clear the meaning to be conveyed. When the connection does not help to determine the meaning, the sentence should be reconstructed, so that the expression may be susceptible of but a single interpretation. The following examples will illustrate equivocation in sen tences: a. "The love of a parent is one of the strongest passions implanted in the human breast." Here the preposition "of," following the word “love,” renders the sentence equivocal. The sentence may mean the love which the child bears to its parents or it may mean the love which the parent bears to the child. If the former, it should be, “Our love for our parents," etc.; if the latter, "A parent's love for his children," etc. b. "He liked nothing but what you did." In this sentence the word "did" is equivocal. It may be used either as a principal verb or as an auxiliary. In the one sense the sentence means, "He liked nothing except your doings or actions;" in the other, "He liked nothing but what you liked ;" and the sentence should be so expressed, or thus, “He liked nothing but what pleased you." EXERCISE. Reconstruct the following so as to express the meaning properly : 1. The work has been overlooked by the most eminent critics. 2. The boy did not want natural talents, but he wasted his time continually. 3. Their rebuke had a good effect. 4. Neither life nor death will be able to separate us from the love of God. 5. The Reformation of Luther occurred in the sixteenth century. 6. He aimed at nothing less than the Presidency. OBSCURITY. The third fault opposed to clearness is obscurity. Obscurity consists in the use of words and construc tions from which it is difficult to gather any meaning. Obscurity may be caused 1. By an Improper Ellipsis.-An ellipsis is proper where the sense of the sentence is not interfered with or obscured. When, however, the omission renders the sense obscure in any way, the ellipsis becomes improper. In the following, "Resolved, That the world has been more injured by intemperance than slavery," the sentence is obscure, because we are not able to tell whether it means that the world has been more injured by intemperance than by slavery, or whether the world has been more injured by intemperance than slavery has. 2. By an Improper Arrangement.-Obscurity is produced by improper arrangement in much the same manner as ambiguity is thus produced-namely, by the improper use of adverbs and other modifying elements. This is true particularly of the adverbs only and not only. Thus, in the sentence, "He not only owns a house, but also a farm,” the “not only" is so placed as to modify “owns.” It should be so placed as to modify a house;" thus, He owns not only a house, but also a farm." Note. The proper correlative of not only is but also when the terms compared exclude each other. Thus, we say, "Not only New York, but also New Jersey, is one of the Middle States." But when the latter term of comparison includes the former, the proper correlative of not only is but. Thus, "Not only Philadelphia, but Pennsylvania, is interested in this project." The proper correlative is but also when it means in addition to. 3. By the Use of the Same Word in Different Senses in the Same Sentence.-The words most frequently used in this way are personal pronouns referring to different antecedents, as in the sentence, "They were men of powerful intellects before they were destroyed by their excesses." 4. By Long and Complicated Sentences.-When a sentence is long and its structure is greatly complicated, obscurity is likely to be the result. The fault is more likely to occur in the composition of experienced writers than in that of the inexperienced, probably because the thought may be so clear to the composer that he overrates the ability of the ordinary reader to grasp it. It is humorously said of a prominent United States Senator that on one occasion, after he had made an after-dinner speech at a noted hotel, a fire broke out. The clerk immediately bethought himself of the banquet, rushed to the dining-room, hastily gathered up one of the Senator's long sentences, and converted it into a fire-escape by which to lower the guests from the fifth-story windows. Of course a sentence may be long and yet be intelligible, but the danger is that the reader may have difficulty in grasping the thought, even though the construction be correct. It is best, therefore, to avoid both long and complicated sentences. 5. By the Use of Technical Terms.-Here the requirements of Clearness and Purity are much the same. It is entirely proper to use technical terms in writing on scientific subjects where the reader is supposed to be familiar with these terms, but technical terms should not be employed where the composition is intended for the general reader, who is not supposed to be familiar with their meaning. EXERCISE. Reconstruct the following sentences so as to make them clear in meaning: 1. A man bought a horse and sleigh. 2. You may sing the first, second, and fourth stanzas. 3. Gold is more valuable and heavier than iron. 4. He always and still believes that the earth is flat. 5. Not only Boston, but also Massachusetts, is proud of her culture. 6. Lovest thou me more than these? 7. Resolved, That we receive more benefit from study than our teachers. 8. Ten dollars extra is charged for tuition in any of the ancient and modern languages. 9. They were men of great means until they were dissipated in speculation. 10. That is a clearer statement of the case than yours. 11. Delaware not only is a fruit-growing State, but New Jersey. 12. There are few persons who can draw animals better than Mr. Tompkins. 13. He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and good, on the just and unjust. 14. Let us put the question to you and every honorable and patriotic man in the country. 15. He had the most and most luscious peaches to be found in the neighborhood. 16. There is a great difference in the ways of accumulating money, as well as anything else. 17. Select that branch of business which you prefer, if possible. SUGGESTIONS. The following suggestions are made with the view of helping to secure Clearness: 1. Repeat the article and its accompanying adjective, if any, before each of several connected nouns if they refer to several objects. Thus, "My friend bought a farm, a house, and a store." Not, "My friend bought a farm, house, and store." 2. Do not put before a possessive an adjective limiting the name of the thing possessed. Thus, "We heard the lady's charming music." doubt as to the meaning intended. Thus, "While in the city to-day I saw my friend riding in a coach." Not, "I saw my friend to-day while I was in the city riding in a coach." 4. Repeat the sign of the infinitive after an intervening conjunction, especially if a verb and its object intervene. Thus, "It has always been my delight to create interest and to train pupils to think for themselves." Not, "It has always been my delight to create interest and train pupils to think for themselves." 5. Do not employ a universal subject with a negative predicate for a partial subject with a positive predicate. Thus, "Not all dates can be remembered." Not, "All dates cannot be remembered." 6. Do not use an adjective as the antecedent of a relative or an adjective pronoun. Thus, "The teacher was both kind and patient, and kindness and patience are both great virtues." Not, "The teacher was both kind and patient, which are great virtues." 7. Where there is ambiguity repeat the antecedent in a new form. Thus, "The report came that he was defeated, a statement for which he was prepared." Not, "The report came that he was defeated, for which he was prepared." 8. Use co-ordinate conjunctions to connect only similar con structions. Thus, "He attended neither one school nor the other regularly!' Not, "He neither attended one school nor the other regularly." |