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sentence is purposely introduced to call attention to the fact that many respectable writers not only use neither, nor, with three or more objects, but also defend it. This usage may be avoided by a reconstruction of the sentence; as, "He did not attempt to excite anger, nor ridicule, nor admiration."

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CHAPTER X

The Infinitive

Many errors arise from not knowing how to use the infinitive mood.

Perhaps the most common fault is to interpose an adverb between the preposition to and the infinitive verb; as, "It is not necessary to accurately relate all that he said." "You must not expect to always find people agreeable." Whether we shall place the adverb before the verb or after it must often be determined by considerations of emphasis and smoothness as well as of clearness and correctness. In the foregoing sentences it is better to place accurately after the verb, and always before the preposition to.

Supply "to"

The preposition to as the sign of the infinitive is often improperly omitted.

"Please write clearly, so that we may understand," "Your efforts will tend to hinder rather than hasten the work," "Strive so to criticise as not to embarrass

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nor discourage your pupil." These sentences will be corrected by inserting to before the italicized words.

In such expressions as "Please excuse my son's absence," "Please write me a letter," "Please hand me the book," many authorities insist upon the use of to before the verb. The sentences may, however, be regarded as softened forms of the imperative; as, "Hand me the book, if you please." Transposed, "If you please, hand me the book." Contracted, "Please, hand me the book." From this, the comma may have slipped out and left the sentence as first written.

Omit "to"

When a series of infinitives relate to the same object, the word to should be used before the first verb and omitted before the others; as, "He taught me to read, write, and cipher." "The most accomplished way of using books at present is to serve them as some do lords-- learn their titles and then brag of their acquaintance."

The active verbs bid, dare, feel, hear, let, make, need, see, and their participles, usually take the infinitive after them, without the preposition to. Such expressions, as "He bade me to depart," "I dare to say he is a villain," "I had difficulty in making him to see his error," are, therefore, wrong, and are corrected by omitting to.

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Incomplete Infinitive

Such incomplete expressions as the following are very common: "He has not gone to Europe, nor is he likely to." "She has not written her essay, nor does she intend to." "Can a man arrive at excellence who has no desire to?" The addition of the word go to the first sentence, and of write it, to the second would make them complete. In the case of the third sentence it would be awkward to say, "Can a man arrive at excellence who has no desire to arrive at excellence." We therefore substitute the more convenient expression "to do so."

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CHAPTER XI

Participles

Participles relate to nouns or pronouns, or else are governed by prepositions. Those ending in ing should not be made the subjects or objects of verbs while they retain the government and adjuncts of participles. They may often be converted into nouns or take the form of the infinitive.

"Not attending to this rule is the cause of a very common error."

Better, "Inattention to this rule," etc. "He abhorred being in debt."

Better, "He abhorred debt," "Cavilling and objecting upon any subject is much easier than clearing up difficulties." Say, "To cavil and object upon any subject is much easier than to clear up difficulties."

Omit "of"

Active participles have the same government as the verbs from which they are derived. The preposition of, therefore, should not be used after the participle, when the verb would not require it. Omit of in such expressions as these: "Keeping of one day

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in seven," "By preaching of repentance," "They left beating of Paul,"

"From calling of names they came to blows," "They set about repairing of the walls."

If the article the occurs before the participle, the preposition of must be retained; as, "They strictly observed the keeping of one day in seven."

When a transitive participle is converted into a noun, of must be inserted to govern the object following. "He was very exact in forming his sentences," "He was very exact in the formation of his sentences."

Omit the possessive

The possessive case should not be prefixed to a participle that is not taken in all respects as a noun. It should, therefore, be expunged in the following sentences: "By our offending others, we expose ourselves." "She rewarded the boy for his studying so diligently." "He errs in his giving the word a double construction."

The possessives in such cases as the following should be avoided: "I have some recollection of his father's being a judge." "To prevent its being a dry detail of terms." These sentences may be improved by recasting them. "I have some recollection that his father was a judge." "To prevent it from being a dry detail of terms."

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When the noun or pronoun to which the participle relates is a passive subject, it should not have the possessive form; as, "The daily instances of men's dying around us remind us of the brevity of human life." "We do not speak of a monosyllable's having a primary accent."

Change men's to men, and monosyllable's to monosyllable.

After verbs

Verbs do not govern participles. "I intend doing it," "I remember meeting Longfellow," and similar expressions should be changed by the substitution of the infinitive for the participle; as, "I intend to do it," "I remember to have met Longfellow."

After verbs signifying to persevere, to desist, the participle ending in ing is permitted; as, "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them."

Place

In the use of participles and of verbal nouns, the leading word in sense should always be made the leading word, and not the adjunct, in the construction.

"They did not give notice of the pupil leaving." Here, the leading idea is leaving. Pupil should, therefore, be subordinate by changing its form to the possessive; as, "They did not give notice of the pupil's leaving." Better still, "They did not give notice that the pupil had left."

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Clearness

The word to which the participle relates should stand out clearly. "By giving way to sin, trouble is encountered." This implies that trouble gives way to sin. The relation of the participle is made clear by saying, "By giving way to sin, we encounter trouble."