Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1898 — Common Errors in Speech. [ARTICLE]

Common Errors in Speech.

Ito verb to get Is one of our much misused words; it means to acquire, Win, obtain; and, primarily, ft signifies (to putting forth of effort to attain ■nothing. Consequently Mr is not only Mpsrfluous, but Incorrect, to speak of ■ Han as “getting drowned" or "getting tofcf and you may, unfortunately, Hmvs n cold," btA it is lmpossHle that you “have got a cold.” At this moment no exceptions occur to the writer to the (tile that got should never be used In Maaectton with have, which alone sosIdHtb expresses possession. Aw *i

nave tne picture,” not "I have got the picture!" “The dog has a broken leg.” not “The dog has got a broken leg." rhe irregular verbs lay and lie are fre quently confounded. Lay Is an active or transitive verb, and lie Is passive or Intransitive. We lay things down or lave laid them down; but we and things fie at rest You He down, have lain down, will lie down, or are lying down; she lay down yesterday and is going to lie down this afternoon. A frequent error is to confound the past tenses of these verbs. One should say, “Mary aid the book on the table, and lay down Herselfbut the book lies go the table, Dseooreut Magazine.