Practical Exercises in English Part 43

NOR, OR.--_Nor_ is the correlative of _neither_, sometimes of other negatives. _Or_ is the correlative of _either_.

THEREFORE, SO.--In the sense of "for this reason," _therefore_ is preferable to _so_, since _so_ has other meanings.

THOUGH.--_Though_ means "notwithstanding," "in spite of the fact that."

AS IF, AS THOUGH.--"_As if_ is, on the whole, preferable to _as though."[146]

WHEN, WHILE.--_When_ means "at the time that;" _while_, "during the time that," "as long as." "_When_ fixes attention on a date or period; _while_ fixes attention on the lapse of time."[147]

[143] "Foundations," p.152.

[144] Coleridge: Table Talk. Quoted by A.S. Hill in Principles of Rhetoric.

[145] "Foundations," p. 153.

[146] "Foundations," p. 156.

[147] Ibid., p. 157.

EXERCISE Lx.x.xVII.

_Insert the proper conjunction in each blank, if a conjunction is needed. Do not confine your choice to those mentioned above:_--

1. Roland was mild and modest, ---- Charles was coa.r.s.e and boastful.

2. ---- they were without provisions, they thought they should starve.

3. In Addison's day innumerable vices were prevalent, ---- chief among them was the custom of drinking.

4. Charles was a large, brawny fellow, ---- Orlando was a slender youth.

5. When the barn was full of people, the doors were suddenly shut and bolted ---- the barn was set on fire.

6. Hereward's men wanted booty, ---- Hereward took them to the Golden Borough.

7. He read a short ---- interesting account of "Theobald's."

8. Longfellow received a good education ---- he was not a poor boy.

9. He was disappointed in the speed of his yacht, ---- he had expected her to be very fast.

10. The man said "to sell" was not needed on the sign ---- no one would expect the hats to be given away.

11. There is no doubt ---- the earth is spherical.

12. I know very little about the "Arabian Nights" ---- I have never read that book.

13. When Gulliver began to pull, the ships would not move ---- their anchors held them.

14. He had to be cautious in using his Bible ---- at that time reading it was prohibited; ---- he fastened it with tapes on the underside of a stool.

15. The Liberal Arts Building at Chicago had twice as much iron in its frame ---- the Brooklyn Bridge.

16. The lumbermen must keep open a road to the railroad, ---- all their provisions must be brought from the city.

17. Scarcely had I thrown in my line ---- I felt a nibble.

18. The fly seems to have been created for no other purpose ---- to purify the air.

19. At first you wonder where the boats are, ---- on entering the grove you can see only a small cabin.

20. I do not doubt ---- he will succeed.

21. I cannot deny ---- he is honest.

22. He was dismissed, not so much because he was too young ---- because he was indolent.

23. The land is equally adapted to farming ---- to pasturage.

24. Proportion is ---- simple ---- compound.

25. I wonder ---- he will come.

26. The last of the horses had scarcely crossed the bridge ---- the head of the third battalion appeared on the other side.

27. He looked as ---- he could play football.

28. ---- I saw her, she was young ---- beautiful.

29. Bruce spoke of himself as being neither Scotch ---- English.

30. I could ---- buy ---- borrow it.

31. He has no love ---- veneration for his superiors.

32. There was no place so hidden ---- so remote ---- the plague did not find it.

33. We need not, ---- do not, complain of our lot.

34. He could not deny ---- he had borrowed money.

35. There is no question ---- the universe has bounds.

36. A corrupt government is nothing else ---- a reigning sin.

37. She thinks, I regret to say, of little else ---- clothes.

38. O fairest flower, no sooner blown ---- blasted.

39. There is no other hat here ---- mine.

40. ---- you have come, I will go with you.

41. ---- Virgil was the better artist, Homer was the greater genius.

42. He has not decided ---- he will let me go to college.

43. Sheep are white ---- black.

44. The King has no arbitrary power; your Lordships have not ---- the Commons; ---- the whole Legislature.

45. No tie of grat.i.tude ---- of honor could bind him.

46. She had no sooner arrived ---- she prepared to go boating.

47. Scarcely had she left the house ---- she returned.

48. He was punished, ---- he was guilty.

49. He was punished, ---- he was not guilty.

50. We cannot go ---- we finish our task.

51. ---- the rain came down in torrents, we started for the lake.

52. She could ---- dance ---- sing, ---- she played the piano.

53. I do not know ---- I shall walk ---- ride.

54. Hardly had he left the room ---- the prisoner attempted to escape.

55. The chances are ten to one ---- he will forget it.

56. Stand up so ---- you can be seen.

OMITTED CONJUNCTIONS.--Careless writers sometimes omit conjunctions that are necessary either to the grammar or to the sense. A common form of this fault is ill.u.s.trated in "This is as good if not better than that"--a sentence in which "as" is omitted after "as good." The best way to correct the sentence is to recast it, thus: "This is as good as that, if not better."

EXERCISE Lx.x.xVIII.

_Correct the faults in these sentences:_--

1. Ralph is as young or younger than Harry.

2. Cedar is more durable but not so hard as oak.

3. I never heard any one speak more fluently or so wittily as he.

4. She is fairer but not so amiable as her sister.

5. Though not so old, he is wiser than his brother.

REDUNDANT CONJUNCTIONS.--[148] Careless writers sometimes insert conjunctions that are useless or worse than useless.

A common form of this fault is the use in certain cases of "and" or "but"

before the words "who," "which," "when," or "where," which are themselves connectives: as, "The challenge was accepted by Orlando, a young man little known up to that time, _but_ to _whom_ Rosalind had taken a great liking." If the relative clause introduced by "who," "which," "when," or "where" is to be joined to a preceding relative clause, the conjunction is proper: as, "The challenge was accepted by Orlando, a young man _who_ was little known at that time, _but_ to whom Rosalind had taken a great liking."

[148] See "Foundations," pp. 208-211.