The Century Handbook of Writing

by Garland Greever; Easley S. Jones

1. I boarded the train, after buying a ticket.
2. I dropped my pen when the whistle blew and sighed.
3. Unless the bank clerk has ability he will never be successful unless he works faithfully and hard.
4. I remember the days when Rover was a pup. Now he is not half so interesting as he was then.
5. A chessboard is divided into sixty-four squares, and there is plenty of room between the opposing armies for a terrific battle, since each army occupies only sixteen squares.

[Squinting Modifier]

26. Avoid the squinting construction. That is, do not place between two parts of a sentence a modifier that may attach itself to either. Place the modifier where it cannot be misunderstood.

• Confusing: I told him when the time came I would do it. [When the time came is said to "squint" because the reader cannot tell whether it looks forward to the end of the sentence, or backward to the beginning.]
• Right: When the time came, I told him I would do it. [Or] I told him I would do it when the time came.
• Confusing: Some friends I knew would enjoy the play. [I knew squints.]
• Right: Some friends would enjoy the play, I knew.
• Confusing: The orator whom every one was calling for enthusiastically hurried to the platform. [Enthusiastically squints.]
• Clear: The orator whom every one was enthusiastically calling for hurried to the platform.

Exercise:

1. The man who laughs half the time does not understand the joke.
2. Playing football in many ways improves the mind.
3. When she reached home much to her disgust the door was locked.
4. When the lightning struck for the first time in my life I was afraid.
5. The landlord wrote that he would if the rent were not paid in thirty days eject the tenant.

[Misplaced Word]

27. Such an adverb as only, ever, almost, should be placed near the word it modifies, and separated from words which it might falsely seem to modify. Such a conjunction as nevertheless, if required with a clause, should usually be placed near the beginning.

• Illogical: I only need a few dollars.
• Right: I need only a few dollars.
• Illogical: I don't ever intend to go there again.
• Right: I don't intend ever to go there again. [Or] I intend never to go there again.
• Illogical: She has the sweetest voice I nearly ever heard.
• Right: She has nearly [or almost] the sweetest voice I ever heard.
• Tardy use of conjunction: I intend to try. I do not expect to accomplish much, however.
• Right: I intend to try. I do not, however, expect to accomplish much.

Exercise: