NUMBER: pronouns are often used which differ in number from their antecedents: e.g., _Nobody should feel that their_ [his] _interests have been neglected_; _Each of the ladies, like two excellent actresses, were_ [was] _perfect in their_ [her] _parts_ [part]. Singular nouns are sometimes used with plural verbs, or the reverse: e.g., _None but the brave deserve_ [deserves] _the fair_; _There’s_ [there are] _the boys_
«Of», is sometimes wrongly used for _have_: e.g., _I shouldn’t of_ [have] _come if I had known_
«Or», should not be used with _neither_. Use _nor_ { 109}
«Ought», should never be combined with _had_: e.g., _You hadn’t ought to do that_ should be _You ought not to do that_
«Out loud», should never be used for _aloud_
«Partake of», should not be used in the sense of _eat_. It means “to share with others”
«Per», should not be used with English words. Say _One dollar a year_, or _One dollar per annum_
«Perception», means the inlet of all the materials of knowledge; _apperception_ means the knowledge that one possesses these materials. A man with _perception_ knows; a man with _apperception_ knows that he knows
PLURALS: of foreign words should be carefully ascertained: e.g., _cherubim_ is the plural of _cherub_; _memoranda_, of _memorandum_; _data_, of _datum_; _donne_, of _donna_; _strata_, of _stratum_; _addenda_, of _addendum_; _rubaiyat_, of _rubai_. Do not say, _A memoranda_
«Pretty», should not be used in a modifying sense, nor as a synonym for _very_: e.g., _It is not as good as yours, but it is pretty_ [fairly] _good_; _I didn’t hit it, but I came pretty_ [very] _close_
«Propose», meaning “to offer,” should not be confused with _purpose_, meaning “to intend.” Say, _He proposed an amendment_, and _I have told you what I purpose_
«Quite», should not be used in a modifying sense as if meaning “rather.” _It is not what I expected, but it is quite good_ is wrong. The word means “wholly”: e.g., _Not quite_ = not wholly; _quite satisfactory_ = wholly satisfactory
«Rarely ever», is a vulgarism for _rarely_ or _hardly ever_
«Reference», should be used with _with_ rather than _in_. Say, _With reference to_ rather than _In reference to_ { 110}
«Reverend», should always be preceded by _the_: e.g., _The Reverend James Brown Smith_