“After the supper was over with the guests departed.” Omit with.
Overflown
“The lowlands along the river are overflown.” Use overflowed. The perfect participle of overflow is overflowed, not overflown.
Good piece
“I have come a good piece to see you.” Say “I have come a long distance to see you.”
Stand a chance
“He does not stand any chance of an election.” Say, “It is not probable that he will be elected.”
“As I was not in sympathy with the cause, I gave no more than I could help.” So accustomed are we to hearing this awkward, blundering expression that we readily understand the meaning it is intended to convey, and should be sorely puzzled to interpret the correct form. Let us analyze it. I gave five dollars. That much I could not help (giving). I gave no more. Hence, “I gave no more than I could not help.” This last form appears to be correct. By changing the phraseology the sentence can be greatly improved. “I gave no more than I felt compelled to give.” “I made my contribution as small as possible.” “My gift was limited to the measure of my sense of obligation.”
Above, More than, Preceding