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the twenty to follow mine own teaching.”  This is as true of expression as of morals.

Either, Neither

“Palms and beautiful flowers lined the hall on either side,” is a common but faulty form of expression.  Either refers to one of two things.  In the foregoing sentence the thought is that both sides of the hall were lined, hence the word both should have been used.  If, however, each side of the hall is thought of separately, then each, would be the proper word to employ.

“Either of the two books will please you.”  “Any of the three books will prove satisfactory.”  “Any one of the five men would make a good candidate.”  “Neither of the two men will serve.”  “None of the ten men were present.”  “Not one of all the houses was left standing.”  These sentences represent the best usage with regard to either, neither, and also of any, none, any one, not one.

These kind

Adjectives implying number must agree with the nouns which they qualify.  This and that qualify nouns in the singular; these and those belong to nouns in the plural.

“These kind of potatoes grow well in this soil.”  Use this.  “This twenty years have I known him.”
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Use these.  “The beam was two foot above my head,” Use feet.  “For this, among other reasons, I abandoned the profession.”  Say “For this reason, among others, I abandoned the profession.”  “He rides the bicycle daily, and by this means he preserves his health.”  “The partners were all honest, courteous, and industrious, and by these means acquired wealth.”  The word means being either singular or plural, the two preceding sentences are both correct.

Some means or another

“By some means or another he always gets the better part of the bargain.”  This sentence may be corrected by saying “one means or another,” or “some means or other.”

Than

After other, otherwise, else, or an adjective in the comparative degree, than should be used, and not but or except.

“No other way but this was open to him.”  Use than.

“History and philosophy cannot otherwise affect the mind but for its enlargement and benefit.”  Use than.

“Flowers are often nothing else but cultivated weeds.”  Use than.

“He no sooner entered the bridge but he met an infuriated bull coming toward him.”  Use than.
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“He offered no other objection except the one already mentioned.”  Use than.

“He read five other books on ‘Crime and Its Causes’ in addition to those you named.”  Use than.

With equal propriety we may say, “He offered no objection except the one already mentioned,” or “He read five books on ’Crime and Its Causes’ in addition to those you named.”  It is the use of the word other, or otherwise, or else, that makes necessary the correlative term than.