- We should meet the future from the optimistic point of view.
- General Wolfe put every ounce of his life into the capture of Quebec.
- A key-note of sincerity should be the mainspring of a well-built speech.
- He went drifting down the sands of time on flowery beds of ease.
- The blank in my mind crystallized into action.
[USE OF CONNECTIVES]
[The Exact Connective]
36. Use a connective which expresses the exact relation between two clauses. Distinguish between time and cause, concession and condition, etc. Do not overwork and, so, or while.
- Misleading: While he is sick, he is able to walk. [Use though.]
- Misleading: Miss Brown sang, while her sister spoke a piece. [Use but.]
- Faulty. Work hard when you want to succeed. [Use if.]
- Faulty: They will be sorry without they do this. [Use unless.]
- Faulty: Little poetry is read, only at times when it is compulsory. [Use except.]
- Faulty. The early morning and evening are the best times to find ducks, and we did not see many flying. [Use and for that reason.]
- Faulty: Corbin says: "In America sportsmanship is almost a passion," and in England "the player very seldom forgets that he is a man first and an athlete afterward." [Use whereas.]
[Note.]—So is an elastic word that covers a multitude of vague meanings. Language has need of such a word, and in many instances (especially when the relation between clauses is obvious and does not need to be pointed out) so serves well enough. Use it, but not as a substitute for more exact connectives. Beware of falling into the "so-habit."
- Abuse of so as a vague coördinating connective: So I went to call on Mrs. Woods, and so she told me about Mrs. White's new gown; so then I missed the car, and so of course our supper is late. [Strike out every so.]
- Abuse of so as a subordinating connective: You may go, so you keep still. [Use provided.] So you do only that, I shall be satisfied. [Use though.]
- Permissible: I was excited, so I missed the target.
So may sometimes be used to express result. But when a clause of result is important and needs emphasis, it is perhaps better to strike out so and subordinate the preceding clause.
- Right: In my excitement I missed the target.
- Right: Because I was excited, I missed the target.
- Right: Being excited, I missed the target.