The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-18
NIGHT SCHOOL: HOW TO DO THINGS.
THE DIRECTED
NIGHT SCHOOL COURSE.
To AVOID COMMON blum
DERs.
BY Prof. II. G. Buehler.
In the Use of Articles, Adtectives
and AdYerhs.

IN tnt Use OF AFtlcIe9s A0leCthNe1
and Adverbs.
The articles are the words "a ''an'
| and the"
A common blunder in the use OF articles
| consists in using "a" for IAN" and vice
| versa. "A" and AN are different forms
| of the same word. and the choice be-
tween them in the usage of good speak
| ers and writer's is determined by the
| sound Before a vowel sound IAN" is
used; before a consonant sound IA is
| used.
| Sound and spelling do not always CO.
| incide For example, zone" and unit"
| begin with vowels, but the initial sounds
| are those of the consonants wv and
~ in won" and YOU; therefore, we
| say "a unit" such one" Honor" be-
| gins with a consonant, but the initial
sound is that of the vowel 20" in "on-
ser; therefore. we say IAN honor"
| Usage is divided as TO "a" or AN be-
| fore words beginning with III" and ac-
| cented on the second syllable We say
IAN historical sketch" or "a historical
sketch" according TO taste.
The use of q superfiuous "a" or AN
before class name, especially after the
words sort" and kind is common
! and obstinate error. We may say. This
is an eagle" meaning lone eagle But
we may not say. IAN eagle is our ma
| tional bird.' This is rare kind OF an
eagle" or 1T is not worthy of the name
| of an eagle" because In these sentences
eagle is used as the name. not of a
| single bird, but of a class of birds, and
includes in its meaning all the birds
which belong to the class called eagle.
Another blunder In the use of articles
occurs when a person forgets that "A
| pink and lavender gown" is not the same
| thing as "A pink and a lavender gown
The first expression In which the article
| is used only once denotes single gown
OF mixed color The second expression.
in which the article Is repeated. denotes
two gowns one pink, the other lavender.
Similarly. THE secretary and treasurer
denotes one person. while The secretary
and the treasurer denotes two.
Adjectives and adverhs are best con-
sidered together In an account OF common
blunders In using them.
An adjective is a word Joined to a noun
or pronoun by way OF limitation or de-
scription. as BLACK horses, He Is
lazy.
An adverb is word Joined by way of
limitation to verbs. adjectives and other
adverhs. as 'The horses ran fast" She
sang WE'LL
The most common form Of adverb In
literary English ends In "-ly." II Is made
freely from all kinds Of adjectives except
tves that already end in sly" as live
ly' and friendly" usually have no cor
responding adverb. We use instead some
adverbial phrase. as in a friendly way"
I'm lively manner
Adjectiyes used as adverbs are
frequent In the literature OF the
s sey.s az hen ws sn'een The King
exceeding glad" Daniel VI. 80. The sea
went dreadful NIGH Robinson crusoe)
ern poetry In modern literary prose they
are seldom used. good writers preferring
the adverhial forms in "-ly." except In a
! servation3. pitch dark" He ran fast
Come quick" stand right Il bought
IL cheap.
A very common blunder Is 10 use the
adjective good" for the advert well,
as in the incorrecs sentence, srnn pen e.
used only as an adjective descrioing :
limiting verb. The following SENTENCES
are correct He had good Sleep He
slept WE'LL
This plural these) and that plural
those) are the only adjecfives in English
that have distinct forms for the plural. a
common mistake Is g use the plnrai, forms
with singular collective nouns, as kind,
class" sort" The following sentences
are correct: That kind Of house II com
mon in New England" How DO you IKE
this sort OF horsesy"
Persons are sometimes In doubt whether
to use an adjective or an advern after Ger,
tain verbs, as gr9w Ie sat. son1nd,
plies to the subject OF the verb, Y should
be an adjective, IL 20 the verb. Il should
be an adverb. We say, we feel warm.
when we mean that we are warm. we say,
I'VE feel warmly on this subject, when
we mean that our feeling Is warm; AS
a rule It Is proper 20 use an ADJECTIVE
whenever some form of the verb 10 be or
10 seem may be substituted for the verb,
an advarb when no such substitution can
be made" Thus, HE looked angry; ne
spoke angrily" Sometimes We may use
either adjective or advert with no differ-
ence In meaning. an We were sitting
quiet quietly round the fire. The fol-
lowing sentences are correct: Velvet
feels Smooth" Roses smell sweet The
wind blew huriously, The men fought
calamity" Ethel looked beautiful In her
new gown HE has acted strangely
Sometimes blunders In the use OF adj
tecfiyes and adverbs are committed In
comparing two or more things with one
another. To say. Iron IL more useful
man any metal is clearly Incorrect. be-
cause iron Ia Included IN amy metal.
and Of course iron is not mere useful
on in a class by itself. which We can do
by inserting Other after any iron
l. more useful than any other meiai ~
correct After comparative accompanies
should be followed by "other."
To say Iron is the most useful Of any
Cor any other) metal" IL aiso clearly in
correct. because We mean that iron II The
most l9esfnf not 81 zone metal mo matter
whlch1" or of some metals Gno matter
which," but Of all metals. We should
simply Iron ls the most useful Of lAlD
metals n IL also Incorrect to cay Iron
X the most useful Of all other metals
for Iron Il not one OK the other metals.
beware of uaing any or 'otfeF With
stiperiasiveS followed BY ''of
Amusing plumbers are often made by
the careless placing 81 words or groups
81 words used as adlectives or advsrbs.
As a rule a modifying word or GROUP q
words should come next 70 the word or
words which Il nlotifcs. The following
IF Mind actually occurred
IN real hfe:
"a lady wants 20 sell her piano, as sha
is going abroad. IN a strong iron frame"
last a green enMmcle1 iady's watch"
wanted q room by two gentlemen.
about thirty feet long and twenty feet
broad"
we all went 10 the Heashore for a Ut
Gle fresh air from the city
Lost, a Scotch terrier, BY q gentleman,