_Try_ should be followed by _to_ rather than _and_. "I will try _to_ go," not "I will try _and_ go."
_Ugly_ should never be used in the sense of _bad tempered_ or _vicious_.
It means "repulsive to the eye."
_Unique_ does not mean _rare_, _odd_, or _unusual_. It means alone of its kind.
_Upward of_ should not be used in the sense of _more than_.
_Venal_ should not be confused with _venial_.
_Verbal_ should not be confused with _oral_. A _verbal_ message means only a message in words; an _oral_ message is a message by word of mouth.
_Very_ should be used sparingly. It is a word of great emphasis and like all such words defeats its purpose when used too frequently.
_Visitor_ is a human caller. _Visitant_ a supernatural caller.
_Want_ should not be used in the sense of _wish_, e. g., "I _want_ it"
really means "I feel the want of it" or "I lack it." _Want_, _wish_, and _need_ should be carefully distinguished.
_Way_ should not be used in the sense of _away_ in such expressions as "_Way_ down East."
_Ways_ should not be used for _way_, e. g., "It is quite a _ways_ (way) off."
_What_ is often misused for _that_, e. g., "He has no doubt but _what_ (that) he will succeed."
_Whence_ means "from what place or cause" and should not be preceded by _from_. This applies equally to hence which means "from this place."
_Which_ should not be used with a clause as its antecedent, e. g., "He replied hotly, _which_ was a mistake" should be "He replied hotly; this was a mistake." _Which_ being a neuter p.r.o.noun should not be used to represent a masculine or feminine noun. Use who. Between the two neuter p.r.o.nouns _which_ and _that_ let euphony decide.
_Who_ should not be misused for _whom_ or _whose_, e. g., "_Who_ (whom) did you wish to see?" "Washington, than _who_ (whose) no greater name is recorded." Impersonal objects should be referred to by _which_ rather than _who_.
_Without_ should not be used for _unless_, e. g., "I will not go _without_ (unless) you go with me."
_Witness_ should not be used for _see_.
_Worst kind_ or _worst kind of way_ should not be used for _very much_.
_Womanly_ means "belonging to woman as woman."
_Womanish_ means _effeminate_.
_Tables of Irregular Verbs_
Table 1 contains the princ.i.p.al parts of all irregular verbs whose past tense and perfect participle are unlike.
Most errors in the use of irregular verbs occur with those in Table 1.
The past tense must not be used with _have_ (_has_, _had_). Do not use such expressions as _have drove_ and _has went_. Equally disagreeable is the use of the perfect participle for the past tense; as, _she seen_, _they done_.
TABLE I
Present Tense Past Tense Perf. Part.
arise arose arisen be or am was been bear, _bring forth_ bore born[1], borne bear, _carry_ bore borne beat beat beaten, beat begin began begun bid bade, bid bidden, bid bite bit bitten, bit blow blew blown break broke broken chide chid chidden, chid choose chose chosen cleave, _split_ {cleft, clove {cleft, cleaved, {(clave)[2] {cloven come came come do did done draw drew drawn drink drank drunk, drunken drive drove driven eat ate (eat) eaten (eat) fall fell fallen fly flew flown forbear forbore forborne forget forgot forgotten, forgot forsake forsook forsaken freeze froze frozen give gave given go went gone grow grew grown hide hid hidden, hid know knew known lie, _recline_ lay lain ride rode ridden ring rang, rung rung rise rose risen run ran run see saw seen shake shook shaken shrink shrank, shrunk shrunk, shrunken sing sung, sang sung sink sank, sunk sunk slay slew slain slide slid slidden, slid smite smote smitten speak spoke (spake) spoken spring sprang, spring sprung steal stole stolen stride strode stridden strike struck struck, stricken strive strove striven swear swore (sware) sworn swim swam, swum swum take took taken tear tore torn throw threw thrown tread trod trodden, trod wear wore worn weave wove woven write wrote written
TABLE II
This table contains the princ.i.p.al parts of all irregular verbs whose past tense and perfect participles are alike.
Present Tense Past Tense and Present Tense Past Tense and Perf. Part. Perf. Part.
abide abode mean meant behold beheld meet met beseech besought pay paid bind bound put put bleed bled read read breed bred rend rent bring brought say said build built seek sought burst burst sell sold buy bought send sent cast cast set set catch caught shed shed cling clung shoe shod cost cost shoot shot creep crept shut shut cut cut sit sat deal dealt sleep slept feed fed sling slung feel felt slink slunk fight fought spend spent find found spin spun (span) flee fled spit spit (spat) fling flung split split get got (gotten) spread spread grind ground stand stood have had stick stuck hear heard sting stung hit hit string strung hold held sweep swept hurt hurt swing swung keep kept teach taught lay laid tell told lead led think thought leave left thrust thrust lend lent weep wept let let win won lose lost wring wrung make made
TABLE III
This table includes verbs that are both regular and irregular.
A
Verbs in which the regular form is preferred.
Present Tense Past Tense Perf. Part.
bend bended, bent bended, bent bereave bereaved, bereft bereaved, bereft blend blended, blent blended, blent bless blessed, blest blessed, blest burn burned, burnt burned, burnt cleave, _stick_ cleaved (clave) cleaved clothe clothed, clad clothed, clad curse cursed, curst cursed, curst dive dived (dove) dived (dove) dream dreamed, dreamt dreamed, dreamt dress dressed, drest dressed, drest gild gilded, gilt gilded, gilt heave heaved, hove heaved, hove hew hewed hewed, hewn lade laded laded, laden lean leaned, leant leaned, leant leap leaped, leapt leaped, leapt learn learned, learnt learned, learnt light lighted, lit lighted, lit mow mowed mowed, mown pen, _shut up_ penned, pent penned, pent plead {pleaded (plead _or_ {pleaded (plead _or_ {pled) {pled) prove proved proved, proven reave reaved, reft reaved, reft rive rived rived, riven saw sawed sawed, sawn seethe seethed (sod) seethed, sodden shape shaped shaped, shapen shave shaved shaved, shaven shear sheared sheared, shorn smell smelled, smelt smelled, smelt sow sowed sowed, sown spell spelled, spelt spelled, spelt spill spilled, spilt spilled, spilt spoil spoiled, spoilt spoiled, spoilt stave staved, stove staved, stove stay stayed, staid stayed, staid swell swelled swelled, swollen wake waked, woke waked, woke wax, _grow_ waxed waxed (waxen) wed wedded wedded, wed whet whetted, whet whetted, whet work worked, wrought worked, wrought
B
Verbs in which the irregular form is preferred.
Present Tense Past Tense Perf. Part.
awake awoke, awaked awaked, awoke belay belaid, belayed belaid, belayed bet bet, betted bet, betted crow crew, crowed crowed dare durst, dared dared dig dug, digged dug, digged dwell dwelt, dwelled dwelt, dwelled gird girt, girded girt, girded grave graved graven, graved hang hung, hanged[3] hung, hanged kneel knelt, kneeled knelt, kneeled knit knit, knitted knit, knitted quit quit, quitted quit, quitted rap rapt, rapped rapt, rapped rid rid, ridded rid, ridded shine shone (shined) shone (shined) show showed shown, showed shred shred, shredded shred, shredded shrive shrived, shrove shriven, shrived slit slit, slitted slit, slitted speed sped, speeded sped, speeded strew strewed strewn, strewed strow strowed strown, strowed sweat sweat, sweated sweat, sweated thrive throve, thrived thrived, thriven wet wet (wetted) wet (wetted) wind wound (winded) wound (winded)
The verbs of the following list also are irregular; but as they lack one or more of the princ.i.p.al parts, they are called defective verbs.
_Defective Verbs_
Present Past Present Past
can could ought .....