The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-08
ARTICLE vi.

The true function of language is to
communicate Thought. The function or
grammar is to indicate those forms of
language by which thought is most clear
ly expressed. use is the law of lam
guage, and usage regulates the gram
NAUTICAL construction of sentences and the
uses and pronunciation of words Gram
mars and dictionaries record these forms
and derive their authority and value from
their conformity to usage.
Much has been said in regard to good
usage being the law of language. If by
this is meant the usage of good speak
ers and writer's, then this definition is
correct. If, on the other hand, by good
usage is not, strictly speaking, the abso-
Lutte law of language, for many. forms
used by good writers and good speakers
are incorrect according to the rules of
language. Thus, many words have lost
their original significance and have I'M
dergone changes, and these changes, Of
ten in the form of idiomatic phrases, in
correct according to the rules of gram
mar, when once adopted by speakers and
writer's have in time the authority of
usage and form an integral part of spok-
en- and written language.
The careful use of correct forms Will
preserve language in it's purity just as
the careless use of words will promote
us MANY CTuQG express
sions, slang words and phrases creep into
cne's vocabulary to the exclusion of cor
rect expressions.
Pure usage should be the criterion of
examination Nm each case, for, although
one person cannot produce radical chang
es, either for better or for worse it is
the individual after all that is the prime
agent in the promotion of change. Each
one should be the guardian of correct
speech. The educated person should ex-
press his thoughts with ease and clear
ness, leaving incorrect forms of express
sion to those who have not had the means
of acquiring knowledge of these subjects
1t is not the aim of this series of papers
on Correct English and How to Use IT.
either to promote a pedantic style of ut
terance, or to create self-conSciousneSs
to such an extent that the thought shall
be subordinate to the expression The
purpose of this series of papers is to in
spire the reader to form the habit of US
ing only those forms which best express
hts meaning and to exclude from his vo-
cabulary all faulty and incorrect express
sions. Let each reader assist in the pres
ervation of the beauty, strength and
purity of the English language
Errors of the Careless Speaker.
1t is the careless speaker who says:
4 can't hardly watt
Il don't hardly know
The person who makes these errors
would feel aggrieved if he were accused
of using two negatives. He would never
think Of saying, 81 can't wait no long
er, and Yet it is as incorrect to say 81
can't hardly watt as to say II can't
wait no longer and II don't hardly
know what to say is as incorrect as II
don't know no more"
The correct forms are:
Il can hardly wait
I hardly know what to say"
1t is the careless speaker who says "FIe
hadn ought to do it,, instead of the cor
rect form, he ought not to do it." One
would have difficulty in conjugating II
had ought" ''he had ought 1t is as in
correct to use Ought with .'had" as to
use do with had" as. ST had do"
you had do. The. had do, The person
who says me hadn't ought to- is on the
level with the small boy who says ''he
oughtenter. Let us in the future elimi-
nate had from the company Of Ought
and use the correct form-yiz., The ought
to do 1t or he ought not to do it,
Errors Of the Careful Speaker.
1t Is the careful speaker who errs in
saying 'noboay's else Nobody else SAYS
"nobody's else" for everybody else says,
iiOOOoy CioS Lie Careful speaker
reads some nice little book on what to
Say and What Not to Say In which the
author warns the reader to beware of the
fallacy nobody else's.'' But everybody
else who has not read What to Say and
What Not to Say continues to say mo
body else's." instead of nobody's else,
until the careful speaker feels that he
would like to buy whole edition of
What to Say" ETC., and present a copy
to each of his friends.
In the phrase nobody else .else" is
ordinarily an adverb, because quasi
adjective. The writer's who object to
nobody else's' say that, inasmuch as an
adjective cannot be putin the possessive
case, the possession must be indicated by
nobody" This would be true were it
not for the fact that the phrase mo
body else has unitary meaning, and in
consequence the possession must be in
d1cated by ELSE and not by nobody"
For those who have lingering desire to
cling to ''nobody's else" the following
rule is given:
The phrases anybody else, somebody
else, nobody else, ETC., have unitary
meaning, as If one word, and properly