“My sons, John and Luther, are both at college.  The first expects to study law, and the last to study medicine.”  Use former and latter.

“New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago are the most populous cities in the United States.  The former has long been at the front; the latter has only recently entered the race.”  Use first and last instead of former and latter.
  ________________________________________________
_________________

62

These, Those

When objects near and remote are referred to, this and its plural these are applied to the objects near at hand, that and its plural those to objects at a distance.

When reference is made to contrasted antecedent terms, this and these are applied to the latter; that and those to the former, as

“Farewell my friends! farewell my foes! 
My peace with these, my love with those!”
—­ Burns.

Fictitious Writer

Do not say a fictitious writer when you mean a writer of fiction.

Firstly

First is an adverb as well as an adjective.  We should, therefore, say first, secondly, thirdly, and not firstly, secondly, etc.

First-rate

An article may be rated in quality as first, or second, or third.  If it rates first, it may be called a first-rate article.  The word is properly used as an adjective, but should not be employed as an adverb, as in the sentence, “He sings first-rate.”

Fix, Mend, Repair

Fix means to make fast, but its incorrect use in the sense of mend, repair, arrange, is so common that the
  ________________________________________________
_________________

63

word when properly used sounds strange, if not strained.  “To fix up the room,” “to fix up the accounts,” “to fix up matters with my creditors,” “to fix the rascals who betrayed me,” are examples illustrating the looseness with which the word is used.

Round, Square

When a thing is round or square it cannot be rounder or squarer.  These adjectives do not admit of comparative and superlative forms.  But we may say more nearly round or less nearly square.

States, Says

“He states he is going fishing to-morrow.”  States is too formal a word, and should be used only of some important assertion.  “He says he is going,” etc.

Stop, Stay

To stop is to cease moving.  “At what hotel do you stop” should be “At what hotel do you stay.”  “When you come to the city stay with me,” not stop with me.

Subtile, Subtle

Subtile means thin, fine, rare, delicate; subtle means sly, artful, cunning, elusive.  “More subtile web Arachne cannot spin.”  “He had to contend with a subtle foe.”
  ________________________________________________
_________________

64

Summons

He was summonsed to appear before the judge” should be “He was summoned to appear,” etc.