OFFICIAL GRAMMAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2589, 25 May 1870, Page 3

OFFICIAL GRAMMAR

TO THE EDITOR,

"I must be cruel only to be kind."—Hamlet.

Sir—The letter of " J.D." in your Saturday's issue, induced me to refer to that of " Schoolboy " in your paper of the previous day, and I was surprised to find, though there are many errors in "Schoolboy's" letter, that " J.D." had invented one that is not to be fouod in it; for he nowhere says or assumes that "these" is the plural of " that." He may perhaps be properly accused of saying that the plural of " the " ia "these," but the passage 13 obscure and the meaning of the writer doubtful. I shall say no more about the errors of "Schoolboy," but I will point out a few into which his critic has fallen.

Ist. "When lie gets promoted," for when lie shall be promoted; more commonly written when promoted, with the words he shall be understood. Some contend that the form "when he is promoted" i 3 also correct ; but I do not like it in formal writing, although common in conversation. A man may earn promotion, and promotion may be given to him, or he may be promoted. He may get a book from a shelf, or an apple from a tree, but he cannot get promoted, for he must be the su ject of the promotion, and "get" is an active or transitive verb.

2nd. " Higher form than he occupies." This expression may "do in conversation, but in critical writing it should be "Higher form than that which he occupies." 3rd. "I do not attempt to justify the undoubted em>r contained iv the advertise ment." He does not mean to say that he does not attempt to justify an error; no oae but a fool or a knave would attempt to justify that which he knew to be an error ; unless the word "justify" be taken to mean, to plead a sufficient excuse for, or as printers use it, to adjust. He means to say that he does not attempt to justify the expression, but admits it without doubt to be an error, The phrase "undoubted error" is undoubtedly nonsense.

4th, "I think it one any man might make." Of course any man in writing may or might make any error intentionally or unintentionally (excepting forgeries and such like), but" J. D." does not mean that he means that any man is liable or likely to make such a mistake in the hurry, &c. sth. " Still less am I the champion"—Still less than what ? Why still less than "I do not attempt to justify"—Oh ! Critic! 6th, "Of our Provincial Councillors as a whole."—A whole what? a -whole CDuncillor (38 gentlemen rolled into one), or a whole council. Either idea taken with the context is nonsense.

7th. " The "correction of many of whose speeches is," What is the antecedent to "whose?" Why the "councillors as a whole." How funny the "councillors as a whole" making a speech would be ! What a Babel!

1 have not noticed all the errors of "J.D," but have shewn enough, I think, to convince him that if he is not in the "rudimentary stage of his education," he has yet much to learn before he will have mastered that very difficult; subject, English Grammar. Doubtless many of your readers can do for me as I have done for "J.D." I shall be glad to learn my faults, and will be thankful to those who will point them out. A friendly tournament anent the Queen's English might be interesting to many of your readers.— lam, &c, q, TO THE EDITOR, Sir—l fully expected some '•' sub,1' anxious to curry favour with his "chief," would be found bold enough to justify or excise the grammar of the Provincial Treasurer ; and though " J. D." ostensib'y hais from Port Chalmers, I scarcely think any of your readers will be deceived by the flimsy veil. He must indeed be a zealous admirer of our Councillors, who thus rushes to reply to my letter, by return steamer from the Port. Yon should have waited a day or two, "J. D." and folks might have believed you. And this accounts for your not having" the moral courage to give in full the quotation about " motes and beams " beginning wish " Thou hypocrite !" But 1 must ba tender with you, as admittedly you have a bad case, and therefore were bound to abuse me. Only it might have occur.cd to you that "these" might be a misprint for "those." I don't say it was, as 1 have no copy of my manuscript, and it is not worth while troubling you, Mr Editor, about iD. Again, "J. D." in his hurry, no doubt, to catch {ho return steamer, innocently reads my letter as if it stated that " these" i v s the plural of "that." If he reads again, he will not find it so, nay more than that "these " is ths plural of the article " the." I must, however, confess my igaoraaoe thus far—that I was not pre-

vionsly aware that it is any part of the duta of a gentleman of the Press "toblasphamg and tear his hair" as " J. D.» tells us But really, Sir, whether I wri;e grammatically or not, is not of much consequence —1 am not Provincial Treasurer, and therefore my errors do not disgrace the whole oroymca My reason for replying at all to J.JJ. is to mention that yesterday I heard my letter diecussed in the lobbies o£ the Council Hall, and two excuses wera assigned for the blunder in the advertise, ment. One was that though it was wrongia the Gazette, it was right in the Times and Star This is not the case, as anyone may JJ% & S"* 8 at b\ e- SG P3p9ra- Acothe* ™ that the Treasurer himself did not write the advertisement, bat one of his "subs" 1£ this be the case, I am glad of ib, and heartily apologise for blaming the Treasurer. But then, and here is the important part of the whole matter, why underpay the working officials, and consequently get inefficient men, and overpay merely nominal "heads, 1* who either do not; or can not check fhgran£ blunders ? The conclusion 1 still come to is —.Political Heads of departments are useless for work, and therefore should not be paid. lhe working officials should be paid muck higher than they a c, and where not efficient should be.dismissed. There is certainly no, use of toth being paid for the same inefficient work.-I am, &c, Schoolboy. TO THE EDITOR. Sir—ln your issue of the 20th instant appears a communication from a " Schoolboy"1 commenting upon; official grammar, as dkplayed in the Provincial Council Hall, by the Provincial Treasurer, &c. 1 pity the boy. His ignorance and self-conceit are equally apparent,; while his education ap. pears to have been sadly neglected. fa. attempting to criticise the "grammar of others he has, within the compass of » brief note, made several gross blunders ' J.D. of Port: Chalmers, has pointedout one of these.. Any boy of tea years of age will be able to discover another in the following quotation from the production of this precocious critic:—' •No doxthb the collection of clerks in the Treasury really constitate the Provincial Treasurer » &c. *

I submit Sir, it Iwould serve " Schoolboy" right did you send the letter with the name of the author to his teacher. Ife is just possible that a liberal application ot the cane might open hi 3 eyes to the necessity of paymg more attention to his lessons, and less to Council, States, Treasuries, &o. The boy evidently aims at being something by and bye; but unless greater attention be paid to his education, he certainly will never become a man qualified to take a seafc ia either of these " offices."—l am, &c

Clodhopper.

Tokomairiro, 23ird May.