The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-02-26
Word Errors,

As these word errors are written
expressly for such as are not fsmil-
rar with the rules of English gram
mar. and more especially for the
young wishing to form habits of
correct speaking, 1 shall begin at
the rudiments and hold myself
ready to answer any questions which
in these familiar talks l may have
overlooked. Foreigners find our
Ian gusge a difficult one to master,
especially in regard to its pronun-
citation. We, ourselves, have all we
can attend to in its grammatical
construction. The classical lan>
gusges afford great assistance to
students in varying the termina-
tons of words and their location,
as well as to express the different
cases. These must be mastered in
English, If at all, by patient study,
careful attention and associating
with people who speak correctly.
AS nouns and pronouns are most
easily understood, and also more
frequently misused in daily life
than any other parts of speech, l
viii mention what they are and
some of their uses. The name
which designates person, place or
thing, as John, Boston, book. The
words that represent these names
are pronouns. These useful, and
indeed, indispensable little words
give us more trouble than any 9th
ers, especially in their nominatiye
and objective cases. l, thou, he,
she, they, who, are nominatives;
me, thee, him, her, US, them, whom,
detectives; you, it, which and what
are the same in both cases. A SEN
tence consists OF two parts, sub
ject of which something is affirmed
"a predicate-that which is af
irmed of the subject. 1t is in these
predicates that our danger lies.
MARY told John and I"-half the
people say-"to come early" Just
leave out the John and see how
your sentence sounds. AS John is
the same in both cases and comes
first, we slip in the l in place of me
unccnsciously. If we are ever in
doubt, take the pronoun alone and
our ear will tell US correctly.
We sometimes hear, l am sorry
to say, two pronouns misused to
noun to shield them, as, "He told
she and if we came in season, "etc.
Just take each one by itself, and
remember that two wrongs, however
intimately associated, do not make
a right in the speech of men, even
if they sometimes appear to in their
conduct We could not make the
mistake of saying, he told she to
come, etc, or told / to come-we
see at once it should be her and
me. But there are certain verbs
which require the nominative case
in the predicate, and are still more
misused by having the
objective in its place. 1 will men
ton the verb to be as an illustra>
ton. Is aud are, was and were are
the most common forms of 1t. Ma
nv is good girl. sounds all right.
Mary is she, is equslly correct,
though less familiar. Now 1 will
take the little pronoun it to repre-
sent Mary and say, it is she, which |
sentence together with the kindred |
ones, it is he, it is they, it will he
we'll to treasure up in your memory |
and never say, it is her, or him, or
them. 'Is that Mary | see pass
Ingr you inquire. Eyes, it is her."
is the reply in the majority of
cases. Again, ''Is that Mr.. and |
Mrs. GresnT" "Yes, 1t is them"
Put she in the place Of her, and |
hey instead OF them in every such
Instance, and it will be worth more
n the estimation of refined people
han a chain OF gold about your
leck.
In speaking with a refined lady |
IN this subject, one who writes ac>
,eptably for the PRESS she remarked,
Il can tell you nothing of English
grammar, having never really learn
ID it. / was unable to attend school
Until fifteen, from poor health
vas put with those of my own age
Who were past the rudiments. ana
,ot through my parsing exercises
y means OF fortunate guesses and
lints from my classmates. / go
My by ear; if a thing sounds well
put it down." Her home was one
# high culture, or her ear could
ot have been thus educated. /
1ish all were equally fortunate.-