matter. 21.  The greater part of the audience was (were) pleased. 22.  The public is (are) respectfully invited. 23.  The jury was (were) not unanimous. 24.  Generation after generation pass (passes) away. 25.  A glimpse of gable roof and red chimneys add (adds) far more to
    the beauty of such a scene than could the grandest palace.
26.  The society hold (holds) their (its) meetings weekly. 27.  What is (are) the gender, the number, and the person of the
    following words?
28.  He made one of the best speeches that has (have) been delivered
    before the school.
29.  He is one of those persons who is (are) quick to take offence. 30. This (these) scanty data is (are) all we have. 31.  If the meaning of these passages is not carefully explained, some of
    the congregation may think that Matthew or Paul is (are) guilty of
    some unorthodox opinions.

MISUSED VERBS.—­See the remarks under “Misused Nouns.”

I. A RESEMBLANCE IN SOUND MISLEADS.

ACCREDIT, CREDIT.—­’To accredit means ’to invest with credit or authority,’[91] or ‘to send with letters credential;’ to credit means ’to believe,’[92] or “to put to the credit of.”

ARISE, RISE.—­“The choice between these words was primarily, and still often is, a matter of rhythm [euphony].  The literal meanings, however, or those which seem literal, have become more associated with rise, and the consciously figurative with arise:  as, he rose from the chair; the sun rose; the provinces rose in revolt:  trouble arose; ‘music arose with its voluptuous swell.’"[93]

CAPTIVATE, CAPTURE.—­To captivate means “to fascinate”; to capture, “to take prisoner.”

DEPRECIATE, DEPRECATE.—­To depreciate means “to bring down in value,” “to disparage;” to deprecate means “to argue earnestly against” or “to express regret for.”

IMPUGN, IMPUTE.—­To impugn means “to call in question;” to impute means “to ascribe to.”

Loan, lend.—­The use of loan as a verb is not sanctioned by good use.  Properly the word is a noun.  A loan is money which a person lends.

[91] “Foundations,” p. 109. [92] A.S.  Hill:  Principles of Rhetoric, revised edition, p. 38. [93] The Century Dictionary.

EXERCISE LV.

Tell the difference in meaning between—­

1.  The Amazon captivated (captured) our hero. 2.  The king depreciated (deprecated) Napoleon’s effort to raise a new
   army.
3.  The readiness with which men impute (impugn) motives is much to be
   regretted.

EXERCISE LVI.