So-that. It is so plain, that you must know it. It is so plain, you must know it. ELLIPSIS OF THE PREPOSITION. To finish his education, he made a tour through England, France, Italy, Germany, and Holland. The repetition of the preposition through, before all these nouns, would be inelegant. And where neither sense nor perspicuity demands the use of a preposition, it should be avoided. ELLIPSIS OF THE INTERJECTION. Thomas answered and said, my Lord and my God. Rabbi. Good master. Yes, Sir. No, Madam The following quotations are very elliptical. Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole as those that go down into the pit.' (Prov. i. 12.) Supplied: Let thou us swallow them up alive, as the grave swalloweth them up alive, and let thou us swallow them up whole, as those are swallowed up whole, that down into the pit. That this verse cannot be parsed without supplying, in idea, the words that are omitted, by the ellipsis, is. evident to all acquainted with the rules of Syntax. That we may enjoy ourselves, let us be temperate; chaste, moderate; that we may enjoy one another, let us be benevolent, humane, charitable; that we may enjoy God, let us be pious, devout, and holy; detesting the vices, and despising the vanities of this world. That we may enjoy ourselves, let us be temperate, that we may enjoy ourselves, let us be chaste, and that we may enjoy ourselves, let us be moderate; that we may enjoy one another, let us be benevolent, that we may cnjoy one another, let us be humane, and that we may enjoy one another, let us be charitable; that we may enjoy God, let us be pious, that we may enjoy God, let us be devout, and that we may enjoy God, let us be holy; detesting the vices, and despising the vanities of the world. That the use of the grammatical ellipsis, under certain circumstances, is necessary as well as elegant, appears by this antithesis. The repetition of the words in italics, darkens, in a measure, the sense; lessens the majesty of expression; and greatly fatigues the miad. EXAMPLES OF FALSE GRAMMAR. Easily corrected by referring to the rules laid down under the several parts of speech. The ungrammatical words are designated by being italicised. A variety of pleasing objects charm the eye. The number of the inhabitants in the United States, exceed ten millions. The animals was exhibited. The corporation consist of a mayor, alderman and common council. They which desire to follow the paths of peace, will certainly find it. The most perfect man does not always right. The man which exalts himself, will certainly be ab ased. He is the man who I saw yesterday. Fisty pounds of wheat contains forty pounds of flour. What signifies good opinions, when our practice is bad. A variety of blessings have been conferred upon us. Neither despise or oppose what you do not understand. As far as I am able to judge, the book is well written. This is no other but the gate of paradise. A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty, but a fool's wrath is heavier than them all. Gold and silver are both precious metals, but the former is by far the most valuable. If the child cries, you must rock the cradle. Though the fact be extraordinary, it certainly did happen. The following toasts were drank at the late celebra tion. We laid in bed this morning till breakfast time. He sets up late evenings, and lays a bed late mornings. Please to set up to the table, ladies. I have lain the book on the shelf. It lays on the table. There is great danger of children being humored too much by their mothers. There is official intelligence of a great battle having been fought between the two armies. George expected to have received a letter last week, Did you ever see such beautiful trees? Whether I shall come or no is uncertain. John is five foot and ten inches high. Henry showed me a letter where the accouit was given at large. He said how I injured him, and how he meant to resent it. They all behaved well but he and she. Dismiss us from thy service, after we have again sung to thy praise. Be that as it will, we cannot justify his conduct. The opinion seemed to gain ground among every body. Rain is seldom or ever seen at Lima. Rules and Observations for assisting individuals to write with perspicuity and accuracy, to be studied after they have acquired a competent knowledge of Grammar. PERSPICUITY. Is the fundamental quality of style: a quality go essential in every kind of writing, that for the want of it nothing can atone. We are pleased with an author who frees us from all fatigue of searching for his meaning; who carries us through his subject without any embarrassment or confusion; whose style ever flows like a limpid stream, through which we can see to the very bottom. T'he study of perspicuity and accuracy of expression requires attention to Purity, Propriety and Precision, with respect both to single words and phrases, and to the construction of sentences. PURITY. Purity of style consists in the use of such words, and such constructions, as belong to the idiom of the language which we speak; in opposition to words and phrases that are taken from other languages, or that are ungrammatical, obsolete, new-coined, or used without authority. All vulgar and low. expressions should be avoided; and such words chosen, as the most correct usage has appropriated to the ideas which are to be expressed. Foreign words, unless where necessity requires them, should never be admitted into our composition. A multitude of Latin words, have, of late, been poured in upon our language. On some occasions, they give an appearance of elevation and dignity to style; but they often render it stiff and apparently forced. In general, a plain, native style, is more intelligible to' all readers; and, by a proper management of words, it can be made as strong and expressive as Latinized English, or any foreign idioms. PROPRIETY. To preserve propriety in our words and phrases, we must avoid low expressions; supply words that are wanting; be careful not to use the same words in different senses, avoid the injudicious use of technical phrases, equivocal or ambiguous words, unintelligible expressions, and all such as are not adapted to our meaning Sometimes a writer runs on in a specious verbosity, amusing his reader with synonymous terms and identical propositions, well-turned periods, and high sounding words; but at the same time, using those words so indefinitely, that the reader can either affix no meaning at all to them, or may affix to them almost any meaning he pleases. |