170

Up to date. A vulgarism when used as an adjective; correctly used as an adverbial modifier.

Vulgar: His house is strictly up to date.

Right: His house is thoroughly modern.

Right: He brought the history up to date.

Very with past participles. See Too.

Vim, snap. Not in good literary use. Say "vigor," "energy," or "spirit."
Violin.

Should not be used to mean instruction in violin playing.
Crude: He has just begun violin.

Right: He has just begun to take violin lessons.

Vocal, voice. Should not be used to mean instruction in vocal music.

(See Rule 4.)

Crude: Are you keeping on with your vocal?

Right: Are you keeping on with your singing lessons [or vocal

practice]?

Crude: She is taking voice.

Right: She is taking singing lessons.

Voice.

See Vocal.

Wait on.

A vulgarism for wait for.

Wrong: If I'm not there, don't wait on me.
Right: If I'm not there, don't wait for me.

Want (1). Should not be limited by a clause as in the following sentence:

Wrong: I want you should be happy.

Right: I want you to be happy.

996 want out,
"Want in,'
""want through," etc., are vulgarisms.
Vulgar: Do you want in?
Right: Do you want to come in?

Want (2).

Way (1). A puerility for away.

(See Rule 5.)

Wrong: Way up the hill I saw a deer.
Right: Away up the hill I saw a deer.

erning it.

Way (2). Should not be used adverbially without a preposition gov.

Wrong: When he acts that way

Right: When he acts in that way

Wrong: How could a sane man act the way Beals did?

acted? [or, better] . .

... act as Beals did?

Ways for way. See Falls.

Well.

Right: How could a sane man act in the way in which Beais

This word when used merely to mark a transition (e.g., "You know MacDonald, of course. Well, last night as he stepped into his motor. . .") is a colloquialism, not proper in a formal context. When. Often improperly used for that in sentences like the following (see Rule 117):

Wrong: It was on a rainy day in April when I first saw Chicago.
on a rainy day in April that I first saw Chicago.

Wire. Rather vulgar in the sense of telegraph or telegram. (See Rule 4.) Woods for wood. See Falls.

Would better, would best, would rather. Correct, but often used under a misapprehension. See Had better.

Would have. Often incorrectly used in if clauses instead of had. Wrong: If he would have stood by us, we might have won. Right: If he had stood by us, we might have won.

Would of. See Of.

Write up.

You was. A vulgarism. You, though it may designate one person, is

Exerc

I. S taining

sense three c fect ter indicat ent par

contain

II. S tences, Some fo they fel

ing. 5. o'clock. 7. I ha

quietly their we ida, I w ground.

III. S containi containi forms.

forms of ciple, th

ing perfe

IV. S tences, f or some

Set and sit

Set and sit

Set

4. Slowly the
by little it

Lay, lie, raise, rise, set, and

too late; the
the river

load yielded to the upward force; and little
until it reached the desired point. 5. It was
ten feet. 6. Has

balloon had already

at all during the night?

V. See Set in the Glossary. Write three sentences con-
taining present indicative forms of the verb set, three con-
taining the present participle, three containing past tense
forms, and three containing perfect tense forms. Write
three sentences containing present indicative forms of the
verb sit, three containing the present participle, three con-
taining past tense forms, and three containing perfect tense
forms.

VI. See Set in the Glossary. Write the following sen-
tences, filling each blank with some form of the verb set or
some form of the verb sit: 1. The ink-well doesn't
level. 2. I enjoy
there I do not
in his arms and

in the dark. 3. How long we had
know. 4. He brought the little girl
her in a chair by the fire.

VII. Comment on the use of set in each of the following sentences, correcting all errors: 1. Around the table set four chairs. 2. She left the umbrella setting against the chair. 3. You have set a hard task. 4. He saw the pie setting on the doorstep. 5. With the spirit level, he made the table set exactly horizontal. 6. Did you notice the order in which the cups were set? 7. Ready; get set; go. 8. The bluffs appear to set back some distance from the shore.

VIII. See Lay, Raise, and Set in the Glossary. Write a short story about a balloon ascension, using the words lie, lying, lay, lain, laying, laid, rise, rising, rose, risen, raise, raising, raised, sit, sitting, sat, set, and setting.

sit

Done and

IX. Remember the principal parts of do and see.