Dear Comrade:
There are really two things which will come to us out of the study of
grammar. One of these, which we discussed in our letter last week, is
the power of logical thinking. The second is the ability to express our
thoughts correctly; that is, according to accepted usage. So you can
consider your spoken and written speech from two viewpoints. First, you
can look to see if you have used the words correctly. We have noted
these common errors especially in our study of the various parts of
speech. There are certain errors we often make, as for example, using a
plural noun with a singular verb, or using the past time form of the
verb for the past participle.
We have noted a great many of these errors in our speech. We might make
ourselves understood and express ourselves fairly accurately and still
make these mistakes, but it is wise for us to try to eliminate them from
our speech for several reasons. To those who understand the use of
correct English, these mistakes mark us as ignorant and uneducated. No
matter how important and absolutely accurate the thought we are
expressing, if we make these grammatical errors, they very naturally
discount our thought also. They feel that if we cannot speak correctly,
in all probability we cannot think accurately, either.
Then, too, these words in our speech distract the attention of our
hearers from the things which we are saying. It is like the mannerism of
an actor. If he has any peculiar manner of walking or of talking and
persists in carrying that into whatever character he is interpreting, we
always see the actor himself, instead of the character which he is
portraying. His mannerisms get in the way and interfere with our grasp
of the idea.
So in music. You may be absorbed in a wonderful selection which some one
is playing and if suddenly he strikes a wrong note, the discord
distracts your attention and perhaps you never get back into the spirit
of the music again.
So we must watch these common errors in our speech, but we must not let
our study of English be simply that alone. The greatest benefit which we
are deriving from this study is the analytic method of thought and the
logical habit of mind, which the effort to express ourselves clearly and
accurately and in well-chosen words will give us. Put as much time as
you can possibly spare into this analysis of sentences. Take your
favorite writer and analyze his sentences and find out what is his
particular charm for you. If there is any sentence which gives you a
little trouble and you cannot analyze it properly, copy it in your next
examination paper and state where the difficulty lies. Rewrite the
passages which please you most and then compare your version with the
author's and see if you really grasped his meaning. In this way you will
add quickly to your enjoyment of the writing of others and to your power
of expressing yourself.
Yours for Freedom,