“A strange phenomena,” “A disagreeable effluvia” are incorrect forms not infrequently met with. Both words are plural, and require plural verbs and also the omission of the article a.

You was

This very incorrect form is often employed by those who know better, and who use it, seemingly, out of courtesy to the uneducated people with whom they are brought in contact. If it be a courtesy, it is one that is “more honored in the breach than in the observance.”

Those who use the expression ignorantly are not likely to read this book, or any other of a similar character, and need scarcely be told that was should be were.

INDEX

A, An, 181.
Aberration of intellect, 87.
A 1,83.
A hundred others’ woes—Pronouns, 126.
Ability, Capacity, 27.
About, Almost, 28.
About, Around, 95.
Above, More than, Preceding, 111.
Above, Foregoing, 87.
Above up, 180.
Acceptance, Acceptation, 28.
Access, Accession, 28.
Accident, Injury, 28.
Accord, Give, 86.
Accordance of Verb with Subject, 198.
Collective Nouns, 203.
Compound Subjects, 200.
Each, Every, No, Not, 201.
Interrogative sentences, 199.
Or, Nor, As well as, But, Save, 201.
Phenomena, Effluvia, 204.
Poetical Construction, 201.
Singular in Meaning, 200.
Subject after the Verb, 199.
Titles of Books, 204.
Weights, Measures, and Values, 203.
Whereabouts, 204.
You was, 204.
Acoustics, Ethics, Politics, 143.
Act, Action, 86.
Adherence, Adhesion, 36.
Adjective or Adverb, 150.
Adopt, Take, 37.
Adverbs, 150.
Adverbs for Relative Pronouns, 140.
Advise, Persuade, 52.
Affect, Effect, 37.
After of—Possessive case, 127.
After than and as—Pronouns, 132.
After that, 159.
After the Imperative—Pronouns, 132.
After verbs— Participles, 171.
After the verb To be—Pronouns, 131.
After verbs and prepositions—Pronouns, 130.
Again, Against, 115.
Aggravate, Exasperate, 37.
Agreeably disappointed, 77.
Agreement with Antecedent—Pronouns, 133.
Ain’t, 119.
Alex. Melville Bell, 24.
Alienate, Antagonize, Oppose, 32.
Alighted, Lit, Lighted, 88.
All, Is that all? 108.
All of, 180.
All, Whole, 41, 51.
Alleviate, Relieve, 37.
Allow, Guess, Reckon, Calculate, 56.
Allowed, Said, 87.
Allude to, Refer to, 77.
Almost, About, 28.
Almost, Most, Very, 30.
Alms, Odds, Riches, 145.
Alone, Only, 113.
Alternative, 87.
Alternation, 87.
Alumna, Formula, 144,
Alumnus, Terminus, Cactus, 143.
Ambiguity—Pronouns, 135.
Among the rest, 78.
Among, Between, 175.
Amount, Number, 32.
Analysis, Crises, 143.
And, To—Try and, 117.
Anglicized Words, 20.
Angry, Mad, 30.
Animalcules, not Animalculae, 148.
Anniversary, 87.
Answer, Reply, 32.
Antagonize, Alienate, Oppose, 32.
Anticipate, Expect, 32.
Any, At all, 32.
Anyhow, 81.
Anyways, Somewheres, Thereabouts, 78.
Apart, Aside, 78.
Apparent, Evident, 33.
Appendix, Index, 148.
Appointed you and I—after verbs and prepositions, 130.
Appreciate highly, 189.
Apprehend, Comprehend, 105.
Archimedes’ Screw, 125.
Argue, Augur, 98.
Around, About, 95.
Articles, 181.
A, An, 181.
Interchanged, 184.
Omitted, 182.
Redundant, 183.
Titles—The Reverend, 182.
As after Equally, 190.
As... as, 162.
As, Like, 88.
As... so, 163.
As soon as, Directly, Immediately, 77.
As, That, 70.
As though, As if, 160.
As well as, Or, Nor, But, Save, 201.
Ascend up, 189.
Aside, Apart, 78.
Asparagus, Sparrowgrass, 34.
Assets, Alms, Scissors, 145.
Assure, Promise, 34.
At all, Any, 32.
At, To, 176.
At you, 114.
Attacked, Burst, Drowned, 108.
Aware, Conscious, 39.
Away, Way, 41.
Awful, 81.
Awkward construction—Participles, 172.

Back up, Support, 82.
Badly, Greatly, 114.
Bad toothache, 70.
Balance, Remainder, 60.
Bandits, Banditti, 148.
Barbaric, Barbarous, 98.
Barbarisms, 20.
Beaus, Tableaux, Chateaux, 147.
Beautifully, Beautiful, 70.
Because, Reason, 156.
Been to, 190.
Beg, Beg leave, 71.
Beg pardon, Which? 26.
Begin, Commence, 38.
Behave, 60.
Bell, Alex. Melville, 24.
Besides, 49.
Beside, Besides, 108.
Better, Best, 61.
Between, Among, 175.
Between you and I—After verbs and prepositions, 130.
Black Oxide of Manganese, 36.
Bombastic Language, 18.
Both, 190.
Both, Both of, 72.
Both, Each, 72.
Bound, 61.
Bountiful, Plentiful, 108.
Brace, Pair, Couple, 147.
Bravery, Courage, 116.
Bring, Fetch, Carry, 44.
Brooks’s Arithmetics, 125.
Brothers, Brethren, 149.
Bryant’s list, 16.
Bulk, 82.
Burglarize, 82.
Burst, Attacked, Drowned, 108.
But, Except, 157.
But, If, 157.
But, Only, Except, 157.
But, Or, Nor, Save—As well as, 201.
But superfluous, 158.
But that, 158, 190.
But that, But what, 82, 157.
But that, 157.
But that, Than that, 158.
But what, 160.
But what, But that, 82, 157.
By, In, 175.
By, With, 177.

Calculate, 83.
Calculate, Guess, Reckon, Allow, 56.
Calculated, Liable, 83.
Calligraphy, 68.
Came across, Met with, 109.
Campbell’s law, 20.
Can, Could, Will, 115.
Can but, Cannot but, 68.
Cannot by no means, 196.
Can’t and Couldn’t, 120.
Can’t do nothing, 196.
Cantos, Heroes, 145.
Capacity, Ability, 27.
Carry, Bring, Fetch, 44.
Case forms—Pronouns, 129.
Casualty, Casuality, 68.
Character, Reputation, 44.
Chauncey Depew and Eli Perkins, 65.
Cheap, Low-priced, 30.
Cherubim, Seraphim, 142.
Choice of prepositions, 175.
Choice of relatives—Pronouns, 138.
Choice of words, 15.
Chrysalis, Analysis, 143.
Chuck-full, 74.
Clearness—Participles, 172.
Clever, Smart, 85.
Climax, 112.
Climb down, 103.
Collective nouns, 203.
Collective nouns—Pronouns, 135.
Commence, Begin, 38.
Commenced to write, 107.
Commercial slang, 23.
Commodious, Convenient, 26.
Common, Mutual, 28.
Common slang, 23.
Complected, 69.
Complete, Finished, Through, 39, 99.
Compound subject, 200.
Comprehend, Apprehend, 105.
Conclusion, End, 39.
Conjunctions, 156.
Conscious, Aware, 39.
Contemplate, Propose, 75.
Contemptible, Contemptuous, 52.
Continual, Continuous, 39.
Continually, Perpetually, 52.
Contractions, 118.
Convenient, Commodious, 26.
Convict, Convince, 40.
Correlatives, 162.
Could, Can, Will, 115.
Couldn’t, Can’t, 120.
Couple, Pair, Brace, 147.
Couple, Several, 76.
Courage, Bravery, 116.
Criterion, Datum, 144.
Crowd, 74.
Cunning, 59.
Cupfuls— Plural compounds, 147.
Curious, 59.
Custom, Habit, 40.
Customer, Patron, 93.
Cute, 59.
Cut in half, 98.

Daren’t, Dursen’t, 123.
Data, Strata, 144.
Datum, Phenomenon, 144, 204.
Deface, Disfigure, 43.
Defect, Fault, 45.
Degrade, Demean, 43.
Depot, Station, 43.
Description, Kind, 44.
Didn’t, Don’t, 120.
Dies, Dice, 149.
Differ among themselves, 192.
Different, 191.
Differ with, From, 175.
Different from, to, than, 75, 176.
Directly, Immediately, As soon as, 77.
Disfigure, Deface, 43.
Disremember, 69.
Dispense, Dispense with, 75.
Dock, Wharf, 52.
Don’t and Didn’t, 120.
Don’t want none, 195.
Double negatives, 194.
Double possessives, 126.
Doubt not but, 160.
Dreadful solemn— Adjective or adverb? 152.
Drive, Ride, 76.
Drowned, Attacked, Burst, 108.
Dry, Thirsty, 75.
Due, Owing, 71.
Dursent, Daren’t, 123.
Dutch, German, 75.

Each, Both, 72.
Each, Every, 71.
Each, Every, No, Not, 201.
Each other, One another, 46.
Each other’s eyes—Pronouns, 126.
Each... their—Agreement with antecedent, 134.
Effect, Affect, 37.
Effluvia, Phenomena, 144, 204.
Either, Neither, 47, 163.
Either the... or the, 159.
Elder, Older, 91.
Eli Perkins and Chauncey Depew, 65.
Ellipsis, Analysis, 143.
Else ...besides, 49.
Else than, Other than, 159.
Emigrants, Immigrants, 78.
Empty, 86.
End, Conclusion, 39.
Endorse, Indorse, 84.
End up, 192.
Enjoy, 86.
Enjoyed poor health, 36.
Equally as well, 190.
Evacuate, Vacate, 75.
Ever, Never, 72.
Every confidence, 67.
Every, Each, 71.
Every, Each, No, Not, 201.
Everybody else’s, 128.
Everybody... they—Agreement with antecedent, 134.
Every once in awhile, 73.
Everywheres, 190.
Evident, Apparent, 33.
Exasperate, Aggravate, 37.
Except, But, 157.
Except, But, Only, 157.
Except, Unless, Besides, 161.
Exceptionable, Exceptional, 73.
Excuse me—Which? 26.
Expect, Anticipate, 32.
Expect, Suspect, Suppose, 110.