NOTE.  When one of the two negatives employed is joined to another word, it forms a pleasing and delicate variety of expression; as, “His language, though inelegant, is not ungrammatical;” that is, it is grammatical.

But, as two negatives, by destroying each other, are equivalent to an affirmative, they should not be used when we wish to convey a negative meaning.  The following sentence is therefore inaccurate:  “I can_not_ by no means allow him what his argument must prove.”  It should be, “I cannot by any means,” &c., or, “I can by no means.”

FALSE SYNTAX.

    Note, 2d part.  I don’t know nothing about it.

    I did not see nobody there.  Nothing never affects her.

    Be honest, nor take no shape nor semblance of disguise.

    There cannot be nothing more insignificant than vanity.

    Precept nor discipline is not so forcible as example.

RULE XXXI.

Prepositions govern the objective case; as, “He went from Utica to
Rome, and then passed through Redfield.”

FALSE SYNTAX.

    Each is accountable for hisself.

    They settled it among theirselves.

    It is not I who he is displeased with.

    Who did you go with?

    Who did you receive instruction from?

RULE XXXII.

Home, and nouns signifying distance, time when, how long, &c. are generally governed by a preposition understood; as, “The horse ran a mile;” “He came home last June;” “My friend lived four years at college;” that is, ran through the space of a mile; or, ran over a space called a mile; to his home in last June; during four years, &c.

    NOTE 1.  The prepositions to and for are often understood,
    chiefly before the pronouns; as, “Give [to] me a book; Get [for]
    him some paper.”

2. To or unto, is, by some, supposed to be understood after like and unlike; as, “He is like [unto] his brother; She is unlike [to] him.”  Others consider this mode of expression an idiom of the language, and maintain that like governs the objective following it.

3.  Nouns signifying extension, duration, quantity, quality, or value, are used without a governing word; as, “The Ohio is one thousand miles long; She is ten years old; My hat is worth ten dollars.”  These are sometimes considered anomalies.  See page 163.

RULE XXXIII.

Conjunctions connect nouns and pronouns in the same case; as, “The master taught her and me to write;” “He and she are associates.”