Practical Grammar and Composition Part 10

b. After superlatives followed by _of, any_ and _other_ should not be used.

4. Avoid mixed comparisons. _John is as good, if not better than she_. If the clause, _if not better_, were left out, this sentence would read, _John is as good than she_. It could be corrected to read, _John is as good AS, if not better than she_. Similarly, it is wrong to say, _He is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, man in history_.

EXERCISE 22

_Choose the correct word from those italicized:_

1. The _older oldest_ of the three boys was sick.

2. Of Smith and Jones, Smith is the _wealthiest wealthier_.

3. Of two burdens choose the _less least_.

4. Which can run the _fastest faster_, John or Henry?

5. Of the two men, Smith and Jones, the _first former_ is the _better best_ known.

6. Which is the _larger largest_ of the two?

7. Which is the _best better_ of the six?

8. Which is the _larger largest_ number, six or seven 9. Which is the _more most_ desirable, health or wealth?

10. My mother is the _oldest older_ of four sisters.

11. The _prettier prettiest_ of the twins is the _brighter brightest_.

12. This is the _duller dullest_ season of the year.

13. The other is the _worse worst_ behaved of the two.

14. Which was the _hotter hottest_, yesterday or to-day?

15. That is the _cleaner cleanest_ of the three streets.

EXERCISE 23

_Correct any of the following sentences that may be wrong. Give a valid reason for each correction:_

1. He was the most active of all his friends.

2. He is the brightest of all his brothers.

3. Of all the other American Colleges, this is the largest.

4. Philadelphia is larger than any city in Pennsylvania.

5. Philadelphia is the largest of all other cities in Pennsylvania.

6. No city in Pennsylvania is so large as Philadelphia.

7. That theory is more universally adopted.

8. He was, of all others, the most clever.

9. This apple is more perfect than that.

10. No fruit is so good as the orange.

11. The orange is better than any fruit.

12. Of all other fruits the orange is the best.

13. The orange is the best of all the fruits.

14. The orange is better than any other fruit.

15. That is the most princ.i.p.al thing in the lesson.

16. Which has been of most importance, steam or electricity?

17. He was more active than any other of his companions.

18. This apple is rounder than that.

19. This apple is more nearly round than that.

20. Paris is the most famous of any other European city.

21. Pennsylvania is the wealthiest of her sister states.

22. No state is so wealthy as Pennsylvania.

23. Pennsylvania is the wealthiest of any of the States.

24. Pennsylvania is wealthier than any of her other sister states.

25. New York is one of the largest, if not the largest city in the world.

26. That book is as good if not better than mine.

27. John is taller than any other boy in his cla.s.ses.

28. John is taller than any boy in his cla.s.s.

29. Iron is the most useful of all other metals.

30. Iron is the more useful of the metals.

31. Iron is the most useful of the metals.

32. Of iron and lead, lead is the heaviest.

33. Iron is among the most useful, if not the most useful metal.

34. He is among the oldest if not the oldest of the men in the Senate.

35. That picture is more beautiful than all the pictures.

42. SINGULAR AND PLURAL ADJECTIVES. Some adjectives can be used only with singular nouns and some only with plural nouns. Such adjectives as _one, each, every_, etc., can be used only with singular nouns. Such adjectives as _several, various, many, sundry, two_, etc., can be used only with plural nouns. In many cases, the noun which the adjective modifies is omitted, and the adjective thus acquires the force of a p.r.o.noun; as, _FEW are seen, SEVERAL have come_.

The adjective p.r.o.nouns _this_ and _that_ have plural forms, _these_ and _those_. The plurals must be used with plural nouns. To say _those kind_ is then incorrect. It should be _those kinds_. _Those sort of men_ should be _that sort of men_ or _those sorts of men_.

43. EITHER AND NEITHER are used to designate one of two objects only. If more than two are referred to, use _any, none, any one, no one_. Note the following correct sentences:

_NEITHER John nor Henry may go._

_ANY ONE of the three boys may go._

44. EACH OTHER should be used when referring to two; ONE ANOTHER when referring to more than two. Note the following correct sentences:

_The two brothers love EACH OTHER._

_The four brothers love ONE ANOTHER._

EXERCISE 24

_Correct such of the following sentences as are incorrect. Be able to give reasons:_

1. He is six foot tall.

2. I like those kind of fruit.

3. He lost several pound.

4. I have not seen him this twenty year.

5. Have you heard these news?

6. Are they those kind of people?

7. He rode ten mile.

8. There were fifteen car-load of people.

9. These kind of books are interesting.

10. Several phenomenon marked his character.

11. There are a few crisis in every man's career.

12. Each strata of the rock lies at an angle.

13. The poem has six verse in it.

14. Either of the five will do.

15. Little children should love each other.

16. Neither of the large cities in the United States is so large as London.

17. You will be able to find it in either one of those three books.