tions of Good Use: Faulty Idioms, Colloquialisms=

=65. Avoid subtle violations of good use, particularly (a) faulty idioms
and (b) colloquialisms.=

=a. Make your expression conform to English idiom.= A faulty idiom is an
expression which, though correct in grammar and general meaning,
combines words in a manner contrary to usage. Idioms are established by
custom, and cannot be explained by logical rules. "I enjoy to read" is
wrong, not because the words offend logic or grammar, but merely because
people do not instinctively make that combination of words. "I like to
read" and "I enjoy reading" are good idioms.

=Faulty Idioms= =Correct Idioms=

in the city Toledo in the city of Toledo
in the year of 1920 in the year 1920
I hope you a good time I wish you a good time
the Rev. Hopkins the Reverend Mr. Hopkins
possessed with ability possessed of ability
stay to home stay at home
different than different from
independent from independent of
in search for in search of

Observe that many idioms are concerned with prepositions. Make sure that
a verb or adjective is accompanied by the right preposition. Study the
following list of correct idioms:

accused of (a theft)
accused by (a person)
accord with (a person)
agree with (a person)
agree to (a proposal)
agreeable to
angry at (things or persons)
angry with (a person)
careful about (an affair)
careful of (one's money)
comply with
convenient to (a person)
convenient for (a purpose)
correspond to (things)
correspond with (persons)
dissent from
enamored of
entrust to
free from
listen to
part from (a person)
part with (a thing)
pleased with
resolve on
sympathize with
take exception to

=b. Do not carry the standards of conversation into formal writing.=
Colloquial usage is more free than literary usage. The colloquial
sentence _That's the man I talked with_ becomes in writing _That is the
man with whom I talked._ The colloquial sentence _It was a cold day but
there wasn't any wind blowing_ is a loose string of words. Written
discourse requires greater tension and more care in subordinating minor
ideas: _The day, though cold, was still._ Contractions are proper in
conversation, and in personal or in