The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-11
NIGHT SCHOOL: HOW TO DO THINGS.
DIRECTED SEYMOUR

or It-now or Tt-yesterday or 1t was
If person can instantly MI the above
verb he will not be likely TO commit such
blunders as II seen him do it, and she
done 1t herself Below is "a list OF some
forms often COMPOUNDED or otherwise mis-
used:
Begin, began, begun. blow. blew. blown:
break, broke, broken; come. oarac, come;
do. did, done; drive, drove. driven eat,
ate. eaten: freeze, froxe frozen: forget
forgot. forgotten: go. went. gone: rise.
rose, risen; see, saw, seen: speak, spoke.
, SPOKEN steal stole stolen: take. took.
In using the words drink, ring. shrink.
sing, sink, spring, swim. It IL better to
and the forms in ~ 10 the pas, par participie:
as The bell rang five minites ago;
Yes, the bell has rung."
regularly In the compounds. .begotten,"'
forgotten and ''ili-gotten." Some good
speakers also Use IL instead Of got" after
have, was etc; but the preponder.
as the past participle of got" 1t should
he remembered. however, that II have
got" means = have ACQUIRED" and that
the meaning Is simply II have
Clothes are hung a limo. men are
hanged on gaiows.
Proven AZ a past participie OF prove
IS not used by the best speakers and writ
ers, Therefore, following their example.
we should say. the guilt of the prisoner
Many plumbers IN the use OF verbs have
to do with what Is called '1he agree
ment of a verb with tts subject" In
the verb varies greatly according TO the
person and number of the subject. as II
am thou ART she; she or 4 is," we
were" In the case of other verbs, the
only variation for number and person
IN common use Is the addition of IS 10
person singular. as. ''The sun sets" This
+ called the singular or -" form OF
the verb
Now examine the verbs and their sub
jects in the following sentences;
a sense OF duty pursues us ever. {Hfn-
gnlar subject singular verb, -.
Troubles never come singiy. plural
Half OF them are gone (6ubject singu-
lar IN form. but plural In sense; plural
"Gulivers Travels" was written by
Swift. Subject plural In form. but singu-
lar 10 sense denoting single book;
Tom and his sister were there. 1.-TWO
singular subjects together forming a
plural. plural VERDI
Bread and butter is good enough for
me. tTwo singular subjects taken to-
gether as one thing; singular verbl
Neither Fred nor his sister was there.
sTwo singular subjects considered sep
aratey, singular VERDI
You observe that, in general. a singular
form Of the verb Il used when the sub
Ject Is singular or regarded AS singular;
a plural form, when the subject lis plural
or regarded as plural
The principle that verb agrees with
its subject In number Is in most eases
followed unconsciously. few conatruc-
lions, however. require special notice;
- The pronoun YOU" takes "a plural
verb ,.. even when ifs meaning rs singular;
? collective noun in the singular
number takes singular verb when en- the tho
collection ~ viewed as whole; a plural
are thought OF as Individuals. as THE
commitIe was discharged" tHere tho
commi,tee Is though, OF an q body The
committee were eating dinner tTha
arate individuals,
O. When subjects connected by '.or" or
nor are Of different numbers the verb
usually agrees with the nearest; as, .One
or two were there"
BY w Mesds eln,a 70 ,, sInsn,ar sns,set
70, OF as we'll AS" are not on the same
grammatical level az the subject but are
parenthetieai, and therefore do not AFFECT
the number of the verb. as, Justice.
~ wen as mercy allows IL =
When one or more plural words coma
between singular subject and its verb
writer IN In danger ~ forgetting tho
real subject and Of giving to the verb the
number of the nearest substantive The
ffonowing sentences are correct: The
FORMATION. OF paragraphs IL very impor-
tant.' tHere the subject is s.formation.'1
Every one of us has had this feeling"
eHere the subject is every one.''|
Among The most perpiexing questions
connected With the proper use ~ verbs
are those which have to do with the
choice of the proper tense or time form
IN general inc tense Of verb should cor-
rectiy express the time referred to The
Following principles are established by
good usage;
!. Verbs referring to the same time
should be In the same tense. The prin-
eiple IL violated in the following sem
tences' 1T was a superstition among the
Mexicans that bullet will not Kill man
unless Il has his name stamped on ~"
Soon after Oliver reached home n SER
want announces the presence OF oliver"
n you would only walt. your success
? Tho tense of the verb IN dependent
clause varies with the tense of the main
verb. as
I know he will come
knew he would come.
] have taken The FIRST train, that may
arrive early.
! had taken the FIRST train. that might
Blanche viii be frightened II she sees
tho bat
Blanche would be frightened II she saw
Blanche would have been frightened 10
she had Nasn tho bat
Present facts and interchangeable truths.
ent tense, REGARDLESS of the tense 81 the
main verb az. What ala you say his
name ~
q The perfect inGnitive, "'ro have
seen" TO have hurt" etc. 10 properly
used 20 dsn0ts action which f. completed
al the time denoted by the main verb.
aE ~ am glad TO have seen NIAGARA
falls. He felt sorry 10 have hurt your
feelings This principle IN violated In
the following incorrect sentences: II In.
tended 70 have dana n yesterday" fThe
doing waa not completed ~ the time ~
the intending 1T wac the poilceraan's
duty 70 have arrested the thief fThs
arrest had aat been made al the tfu,a
referred q BY 1T was the poiieeman's
duty The sentences should read: II
intended 70 do Il yesterday" TT Mas the
pollcfsnans duty 30 arrest the thief
Notes accepting or dsclialng invitations
often show a wrong Use ~ the future
tense, For example, tbs following note
Ii incorrect
Mr.. Gould regrets that absence from
the city will prevent him from accepting
Mrs Blacks kind invitation for next
Thursday"
In this note Mr. Gould means 20 sav
that absence from the city next ThuYE-
day all prevent him from being present
- Mira Blacks entertainment. and that
therefore he IL p1w compelled 10 1seline
the Invitation. Mrs Blacks entertatn-
ment and AT. Gouids absence from fha
city arc 4g1Fad rktuEN of