The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-05-25
DONT'S
For Speaker and
Writer

now 90 Care Tor H." Etcl
tcopyrIEht. 1898. ny Joseph \, powlss)
Authors Ne,s--it 10 one thing to record
errors. quite another 90 avoid them He
who waits for the faultiess one 10 cast
the nrst critical stone waits In vain,
therefore. as one OF many working for
the betterment OF the English LANGUAGE.
! shall be pleased 10 receive kindly crit.
cism, u, perchance, I. too. have erred.
Ones theory often IL better b ones
practice. This was exemplined ~ the
teacher OF language when he said 10 bis
classi Never use a proposition 10 END
a sentence with"
Many years ago I began 20 be watehful
OF errors. noted them in a little book.
the book grew as the years passed, !
proitod much; shall profit more. l now
record them hat I may benefit others as
well as myself. Many OF them are re-
corded for the FIRST time.
Don't say carpenter for ''joiner."
Note,-one may be a carpenter and a
joiner, but a carpenter Is net neces-
sarily a joiner. The Joiner begins
where the carpenter ceases.
Don't say Casualty" for casualty"
Note.-There Is no word casualty.
Don't say "center" for middle
Note.-The center Is a point equi-
distant from the circumference; the
middle a point equi-distant from the
two extremities.
Don't say certain" for Sure"
Example: II am certain he will
come" should be II Am sure he will
come"
'Note.-We are certain in regard TO
the past; sure in regard to the future.
Don't say "chuck-full" for "chock-
full"
Note.--There is no word chuek-full.
Don't say "claim" for assert"
Example: HE claimed his rights
should be HE asserted his rights"
Don't say clerks"
Example: "She clerks at Marshall
Fields" should be She is a clerk at
Marshall Fields"
Note.-The word clerk is not a verb.
.
Don't say CLOSE proximity" for
proximity"
Example: The close proximity Of
the sentinel caused him TO halt"
should be The proximity Of the SEN
tinel caused him u halt"
Note.-As proximity means An I'm
mediate nearness, II Is evident that
close is superlous,
Don't say collecting bills" for col
Letting"
Example: HE is collecting bills"
should be "He 10 collecting"
Note.-The word bills IL superflous.
Bills are presented that money may be
collected. One would not have the
same difficulty in collecting bills as he
would have in collecting money; there
fore It we're better TO say, "He is coll
Letting" or more truly, perhaps, "He is
trying to collect"
Don't say comb my head for comb
my hair"
Don't say comb out your hair" for
comb your hair"
Note--The word out Is super
fous. One may comb out a tnngle, or
comb the hair until the tangle is out;
but II Is not necessary TO comb the hair
out.
Don't say combined together" for
combined"
Example: "They combined together
as consplrators," should be they COM
bined as conspirators." .... t..
Don't say como in" for come"
Note.-The word In is superfous. II
given as a m for one 10 enter
and given by one who Is within.
Don't say "come" for came"
Example: ".She come for advice"
should be She came for advice"
Don't say commence to-"
Note.-Commence should not be fol-
lowed by the infiDltive.
ut is the practice Of good writer's TO
use the verbal noun Cinstead Of the
inhnItive with to- after commence, az,
"Be commenced studying" not, "He
commended to study. Webs. Int.
Good writer's also use begin instead
OF commence. We begin TO read. We
commence reading.
Don't say Compare to" for" com.
pare with"
Example: Compare Lincoln 10
Grant" should be Compare Lincoln
with Grant"
Note.-To compare 10 Is 10 note the
resemblance; 10 compare with IL TO
note the relative excellence.
Example OF resemblance: The many
wires OF the Western Union Telegrspn
company may be compared TO the nerves
OF the human body
Cont va "congequenceg for i'm
A,gs.n.a - #H .1I #& E