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Bechtel, John Hendricks, 1841-

"Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking"

" Use former and latter.
"New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago are the most populous cities in
the United States. The former has long been at the front; the latter
has only recently entered the race." Use first and last instead of
former and latter.
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These, Those
When objects near and remote are referred to, this and its plural
these are applied to the objects near at hand, that and its plural
those to objects at a distance.
When reference is made to contrasted antecedent terms, this and these
are applied to the latter; that and those to the former, as
"Farewell my friends! farewell my foes!
My peace with these, my love with those!"
-- Burns.
Fictitious Writer
Do not say a fictitious writer when you mean a writer of fiction.
Firstly
First is an adverb as well as an adjective. We should, therefore, say
first, secondly, thirdly, and not firstly, secondly, etc.
First-rate
An article may be rated in quality as first, or second, or third.


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