or governing word,
which, if possible, ought to be continued so from the beginning to the
end of it. The following sentence is not constructed according to this
rule: "After we came to anchor, they put me on shore, where I was
saluted by all my friends, who received me with the greatest kindness."
In this sentence, though the objects are sufficiently connected, yet, by
shifting so frequently the place and the person, the _vessel_, the
_shore_, _we_, _they_, _I_ and _who_, they appear in so disunited a
view, that the mind is led to wander for the sense. The sentence is
restored to its proper unity by constructing it thus: "Having come to
anchor, I was put on shore, where I was saluted by all my friends, who
received me with the greatest kindness."

2. _Never crowd into one sentence things which have so little connexion,
that they would bear to be divided into two or more sentences._ The
violation of this rule produces so unfavorable an effect, that it is
safer to err rather by too many short sentences, than by one that is
overloaded and confused.

3. _Avoid all unnecessary parentheses_.

CLEARNESS. _Ambiguity_, which is opposed to clearness, may arise from a
bad choice, or a bad arrangement of words.

A leading rule in the arrangement of sentences, is, that _those words or
members most nearly related, should be placed in the sentence as near to
each other as possible, so as thereby to make their mutual relation
clearly appear._ This rule ought to be observed,

1. _In the position of adverbs._ "By greatness," says Mr. Addison, "I do
not only mean the bulk of any single object, but the largeness of a
whole view." The improper situation of the adverb _only_, in this
sentence, renders it a limitation of the verb _mean_, whereas the author
intended to have it qualify the phrase, _a single object;_ thus, "By
greatness, I do not mean the bulk of any single object _only_, but the
largeness of a whole view."

2. _In the position of phrases and members._ "Are these designs which
any man who is born a Briton, in any circumstances, in any situation,
ought to be ashamed or afraid to avow?" Corrected: "Are these designs
which any man who is born a Briton, ought to be ashamed or afraid, _in
any circumstances_, _in any situation_, to avow?"

3. _In the position of pronouns._ The reference of a pronoun to its
noun, should always be _so clear that we cannot possibly mistake it:_
otherwise the noun ought to be repeated. "It is foll