Right Words and Their Uses

1914

It is said there are three ways in which one's personality is revealed to the world. The first is by one's appearance, face, manner, carriage and dress. These things appear to the eye. The second is the revelation in notes, letters, handwriting and spelling. The third and most important is in one's speech, that is, in the way of saying what one has to say. This is a test of one's education and good breeding.

Cultured people are keenly critical of those who make mistakes in pronunciation or grammar. A well-trained ear for music is very sensitive to false notes. A well-trained ear for correct sounds in language is sensitive in the same way.

Good advice was given by Lord Chesterfield in one of his letters to his son: "Never use favorite words, nor hard words, but take great care to speak correctly and grammatically and to pronounce properly."

Everyone realizes the necessity of practicing music, drawing, or any other art in order to become proficient, yet there in great neglect of the effort to practice the correct use of the English language.

Observation and memory should help one to correct bad habits in speech. Whenever an unfamiliar word or pronunciation is heard it is well to refer to a good dictionary, discover the meaning and proper pronunciation. This will stamp it indelibly in the mind. No study is more fascinating that that of words. The habit of spending time over a dictionary is to be encouraged.

It is incorrect to say donate for give, transpire for happen, loan for lend, preventative for preventive.

Care should be taken to pronounce address with the accent on the last syllable, and to pronounce catch to rhyme with match, not to say ketch.

Tuesday, new, duty and avenue are pronounced with the broad, clear "u," not Toosday, noo, dooty, avenoo.

It is illiterate to add letters where they do not belong and to say heighth for height, acrost for across.

A careless fault, as well as a breach of good form in expression, is to say "I am going to quit work," or "quit this place," instead of "stop work," or "leave this place."

Often we find careless speakers using the expression, "The two first houses." It is correct to say, "first two." There cannot be "two first." A moment's thought makes this clear in the mind.

An erroneous expression is "Between you and I." The rule that prepositions govern the objective case should be familiar to everyone.

A common error is in such sentences as "These kind of things." "Those sort of entertainment." The form should be: "Things of this kind." "Entertainments of that sort."

French derivatives should be avoided and good Anglo-Saxon words used. Therefore it is best to say station not depot; begin not commence.