The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-06-13
SOME rrn-usrD WORDS. by Alfred

SOME fEfz-usED WORDS. by Alfred
Ayres:
Pained as we are at the discovery that
"the word none is commonly treated as
plural as. None OF them were his
equals" and beginning upon the writing
Of a notice OF a book that corrects the
English of our standard dictionaries, the
New York sun and Richard Grant White,
with fresh alarm at the pitfalls OF locu-
ton, we nevertheless wish I'm as proper
English as may be To express profound
admiration for this little manual and TO
commend IT, trusting that such sentiments
of approval may in some measure com
pensate for deficiencies i'm the manner OF
their expression If, 80 be II, IL comes up
to Alfred Ayers TO review the reviewer.
For many years we have wrestled with
the verb for the word none and IL Is
only recently that we have succeeded In
accustoming ourself 10 sticking In the
singular verb and mailing II down by
eagle eyed revision of the proof reader.
We confess. too. 10 being frequently re-
inyigorated for the struggle by the pre-
cept and example OF that "one OF our big
dallias hat -See4.l44,slr- ~ -adraFee-te print
ing n plural verb with none under any
conditions" and thus does evil associa-
tion corrupt good Engllsh.And just about
as the use OF the singular verb is be-
come almost as much matter OF second
nature as the avoidance OF the split
inhnitive, for example, along comes AL
fred Ayers and his little book 10 tell us
that we were all right as we were and all
wrong az we are. II IL convincing but II
Is saddenins Had we been thus instructed
some years ago, we had been spared
much mental labor and expenditure OF
g..r. ha .ef tfgtV 10
torture OF conflict with the proof reader.
on the whole. however, life IL made
swceter now that We feel at liberty 10
use the plural verb with none
The distinctions which should be OF
words which Mr.. Ayres calls attention
10 I'm this book are not necessarily nnicky.
The book is designed for the ordinary
every day man who asks only instruction
In the writing OF good plain English and
it is encouraging to note that what may
be called the connolsseurs I'm grsmmer
| are liable 20 err and indeed, IL Is these
| that the writer Of the book selects for his
| criticism and his examples OF ill-users OF
words They arc foeman worthy of his
| steel but their armor Is not invulnerable
| The instruction II afforded chiefly by ex-
amples OF the ill-use OF words. Comment
| and suggestion are sprinkled through the
| pages but 90 n great extent the examples
| convey tho lesson and they do ~ I'm a
| convincing way. Big" words are not q
consideration The book deals with the
1 common expressions OF the everyday
| speech and points out the hideousness oi
] some OF these that pass muster even IN
4 the dictionaries. Mathematical exactness
r. not 90 be looked for in grammar but
| niceties of locutlon may be sought for al
| vantagcously by even such persons ~
| confne their vocabulary 10 their every,
day wants az well as 10 literary expires
sion. And this little book II written I'm a
most engaging way that makes tfru mn
sorbing of It's instruction a real pleasure
! published ny y. Appleton and Co. Foi
sale by Gregory. Price 80.
PLEASURES or THE TELESCOPE. by
Garrett y. Serviss!
The author of Astronomy With ar
Opera Glass" has written and u. Apple
ton A. Co. have published this delightful