PREPOSITIONS

Be careful to use the proper prepositions in all connections.

Say different from, not different to.

We say a man lives on, not in, a street, an avenue, etc. Children play in the street, but on the pavement.

One writes under, not over, a signature. The preposition has no reference to the place of the signature.

Do not overwork on the part of. This phrase is often used where by or among is to be preferred, as, Much patriotism is displayed on the part of the Greeks.

Say off, not off from or off of. He fell off his horse, or He fell from his horse.

Discriminate carefully between beside and besides. The first is always a preposition and means either by the side of, as, He stood beside me, or aside from, or out of, as, This is beside our present purpose; He was beside himself for joy. Besides is either preposition or adverb: as the former it means in addition to, as Several others were present besides those you saw; as adverb it means moreover or more than that, as There were, besides, many pompous volumes.

Be careful with between and among; between is used with reference to two persons, parties or things; among with reference to many: In this city Democrats and Republicans divide the offices between them; in some cities they are distributed among all the parties.

Distinguish between in and into. Into implies action. A man goes into his house and then he is in the house.

A person dies of typhoid fever rather than from typhoid fever.

Distinguish between consist in and consist of. Virtue consists in right living. The family consists of seven persons.

A book is illustrated with sketches and it is illustrated by the artist who made the sketches.

Omit from from the phrases from hence, from thence, from whence.

MIRROR OF THE PUBLIC MIND . . . INTERPRETER OF THE PUBLIC INTENT . . . TROUBLER OF THE PUBLIC CONSCIENCE.