Practical Exercises in English Part 25
1. "Horses" ---- a common noun.
2. Such phenomena ---- very strange.
3. The ship with all her crew ---- lost.
4. No less than fifty dollars ---- paid for what was not worth twenty.
5. Homer, as well as Virgil, ---- once students (a student) on the banks of the Rhine.
6. The committee ---- divided in its (their) judgment.
7. The genii who ---- expected to be present ---- deaf to every call.
8. France was once divided into a number of kingdoms, each of which ---- ruled by a duke.
9. Sir Richard Steele lived in the reign of Queen Anne, when the tone of gentlemen's characters ---- very low.
10. Each man employed in this department ---- paid for his (their) work.
11. Mathematics ---- my hardest study.
12. There ---- once two boys who were so exactly alike in appearance that they could not be distinguished.
13. Each of the heads of the Chimera ---- able to spit fire.
14. The jury ---- eating dinner.
15. "Plutarch's Lives" ---- an interesting book.
16. One of the most beautiful features of Kennebunkport ---- the tremendous rocks all along the coast.
17. The richness of her arms and apparel ---- conspicuous in the foremost ranks.
18. My robe and my integrity to heaven ---- all I dare now call my own.
19. Refreshing as springs in the desert to their long-languishing eyes ---- the sight of his white cravat and his boots of Parisian polish.
20. The "Arabian Nights" in complete form comprise (comprises) twenty volumes and ---- written by different men.
21. Fifty dollars a month ---- paid by the government to the widow of the colonel.
22. Ten minutes ---- spent in a writing exercise.
23. ---- either of you going to the village?
24. Our happiness or our sorrow ---- largely due to our own actions.
25. The guidance as well as the love of a mother ---- wanting.
26. Every one of these books ---- mine.
27. General Custer with his whole force ---- ma.s.sacred by Indians.
28. Three times three ---- nine.
29. Nearly three hundred yards of the track ---- under water.
30. To admit the existence of G.o.d and then to refuse to worship him ---- inconsistent.
31. The ebb and flow of the tides ---- caused by the attraction of the moon.
32. Six dollars a week ---- all he earns.
33. Nine-tenths of his time ---- wasted.
34. Three quarts of oats ---- enough for a horse's meal.
35. "Tales of a Wayside Inn" ---- written by Longfellow.
36. The rest of the Republican ticket ---- elected.
EXERCISE LIV.
_Which of the italicized forms is preferable_?-- 1. A variety of pleasing objects _charm_ (_charms_) the eye.
2. Already a train or two _has_ (_have_) come in.
3. Each day and each hour _bring_ (_brings_) contrary blessings.
4. The Senate _has_ (_have_) adjourned.
5. No monstrous height, or length, or breadth _appear_ (_appears_).
6. I am the general who _command_ (_commands_) you.
7. Many a captain with all his crew _has_ (_have_) been lost at sea.
8. The jury _who_ (_which_) _was_ (_were_) out all night _has_ (_have_) just returned a verdict.
9. He _dare_ (_dares_) not touch a hair of Catiline.
10. The ambition and activity of this railroad _has_ (_have_) done much towards the civilization of the world.
11. Thackeray's "English Humorists" _treat_ (_treats_) not of the writings of the humorists so much as of their characters and lives.
12. Addison was one of the best writers that _has_ (_have_) ever lived.
13. This is one of the books that _give_ (_gives_) me pleasure.
14. Give me one of the books that _is_ (_are_) lying on the table.
15. This is one of the most important questions that _has_ (_have_) come up.
16. Nothing but vain and foolish pursuits _delight_ (_delights_) some persons.
17. Six months' interest _is_ (_are_) due.
18. You are not the first one that _has_ (_have_) been deceived in that way.
19. My room is one of those that _overlook_ (_overlooks_) the garden.
20. A committee _was_ (_were_) appointed to investigate the matter.
21. The greater part of the audience _was_ (_were_) pleased.
22. The public _is_ (_are_) respectfully invited.
23. The jury _was_ (_were_) not unanimous.
24. Generation after generation _pa.s.s_ (_pa.s.ses_) away.
25. A glimpse of gable roof and red chimneys _add_ (_adds_) far more to the beauty of such a scene than could the grandest palace.
26. The society _hold_ (_holds_) _their_ (_its_) meetings weekly.
27. What _is_ (_are_) the gender, the number, and the person of the following words?
28. He made one of the best speeches that _has_ (_have_) been delivered before the school.
29. He is one of those persons who _is_ (_are_) quick to take offence.
30. _This_ (_these_) scanty data _is_ (_are_) all we have.
31. If the meaning of these pa.s.sages is not carefully explained, some of the congregation may think that Matthew or Paul _is_ (_are_) guilty of some unorthodox opinions.
MISUSED VERBS.--See the remarks under "Misused Nouns."
I. A RESEMBLANCE IN SOUND MISLEADS.
ACCREDIT, CREDIT.--'To _accredit_ means 'to invest with credit or authority,'[91] or 'to send with letters credential;' _to credit_ means 'to believe,'[92] or "to put to the credit of."
ARISE, RISE.--"The choice between these words was primarily, and still often is, a matter of rhythm [euphony]. The literal meanings, however, or those which seem literal, have become more a.s.sociated with _rise_, and the consciously figurative with _arise_: as, he _rose_ from the chair; the sun _rose_; the provinces _rose_ in revolt: trouble _arose;_ 'music _arose_ with its voluptuous swell.'"[93]
CAPTIVATE, CAPTURE.--_To captivate_ means "to fascinate"; _to capture_, "to take prisoner."
DEPRECIATE, DEPRECATE.--_To depreciate_ means "to bring down in value," "to disparage;" _to deprecate_ means "to argue earnestly against"
or "to express regret for."
IMPUGN, IMPUTE.--_To impugn_ means "to call in question;" _to impute_ means "to ascribe to."
Loan, lend.--The use of _loan_ as a verb is not sanctioned by good use.
Properly the word is a noun. A _loan_ is money which a person _lends_.
[91] "Foundations," p. 109.
[92] A.S. Hill: Principles of Rhetoric, revised edition, p. 38.
[93] The Century Dictionary.
EXERCISE LV.
_Tell the difference in meaning between_--