The Writer's Handbook, a Guide to the Art of Composition, Embracing a ...

TO SEW, TO SOW.-Distinguish between To sew (with needle and thread), and to sow (to scatter seed), both pronounced so. "I sew a shirt," "I sewed a shirt," "I have sewed a shirt," "I sow wheat," "I sowed wheat," "I have sowed, or sown, wheat." "The field is sowed, or sown."

TO SIT, TO SET.-Observe the difference between these two verbs. To sit, means to occupy a seat, to perch, to hold a session (as magistrates and judges), thus, “I sit," "I sat," "I have

sat."

To set, means to put, place, fix, or plant, as "I set seeds," "She has set seeds," "The table was set."

Never say "I set down" for "I SAT down," or "The hen is setting" for "The hen is SITTING."

TO SUMMON, SUMMONS.-Do not say "I shall summons him," but "I shall SUMMON him." To summon is the verb; summons the noun.

TRUTH, VERACITY.-Truth applies to a narrative, veracity to a person. "I mistrust the truth of this story;" "I mistrust the veracity (or truthfulness) of that man."

TWO NEGATIVES.-Two negatives are equal to an affirmative. "I cannot by no means consent to such a plan," signifies "I can by some means," being contrary to what is intended. "No inconsiderable gain" is "a considerable gain."

"No; that does not always happen, neither; " omit neither, or substitute either for it.

UNDENIABLE, UNEXCEPTIONABLE.-"My son has an undeniable character," should be, "My son has an UNEXCEPTIONABLE character." An undeniable character is a character which cannot be denied or disputed, whether good or bad.

VOCATION, AVOCATION.-Do not confound vocation and avocation. Vocation is employment, business; avocation is some pursuit or occupation which diverts or withdraws us from that business. Thus, "His vocation was watchmaking, his avocation gardening."

WAS, HAS BEEN.-In speaking of one dead, say "He WAS much respected," "He DID much good," not "He has been much respected," "He has done much good."

WAS HER, WERE SHE.-" If I was her, I would not consent." Better "If I WERE SHE."

WAS, WERE.-" You was," should not be used instead of "You WERE."

WHOLE, ENTIRE, TOTAL.-Whole refers to something of

which no part is wanting; Entire to that which is unbroken; Total to the sum or aggregate of numbers.

WILL HAVE EARNED, WILL EARN-Say, "HE WILL HAVE EARNED a pension when his term of service is completed," not "He will earn a pension when his term of service is completed."

WILL, SHALL.-Will expresses intention or voluntary action; shall, for the most part, unwilling or forced action.

When the future is to be expressed without any emphasis, shall must be used after the first person, and will after the second and third: I shall go. Thou wilt go. He will go.

When the future is to be expressed with intention, authority, or determination, on the part of the speaker, will should be used after the first person, and shall after the second and third: I will go. Thou shalt go. He shall go.

If a sentence take the form of a prophecy or prediction, shall must be used, the compulsion arising from the course of events: as "The world shall be destroyed."

Always say, "SHALL I read?" not "Will I read." In appealing for one's decision, say: Will you, or shall he, or shall they read?" For mere futurity, without any special implication of resolution, say: Shall you read? Will he read?

Will or resolution on the part of the subject is expressed by will: I will go. Thou wilt go. He will go.

The Irishman, who is said to have exclaimed "I will drown, and nobody shall help me," really declared his resolution to drown, and to prevent anyone from helping him. His real meaning was-"I shall drown and nobody will help me "-circumstances force me to drown, and nobody is going to help me.

The use of would and should is guided by the same rules.

WRITES, WRITES TO." She writes him frequently," should be" She writes to him frequently."

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RULES FOR DIVIDING WORDS INTO SYLLABLES.

A SYLLABLE is a whole word, or a part of a word, that is pronounced at one time, by a single effort or impulse of the voice.

1. A word consisting of a single syllable must not be divided; as come, strength, flame.

2. Words of more than one syllable are to be divided generally according to the pronunciation; as com-mand, in-vent, pro-ceed, ex-er-cise, hope-less-ness, con-firm-a-tion, miser-a-ble, con-sti-tu-tion-al-ly.

3. Separate compound words into the parts that compose them; as pen-knife, ink-stand, rail-way, head-dress, foot-hold, spy-glass.

4. Prefixes and endings may generally be taken apart from the root word; as mis-take, pro-fess, com-ply, in-con-stant, look-ing, hop-ing, ex-tend-ed, sav-est, love-ly, tim-id, graph-ic, low-er, leaf-y.

Where this separation cannot be effected with exactness, then divide the word as nearly as possible on this principle, while following the direction of Rule 2 above; as temp-ter, pre-cious, vi-cious, cau-tious, mus-i-cian, as-pire, promp-ted, par-tial, con-du-cive.

5. Two vowels not forming a dipthong will necessarily fall to be divided; as, tru-ant, di-et, tri-al.

6. Two consonants coming together, and not both necessary to the first sound, are separated; as flut-ter, dif-fer, sud-den, pup-py, star-ry, run-ning. Such cases as tri-fle, i-dle, a-ble, am-ple, usually place with the final le the consonant preceding it.

USE OF PREPOSITIONS

IN CONNEXION WITH PARTICULAR WORDS,
Especially Verbs, or Words possessing Verb Force.