Principles of Grammar

Leonard Peikoff

LECTURE ONE—Basic Grammatical Concepts

1. Subject-Predicate
Many are the days I met him.
Where is your mother?
There are three dogs on the corner.

2. Phrases
The cow jumped over the moon.
The cow was jumping up and down.
Jumping up and down like a maniac, the cow had a heart attack.

3. Clauses
when I left for Paris
what he said

4. Gerund Running is a lot of work.

Participle Running quickly, he soon tired.
Infinitive To run is sweet.

5. Simple Subject, Simple Predicate

Most governments in the world employ evil forms of coercion.
Sick with grief, I have been suffering for weeks.

6. Adverb as Sentence or Clause Modifier

Honestly, she is nearly always sloppy.
He cheated, so he failed.

7. Speech Part determined by role in Sentence

My home is yours.
Home in on the enemy plan.
The home team lost the game.
I went home for dinner.
We lost the round.
She went round the bend.
He went round and round.
We round the corner at noon.
His shoulders are round.

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8. Noun-Verb-Modifier structure
The tall boys read easily and quickly.
Many men are too studious.

9. Complement-Object
John hit the ball.
John hit it.
He likes running.
He wants to go.
He is happy.

10. Adjective Phrases—Prepositional

The man from Denver
crates of green vegetables
a knife for cutting meat

11. Adverb Phrases—Prepositional

I dived into the water.
He missed the wall by six feet.
Never in a million years will he admit defeat.
It was too close for comfort.

12. Participial Phrase—Adjective

Darting up the wall, the mouse escaped.
Gerund Phrase—Noun
The knocking at the gate was irksome.
Infinitive as Adverb
She put a pie into the oven to bake.
Infinitive as Adjective
He is a man to reckon with.
Infinitive as Noun
To heckle a speaker is rude.

13. Adjective Clause

I need a hat that is light but warm.
Adverb Clause
After he reflected on the matter, he apologized.
Noun Clause—Subject
What he will decide is important.
Noun Clause—Object
She knows what he will decide.
(Main clauses underscored.)

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HOMEWORK 1

Parse the following.

1. When Jack came into the room, he began to remove his coat. A wise move.

2. Coming into the room, Jack began to remove his coat.

3. Italy owes a historic debt to her great sculptors. A debt she can never repay.

Appositives: J ohn Smith, my uncle, was very famous.

 My uncle, J. Smith, the author of Destiny, was famous.
 The word “ain’t” is not in good repute.
 The idea that wealth is important is true.

4. Learning may be easy, if you are learning from a good teacher, but teaching is work.

5. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what
they did here.

6. I t is not enough that a man do the right thing, that his acts be in accord with duty; the moral
man must act from duty; he must do his duty simply because it is his duty.

7. T
 his was the Taggart Terminal, she thought, this room, not the giant concourse in New
York—this was her goal, the end of track, the point beyond the curve of the earth where
the two straight lines of rail met and vanished, drawing her forward—as they had drawn
Nathaniel Taggart—this was the goal Nathaniel Taggart had seen in the distance and this was
the point still holding the straight-line glance of his lifted head above the spiral motion of
men in the granite concourse.

Identify any errors in the use of modifiers.

1. The bell sounded loudly and clearly, and still waters run deeply, but even so I feel real well.

2. W
 here vacation dissatisfaction existed, advance recreation planning had been insignificant—
a problem particularly acute among mathematics students who forget basic philosophy
principles.

3. Newspaper headline: Macmillan refuses bank rate rise leak probe.

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LECTURE TWO—Subordination and Coordination

1. Fragments
He thought as much as he observed, more in fact.
He thought as much as he observed. More in fact.

2. Simple Sentences
The boy spoke to the teacher. He was frightened. The teacher was angry. The boy spoke
softly. He wanted to appease the teacher. The boy wanted a higher grade. The teacher refused.
The teacher is cruel. Maybe he is trying to be fair.

3. Compound Sentences
The boy spoke to the teacher. He was frightened, and the teacher was angry. The boy spoke
softly, for he wanted to appease the teacher. The boy wanted a higher grade, but the teacher
refused. The teacher is cruel, or maybe he is trying to be fair.

4. C
 omplex Sentences
(a) Although the teacher was angry and the boy frightened, the boy spoke to the teacher.
Speaking softly, so that he might appease the teacher, he asked for a higher grade. But the
teacher, who is either cruel or trying to be fair, refused.

(b) When they spoke, the teacher was angry and the boy was frightened. By speaking softly
as he asked for a higher grade, the boy tried to appease the teacher. But the teacher, who
refused the request, is cruel.

5. E
 ffects of Subordination
I met him. I was impressed.
I met him, and I was impressed.
When I met him, I was impressed.
I met him, which impressed me.

6. T
 he Senator rose to his feet, announcing World War III.
Rising to his feet, the Senator announced World War III.

7. T
 he student failed his exam. He became a general later.
The student who failed his exam became a general later.
The student who later became a general failed his exam.
After the student failed his exam, he became a general.
Although the student failed his exam, he became a general.
Because the student failed his exam, he became a general.

8. Coordinating Conjunctions:
and, but, or, for, nor, yet

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9. C
 onjunctive Adverbs (coordinating):
so, therefore, hence, moreover, also, thus, still, accordingly, however, conse­quently,
furthermore, nevertheless, besides, etc.

10. H
 e came and he ran.
He came; he also ran.
He came so that he might run.

11. Subordinating Conjunctions:

if, unless, when, before, after, while, since, as long as, where, although, because, so that, as,
why, who, which, what, that, etc.

12. A
 s he rose, the alarm sounded.
As he had failed the exam, he was expelled.
He wrote as I expected him to.

13. Overlapping Subordination

He was different from the other Republicans, who found that he was a man who had no
children who were old enough to vote.

14. Misplaced Adjective Clause

He put the ring on her finger with a smile that he had bought at Tiffany’s.

15. S quinting Construction

The man who was addressing us loudly condemned the proposal.

16. Main Clause in place of Noun Clause

Augustine considered the essence of sin is to rebel against God.

17. Adverb Clause in place of Noun Clause

The reason I failed was because I didn’t study.

18. “Like” and “As”

Few have observed like you have done. (Darwin, quoted in F.)
None of them talked like they belonged in a university.
Few men like you have been observed.
You are treating me like a fool.
You are treating me as a fool would.

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HOMEWORK 2

Identify the errors—in subordination and/or the use of conjunctions—in the following, and rewrite
appropriately.

1. There are thousands of boys with college educations that are out of work. (F&S)

2. Now, like the twenties, inflation is a real danger.

3. As he predicted the enslavement and destruction of mankind, the President took a sip of water.

4. A debate is where two people argue back and forth.

5. I had been standing idly on the corner for an hour when an explosion that killed hundreds of
men occurred.

6. It was raining in the morning, while it cleared up later.

7. L
 ast Tuesday, an event occurred in my life that I shall always
remember.

8. As Aristotle before him, Aquinas was a champion of logic.

9. W
 e are saying things here which the world will little note, while they did things here which
the world can never forget.

10. A
 psychological session which was the turning point in her recovery from schizophrenia
then began.

11. He offered a proposal to repeal the Income Tax Amendment which is extremely controversial.

12. H
 e liked the books which were in the bookcase which he had bought at the auction he attended
during the Fair which was held at Christmas and which held volumes which were famous in
many circles which he encountered when he pursued his avocation which he enjoyed.

13. Like his colleague, his conduct was wicked.

14. Most of our trouble is because we think too little about ethics.

15. I thought about my problems a great deal, finally concluding that I am basically worthless.

Combine the following into a unified sentence, with appropriate subordination.

 nglish is a difficult language. The homework in this course takes too much time. Grammar
E
is worth studying. The teacher goes too fast. Subordination in English is especially difficult.

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LECTURE THREE—Subordination and Coordination

1. Sentence ending as Emphatic

I believe, however, that you have failed.
However, you have failed, I believe.
I believe that you have failed, however.

2. Periodic Sentence and Climax

The leading figure of German philosophy, the author of the anti-Enlighten­ment, the final
destroyer of civilization, is Kant.
The leading figure of German philosophy is Kant, who was the author of the anti-Enlightenment
and the final destroyer of civilization.

3. Repetition and Emphasis

Now let us turn to the branch of philosophy called metaphysics. Metaphysics studies the
universe as a whole. The nature of reason is not part of the field. Metaphysics studies reality,
not knowledge—facts, not cognition—that which is, not how man comes to discover it.

4. Improper Repetition
He believed that people would believe his story, since he had reported on the trip since seeing you.

5. E
 xcessive Negation
He did not think that studying Latin was much use, so he was not often on time and did not
pay any attention to his teacher, in whom he did not have much confidence.

6. Parallelism
The first was Mr. A, and the second was Mr. B.
The first was Mr. A, the second being Mr. B.
The first was Mr. A, and the second’s name was B.

I f you study, and if you read the notes, you will do well.
If you study, and assuming that you read . . .
If you study, and should you read . . .

7. He said that it was wrong and that he for his part would not do it.

8. Parallelism after Correlatives

Justice is a crucial virtue for an employer, not only in the selection of employees, but also in
the treatment of them.
Justice is a crucial virtue for an employer, not only in the selection of employees, but also in
treating them.
Justice is a crucial virtue for an employer, not only as regards the
selection of employees, but also in treating them.

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9. Faulty Parallelism
The patient was told to call the doctor and that he would hear the
diagnosis from him.
This book is well-plotted, profound, and entertains most of its readers.

10. Wordiness
There is no doubt but that he is tall.
After he comes in, he then takes off his clothes.
Courage, independence, strength—these are three necessary essentials that every explorer
must have.

11. Excessive Predication

The tourists drove for a period of three days and they then arrived at Padua; this is a bustling
city, and it is located quite close to Venice.

12. Reduction of Predication

We gazed at the water of the lake, and it was as clear as crystal.
We gazed at the water of the lake, which was as clear as crystal.
The water of the lake, clear as crystal, held our gaze.
We gazed at the crystal (-clear water of the) lake.

13. Incomplete Thought

In my years at school, I have written many final examinations, and I always feel stark terror.
Russia is an excellent example of no element of individualism.
She was as loud, if not louder than, her sister.

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HOMEWORK 3

Identify the errors (faulty parallelism, incomplete thought, or wordiness), and rewrite correctly.

1. They always have and always will take their car to work.

2. A
 ll of the people that are required to be here for us to be able to make up a quorum are now
physically present and in attendance.

3. Either you must obey logic or court disaster.

4. A
 s regards the responsibility of the children for their behavior, I must observe that I agree
with the committee who found that no such responsibility could be discovered or verified in
any way, shape or form.

5. This ashtray is in a sense large and also, if the word may be used, expensive.

6. P
 eople take many risks for various reasons, such as making money, for the fun of it, and
because they are forced to do so. (F&S)

7. Germany recently acquired a country which was formed from the World War. (F&S)

8. The new President is very conservative and hated by liberals.

9. The veal was so good; I couldn’t have found a better restaurant if I had tried to look before.

10. Ours is a political party that is devoted not to words but action.

11. I have an interest and feeling for sculpture.

12. I t was a long time after we had grown up that I saw my sister again and this time it was not
the same as it had been when we used to meet in a little town which was near L.A. where we
had grownup, because she had a baby with her who had just been born and I was years older
and felt much more mature.

13. There are several people not interviewed yet and whom I shall see now.

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LECTURE FOUR—Verbs and Pronouns

1. P
 ast Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect
(had) (have) (will have)
__________________________________________________
PAST PRESENT FUTURE

2. U
 se of Pluperfect
The new schedule excited me more than I (had) anticipated.

3. Use of Present Perfect

He made several visits last year.
He has made several visits this year.

4. Sequence of Tenses
She is asking us to bring as much as we can.
She asked us to bring as much as we could.
She asked us to bring as much as we can.
She is asking us to bring as much as we could.

5. Shift of Tense
First on the program was the concerto, in which all the soloists take part.
The children have begun to cry because their father (has) abandoned them.

6. Use of Subjunctive
The prisoner sees his lawyer.
I recommend that the prisoner see his lawyer.

7. Subjunctive in contrary-to-fact conditions

If I were you, I would find out the truth.
Even if he were here, it would make no difference.
He acts as if he were an athlete.
He acts as if he were (is) sick.

8. Sequence of Moods
If he is a painter, he will not ignore Florence.
If he were a painter, he would not ignore Florence.
If he was a painter, he did not ignore Florence.
If he had been a painter, he would not have ignored Florence.

9. Shift of Mood
A judge ought to punish the guilty men, and above all don’t let anybody try to bribe him.
Lace is effeminate and frills be hanged!
If he is a painter, he would not ignore Florence.

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10. Active vs. Passive Voice

With a smile, Bill hit the final run of the game.
The final run of the game was hit by Bill with a smile.

11. Shift of Voice or Person

Mary studied art, and her free time was spent playing cards.
Workers will like the new cafe, because you need not leave work to eat.
We have reached a stage where one ought to be ready for war.

12. Past Participles

Dismayed by the poorly lighted streets, they turned back home.

13. Tense of Participles

Running quickly, he passed his competitors.
Having run home, he was exhausted.

14. Past Passive Gerund

I learned a great deal by having been taken to the cleaners.

15. Participle
Women having the vote share power with men.

Gerund
Women’s having the vote reduces men’s power.

“Fused Participle” (F)

Women having the vote reduces men’s power.

16. Participle vs. Gerund

Upon you leaving the room, I shall pay the rent I owe.
We caught John running away.
We could not think of him/his acting the part.

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HOMEWORK 4

Write out the following forms

1. first person singular pluperfect (progressive) indicative passive of HOLD

2. second person plural present perfect indicative active of KILL

3. third person singular present subjunctive passive of BLESS

Correct any errors in verbs or verbals.

1. Did she finish yet?

2. The David is the greatest work Michelangelo has ever created.

3. It is absolutely crucial that you are ready to leave by noon.

4. The office was very busy, but finally we had caught up on the work.

5. If a man finds that other men be richer than he, he must change his course.

6. If Aristotle and Locke accepted Plato’s politics, we would not have freedom today.

7. I am outraged by you begging for money, although it should result in us getting a handout.

8. Gold may seem to be a good investment, but it might not remain one for long.

9. Returning to New York City, the Senator went at once to the theater.

10. If Smith should be nominated, he will agree to run.

11. Y
 ou would not have said that word, I assume, if you had known how much it would have
shocked me.

12. I have stopped drinking because I heard no more criticism.

13. He explained in detail what the Law of Gravitation means.

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LECTURE FIVE—Verbs and Pronouns

1. Subject and Object of Infinitive

I wanted him to cry.
To eat apples is good.

2. Perfect Infinitive
I would like to have lived in Aristotle’s time.
I would have liked to live in Aristotle’s time.
I would have liked to have lived in Aristotle’s time.

3. Split Infinitive (F&S)

It frightened the girl to suddenly find herself in this position.

4. Dangling Participle
Watching the movie, the candy soon disappeared.

Dangling Gerund
By polishing the silver, your table can be pretty.

Dangling Infinitive
To see properly, eyeglasses must be clean.

5. Relative Pronoun vs. Pure Conjunction

The car that I bought was expensive.
The car that is on the street is mine.
The idea that man can lift a ton is absurd.

6. “Fearful Subjective”
This money belongs only to you and I.
Everyone but Tom and he entered the race.
A group of we girls went shopping yesterday.

7. “Fearful Objective”
Two and two, I know (he says, we may think, etc.), is four.
O’Henry is a writer whom I think will be read for centuries.
Who/Whom shall I say is calling?

8. Case in Subordinate Clause

He will fine who(m)ever wastes time, and who(m)ever he hates.
He has respect for who(m)ever has money.

9. Agreement with proper Antecedent

Plato is among the Greeks who have influenced mankind.
Plato is the only one of the Greeks who has written many dialogues.

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10. Noun-Verb Agreement

A list of many books, in addition to thousands of phonograph records, have been given to the
public library. The staff has conflicting opinions about this gift. The one thing I myself do not
like are the obscenities in these books.

11. Pronouns with more than one possible Antecedent

Bill warned his uncle that he would be leaving on Tuesday.
He sat by the window all day and worked steadily at his editing of the magazine that had been
lying on the corner table. It was too small to give much light.

12. Broad Reference

Babe Ruth was hitless during the game, which caused much comment.
. . ., which many men attended.

13. E
 cho loved Narcissus, but he loved himself even more; this is true in real life, too.
We were asked to remove our coats, which we did happily.

13. Same Pronoun with different Antecedents

Although it is cool by the lake, it looks full of swimmers.

14. Restrictive vs. Non-restrictive Clauses

Grand pianos, which are uncommon, are necessary to
modern orchestras.
Grand pianos which are out of tune are a performer’s nightmare.

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HOMEWORK 5

Correct any errors in the use of verbals or pronouns.

1. P
 eople like she and Ted are disgusting; I would have been ashamed to have told their story to
my father, who is an old and tired man.

2. I cannot afford my hobby, which is the cause of all my trouble.

3. I shall follow whoever they choose as their leader—or whomever else is in charge.

4. The day passed quickly, eating cake and playing poker.

5. When on top of the Empire State Building, happiness was easy to feel.

6. You knew it to be I, and I knew it was him.

7. I left her and hitchhiked to Denver. It was terrible.

8. Dictatorship is said to cause more evil in history than war did.

9. Each of us who is now living is destined to witness the rebirth of reason.

10. Three shots rang out. Two of the servants fell dead. The other went through his hat. (F&S)

11. To win the election, a proper campaign is needed.

12. M
 y worst fault is my inability to express myself emphatically on paper. But this is not true
when I am speaking aloud.

13. Rewrite without any pronouns.

The baby lost the toy. When it lost it, it was too dark, it seems, to do anything about it.

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LECTURE SIX—Punctuation

1. Woman without her man would be lost.

2. The jar, however, being light, and, therefore, not round, was costly.

3. Comma separating Main Clauses

I went to the bank, and the teller told me I was bankrupt.
Jack came into the room, for Harry did not want to go.
He ate and he drank until he fainted.
He asked for the answer; but I did not know it.

4. Semi-colon separating Main Clause (S&W)

It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark.
It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark.
It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark.

5. Semi-colon with Conjunctive Adverb

He asked if we wanted to leave; therefore, we took the elevator.

6. Commas separating Parenthetical Elements

Given the huge number of Americans who do not belong to any union, we have a good
chance of combatting the influence of the AFL-CIO.
His mouth, though filled with peanuts, still issued commands.
He will, without any hesitation, betray his country.
We sang, that is, until it was dark.

7. U
 .S. foreign policy, or lack of it, is the cause of Russia’s success.
U.S. foreign policy—or lack of it—is the cause of Russia’s success.
U.S. foreign policy (or lack of it) is the cause of Russia’s success.

8. Restrictive vs. Non-restrictive Clauses

Grand pianos, which are uncommon, are necessary to
modern orchestras.
Grand pianos which are out of tune are a performer’s nightmare.

9. Improper use of Relative Pronoun “that”

A grand piano, that is expensive, is a needless luxury.

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10. Role of Commas to indicate Non-restrictive Relative Clauses

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Your new car which is parked in the garage is badly dented.
She spent her time feeding ice cream to the children who were good.
The best idea that Jack got was to go dancing.
The dog who loves his master is an ideal pet.
A study of space leads us to contradictions which are impossible, according to the human
mind, but which exist nevertheless.

11. Commas with other Non-restrictive Elements

At the end of August, when fall was approaching, I decided to quit my job.
Beaten, I fell to my knees.
She loves my favorite composer, Rachmaninoff.
The idea that socialism is good is ridiculous.
Many evil people, such as Hitler and Stalin, were once in power.
People such as Hitler and Stalin were evil.

12. Serial Comma

He likes to speak French, German and Italian.
Modern women do not wish to remain home, cook, and nurse children. (F&S)

13. Comma to prevent misreading

Before eating the girls peeled the vegetables.
After all the trouble we took is worth it.

14. Comma with Confluence

Many, if not most of the children were tired.

15. Invalid Comma—separating Verb and Object

The book says, that the ship sank without a trace.

16. Indirect-Direct Discourse Switch—Invalid Question Mark

My friend asked whether I knew the truth, and, if so, would it be important for him to learn it also?

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HOMEWORK 6

Add or subtract commas as required.

1. W
 e did not see the women in rags, nor the men in tatters. We do not like to see such careless shoddy
apparel in our bright public dining room nor do we feel that all things considered, it is proper.

2. T
 he man whom I saw yesterday told me that Jones whom I called last week was out of town;
nevertheless I made a list of books which have influenced me greatly. (I always buy Jones’s
books which have influenced me greatly.)

3. That officer down the block has, in hardly a single case, given speeders a ticket.

4. A
 nother of the changes suggested by the board, is the suspension of final exams. A student, it
seems, should not have to work, when he reaches his senior year.

5. T
 hey brought our meals which, whether hot or cold, sweet or spicy, made of tomatoes imported
from France or baked with cheese flown directly from Italy, we ate uncomplainingly all day
long and into the night.

6. I loved the smooth grey of the beech stem, the silky texture of the birch and the rugged pine. (F)

7. Walking towards the building, I saw her confiding to her lover what, she thought, the truth was.

8. T
 o begin with my uncle had an annoying habit: while he was cooking his dog always jumped
onto the table.

9. B
 y the time he had reached sixty years of age on the other hand, such memories, although
still recurrent, and disturbing, had become, increasingly, infrequent.

10. G
 oing to a top-rated Ivy League college was a hideous brain-corroding psychological
experience but it taught me, and my friends, a good lesson.

11. Sinclair Lewis’s novel, Main Street, never used the sentence, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

12. T
 he president is so tired when he gets home, that he falls asleep immediately. At least he is
more polished, more intellectual than his predecessor.

13. L
 ike a spoiled, disillusioned child, who had expected predigested capsules of automatic
knowledge, a logical positivist stamps his foot at reality . . . .

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LECTURE SEVEN—Choosing the Right Word

HOMEWORK 7

Identify any errors or deficiencies in diction.

1. The soloist at Carnegie Hall scampered across the stage and tucked his fiddle under his chin.

2. H
 e was oblivious to the noise, being completely absorbed in the chemical solution which he
was preparing. (F&S)

3. H
 e alluded to the fact in no uncertain terms. The doctors, he said, had never discovered the
source of his headache.

4. A
 lthough he is a cynic certain of nothing, he was very prepared for our meeting and anxious
to get a raise; in fact, he was liable to do anything to get it.

5. In ancient Egypt, the stature of statues was established by statute.

6. T
 hese activities are employed sooner or later by lots of visitors. Some get a huge kick out of
football; the balance are into tennis or golf.

7. T
 he ship limped into port in the nick of time with its best foot forward. Do you plan on
boarding her?

8. T
 hanks to pragmatism, the means of education at the disposal of Americans are stunted and
sterilized. (F)

9. (a) T
 he resettling of his establishment in New York engendered in him a substantive degree
of vituperative affect.
(b) He got plenty mad after locating in N.Y.

10. Rewrite informal English.

He could’ve been cool if he’d had it more together.

11. Distinguish among the following:

motive - end -
purpose - goal -

12. Rewrite, making the adjectives more specific.

The girl looked nice (though her boyfriend was big), and the movie was no good. So Bill
decided to speak to her. It was a bad mistake.

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FINAL EXAMINATION

I. Although students of grammar who are educated usually want not only to study, but also to
master their subject, some, suffice it to say, seem incapable of succeeding at this goal. The
theory that every man is a natural grammarian—which I had always heard when I was a
child—gives me the creeps, for it has been proved to be baseless.

 U
 sing the above paragraph, cite one example of the following. In each case, write only the
necessary word(s).

1. An infinitive that is the object of a verb in the indicative mood.

2. A coordinating conjunction.

3. An indirect object.

4. A pair of correlative conjunctions.

5. A verb in the pluperfect tense.

6. A verb in the passive voice.

7. A verb in the subjunctive mood.

8. An appositive noun clause.

9. A subordinating conjunction that introduces an adverbial clause.

10. A main clause.

11. A restrictive relative clause.

12. A non-restrictive relative clause.

13. An indefinite pronoun.

14. An adjectival prepositional phrase.

15. A personal pronoun that is the subject of a main clause.

16. A past participle used as an adjective.

17. A gerund.

18. A slang expression.

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19. An inflection that indicates a plural.

20. The total number of clauses in the second sentence is:

(2 points each)

II. T
 here are 31 deliberate errors—in grammar, punctuation and diction—in the following.
Identify at least twenty of them, and correct each. Only outright errors qualify, not
inadequacies or infelicities that are within the range of the optional.

 Badly frightened, the bullet missed the manager who fell to his knees an hour earlier but
it decimated a customer, Louise, a lady who is very attractive and revered by all. A tragic
outcome—tragedy being where a major value is destroyed. The manager was profoundly
shocked over the event. He sounded strangely when he spoke, like he had just awakened. “I
wanted to have hired guards,” he said, “but it was no dice. New York is both complicated
and it costs too much. I could not approve of us spending money on them.” The manager had
however once given gifts to his best customers being frantically worried about the new store
across the street.

 The killer was neither contrite nor did he grieve for my dear friend, Louise. “I have as
much right to money as her,” the slob said, “and I will kill whomsoever stands in my path.”
If one were to convert him philosophically, perhaps he will repent. I know philosophers swell
with indignation when their concept structures are undermined. But such men are dangerous
and each of them deserve to be attacked. They merely write words onto paper, thus causing
suffering and destruction. This is what can happen in life.

(3 points each, for first 20; and a one point

bonus for each additional error identified)

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