Practical exercises in english - Huber Gray Buehler 2004

Chapter VIII. Of conjunctions

Vulgarisms. [141] — Every educated person is expected to know the correct use of the following words: —

Like, as. — In good use like is never a conjunction, and therefore it cannot be used instead of as to introduce a clause. It is incorrect to say, "Walk like I walk," but one may say, "He walks like me," or "He looks like his grandfather." [142]

Except, without, unless. — Except, which was originally a past-participle, was once in good use as a conjunction; but in modern use it has been displaced as a conjunction by unless, and is now a preposition only. We may say, "All went except me," but we may not say, "Except you go with me, I will stay at home." Another word not in good use as a conjunction, but often heard instead of "unless," is without.

[141] "Foundations," p. 152.

[142] See page 109.

Exercise LXXXVI.

Insert the proper word in each blank: —

Like, as.

1. Do —— I do.

2. She fears a chicken —— you fear a snake.

3. Thin bushy hair falls down on each side of his face somewhat —— Longfellow's hair did in his later life.

4. I wish I could sing —— she can.

5. I will be a lawyer —— my father.

6. I will be a lawyer —— my father was.

7. She looks —— (if) she were crying.

8. He acted —— (if) he were guilty.

9. Our snow-tunnel looked —— we imagined Aladdin's cave looked.

10. He treated me —— a cat treats a mouse.

11. Seventy-five cents a day will not feed those men —— they wish to be fed.

12. The lines in this stanza are not forced —— in other stanzas.

13. If I were a boy —— Ralph is, I would try to stop the thing.

Except, without, unless.

14. I do not know how my horse got away —— somebody untied him.

15. Do not come —— you hear from me.

16. I will not go —— father is willing.

17. I will not go —— father's consent.

18. —— you study better, you will be dropped.

19. It will be cool to-morrow —— a hot wave comes.

20. I cannot go —— money.

21. I cannot go —— father sends me some money.

22. I will be there promptly —— I hear from you.

23. Do not write —— you feel in the mood for it.

24. She has no fault —— diffidence.

25. She has no fault —— it be diffidence.

26. He cannot enlist —— with his guardian's consent.

Misused Conjunctions. [143] — Conjunctions are few in number and are more definite in their meanings than prepositions. Most errors in using them spring from confused thinking or hasty writing. "A close reasoner and a good writer in general may be known by his pertinent use of connectives." [144]

And. — And has, generally speaking, the meaning of "in addition to."

But. — But implies some exception, opposition, or contrast. Equivalent, or nearly equivalent, expressions are "however," "on the other hand," "yet," "nevertheless."

As. — "As has so many meanings that it is better, when possible, to use a conjunction that covers less ground." [145]

Because, for, since. — The difference between these words is chiefly a difference in emphasis. "We will not go, because it is raining" is the strongest way of expressing the relation of cause and effect. In "Since it is raining, we will not go," the emphasis is shifted from the cause to the effect, which becomes the prominent idea. In "We will not go, for it is raining," the reason, "it is raining," is announced as itself a bit of news. Often the choice between these words is decided by the ear.

How. — How properly means "in what manner" or "to what extent." It is often misused for "that" to introduce an object clause.

Nor, or. — Nor is the correlative of neither, sometimes of other negatives. Or is the correlative of either.

Therefore, so. — In the sense of "for this reason," therefore is preferable to so, since so has other meanings.

Though. — Though means "notwithstanding," "in spite of the fact that."

As if, as though. — " As if is, on the whole, preferable to as though." [146]

When, while. — When means "at the time that;" while, "during the time that," "as long as." "When fixes attention on a date or period; while fixes attention on the lapse of time." [147]

[143] "Foundations," p.152.

[144] Coleridge: Table Talk. Quoted by A.S. Hill in Principles of

Rhetoric.

[145] "Foundations," p. 153.

[146] "Foundations," p. 156.

[147] Ibid., p. 157.

Exercise LXXXVII.

Insert the proper conjunction in each blank, if a conjunction is needed. Do not confine your choice to those mentioned above: —

1. Roland was mild and modest, —— Charles was coarse and boastful.

2. —— they were without provisions, they thought they should starve.

3. In Addison's day innumerable vices were prevalent, —— chief among them was the custom of drinking.

4. Charles was a large, brawny fellow, —— Orlando was a slender youth.

5. When the barn was full of people, the doors were suddenly shut and bolted —— the barn was set on fire.

6. Hereward's men wanted booty, —— Hereward took them to the Golden Borough.

7. He read a short —— interesting account of "Theobald's."

8. Longfellow received a good education —— he was not a poor boy.

9. He was disappointed in the speed of his yacht, —— he had expected her to be very fast.

10. The man said "to sell" was not needed on the sign —— no one would expect the hats to be given away.

11. There is no doubt —— the earth is spherical.

12. I know very little about the "Arabian Nights" —— I have never read that book.

13. When Gulliver began to pull, the ships would not move —— their anchors held them.

14. He had to be cautious in using his Bible —— at that time reading it was prohibited; —— he fastened it with tapes on the underside of a stool.

15. The Liberal Arts Building at Chicago had twice as much iron in its frame —— the Brooklyn Bridge.

16. The lumbermen must keep open a road to the railroad, —— all their provisions must be brought from the city.

17. Scarcely had I thrown in my line —— I felt a nibble.

18. The fly seems to have been created for no other purpose —— to purify the air.

19. At first you wonder where the boats are, —— on entering the grove you can see only a small cabin.

20. I do not doubt —— he will succeed.

21. I cannot deny —— he is honest.

22. He was dismissed, not so much because he was too young —— because he was indolent.

23. The land is equally adapted to farming —— to pasturage.

24. Proportion is —— simple —— compound.

25. I wonder —— he will come.

26. The last of the horses had scarcely crossed the bridge —— the head of the third battalion appeared on the other side.

27. He looked as —— he could play football.

28. —— I saw her, she was young —— beautiful.

29. Bruce spoke of himself as being neither Scotch —— English.

30. I could —— buy —— borrow it.

31. He has no love —— veneration for his superiors.

32. There was no place so hidden —— so remote —— the plague did not find it.

33. We need not, —— do not, complain of our lot.

34. He could not deny —— he had borrowed money.

35. There is no question —— the universe has bounds.

36. A corrupt government is nothing else —— a reigning sin.

37. She thinks, I regret to say, of little else —— clothes.

38. O fairest flower, no sooner blown —— blasted.

39. There is no other hat here —— mine.

40. —— you have come, I will go with you.

41. —— Virgil was the better artist, Homer was the greater genius.

42. He has not decided —— he will let me go to college.

43. Sheep are white —— black.

44. The King has no arbitrary power; your Lordships have not —— the Commons; —— the whole Legislature.

45. No tie of gratitude —— of honor could bind him.

46. She had no sooner arrived —— she prepared to go boating.

47. Scarcely had she left the house —— she returned.

48. He was punished, —— he was guilty.

49. He was punished, —— he was not guilty.

50. We cannot go —— we finish our task.

51. —— the rain came down in torrents, we started for the lake.

52. She could —— dance —— sing, —— she played the piano.

53. I do not know —— I shall walk —— ride.

54. Hardly had he left the room —— the prisoner attempted to escape.

55. The chances are ten to one —— he will forget it.

56. Stand up so —— you can be seen.

Omitted Conjunctions. — Careless writers sometimes omit conjunctions that are necessary either to the grammar or to the sense. A common form of this fault is illustrated in "This is as good if not better than that"—a sentence in which "as" is omitted after "as good." The best way to correct the sentence is to recast it, thus: "This is as good as that, if not better."

Exercise LXXXVIII.

Correct the faults in these sentences: —

1. Ralph is as young or younger than Harry.

2. Cedar is more durable but not so hard as oak.

3. I never heard any one speak more fluently or so wittily as he.

4. She is fairer but not so amiable as her sister.

5. Though not so old, he is wiser than his brother.

Redundant Conjunctions. — [148] Careless writers sometimes insert conjunctions that are useless or worse than useless. A common form of this fault is the use in certain cases of "and" or "but" before the words "who," "which," "when," or "where," which are themselves connectives: as, "The challenge was accepted by Orlando, a young man little known up to that time, but to whom Rosalind had taken a great liking." If the relative clause introduced by "who," "which," "when," or "where" is to be joined to a preceding relative clause, the conjunction is proper: as, "The challenge was accepted by Orlando, a young man who was little known at that time, but to whom Rosalind had taken a great liking."

[148] See "Foundations," pp. 208-211.

Exercise LXXXIX.

Which conjunctions in these sentences are redundant? —

1. I have again been so fortunate as to obtain the assistance of Dr. Jones, a teacher of great experience, and whose ideas are quite in harmony with my own.

2. Franklin had noticed for some time the extreme dirtiness of the streets, and especially of the street that he lived on.

3. This animal was considered as irresistible.

4. But how to get him there was a problem. But it was decided to convey him on one of the wagons used in carrying the Emperor's men-of-war from the woods, where they were made, to the water.

5. He forgot to pay for the wine—a shortness of memory common with such men, and which his host did not presume to correct.

6. Next came Louis, Duke of Orleans, the first prince of the blood royal, and to whom the attendants rendered homage as the future king.

7. So from all this you can see that such things are not impossible.

8. Her expression of countenance induced most persons to address her with a deference inconsistent with her station, and which nevertheless she received with easy composure.

9. Our escort consisted of MacGregor, and five or six of the handsomest, best armed, and most athletic mountaineers of his band, and whom he had generally in immediate attendance upon his own person.

10. The little town of Lambtos, Mrs. Gardiner's former home, and where she had lately learned that some acquaintance still remained.

11. He spoke in a deep and low tone, but which nevertheless was heard from one end of the hall to the other.

Misplaced Correlatives. — When conjunctions are used as correlatives, as "both- and," "either-or," each of the correlated words should be so placed as to indicate clearly what ideas are to be connected in thought. This principle is violated in "He not only visited Paris, but Berlin also." In this sentence the position of "not only" before the verb "visited" leads one to expect some corresponding verb in the second part of the sentence; in fact, however, the two connected words are "Paris" and "Berlin;" "visited" applies to both. This meaning is clearly indicated by putting "not only" before "Paris:" thus, "He visited not only Paris, but Berlin also." As a rule the word after the first correlative should be the same part of speech as the word after the second correlative.

Exercise XC.

Correct the errors of position in—

1. Few complaints were made either by the men or the women.

2. Search-lights are not useful only on ships, but also on land.

3. Adversity both teaches to think and to be patient.

4. My uncle gave me not only the boat, but also taught me to row it.

5. The prisoner was not only accused of robbery, but of treason.

6. The wise ruler does not aim at the punishment of offenders, but at the prevention of offences.

7. The king was weak both in body and mind.

8. He either is stupid or insolent.

9. He worked not to provide for the future, but the present.

10. Every composition is liable to criticism both in regard to its design and to its execution.

11. The gods are either angry or nature is too powerful.

12. We are neither acquainted with the Doctor nor with his family.

13. In estimating the work of Luther, we must neither forget the temper of the man nor the age in which he lived.

14. The wise teacher should not aim to repress, but to encourage his pupils.

15. Such rules are useless both for teachers and pupils.

16. Her success is neither the result of cleverness nor of studiousness.