“After singing a hymn, Miss Willard made a stirring address.”  If Miss Willard alone sang the hymn the sentence is correct.  If the congregation sang the hymn the sentence should be, “After the singing of a hymn, Miss Willard made a stirring address.”

“He is but a poor writer at best.”  Say, “at the best.”  “He received but a thousand votes at most.”  Say, “at the most.”

“John came day before yesterday.”  Say, “the day before yesterday.”

Article redundant

“Shakespeare was a greater writer than an actor,” should be, “Shakespeare was a greater writer than actor.”

“This is the kind of a tree of which he was speaking,”
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should be, “This is the kind of tree,” etc.  “What kind of a bird is this?” should be, “What kind of bird.”

“The one styled the Provost is the head of the University,” should be, “The one styled Provost.”

“The nominative and the objective cases,” should be “The nominative and objective cases.”

“He made a mistake in the giving out the text.”  Say “in giving out the text,” or, “in the giving out of the text.”  In the latter instance, the participle becomes a noun and may take the article before it.

Articles interchanged

“An elephant is the emblem of Siam,” should be, “The elephant is the emblem,” etc.  “A digraph is the union of two letters to represent one sound.”  Should be, “A digraph is a union,” etc.
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CHAPTER XIV

 Redundancy

We are all creatures of habit.  Our sayings, as well as our doings, are largely a series of habits.  In some instances we are unconscious of our peculiarities and find it almost impossible to shake them off.

The following are verbatim expressions as they dropped from the lips of a young clergyman in the pulpit.  They show a deeply-seated habit of repetition of thought.  As he was a graduate of one of the first colleges in the land, we are the more surprised that the habit was not checked before he passed through his college and seminary courses.  The expressions are here given as a caution to others to be on their guard:  “Supremest and highest,” “separate and sever us,” “derision, sarcasm, and contempt,” “disobedient and disloyal and sinful,” “hold aloof from iniquity, from sin,” “necessity of being reclaimed and brought back,” “their beautiful and their elegant city,” “so abandoned and given up to evil and iniquity,” “soaked and stained with human gore and blood,” “beautiful and resplendent,” “hardened and solidified into stone and adamant,” “this
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arctic splendor and brilliancy,” “were being slaughtered and cut down,” “in the rapidity and the swiftness of the train,” “with all the mightiness and the splendor of his genius,” “the force and the pressure it brings to bear,” “has and possesses the power,” “lights flashed and gleamed.”