Word Study and English Grammar / A Primer of Information about Words, Their Relations and Their Uses

A PRIMER of INFORMATION ABOUT WORDS THEIR RELATIONS AND THEIR USES
This volume, and those which follow it in Part VI of this series, is a compilation from various sources. The occasion does not call for an original treatise, but it does call for something somewhat different from existing text-books. The books prepared for school use are too academic and too little related to the specific needs of the apprentice to serve the turn of those for whom this book is intended. On the other hand the books for writers and printers are as a rule too advanced for the best service to the beginner. The authors of this Part, therefore, have tried to compile from a wide range of authorities such material as would be suited to the needs and the experience of the young apprentice.
The Rules for the Use and Arrangement of Words are taken with some modifications from How to Write Clearly, Edwin A. Abbott, Boston; Roberts Bros. This is a very excellent little book but is now, I believe, out of print. The tables of irregular verbs are the same as those used in English Grammar for Common Schools, Robert C. and Thomas Metcalf, New York; American Book Co.
The student is recommended to study some good grammar with great care. There are many good grammars. The one used in the schools in the apprentice's locality will probably do as well as any.
The student should learn to use the dictionary intelligently and should accustom himself to using it freely and frequently.
The student should also learn to use words correctly and freely. There are many good books devoted to the study of words, some of which ought to be easily available. One of the latest and one of the best is Putnam's Word Book published by Putnams, New York. It costs about a dollar and a half.

Importance of the Subject
Word study and English grammar are important to the young printer for several reasons. In the first place, disregard of the correct use and combination of words is a distinct mark of inferiority and a serious bar to business and social advancement. A man's use of words is commonly taken as a measure of his knowledge and even of his intelligence. Carelessness in this regard often causes a man to be held in much less esteem than he really deserves.