401. "His _surname_ is Clifford:" never spell the _sur_ in "surname" _sir_, which shows an ignorance of its true derivation, which is from the Latin.
402. "The buildings are so old that they pay _almost no rent_ now:" _scarcely any rent_, is better.
403. "His _mamma_ sent him to a preparatory school:" _mamma_ is often written with one _m_ only, which is not, as may at first be supposed, in imitation of the French _maman_, but in sheer ignorance.
404. Active verbs often take a neuter sense; as, "_The house is building_:" here, _is building_ is used in a neuter signification, because it has no object after it. By this rule are explained such sentences as, "_Application is wanting_;" "_The Grammar is printing_," &c.
405. "He _attackted_ me without the slightest provocation:" say, _attacked_.
406. "I called on him every day in the week _successfully_:" very common, but incorrect; say, _successively_.
407. "I fear I shall _discommode_ you:" it is better to say, _incommode_.
408. "I can do it _equally as well as_ he:" leave out _equally_, which is superfluous.
409. "We could not forbear _from_ doing it:" leave out _from_, which is unnecessary; or say, _refrain from_.
410. "He was totally dependent _of_ his father:" say, dependent _on_ his father.
411. "They accused him _for_ neglecting his duty:" say, _of_ neglecting, &c.
412. "They have a great resemblance _with_ each other:" say, _to_ each other.
413. "I entirely dissent _with_ him:" say, _from_ him.
414. "He was made much _on_ at the Springs:" say, made much _of_, &c.
415. "He is a man _on_ whom you can confide:" say, _in_ whom, &c.
416. "He was obliged to _fly_ the country:" say, _flee_ the country. A very common mistake.
417. "The snuffers _wants_ mending:" say, _want_ mending. No one would say, "My _pantaloons is_ ripped."
418. "His conduct admits _of_ no apology:" omit _of_, which is quite unnecessary.
419. "A _gent_ has been here inquiring for you:" a detestable, but very common expression; say, a _gentleman_ has been, &c. Oliver Wendell Holmes hits off this liberty with language, in the following happy couplet:--
"The things called _pants_, in certain documents, Were never made for _gentlemen_, but _gents_."
420. "That was _all along of_ you:" say, "That was _all your fault_."