Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 303, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1920 — HOW DO YOU SAY IT? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOW DO YOU SAY IT?

By C. N. Lurie

Common Errprs in English and How to Avoid Them

DOUBLE NEGATIVES. ALTHOUGH the doable negative—that is, the use of two words to express the negative when one is needed—is found In early English and in other languages, Its use in English nowadays Is incorrect The use of such phrases as "She don’t want none,” "I can’t do no more,” “We don’t know nothing,” etc., marks the careless speaker. They are found seldom In writing, since the very act of writing, save In letters by the uneducated. Induces a mdre careful selection of words than does speaking. Shakespeare says, “I cannot go no further,” but in this the unsurpassed writer probably followed the usage of his own times; a modern writer or speaker would say, "I can go no further,” or “I cannot go any further." Similar to the use of the double negatives, and similarly erroneous, are such sentences as the following: “I haven’t had hardly a night’s sleep,” “I cannot get but one suit of clothes.” Say, have had hardly * a night’s sfiSepH can get but one suit” (Copyright.)