Exercise 78

Correct the italicized barbarisms in the following sentences:

  1. They can go everywheres.
  2. He spends all his time grinding.
  3. There ain't a sightlier town in the state.
  4. He ate the whole hunk of cake
  5. Smith's new house is very showy.
  6. Not muchly will I go.
  7. All were ready for breakfast before sun-up.
  8. Do you like light-complected people?
  9. I had never orated before.
  10. Their clothes are always tasty in appearance.
  11. He has money, but he is very near.
  12. He left the room unbeknown to his mother.
  13. If manners are any indication, she belongs to the nouvea riche.
  14. I feel pretty tollable today.
  15. I reckon all will be able to get seats.
  16. Do you callate to get there before noon?
  17. If I had as much long green as he has, I wouldn't be such tight-wad.
  18. He was the beau ideal of soldier.
  19. John is a crazy cuss.
  20. Let me say en passant we did not ask for the tickets.
  21. Even at that time John had a bad rep.
  22. That woman is the Countess of Verdun, née Smith.
  23. Methinks you are wrong.
  24. The teacher spake sharply to her.
  25. I didn't go for to do it.
  26. It will be published inside of two months.
  27. The duke and his wife were travelling incog.
  28. I hadn't thought on that.
  29. There is little difference twixt the two.
  30. Come now, fess up.
  31. It's a right smart ways to Williamsport.
  32. You wot not what you say.
  33. He bought a poke of apples for his lunch.
  34. Brown runs a pretty classy store.
  35. I finally got shut of him.
  36. I could of jumped across.
  37. That can't be done nohow.
  38. You make such dumb mistakes.
  39. I never saw such a bum show.

194. Improprieties. The third offense against good use, an impropriety, is the use of a proper word in an improper sense. In many cases an offense against good use may be called a barbarism, an impropriety, or a solecism, since the fields covered by the three terms somewhat overlap one another. Many improprieties have their origin in the similarities in sound, spelling or meaning of words. The following exercises deal with a number of common improprieties resulting from the confusion of two similar words.

Exercise 79

Study the proper use of the words given under each of the following divisions. In each group of sentences fill the blanks with the proper words:

Accept, except. See Glossary at end of book, under except.

  1. I cannot —— your gift.
  2. Have you no books —— these?
  3. Cicero was not —— from the list of those condemned.
  4. He —— the invitation.

Affect, effect. See Glossary under effect.

  1. Will your plan —— a reform from the present condition?
  2. The sad news will seriously —— his mother.
  3. How was the bank —— by the indictment of its president?
  4. The change of schedule was —— without a hitch.