10 SEPTEMBER 1948, Page 17

PASSIVE RESISTANCE

SIR,—Janus is wrong. To say " I was sent a gold watch " is not perfectly correct, but very bad English, as he will find if he tries to parse the word " watch "—or imagine a Frenchman saying " Je suis envoys une montre." This distorted passive leads to such monstrosities as " A horse was injected with serum," which really means that a horse and serum was injected into some most unfortunate being.—Yours, &c., Orchard Hill, Brent Knoll, Highbride, Somerset. AGNES FRY.