Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 164 pages of information about Slips of Speech .

Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 164 pages of information about Slips of Speech .

135

Or, Nor

When the antecedent consists of two or more nouns separated by or, nor, as well as, or any other disjunctive, the pronoun must be singular.

“Neither spelling nor parsing receive the attention they once received.”  Verb and pronoun should be singular, receives and it.

Collective Noun

When a noun of multitude or collective noun is the antecedent, the pronoun, like the verb, must be plural or singular according to the sense intended to be conveyed.

Ambiguity

Never leave the antecedent of your pronoun in doubt.

“John tried to see his father in the crowd, but could not, because he was so short.”  If the father was short, repeat the noun and omit the pronoun, as “John tried to see his father in the crowd but could not because his father was so short.”  If John was short, recast the sentence:  “John, being short of stature, tried in vain to see his father in the crowd.”

“He said to his friend that, if he did not feel better soon, he thought he had better go home.”  This sentence is susceptible of four interpretations.  We shall omit the first part of the sentence in the last
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three interpretations, as it is the same in all.  “He said to his friend:  ‘If I do not feel better soon, I think I had better go home.’” “If I do not feel better soon, I think you had better go home.”  “If you do not feel better soon, I think I had better go home.”  “If you do not feel better soon, I think you had better go home.”

“The lad cannot leave his father; for, if he should leave him, he would die.”  To avoid ambiguity substitute his father for the italicised pronouns.  The repetition is not pleasant, but it is the lesser of two evils.

Needless Pronouns

Avoid all pronouns and other words that are not essential to the meaning.

“The father he died, the mother she soon followed after, and the children they were all taken down sick.”

“Let every one turn from his or her evil ways.”  Unless there is special reason for emphasizing the feminine pronoun, avoid the awkward expression his or her.  The pronoun his includes the other.

Mixed Pronouns

Do not use two styles of the pronoun in the same Sentence.  “Enter thou into the joy of your Lord.”  “Love thyself last, and others will love you.”
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Them, Those

It should not be necessary to caution the reader against the use of them for those.

“Fetch me them books.”  “Did you see them, fat oxen?” “Them’s good; I’ll take another dish.”

Which, Who

“Those which say so are mistaken.”  Who is applied to persons; which, to the lower animals and to inanimate things.

“He has some friends which I know.”  Whom, the objective case form of the pronoun who, should here be used.

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Project Gutenberg
Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.