Wrong habits of speech indicate looseness and carelessness of thought, and if not corrected show a lack of training.  In speaking, our language goes directly to the listener without revision.  It is, therefore, essential that we pay much attention to the form of the expression so that it may be correct when we use it.  Our aim should be to avoid an error rather than to correct it.

Similarly in writing, your effort should be given to avoiding errors rather than to correcting those already made.  A misspelled word or an incorrect grammatical form in the letter that you send to a business man may show you to be so careless and inaccurate that he will not wish to have you in his employ.  In such a case it is only the avoidance of the error that is of value.  You must determine for yourself that the letter is correct before you send it.  This same condition should prevail with reference to your school themes.  The teacher may return these for correction, but you must not forget that the purpose of this correction is merely to emphasize the correct form so that you will use it in your next theme.  It will be helpful to have some one point out your individual mistakes, but it is only by attention to them on your own part and by a definite and long-continued effort to avoid them that you will really accomplish much toward the establishing of correct language habits.  In this, as in other things, the most rapid progress will be made by doing but one thing at a time.

Many matters of form are already familiar to you.  A brief statement of these is made in order to serve as a review and to secure uniformity in class work.

1. Neatness.—­All papers should be free from blots and finger marks.  Corrections should be neatly done.  Care in correcting or interlining will often render copying unnecessary.

2. Legibility.—­Excellence of thought is not dependent upon penmanship, and the best composition may be the most difficult to read.  A poorly written composition is, however, more likely to be considered bad than one that is well written.  A plain, legible, and rapid handwriting is so valuable an accomplishment that it is well worth acquiring.

3. Paper.—­White, unruled paper, about 8-1/2 by 11 inches, is best for composition purposes.  The ability to write straight across the page without the aid of lines can be acquired by practice.  It is customary to write on only one side of the paper.

4. Margins.—­Leave a margin of about one inch at the left of the sheet.  Except in formal notes and special forms there will be no margin at the right.  Care should be taken to begin the lines at the left exactly under each other, but the varying length of words makes it impossible to end the lines at the right at exactly the same place.  A word should not be crowded into a space too small for it, nor should part of it be put on the next line, as is customary in printing, unless it is a compound one, such as steam-boat.  Spaces of too great length at the end of a line may be avoided by slightly lengthening the preceding words or the spaces between them.