must know the principles of construction, the relationship of one word to
another. Therefore, it is necessary for everybody to understand at least
the essentials of the grammar of his own language.




CHAPTER VIII

PITFALLS TO AVOID

Common Stumbling Blocks--Peculiar Constructions--Misused Forms.


ATTRACTION

Very often the verb is separated from its real nominative or subject by
several intervening words and in such cases one is liable to make the
verb agree with the subject nearest to it. Here are a few examples
showing that the leading writers now and then take a tumble into this
pitfall:

(1) "The partition which the two ministers made of the powers of
government _were_ singularly happy."--_Macaulay_.

(Should be _was_ to agree with its subject, _partition_.)

(2) "One at least of the qualities which fit it for training ordinary men
_unfit_ it for _training_ an extraordinary man."--_Bagehot_.