"He is a person in whom you can rely." "That is a man in whose statements you can depend." Use on for in.

To, With

Two persons are reconciled to each other; two doctrines or measures are reconciled with each other when they are made to agree.

"This noun is in apposition to that." Use with.

With, By

These two prepositions are often confounded. They have a similarity of signification with a difference of use. Both imply a connection between some instrument or means and the agent by whom it is used.

With signifies the closer relation and by the more remote one.

It is said that an ancient king of Scotland once asked his nobles by what tenure they held their lands. The chiefs drew their swords, saying, "By these we acquired our lands, and with these we will defend them."

By often relates to the person; with to the instrument.

178

"He lay on the ground half concealed with a clump of bushes." "That speech was characterized with eloquence." Use by in the last two sentences.

With, To

We correspond with a person when we exchange letters. In speaking of the adaptation of one object to another, the preposition to should be used after the verb correspond; as, "This picture corresponds to that." With is often incorrectly used in such cases instead of to.

Position

The old grammarian gave a very good rule when he said, "A preposition is a very bad word to end a sentence with;" but it is sometimes easier to follow his example than his precept. In general, the strength of a sentence is improved by not placing small particles at the end.

"Which house do you live in?" Better, "In which house do you live?"

"Avarice is a vice which most men are guilty of." Say, "of which most men are guilty."

"He is a man that you should be acquainted with." Say, "with whom you should be acquainted."

"Is this the man that you spoke of?" Better, "of whom you spoke."

"These are principles that our forefathers died for." Rather, "for which our forefathers died."

179

Omission

Prepositions are often omitted when their use is necessary to the correct grammatical construction of the sentence.

"They now live on this side the river." Say, "on this side of the river."

"Esther and Helen sit opposite each other." It is more correct to say, "sit opposite to each other."

"John is worthy our help." Better, "of our help."

"What use is this to us?" Of what use, etc.

"This law was passed the same year that I was born." Say, "In the same year," etc.

"Washington was inaugurated President April 30, 1789." Some critics insist upon the insertion of on before a date, as "on April 30," but general usage justifies its omission. With equal force they might urge the use of in before 1789. The entire expression of day, month, and year is elliptical.

If the same preposition be required by several nouns or pronouns, it must be repeated in every case if it be repeated at all. "He is interested in philosophy, history, and in science." This sentence may be corrected by placing in before history or by omitting it before science. The several subjects are individualized more strongly by the use of in before each noun. This is shown in the greater obscurity given to history by the omission of the preposition in the foregoing sentence.

180

"We may have a feeling of innocence or of guilt, of merit or demerit."

Insert of before demerit.

Needless Prepositions

Prepositions, like other parts of speech that contribute nothing to the meaning, should not be suffered to cumber the sentence.

Where am I at? Where is my book at? I went there at about noon. In what latitude is Chicago in? Where are you going to? Take your hat off of the table. Where has James been to? They offered to Caesar a crown.

This is a subject of which I intended to speak about (omit of or about, but not both). She has a sister of ten years old. Leap in with me into this angry flood.

The older writers employed the useless for in such expressions as, What went ye out for to see? The apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

All of

A very common error is the unnecessary use of the preposition of after all; as, "during all of this period," "in all of these cases," "for all of the conditions," etc.

Up above

In most cases one of these prepositions will be found useless. "The ladder reached up above the chimney."

From hence

The adverbs hence, thence, whence, include the idea of from. The preposition should, therefore, be omitted.

181

CHAPTER XIII

The Article

A, which is a shortened form of an, signifies one, or any. An was formerly used before nouns beginning with either a consonant or a vowel sound, but now an is used before a vowel sound and a before a consonant sound; as, a book, a hat, an apple, an eagle.

It will be observed that an heiress, an herb, an honest man, an honorable career, an hourly visit, a euchre party, a euphemism, a eulogy, a union, etc., are not exceptions to the foregoing rule, for the h being silent in heiress, herb, etc., the article an precedes a vowel sound, and in euphemism, eulogy, union, the article a precedes the consonant sound of y. Compare u-nit with you knit.