Plain English Part 59

Synonyms are words which have the same meaning. For example:

Allow, permit; lazy, idle.

Our spelling lesson for this week contains a list of most of the commonly used h.o.m.onyms. Look up the meaning in the dictionary and use them correctly in sentences. You will note that in some instances there are three different words which have the same sound, but different meanings.

Notice especially _princ.i.p.al_ and _principle_. Perhaps there are no two words which we use frequently which are so confused in their spelling.

_Principle_ is a noun. _Princ.i.p.al_ is an adjective. You can remember the correct spelling by remembering that _adjective_ begins with _a_.

_Princ.i.p.al_, the adjective, is spelled with an _a_, _pal_.

Notice also the distinction between _two_, _to_ and _too_. Look these up carefully, for mistakes are very often made in the use of these three words. Also notice the words _no_ and _know_ and _here_ and _hear_.

+Monday+

Buy--by Fair--fare Meat--meet Our--hour Pain--pane

+Tuesday+

Deer--dear Hear--here New--knew No--know Peace--piece

+Wednesday+

Two--to--too Pair--pare--pear Birth--berth Ore--oar Ought--aught

+Thursday+

Seen--scene Miner--minor Aloud--allowed Stare--stair Would--wood

+Friday+

Bear--bare Ascent--a.s.sent Sight--site--cite Rain--reign--rein Rote--wrote

+Sat.u.r.day+

Great--grate Foul--fowl Least--leased Principle--princ.i.p.al Sale--sail

PLAIN ENGLISH

LESSON 17

Dear Comrade:

We are finis.h.i.+ng in this lesson the study of a very important part of speech. Adverbs are a necessary part of our vocabulary, and most of us need a greater supply than we at present possess. We usually have a few adverbs and adjectives in our vocabulary which are continually overworked. Add a few new ones to your vocabulary this week.

Do not slight the exercises in these lessons. The study of the lesson is only the beginning of the theoretical knowledge. You do not really know a thing until you put it into practice. You may take a correspondence course on how to run an automobile but you can not really know how to run a machine until you have had the practical experience. There is only one way to become expert in the use of words and that is to use them.

Every day try to talk to some one who thinks and reads. While talking watch their language and your own. When a word is used that you do not fully understand, look it up at your very first opportunity and if you like the word use it a number of times until it has become your word.

We have been following in these letters, which are our weekly talks together, the development of the alphabet. It is really a wonderful story. It brings to us most vividly the struggle of the men of the past.

Last week we found how they began to use symbols to express syllables, parts of a word. We found that this was a great step in advance. Do you not see that this was not an eye picture but an ear picture? The symbol did not stand for the picture of the object it named but each symbol stood for the sound which composed part of the word.

After a while it dawned upon some one that all the words which man used were expressed by just a few sounds. We do not know just when this happened but we do know that it was a wonderful step in advance.

c.u.mbersome pictures and symbols could be done away with now. The same idea could be expressed by a few signs which represented the few sounds which were used over and over again in all words. Let us not fail to realize what a great step in advance this was. These symbols represented sounds. The appeal was through the _ear gate_ of man, not through the _eye gate_.

Thus came about the birth of the alphabet, one of the greatest and most momentous triumphs of the human mind. Because of this discovery, we can now form thousands of combinations expressing all our ideas with only twenty-three or twenty-four symbols,--letters that represent sounds.

Since we have at our command all of this rich fund of words, let us not be content to possess only a few for ourselves. Add a word daily to your vocabulary and you will soon be surprised at the ease and fluency of your spoken and written speech; and with this fluency in speech will come added power in every part of your life.

Yours for Education,

THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.

COMPARISON OF ADVERBS

+292.+ You will recall that we found that adjectives change in form to show different degrees of quality. A few adverbs are compared the same as adjectives. Some form the comparative and superlative degree in the regular way, just as adjectives, by adding _er_ and _est_; for example:

_Positive_ _Comparative_ _Superlative_

soon sooner soonest late later latest often oftener oftenest early earlier earliest fast faster fastest

+293.+ Most adverbs form their comparative and superlative by the use of _more_ and _most_ or _less_ and _least_, just as adjectives do; for example:

_Positive_ _Comparative_ _Superlative_

clearly more clearly most clearly n.o.bly more n.o.bly most n.o.bly ably more ably most ably truly more truly most truly

Or, in the descending comparison:

clearly less clearly least clearly n.o.bly less n.o.bly least n.o.bly ably less ably least ably truly less truly least truly

+294.+ The following adverbs are compared irregularly. It would be well to memorize this list:

_Positive_ _Comparative_ _Superlative_

ill worse worst well better best badly worse worst far further (farther) furthest (farthest) little less least much more most

Some adverbs are incapable of comparison, as _here_, _there_, _now_, _today_, _hence_, _therefore_, etc.

Exercise 1

In the following sentences mark which adverbs are used in the positive, which in the comparative and which in the superlative degree:

1. He came too late to get his letter.

2. I can understand clearly since you have explained the matter to me.

3. He speaks most truly concerning a matter of which he is well informed.

4. If he comes quickly he will arrive in time.