The other meaning is made clear by the substitution of a Relative for it

Knowledge comes from study, which therefore ought to be pursued.

226. The too frequent repetition of it, standing for child, baby, animal, &c., may be avoided

(1) By using he or she.

The sentence

The horse is in the stable; it has so many points that it may be said to be of Gothic architecture

is ambiguous. The writer's meaning is clear if we substitute he for it, thus:

The horse is in the stable; he has so many points that he may be said to be of Gothic architecture.

(2) By using the Plural.

Thus the sentence

It is the duty of a child to obey every order of its parents whether it be agreeable or not

may be changed into

It is the duty of children to obey every order of their parents whether it be agreeable or not.

(3) By altering the structure of the sentence.

When once it [ringworm] is discovered on the person of any child it should be at once sent home

may be changed thus :

(a) A child on whose person it is discovered should be at once sent

home.

(b) Children on whose persons it is discovered should be at once sent home.

(4) By repeating the Noun.

The absurdity of the following sentence (from directions for the use of a feeding-bottle) would be avoided if the bottle were written instead of it.

When the baby has done feeding it must be unscrewed and laid in a cool place, say under a tap.

227. The preparatory it may be avoided

(1) By placing the logical Subject before the Verb, thus :

With preparatory it first.

It is well to wait; it is better to work.

'Tis strange the miser should his cares employ

To gain those riches he can ne'er enjoy.

With logical Subject first.

To wait is well; to work is better.

That the miser should employ his cares to gain those riches which he can never enjoy is strange.

(2) By other changes in the form of the sentence; thus:—

228. The Impersonal it may be avoided by altering the form of the sentence; thus:

229. It must not be inferred from the number of ways of avoiding it which have been suggested that the word is necessarily to be avoided. The use of it is open to objection only when ambiguity or absurdity results therefrom.

Exercise 92.

Amend the following sentences :

On revolving the incident in his mind he attempted to scale it [a precipice].

The pair have a coach and six waiting in a street to carry off Mrs. Bracegirdle to whom Hill has been making love. As she is going home to supper they try to force her into it.

One day we were watching him [a cat] lying on the grass with only its tail moving.

He [a cat] could not get it [a mouse which was in a jar], so up he sprang, put his paws on the jar, pulled it over and eat it up.

After thinking it [the cat] jumped up and turned the jar over and caught hold of it and eat it up.

The feat was, however, successfully and most cleverly accomplished some few years ago by Mr. Gould, the eminent ornithologist, and it [a kingfisher's nest] is now to be seen in the British Museum.

The house was soon filled with smoke, but Superintendent K. with a bucket of water soon succeeded in quenching it.

It is indisputably true his assertion though it is a paradox. [Omit both its and re-arrange.]

The wind blew down the wall; it was very high. [Give in separate sentences the two meanings possible.]

...

Andrew owned a donkey. He said that it lived on the grass which grew beside the road, but the farmers said that he turned it into their fields. To-day it misbehaved; it nearly threw me over its head, so I put it in your. clover-field to punish it.

It was our intention to present our readers this month with a woodcut, but we have been compelled to hold it over until our next issue. There is one consolation in this disappointment, it has yet to come.

Personal Pronouns.

230. The functions of it are more varied than those of the Pronouns properly called Personal, but most of the rules given for avoiding a too frequent repetition of it apply to the other Pronouns also, as the following examples will show :

(1) We do not find in the Bible

He cannot leave his father, for if he should leave him he would die ;

but we find the Noun repeated-

The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father his father would die.-Gen., xliv., 22.

The following may be taken as a general rule :

'Never write a Personal Pronoun without duly considering what Noun it will, upon a review of the sentence, be found to relate to. There must be a Noun expressed or understood to which the Pronoun clearly relates, or you will not write sense.'-COBBETT, Grammar, § 178.

(2) The sentence

Brown saw Jones as he was walking in the park; he wished to see him because he knew that he had a message for him

is ambiguous. Who was walking in the park? If Brown, we can begin

As Brown was walking in the park he saw Jones.

If Jones, we can begin

As Jones was walking in the park Brown saw him.

meaning intended,

We will suppose that the first represents the and that it was Brown who wished to see Jones. The whole sentence can then be amended thus:

As Brown was walking in the park he saw Jones, whom he wished to see, having heard that he had a message for him.

A Relative has been substituted for one he, and another he has been suppressed by the use of a Participial Phrase.

(3) The narrative of Anastasia's sister Elizabeth related the history of the events by which she had been killed.

Anastasia must have been the one killed, but this would more clearly appear if we re-arranged the sentence thus:

The narrative of Elizabeth related the history of the events by which her sister Anastasia had been killed.

The sentence is still faulty- the narrative of Elizabeth related the history' being tautological.

(4) Mrs. Brown presents her compliments to Mrs. Robinson. She has been referred to her by Miss Jones. She states that she has been in her service as governess for three years. She would be obliged if she would tell her whether she found her amiable and efficient.

The disagreeable repetition of Pronouns would be best avoided by turning the note' into a letter; thus:

6

I have been referred to you by Miss Jones, who states that she has been in your service as governess for three years. I should be obliged if you would tell me whether you found her amiable and efficient.

But, if the note' form must be retained, the following rendering is somewhat clearer than the original :

Mrs. Brown presents her compliments to Mrs. Robinson, to whom she has been referred by Miss Jones, who states that she has been in her service

H

1

as governess for three years. Mrs. Brown would be obliged if Mrs. Robinson would tell her whether she found Miss Jones amiable and efficient.

231. Persons who write notes sometimes find a difficulty in preserving the Third Person, as the following example shows:

Mr. Smith presents his compliments to Mr. Jones and begs to send the bookcase which I hope will be found as he ordered it. He has not been able to put plate-glass in the windows, thinking it too heavy for light work such as this of mine, but has put thinner glass which I trust will give satisfaction. Mr. Smith will be obliged if Mr. Jones will settle the enclosed account, and I am your humble servant, T. SMITH.

232. The use of the Third Person often causes ambiguity in the reports of conversations, as in the following example:

Witness deposed that he had met M. who said that he had called upon him the day before because he was aware that an article would appear in that morning's issue and he hoped if he could have seen him that he could have prevented the article's appearing. He did not think he made any reply. He then parted with him and went to the company's office, where he reported the conversation he had with him. His directors then gave him instructions as to what he was to do.

233. This confused report will become clear if written in the First Person; thus:

Witness deposed:-' I met M. who said, "I called upon you yesterday be. cause I was aware that an article would appear in this morning's issue and I hoped that if I could have seen you I could have prevented the article's appearing." I do not think I made any reply. I then parted with him and went to the company's office, where I reported the conversation I had had with him. My directors then gave me instructions as to what I was to do.'

Exercise 93.

Amend the following sentences :

Over ten years ago the late Mrs. B. suggested the idea to me for her daughter Miss Isabella B. A rough scenario was prepared and the piece practically started. Her lamented death [it was Mrs. B. who died] put an end for the time being to the matter.

The first witness examined was the uncle of the deceased who deposed that the boy and his father had resided [why not lived?] with him for some time, but in consequence of some remarks he made to his brother the latter took him away to his grandmother's house.