Practical Grammar and Composition Part 66

Wrong: There _was not scarcely_ a pound of meat for us all.

Right: There _was scarcely_ a pound of meat for us all.

SELDOM EVER. Do not use _seldom_ with _ever_. Say instead _seldom_ or _seldom, if ever_.

Wrong: Fires _seldom ever_ occur.

Right: Fires _seldom_ occur. Fires _seldom, if ever_ occur.

SHUT OF. Do not use _shut of_ in the sense of _rid of_.

Wrong: We are _shut of_ him at last.

SIGHT. Do not use _sight_ in the sense of _many_ or _much_.

Wrong: A great _sight of people_ flocked to hear him.

Right: A great _many people_ flocked to hear him.

SIT, SET. Do not confuse these two words. See --57.

SO. Do not use _so_ alone as a conjunction. Say _so that_.

Wrong: He spoke in the open air, _so_ more could see and hear him.

Right: He spoke in the open air, _so that_ more could see and hear him.

SOME. Do not use _some_ as an adverb in the sense of _somewhat_ or a _little_.

Wrong: He plays the violin _some_.

Right: He plays the violin _a little_.

SORT OF A. Do not use _a_ after _sort of_. See _Kind of a_.

SORT. Do not precede _sort_ by _these_ or _those_. See _Kind_.

SUCH. Do not follow _such_ by _who, which_, or _that_ as relatives.

Wrong: All _such persons who_ think so will soon see their mistake.

Right: All _such persons as_ think so will soon see their mistake.

Right: He spoke with _such_ force _that_ we were compelled to listen.

(_That_ is not a relative here.)

TASTY. Do not use _tasty_ in the sense of _tasteful_.

THAT. Do not use _that_ as an adverb.

Wrong: I did not think the book was _that_ small.

Right: I did not think that the book was _so_ small.

THAT THERE, THIS HERE, THESE HERE, THOSE THERE. _There_ and _here_, in all these expressions are worse than unnecessary.

THEM THERE. Do not use _them there_ for _those_.

Wrong: Bring me _them there_ books.

Right: Bring me _those_ books.

THREE FIRST, TWO FIRST, ETC. Do not say _three first_, but _first three_. There can be only one _first_.

TOO. Do not use _too_ alone before a verb or a participle.

Wrong: He is _too excited_ to listen to you.

Right: He is _too much excited_ to listen to you.

VERY. Do not use _very_ alone before a verb or a participle.

Wrong: You are _very_ mistaken.

Right: You are _very much_ mistaken.

WAIT ON, WAIT FOR. Do not confuse these two expressions. _Wait on_ means _to serve_. _Wait for_ means _to await_.

Wrong: Do not _wait on_ me if I do not come at noon.

Right: Do not _wait for_ me if I do not come at noon.

WAKE, AWAKE. Do not confuse _wake_ and _awake_. See --57.