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Usage is the best language teacher.

Quintilian

To my mind the boy who gives least promise is one in whom the critical faculty develops in advance of the imagination.
QUINTILIAN

Criticism Development Imagination Mindset Promise
Verse satire indeed is entirely our own.
QUINTILIAN

Ourselves Verse
One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.
QUINTILIAN

Assistance Capacity Natural Rule
The learned understand the reason of art; the unlearned feel the pleasure.
QUINTILIAN

Art Feeling Learning Pleasure Reason Understand
To swear, except when necessary, is becoming to an honorable man.
QUINTILIAN

Exception Honor Man Necessary
While we ponder when to begin, it becomes too late to do.
QUINTILIAN

Action Beginning Late
A man who tries to surpass another may perhaps succeed in equaling in not actually surpassing him, but one who merely follows can never quite come up with him: a follower, necessarily, is always behind.
QUINTILIAN

Equality Follow Himself Man Quite Success
Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it.
QUINTILIAN

Beginning Deliberate Growth
We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide.
QUINTILIAN

Form Mindset Reading Wide
Nothing can be pleasing which is not also becoming.
QUINTILIAN

Deep Please
Men, even when alone, lighten their labors by song, however rude it may be.
QUINTILIAN

Alone Light Man Rude
Though ambition may be a fault in itself, it is often the mother of virtues.
QUINTILIAN

Ambition Mistake Mom Virtue
The mind is exercised by the variety and multiplicity of the subject matter, while the character is moulded by the contemplation of virtue and vice.
QUINTILIAN

Exercise Mindset Subject Vice Virtue
He who speaks evil only differs from his who does evil in that he lacks opportunity.
QUINTILIAN

Evil Himself Opportunity Talk
The pretended admission of a fault on our part creates an excellent impression.
QUINTILIAN

Admission Creation Excellence Impression Pretend
A liar ought to have a good memory.
QUINTILIAN

Goodness Lying Memories

Usage is the best language teacher.

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Usage is the best language teacher.

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