of notable as not in Nottingham. 7. Put an advertisement in the "Herald:" pro nounce advertisement with the accent on ver and not on tise. 8. He rose up, and left the room: leave out up. 9. Set down, and rest yourself: say, sit down. 10. You have sown it very badly: say, sewed it. 11. Between you and I he is not very generous say, you and me. me. 12. Let you and I take a walk: say, Let you and Who would think of saying, Let I go? 13. I lay down in the afternoon for an hour or two: say, I lie down. 14. Mr. Dupont learnt me French: say, taught. The master teaches, but the pupil learns. 15. John and Henry both read well, but John is the best reader: say, the better reader, as best can only be said when three or more persons or objects are compared. 16. The two first pupils I had: say, the first two. 17. He has mistook his true interest: say, mistaken. 18. Have you lit the fire, Mary? say, lighted. 19. The doctor has not yet came: say, is not yet come. 20. I have always gave him good advice: say, given. 21. To be is an auxiliary verb: pronounce auxil iary in five syllables, sounding the second i, and not in four, as we so frequently hear it. 22. He is librarian to a public institution: sound the first r distinctly: the word is often pronounced libarian 23. Constable's Miscellany was an interesting publication: pronounce miscellany with the accent on mis and not on cel. 24. Celery is a pleasant edible: pronounce celery as it is written, and not salary. 25. Are you at leisure? pronounce lei in leisure the same as Lei in Leith and not so as to rhyme with measure. 26. Have you seen the Miss Browns lately? say, the Misses Brown. 27. You have soon forgot my kindness: say, forgotten. 28. He keeps his coach: say, his carriage. 29. John is my oldest brother: say, eldest: elder and eldest are applied to persons-older and oldest to things. 30. Disputes have frequently arose on that subject: say, arisen. 31. The cloth was wove in a very short time: say, woven. 32. French is spoke in every state in Europe: say, spoken. 33. He writes as the best authors would have wrote, had they writ on the same subject: say, would have written—had they written. 34. I prefer the yolk of an egg to the white say, yelk, and sound the l. 35. He is now very decrepid: say, decrepit. 36. I am very fond of sparrowgrass; say, aspa. 1agus, and pronounce it with the accent on par. 37. You are very mischievous: pronounce mis chievous with the accent on mis, and not on chie and do not say mischievious. 38. It was very acceptable: pronounce accepta. e with the accent on cept, and not on ac, as we sa often hear it. 39. That depends: say, that depends on circum stances. 40. " No conversation be permitted in the Reading Room to the interruption of the company present: neither Smoking or Refreshments allowed :" [from the Prospectus of a "Literary and Scientific Institution"] insert can after conversation, and say, neither Smoking nor Refreshments. 41. No extras or vacations: [from the prospectus of a schoolmistress,] say, neither extras nor vacations. 42. He is very covetous: pronounce covetous as if it were written covet us, and not covetyus, as is almost universally the case. 43. I intend to summons him: say, summmon : summons is a noun, and not a verb. 44. He does not learn arithmetic: say, arithmetic, and pronounce it with the accent on rith, and never on met, as we sometimes hear it. 44. Dearly beloved brethren: pronounce beloved in three syllables, and never in two, as some clergymen do. 46. He is now forsook by every one: say, for saken. 47. Not as I know: say, that I know. 48. This is different to that: say, different from. 49. He came for to do it: leave out for. 50. The book lays on the table: say, lies. A person lays a book on the table, but the book lies on the table. 51. He would never believe but what I did it: say, hut that I did it. 52. They have just rose from the table: say, risen. 53. He is quite as good as me: say, as good as 1. 51. Many an one has done the same: say, many a one. A, and not an, is used before the long sound of u, that is to say, when u forms a distinct syllable of itself: as, a unit, union, a university; it is also used before a eu: as, a euphony, and likewise before the word ewe: as, a ewe: we should also say, a youth, not an youth. 55. Many people think so: say, Many persons, as people means a nation. 56. "When our ships sail among the people of the Eastern islands, those people do not ask for gold: iron, iron!' is the call." [From a work by a Peer of literary celebrity.] Say, among the inhabitants; and, instead of those people, which is ungrammatical, say, those persons. These kind, and these sort, are very objectionable expressions, as they are altogether incorrect: say, this kind, this sort. 57. Was you reading just now? say Were you. 58. He has ran all the way: say, run. 59. You should have went home: say, gone. 60. Him and me took a nice walk: say, He and I. 61. John went with James and I: say, James and me. |