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RULE XVII.

Clauses having a Verb understood.

When, in a compound sentence, the clauses have each a different nominative, but have only one verb, expressed in the first clause and understood in the others, the ellipsis, or place of the verb, should be supplied by a comma.

EXAMPLES.

1. A wise man seeks to shine in himself; a fool, to outshine others.

2. The wise man considers what he wants; the fool, what he abounds in. 3. The wise man is happy in his own approbation; the fool, in the applause of his fellows.

REMARKS.

a. In the above examples, a comma is inserted after the second nominative," fool," to indicate, in the first sentence, the ellipsis of the verb "seeks;" in the second, that of the verb "considers;" and, in the third, that of the verb and adjective," is happy." Hence a semicolon is required before the second nominative to divide each sentence into the two larger portions of which it consists, and to show the relation of its various parts.

b. But, if two clauses have a bearing on a final expression, the comma should be omitted after the second nominative, and the semicolon before it changed into a comma; as, " Herder had more of the Oriental fancy, Schleiermacher more of the European acuteness, in his composition." For, were a semicolon put after "fancy," and a comma after "Schleiermacher," as in the rule, the phrase "in his composition" would seem to be connected only with the last clause, though it belongs equally to both.

c. So, also, when two short clauses are joined by either of the conjunctions and, or, nor, but, and any word but a noun follows the second nominative, the comma should be omitted where the verb is understood, and the semicolon after the first clause exchanged for a comma; as, "Life is precarious, and death certain." If a semicolon were placed after the word "precarious," it would be necessary to separate "death" and "certain" by a comma; as, "Life is precarious; and death, certain." But such a mode of punctuation would be too rigid, and is not required for bringing out the sense.

d. When, too, in a series of clauses, each ellipsis is followed by a preposition or by the comparative as, the free style of pointing seems more appropriate; as, "Mathematicians have sought knowledge in figures, philosophers in systems, logicians in subtilties, and metaphysicians in sounds."

e. If, however, obscurity would arise, either in two clauses or in a series, from the omission of the comma, as, for instance, when the preposition of is used,— the punctuation adopted in the examples under the rule must be followed. Thus: "Power reminds you of weakness; permanency, of change; life, of death; light, of darkness; and the true, of the false."

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f. When lightness or vivacity characterizes the style, the free mode of pointing is preferable to the other, if no ambiguity would arise from its use, as in the following passage: "There is a magic in the sound of Stop thief! stop thief!' The tradesman leaves his counter, and the carman his wagon; the butcher throws down his tray, the baker his basket, the milkman his pail, the errandboy his parcels, the school-boy his marbles, the paver his pickaxe, the child his battledoor: away they run pellmell, helter-skelter."

ORAL EXERCISES.

Why, according to Rule XVII., are commas inserted in these sentences?
Curiosity allures the wise; vanity, the foolish; and pleasure, both.
The Grecians excelled in precepts; the Romans, in examples.
Homer was the greater genius; Virgil, the better artist.
Passion overcomes shame; boldness, fear; and madness, reason.
Anger prompts men to contention; avarice, to oppression.
The benevolent man is esteemned; the penurious, despised.
A robber employs violence; and a thief, cunning and guile.
The young are slaves to novelty; the old, to custom.
War is the law of violence; peace, the law of love.

The Doric dialect was broad and rough; the Ionic, smooth.
Semiramis built Babylon; Dido, Carthage; and Romulus, Rome.
Labor brings pleasure; idleness, pain.

Plants are formed by culture; men, by education.

One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero.

Pleasant recollections promote cheerfulness; and painful ones, gloom, Crowns were the playthings of Napoleon; thrones, his footstool. Truth belongs to the man; error, to his age.

Benevolence is allied to few vices; selfishness, to fewer virtues.

Assign the reasons for the punctuation of the following sentences, agreeably to the Remarks (pp. 104-5):

Our existence has no support, our life no aim, our spiritual weakness no power to lean upon, without God.

Shakspeare was the greatest poet, Newton the most distinguished mathematician, that England ever produced.

The coarse worm yields us a beautiful fly, and the thorny bush a lovely flower.

The notions of Dryden were formed by comprehensive speculation, but those of Pope by minute attention.

Shakspeare died in 1616, Milton in 1674, Dryden in 1700, Pope in 1744, and Goldsmith in 1774.

Bonaparte was a man of unbounded ambition; and Washington, of disinterested patriotism.

EXERCISE TO BE WRITTEN.

Punctuate those sentences to which no references are given, in accordance with Rule XVII.; and the others agreeably to the Remarks: —

The character of Milton was peculiarly distinguished by loftiness of thought; that of Dante by intensity of feeling.

Concession is no humiliation nor admission of error any disgrace. (Remark c.)

Among the ancient critics, Longinus possessed most delicacy; Aristotle most correctness.

The sculptor sees a statue and the philosopher a principle, where, to the general eye, all is" without form, and void." (Remark b.) Homer's imagination is by much the most rich and copious; Virgil's the most chaste and correct.

The cupola is taken from the human skull pillars from legs thatching from hair and tiling from the scales of fish. (Remark d.)

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing

an exact man.

Avarice must come to the hour of utter destitution and pride to the hour of utter prostration. (Remark c.)

The quality the most difficult to be found in public situations is probity; the least difficult confidence.

Some men are eminent for what they possess some for what they achieve and others for what they are. (Remark d.)

The first ingredient in conversation is truth; the next good sense; the third good-humor; and the fourth wit.

the finite

All our mental perceptions suggest their opposites, the infinite; the seen the unseen; time eternity; creation a God. A pictured landscape recalls a familiar scene and a portrait a familiar countenance. (Remark c.)

Talent is full of thoughts; genius of thought. One has definite acquisitions; the other indefinite power.

Addison taught the intellect and fancy and Richardson the passions, to move at the command of virtue. (Remark b or c.)

Nature had no obstacles that he did not surmount; space no opposition that he did not spurn.

Among the ancient critics, Longinus possessed most delicacy Aristotle most correctness, of judgment. (Remark b.)

To mourn without measure is folly; not to mourn at all insensibility. Foresight is simple; retrospect multiform.

The young are slaves to novelty the old to custom the middleaged to both the dead to neither. (Remark d.)

Custom respects things which are done by the majority; habit those which are done by individuals.

A man's true prosperity often begins when he is said to be ruined and his ruin when he is said to be prospering. (Remark c.)

Genius is the intuitive perception of what is; moral sentiment the feeling of what ought to be.

Chaucer most frequently describes things as they are Spenser as we wish them to be Shakspeare as they would be and Milton as they ought to be. (Remark d.)

Delicacy leans more to feeling; correctness more to reason and judgment. The former is the gift of nature; the latter more the product of culture and art.

Rashness is the error of youth; and timid caution of age. - Hurry is the mark of a weak mind; despatch of a strong one. (Rule, and Remark e.)

All nature is but art, unknown to thee;

All chance direction which thou canst not see;

All discord harmony not understood;

All partial evil universal good.

The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation and the fool when he recommends himself to the applause of those about him. (Remark c.)

The idle want steadi-
Children have

Fear urges us to action; terror to flight. ness of purpose; the indolent power of exertion. understandings; men intellect.

RULE XVIII.

Clauses consisting of Short Quotations or Remarks.

A short quotation, or any expression that resembles a quotation, is separated by a comma from the clause which precedes it.

EXAMPLES.

1. Dr. Thomas Brown truly says, "The benevolent spirit is as universal in its efforts as the miseries which are capable of being relieved."

2. One of the first lessons of a judicious education is, Learn to think and to discriminate.

3. It may be laid down as a sacred maxim, that every man is wretched in proportion to his vices.

REMARK S.

a. By a short quotation is meant a single sentence, containing the remark of another writer. By an expression resembling a quotation is indicated a remark, of some degree of importance, to which attention is called in the introductory clause. Such a remark is not unfrequently preceded by the conjunction "that," as in the third example; and, in these cases, the comma is usually inserted before the particle.

b. Some writers annex a dash [-] to the comma; but this is unnecessary, except before emphatic or long passages. If, however, quotations or remarks extend to two or more sentences, and are formally or specially introduced, a colon is preferable.

c. When an indirect quotation or a remark is preceded by a very brief clause, the comma is not required; as, “Andrew says he loves me." -"I doubt not that mind is immortal.". "It is impossible that we should make Walter fully understand his ignorance."

d. But, if the remark or quotation consists of phrases which require to be punctuated, a comma should precede the conjunction, even when the introductory part of the sentence is quite short; as, " Ossian says, that sorrow, like a cloud on the sun, shaded the soul of Clessamour." A comma should also be inserted after the conjunction, if an inverted or an adverbial phrase begins the remark; as, "It is certain, that, in the declension of taste and science, language will degenerate." The reason for the punctuation in such instances is, that the omission of the comma would bring the word "that" into

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