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Good manners and good morals are predicated of good training and good examples.

Here are some examples of the misuse of the word:

"It needed no ghost from the grave or rapping spirit from the invisible world to predicate [foretell] even then the success of young Disraeli in public life."

"When cholera is scourging the land, you may predicate [predict or foretell] as well as trace its progress."

“A man of whom it might be predicated [predicted] that his political power would [will] end with his political life.” "It is impossible to predicate [foretell] what he will or will not do."

"Being predicated [based or founded] on no previous proceedings of the Legislature."

'It ought surely to be predicated [based or founded] on a full and impartial consideration of the whole subject." Predict. Sometimes misused for predicate, thus:

"There is no organ of which the concomitant mental feeling may be predicted [predicated] with greater confidence."

Dr. Hodgson, in his Errors in the Use of English, cites the following sentence as an example of the correct use of predict:

"Whether Mr. Campbell has so far surmounted all obstacles as to make these noble poems generally attractive to English readers, it might be rash to predict."

Predict must always be used in reference to what is to be, never to what has been. We can not predict backward. Change has surmounted to will surmount, and the use of predict will be justified; but with the tense unchanged, predict must give place to assert, or to some other word of kindred meaning.

Privilege. Often misused for right. The true mean

ing of privilege is not very generally understood. Privileges, unlike rights, are never general, never common; they are always special, always peculiar. A "privileged character" is one to whom special liberties are granted. The young lady used the word properly when she said to the middle-aged man that attempted to kiss her, "You are pretty old, sir, but not old enough to be allowed any privileges,"

The word is misused in the following sentences:

"Fox endeavored to secure the privileges [rights] and happiness of the people of Asia.”

"If they could not claim this common privilege [right], what rights were left which [that] might not be withheld?"

"In the eighteenth century after Christ, England stood forth alone as an example to Europe of the privileges [rights] that might be enjoyed by subjects under a constitutional monarchy. How these privileges [rights] were acquired is matter of history."

"A whole people were called upon to exercise such a privilege [right] as that of universal suffrage."

Prejudice-Prepossess.

Both these words mean to incline in one direction or the other for some reason not founded in justice; but by common consent prejudice has come to be used in an unfavorable sense, and prepossess in a favorable sense. Thus we say, “He is prejudiced against him,” and “He is prepossessed in his favor." We sometimes hear the expression, "He is prejudiced in his favor," but this can not be accounted a good use of the word.

Prepositions. The errors made in the use of the preposition are very numerous.

"The indolent child is one who [that] has a strong aversion from action of any sort.”—Graham's English

Synonymes, p. 236. The prevailing and best modern usage is in favor of to instead of from after averse and aversion, and before the object. The words themselves include the idea of from.

"Clearness

enables the reader to see thoughts without noticing the language with which they are clothed." -Townsend's Art of Speech. We clothe thoughts in language.

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Shakespeare . . . and the Bible are models for the English-speaking tongue."-Ibid. If this means models of English, then it should be of; but if it means models for English organs of speech to practice on, then it should be for; or if it means models to model English tongues after, then also it should be for.

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"If the resemblance is too faint, the mind is fatigued while attempting to trace the analogies." Aristotle is in error while thus describing governments."-Ibid. Here we have two examples, not of the misuse of the preposition, but of the erroneous use of the adverb while instead of the preposition in.

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'For my part I can not think that Shelley's poetry, except by snatches and fragments, has the value of the good work of Wordsworth or Byron."-Matthew Arnold. Should be, "except in snatches."

"Taxes with us are collected nearly [almost] solely from real and personal estate."-Appletons' Journal. Taxes are levied on estates and collected from the owners.

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"If I am not commended for the beauty of my works, I may hope to be pardoned for their brevity." Cobbett comments on this sentence as follows: We may commend him for the beauty of his works, and we may pardon him for their brevity, if we deem the brevity a fault; but this is not what he means. He means that, at any rate, he

shall have the merit of brevity. If I am not commended for the beauty of my works, I may hope to be pardoned on account of their brevity.' This is what the doctor meant; but this would have marred a little the antithesis: it would have unsettled a little of the balance of that seesaw in which Dr. Johnson so much delighted, and which, falling into the hands of novel-writers and of members of Parliament, has, by moving unencumbered with any of the doctor's reason or sense, lulled so many thousands asleep! Dr. Johnson created a race of writers and speakers. Mr. Speaker, that the state of the nation is very critical, all men will allow; but that it is wholly desperate, few will believe.' When you hear or see a sentence like this, be sure that the person who speaks or writes it has been reading Dr. Johnson, or some of his imitators. But, observe, these imitators go no further than the frame of the sentences. They, in general, take care not to imitate the doctor in knowledge and reasoning."

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The rhetoricians would have us avoid such forms of expression as,.“ The boy went to and asked the advice of his teacher"; "I called on and had a conversation with my brother."

Very often the preposition is not repeated in a sentence when it should be. We say properly, "He comes from Ohio or from Indiana"; or, "He comes from either Ohio or Indiana."

"Some authorities object to the use of a preposition as the final word of a sentence, but such usage is in accord with the genius of all the Teutonic languages."-Standard Dictionary.

Prepossess. See PREJUDICE.

Present-Introduce. Few errors are more common, especially among those that are always straining to be fine.

than that of using present, in the social world, instead of introduce. Present means to place in the presence of a superior; introduce, to bring to be acquainted. A person is presented at court, and on an official occasion to our President; but persons that are unknown to each other are introduced by a common acquaintance. And in these introductions it is the younger that is introduced to the older; the lower to the higher in place or social position; the gentleman to the lady. A lady should say, as a rule, that Mr. Blank was introduced to her, not that she was introduced to Mr. Blank.

Presumptive. This word is sometimes misused by the careless for presumptuous.

Preventive. A useless and unwarranted syllable is sometimes added to this word, making preventative.

Previous. This adjective, in common with subsequent, independent, relative, antecedent, and possibly others, is often erroneously used as an adverb.

"Previous [previously] to the races at Monmouth Park yesterday," etc.-N. Y. Sun.

"The coaling steamer, Loch Garry, went into dock yesterday for inspection previous [previously] to being sent to her owners.'

"The new police board is hard at work laying the foundation for reform quite independent [independently] of Albany.”—Evening Sun.

"Should has also certain meanings independent [independently] of its relations as," etc.-Standard Dictionary. Independently of this reason, there was another about which," etc.-M. W. H. in N. Y. Sun.

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"There is no tradition of the Earls of Derby making the castle their residence subsequent [subsequently] to the death of the Countess."

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