s ambiguity in "The
lesson intended to be taught by these manoeuvres will be lost, if the
plan of operations is laid down too definitely beforehand, and the
affair degenerates into a mere review." Begin, in any case, with the
antecedent, "If the plan," &c. Next write, according to the meaning:
(1) "If the plan is laid down, and the affair degenerates &c., then
the lesson will be lost;" or (2) " ... then the lesson ... will be
lost, and the affair degenerates into a mere review."

*28. Dependent clauses preceded by "that" should be kept distinct from
those that are independent.*

Take as an example:

(1) "He replied that he wished to help them, and intended to make
preparations accordingly."

This ought not to be used (though it sometimes is, for shortness) to
mean:

(2) "He replied ..., and he intended."

In (1), "intended," having no subject, must be supposed to be
connected with the nearest preceding verb, in the same mood and tense,
that has a subject, _i.e._ "wished." It follows that (1) is a
condensation of:

(3) "He replied that he wished ..., and that he intended."

(2), though theoretically free from ambiguity, is practically
ambiguous, owing to a loose habit of repeating the subject
unnecessarily. It would be better to insert a conjunctional word or a
full stop between the two statements. Thus:

(4) "He replied that he wished to help them, and _indeed_ he
intended," &c., or "He replied, &c. He intended, &c."

Where there is any danger of ambiguity, use (3) or (4) in preference
to (1) or (2).

*29. When there are several infinitives, those that are dependent on
the same word must be kept distinct from those that are not.*

"He said that he wished _to_ take his friend with him _to_ visit the
capital and _to_ study medicine." Here it is doubtful whether the
meaning is--

"He said that he wished to take his friend with him,

(1) _and also_ to visit the capital and study medicine," or

(2) "that his friend might visit the capital _and might also_ study
medicine," or

(3) "on a visit to the capital, _and that he also_ wished to study
medicine."

From the three different versions it will be perceived that this
ambiguity must be met (_a_) by using "that" for "to," which allows us
to repeat an auxiliary verb [_e.g._ "might" in (2)], and (_b_) by
inserting conjunctions. As to insertions of conjunctions, see (37).

"In order to," and "for the purpose of," can be used to distinguish
(wherever