The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-01
The Globe $ SSsms.Jaay
Correct Gngdshand lHowto Use 81
ARTICLE v.
BY JOSEPHINE TURcK BAKER.

1t IS the careless SPEAKER who asks:
WHO is this letter for?'' and WHO is
this package from?'' instead of For
whom is this letter." and From wloIu
is this paekage?" The proper answers to
the questions, WHO is this letter for?"
and 'Who is this package from" would
be, This letter is from he," and This
package is from She" One will never
misuse who for whom if one will place
the proposition before the pronoun where
it belongs, thus: For whom is this let
ter?" From whom is this package?"
Although many good speakers place the
proposition at the. close of the sentence
thus: .Whe is this letter for?" Whom
is this package from?
1t Is the careless speaker who says:
I wouldn't want to do that" and II
wouldn't want to co. instead of Il
shouldn't want to do that and 81
shouldn't wanl to CO. Our wants are
our wishes or desires, and our wishes Or
desires are beyond our control of the will.
Consequently, L shouldn't want to do
that" and II shouldn't want to CO." are
the correct forms, for conditions beyond
the control Of the will are expressed by
Il should and not by Il would" Let
the person who says, Il wouldn't want
to Co." bequeath that expression to the
person who says, 4 wouldn't have
Went" for no person who has any kpowl-
edge of grammatical construction should
use either expression
Errors of the Careful Speaker.
1t is the careful speaker who is afraid
OF the idiom. AS idiom, as we know IS
mode of expression peculiar to a language
and approved by usage, as it often has
Specification other than it's grammatical
or logical one. The careful speaker has
several little books on How to speak and
0<a41x Il
warned to beware of the expression, g I
had better Co." He is told that mas
much as he cannot conjugate 81 had CO.
you had co. ''he had 60" he would
better use the forms, 81 should Or would
better co., you would better co. "he
had better 60" 1t is true that Il had
better CO." etc., cannot be corrugated,
and, in consequence, is an ungrammatfcal
form of speech. But Notwithstanding its
unconformability to the grammar of our
language, 'I had better CO. is a fixed
form, approved by the usage of the
language and has no intention whatever
of going" It is useless for grammar
ianS and reformers to make war upon an
idiom that is sanctioned by the usage Of
good speakers; for a distinguishing char
acteristic of the idiom is that it has the
approval of the usage of the language.
In this essential it differs from the sote-
cism which has the approval neither OF
grammarians nor of good speakers. let
the careful speakers direct their energies
against all stoicisms, such as: 81 meant
to- have written" "he DON'T" "try ana
come ''I would like" 'I will ne
obliged" ETC., and those forms which are
disapproved of by good usage, and leave
all controversy in regard to the idiom to
those reformers who do not realize that
when an expression has become a fixed
form in the language it is too late to
exclude it from the usage Of good speak
ers and writer's
Grammatical Construction.
eff was in the wrong 1 ask your par
DON"
This form is correct because the indi-
cative mood Gf I was) is used when the
superstition is stated as a fact and not
merely thought of. The fact that l ask
your pardon proves that l not only as
sumo. but believe was in the wrong.
Rule-If l was is used when the sup
position is stated as fact. If l were
is used when the superstition is merely
assumed
IF Were in the wrong I should ask
your pardon" This form is correct be-
cause the subjunctive mood Off 1 were)
is used when the superstition Is merely
thought Of The fact that do not apol-
ogize proves that 1 do not believe that
I am in the wrong.
Rule-The subjunetive mood Of I werc)
is used when the supposition is not
stated as a fact, but merely assumed.
81 wish [ were going with YOU u
wish I were' Is the correct form because
l haven't gone and am not going.
Note-Were and not was follows the
expression of wish. One should never