A QUESTION OF GRAMMAR. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. "]
SIR,—The crusade now steadily waged for some time by at least a portion of the Press against the "split infinitive" has proved so successful that I venture, in the interests of good grammar, to invite your assistance in dealing with another grammatical error of increasing frequency which may be referred to as the " Irrelative Nominative Absolute," or the "Disconnected Participle." The following five sentences, collected at random, may be taken as recent examples of this. The first two are the opening sentences of letters to the editor of a daily paper :- " Sir,—Perhaps, being a person of importance, it may interest you know that I," &c.
"Sir,—Being absent on the Continent, the letters in your issue of 1st and 4th under the above heading have only just conic to my knowledge."
A published letter to a female candidate for membership of the London County Council contains this remarkable state- ment as to the sex and professional status of the Council :-
" Both as a woman and a doctor the Council offers a great and suitable field for your services."
The following is from a leading article
" The indulgence of the ancient City 'prontices on this date was very great. An established holiday for them, they mixed in every fray, trying," &a, My last illustration is from an advertisement of soap :—
" Being scientifically manufactured with the choicest possible materials, tho most tender skin is loft without any feeling of dis- comfort."
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