Incorrect.-2. Samuel raise thy buried head King behold the phantom seer!" RULE 7.-Adjunct Sentences, Phrases, and sometimes Words, not in their natural position, should be separated by a Comma. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1. "Into this illustrious society, he whose character I have endeavored feebly to portray, has, without doubt, entered." 2. "He, like the world, his ready visit pays, Where Fortune smiles." Incorrect.-3. "To him who in the love of Nature holds She speaks a various language." SEMICOLON. RULE 8.-The Semicolon is used at the close of a Sentence, which, by its terms, promises an additional Sen tence. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1. "The Essayists occupy a conspicuous place in the last century; but, somehow, I do not feel disposed to set much store by them." Incorrect.-2. "It thunders? but I tremble not My trust is firm in God." 3. "Wisdom is better than rubies, It can not be gotten for gold." OBS.-By many writers, the Semicolon is used to separate short Sentences, which have not a close dependence to each other. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1. "He was a plain man, without any pretension to pulpit eloquence, or any other accomplishment; he had no gift of imagination; his language was hard and dry; and his illustrations, homely." Incorrect.-2. "I had a seeming friend—I gave him gifts and he was gone I had an open enemy I gave him gifts, and won him- RULE 9.-The Colon is used at the close of a Sentence, when another Sentence is added as a direct illustration or inference. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1, "Let me give you a piece of good counsel, my cousin : follow my laudable example: write when you can: take Time's forelock in one hand and a pen in the other, and so make sure of your opportunity." Cowper. Incorrect.-2. From the last hill that looks on thy once holy dome, I beheld thee, O Sion! when rendered to Rome 'Twas thy last sun went down, and the flames of thy fall Flashed back on the last glance I gave to thy wall." Hebrew Melodies. REM.-The Colon is not much used by late writers—its place being supplied by the Semicolon, the Dash, or the Period. PERIOD. RULE 10.-The Period is used at the close of a complete or independent proposition. OBS. The Period is also used after initial letters and abbreviations. EXAMPLES. Correct.-J. Q. Adams, LL. D., M. C. Incorrect.-A S Barnes and Co 51 John St NY. DASH. RULE 11.-The Dash is used to indicate 1. An abrupt transition. 2. An unfinished sentence. 3. A succession of particulars. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1. “They met to expatiate and confer on state affairs-to read the newspapers-to talk a little scandal-and so forth-and the result was-as we have been told considerable dissipation."— Wilson's Burns. Incorrect.-2. "To me the Night Thoughts' is a poem, on the whole, most animating and delightful amazingly energetic full of the richest instruction improving to the mind much of it worthy of being committed to memory some faults obscure extravagant tinged occasionally with flattery." OBS. 1.--The Dash is often used instead of the Parenthesis. EXAMPLE.—“As they disperse they look very sad—and, no doubt they are so-but had they been, they would not have taken to digging." OBS 2.-Many modern writers use the dash in place of the Semicolon and the Colon-and sometimes with them. EXAMPLE.-"Ye have no need of prayer ; Ye have no sins to be forgiven.”—Sprague. EXCLAMATION. RULE 12.-The mark of Exclamation is used after a Word, Phrase, or Sentence, whose prominent office is, to express sudden or intense emotion. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1. "Hark! a strange sound affrights mine ear." 2. "To arms!-they come !-the Greek, the Greek!" Incorrect.-3. "O my coëvals, remnants of yourselves." 4. "Poor human ruins tottering o'er the grave." INTERROGATION. RULE 13. The mark of Interrogation is used after a Word, Phrase, or Sentence, by which a question is asked. EXAMPLES. Correct.-1. "Why is my sleep disquieted?" 2. Who is he that calls the dead? Incorrect.-3. "Is it for thee the lark ascends and sings." 4. "What pleasing study cheats the tedious day." REM.--When the Interrogation or Exclamation is used, the Comma, Semicolon, Colon, or Period, is omitted. DEF. 3.-The Apostrophe (') is used to indicate the omission of a letter, and to change a Noun into a Possessive Specifying Adjective. EXAMPLES.-1. "Hearts, from which 'twas death to sever; 2. 3. Eyes, this world can ne'er restore." 'How lightly mounts the Muse's wing." DEF. 4.-The Quotation ("") is used to inclose words taken from some other author or book. EXAMPLES.-"Southey, among all our living poets," says Professor Wilson, "stands aloof and 'alone in his glory!?" REM.-A Quotation quoted is indicated by single marks. EXAMPLE (See the latter part of the Example above.) DEF. 5.-The Hyphen (-) is used between two elements of a compound word. EXAMPLES.-Money-market-ink-stand-black-board. REM. It is also used at the end of a line, when the word is not finished. (See this remark.) DEF. 6.-The Bracket [ ] is used to inclose a letter or mark, given as an explanatory example; or a Word, Phrase, or Sentence, thrown in by a reviewer, and not a part of the original sentence. EXAMPLE "Mr. Secor found means to have Mr. Butler recommended to him [Lord Talbot] for his chaplain." DEF. 7.-The Parenthesis () is used to inclose a Phrase or Sentence, explanatory of, or incidental to, the main Sentence. EXAMPLE.-"Come, my Ambition! let us mount together, And, from the clouds where pride delights to dwell, REM.-Modern writers often use the Dash for the same purpose. EXAMPLE.-"The monotony of a calm—for the trade-wind had already failed us-was agreeably relieved yesterday, by the neighborhood of two ships, etc."-Malcolm. DEF. 8.-References (*+8) direct attention to notes at the margin or the bottom of the page. REM.—The letters of the Latin or Greek alphabets, and sometimes figures, are used for the same purpose. DEF. 9.-The Brace (3) is used to include many species in one class. Qualifying, EXAMPLE-Adjectives are distinguished as Specifying, Verbal. REM.-By the old poets, the Brace was also used to join the lines of a triplet. DEF. 10.-Inflections ('`~) indicate elevations or de pressions of the key-note in reading. EXAMPLES.-"Do you go to Albany?" "I go to Utica." |