The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-18

says, T wouldn't want to go." be- queath that expression to the person who says. T wouldn't have went." for no person who has any knowledge of grammatical construction should use
 ERRORS OF THE CAREFUL
 SPEAKER.
 It is the careful speaker who Is afraid of the idiom. An idiom, as we know, is a mode of expression peculiar to a language and approved by usage, as it often has a significant on other than its grammatical or logical one. The careful speaker has several little books on How to speak and write cor rectly." and in each one he Is warned to beware of the expression, "I had better go." He is told that, inasmuch as he cannot conjugate 'I had go," you had go," "he had go." he would" better use the forms, "I should or would better go." you would better go." 'he had better go." It is true that I had better go," etc, cannot be conjugated, and, in consequence, Is an ungrammatical form of speech. But ] notwithstanding its unconformability to the grammar of our language. q had better go' is a fixed form, approv- ed by the usage of the language. and has no intention whatever of going" It is useless for grammarians and re- formers to- make war upon an idiom that is sanctioned by the usage of good speakers: for distinguishing charac- terlstic of the idiom Is that it has the approval neither of grammarians nor of good speakers. Let the careful speakers direct their energies against all solecisms, such as: 'T meant to have | written" "he don't,' "try and come," xrvt11 ho 1ko and those forms which are disapproved of by good usuage. and leave all con- troversy in regard to the idiom to those reformers who do not realize that when an expression has become fixed form in the language it Is too late to exclude 1t from the usage of good speakers and writers.
 GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION. F Incorrect-Who is this letter for2 ,Correct-Whom is this letter for? For whom is this letter? Incorrect-Who did you give the mes- | sage to? .. stt.l. Correct-To whom did you give the message? Whom did you give the mes sage to?
 Incorrect-Who did you send the tele- gram to?
 CorrectIWhom did you send the tele- gram to? To whom did you send the telegram?
 Ircorrect-Who were you with when I met you?
 Correct--Whom were you with when I met you? With whom were you when l met you?
 Ineorrect--Who are you going with?
 Correct-Whom are you going with? With whom are you going?
 1ncorrect-Who did you send the note by?
 Correct-Whom did you send the note by? By whom did you send the note?
 Incorrect-I think I will go.
 Correct-I think I shall go.
 Incorrect-I think I would.
 Correct-I think I should.
 dncorrect-I thought I would.
 Correct-I thought I should.
 Incorrect-I wouldn't want to go.
 Correct-I shouldn't want to go.
 If was.
 If thou vast.
 If he was.
 If he were.
 If you were.
 If they were.
 These forms are correctly used when supposition Is stated as fact They are then said to be in the indicative mood.
 If I were.
 If thou vert.
 If he were. If we were.
 If you were.
 If they were.
 These forms are correctly used when a supposition is stated not as a fact but as merely thought of. They are then said to be in the subjunctive mood. The essential difference be- tween the indicative and the subjunc- tive moods is that in the indicative the suppositlon is assumed as a fact; in the subjunctive it is merely thought of
 "lf l was in the wrong I ask your pardon" ""
 This form Is correct. because the in- dicative mood eff I was) is used when the supposition Is stated as fact and mot. merely thought of. The fact that l ask your pardon proves that I not only assume I was in the wrong, but believe I was in the wrong.
 Rule-If I was is used when the sup position is stated as fact. If were is used when the suppostion is merely assumed.
 "If were in the wrong should ask your pardon" This form Is correct because the subjunctive mood df Were) is used when the supposition iS merely thought of. The fact that do not apologize proves that do not be- lieve that I am in the wrong.
 Rule-The subjunctive mood Off I were) is used when the supposition is not stated as a fact. but as merely assumed
 ''I wish I were going with you" "I wish l were" is the correct form be- cause l haven't gone and am not go- ing.
 o Note-Were and not was follows the expression of a wish. One should never say "I wish I was" and 'T wish he was" 'T wish I were" and "I wish he were" are the correct forms.
 "If I were to go" is correct because it expresses a supposition in regard to some future event.
 Rule--The subjunctiVe mood is used to express a future event about which there is uncertainty.
 Note-''If l were to go'' Is equivalent to If should go." and If I should go" is the form of the future tense of the subjunctive mood. Were with the in- finite form of some verb is properly used when should can be used in its stead and vice versa.
 A CONVERSATION
 Mrs. Al find that your sugges- tions are very helpful and that I not only notice my own errors, but also the