CHAPTER XII

PUNCTUATION

WHEN we speak, we make our meaning clear by the expression that we put into our words and sentences. Some sentences we say all in one breath and with not much change in emphasis from one word to the next. We may be pretty sure that such a sentence is short and simple, with all its elements arranged in their natural order. In this respect compare the sentences given below.

Notice that the following sentence is spoken as one word group:

Steam and electricity are making one commercial community of all nations.

A part that is subordinate in idea is subordinate in tone; as,

Steam and electricity, _which are the greatest of all discoveries_, are making one commercial community of all nations.

In the usual order of the sentence the subject comes first. Sometimes for emphasis a participial phrase or an adverbial clause precedes the subject. Such inversion is always indicated; as,

_If the grape crop is large_, the price of grapes is low.

Sometimes a word or phrase is thrust into the sentence to give clearness or force; as,

If, _on the other hand_, the season is poor, the price of grapes is high.

What, _then_, determines the price of grapes?

We cannot become good speakers until we learn to subordinate in tone those groups of words that are subordinate in idea, and to bring out clearly those groups which, for one reason or another, are emphatic. The same thing is true in music. We cannot become good musicians until we learn phrasing; that is, until we learn to group the notes to form distinct musical ideas. But when we write our thoughts, we cannot indicate the tone in which the words are spoken. We must show in some other way which groups of words belong together, which are important, and which are subordinate in idea. For this purpose punctuation marks have been invented. When we write, we unconsciously speak the thoughts to ourselves; we hear the divisions between the parts of ideas; and, if we understand punctuation, we indicate the divisions.

Questions

1. Why in writing and printing do we separate one word from the next? In ancient writing this was not done.

2. Why do we separate one sentence from the next?

3. We use punctuation marks for the same reason. Explain.

4. The word to keep in mind in punctuation is _separate_. If two words belong together in idea, the two making one idea, allow them to stand unseparated. If they give two ideas, separate them by a mark of punctuation. What is the difference in thought in the two sentences that follow?

(_a_) She is a pretty, energetic girl. (_b_) She is a pretty energetic girl.

=Exercise 166--The Apostrophe (')=

The _apostrophe_ (') is used--

1. To show the possessive case of nouns (See Exercise 82); as,

The _boy's_ writing is excellent.

2. To indicate the omission of one or more letters; as,

_I'll_ attend to the matter.

3. To show the plural of letters, figures, and words that usually have no plural; as,

Your _3's_ are too much like your _5's_, your _a's_ like your _u's_.

Don't use so many _and's_.

Write sentences in each of which you use one of the following words correctly:

you're we're who's they're your were whose there it's he's don't their its his doesn't

Explain why the apostrophe is used in the following:

1. I've received no reply.

2. This month's sales exceed last month's by one thousand dollars.

3. Politics doesn't affect the matter very much.

4. The mistake was caused by his making his 7's like his 9's.

5. Have you received the treasurer's report? No, I haven't.

Point out the mistakes in the following:

1. For sale, A ladies fur coat.

2. The boy's have gone skating.

3. We wo'nt worry over the political situation.

4. Lets decide now where were to spend our vacation.

5. Dot your is and not your us.

6. Is this book your's or her's?

=Exercise 167--Capitals=

_Capitals_ are used for--

1. The first word of every sentence.

2. The first word of every line of poetry.

3. The first word of a quotation (See Exercise 169).

4. The first word of a formal statement or resolution; as,

Resolved, That women shall be given the right to vote.

5. The first word of every group of words paragraphed separately in an itemized list, as in an order for merchandise.

6. The pronoun _I_ and the interjection _O_ (not _oh_).

7. The words _Bible_ and _Scripture_, the books of the Bible, all names applied to the Deity, and all personal pronouns referring to Him.

8. All proper nouns, proper adjectives, and words that are considered proper nouns; as,

_a._ Names of the days of the week, holidays, and months of the year, but not names of the seasons.

_b._ North, South, etc., when they refer to sections of the country, but not when they refer to a direction or a point of the compass.

_c._ Official titles or titles of honor when they are used in connection with names, but not when they are used without names; as,

Vice-President Roosevelt, ex-President Roosevelt. Nominations are now in order for vice-president.

_d._ Names of political parties.

_e._ Names of religious sects.

_f._ Names of important events or documents; as,

The Revolution, The Declaration of Independence.

_g._ The salutation in a letter; as,

Dear Sir, Gentlemen.

_h._ Words indicating relationship, when they are used in connection with a proper name, or when used alone as a name, but not when used with a possessive pronoun; as,

We expect Aunt Ellen at four o'clock. I expect my mother at four o'clock.

9. The important words in the title of a book, play, or composition. Prepositions, articles, and conjunctions are not capitalized; as,

The Call of the Wild.

10. Such words as _Paragraph_, _Article_, or _Section_, when accompanied with a number; as,

Paragraph 26, Article 3.

11. See Exercise 75.

=Exercise 168=

The _period_ (.) is used--

1. To indicate the end of a declarative sentence; as,

The business is prosperous.

2. To indicate an abbreviation; as,

The firm of Clark Bros. has opened a new office at 144 Pleasant St., Erie, Pa.

The _interrogation mark_ (?) is used--

To indicate the end of a sentence that asks a question; as,

When did you order the goods?

The _exclamation mark_ (!) is used--

To indicate the end of a sentence or other expression that shows strong feeling; as,

Such demands are inhuman!

Frequently, all that shows exactly how the writer wished his thought to be understood is the punctuation. The same words may express different ideas according to the mark of punctuation that follows them. Read the following to show the meaning that the writer wished to convey by each. Explain the circumstances under which each might have been spoken.

1. The price is too high. 2. The price is too high! 3. The price is too high? 4. The crop will not be good. There'll be no corn. 5. Corn! There'll be no corn! 6. You didn't tell him that. 7. You didn't tell him that! 8. You didn't tell him that? 9. You are enjoying yourself. 10. You are enjoying yourself? 11. You are enjoying yourself!

=Exercise 169--Quotation Marks (" ")=

1. When a speaker's words are quoted exactly, they should be enclosed in quotation marks. This is called a _direct quotation_.

He said, "The business is growing."

Notice that the word _said_ is followed by a comma, and that the quotation begins with a capital letter.

2. If the quotation itself is a question, although it forms part of a declarative sentence, it requires an interrogation mark before the quotation mark; as,

Have you been waiting long? She opened the door and said, "Have you been waiting long?"

3. The same applies to a quotation that requires an exclamation mark; as,

Look! He cried, "Look!"

4. When the words of explanation follow the quoted words, the punctuation is as follows:

(_a_) When the quotation is a declarative sentence, put a comma after the quotation and begin the words of explanation with a small letter; as,

"The business is growing," he said.

(_b_) When the quotation is a question, conclude it with an interrogation mark, and begin the words of explanation with a small letter; as,

"Have you been waiting long?" she asked.

(_c_) When the quotation is an exclamation, conclude it with an exclamation mark, and begin the words of explanation with a small letter; as,

"Look!" he cried.

5. When the author's words of explanation interrupt the speaker's words, the punctuation is as follows:

(_a_) When the interrupted parts are not naturally separated by any punctuation mark, the comma is used as follows:

I do not believe that the report is true. "I do not believe," he said, "that the report is true."

Notice in what way the quotation marks show that the words _he said_ do not belong to the quoted words.

(_b_) Whatever mark of punctuation would naturally appear between the interrupted parts must be used; as,

(1) I shall buy the Boston ferns; they seem to require but little care.

"I shall buy the Boston ferns," she said; "they seem to require but little care."

(2) Oh! The flames are higher!

"Oh!" she cried. "The flames are higher!"

4. Division into sentences is made within a quotation just as elsewhere. When the thought ends, the sentence must end. The different sentences, however, must not be divided by quotation marks; as,

"The train came in," said he, "half an hour ago. I do not see them in the waiting room. I think they did not come."

5. When a quotation is very long, consisting of several paragraphs, quotation marks should be placed at the beginning of the quotation, at the beginning of each succeeding paragraph, and at the end of the quotation--not at the end of each paragraph.

6. When a quotation occurs within a quotation, the one within is distinguished by single marks; as,

John explained, "After I had told Mr. Brown how I thought the work could be done more easily, he said, 'Thank you for your suggestion.'"

7. Any words quoted from a book or article, or any words quoted with a special significance, such as slang, should be enclosed in quotation marks; as,

The day of the salesman who is satisfied with the "good old way" is fast passing.

8. A formal question, statement, or resolution for a debate is not enclosed in quotation marks; as,

The question we are to discuss is, Shall women vote?

=Exercise 170=

Punctuate the following, dividing into sentences wherever the sense demands division:

1. Thank you for your suggestion said Mr. Brown

2. Mr. Brown said thank you for your suggestion

3. Thank you said Mr. Brown for your suggestion

4. If you will ask the shipping clerk I volunteered I think you can get definite information

5. How can we enforce the law asked the man

6. The law cried the man how can we enforce the law

7. Tell me said the man how we can enforce the law

8. Tell me this said the man how can we enforce the law

9. The question before us is how can we enforce the law

10. John whispered did you hear his mother say yes you may go

11. As I was walking along the river he continued I heard a voice cry help

12. Halt shouted the captain the bridge is down

13. The captain shouted halt the bridge is down

14. We cannot cross said the captain the bridge is down

15. The bridge is down said the captain and I fear there is no other way to cross

16. Is the bridge down asked the captain does no one know another way to cross

17. The captain said the bridge is down do you know another way to cross

18. What shall we do asked a soldier if the bridge is down

19. Do cried the captain swim that's what we'll do

20. As we were riding along spoke up one of the soldiers I heard a farmer shout you fellows better try the bridge lower down

=Exercise 171--Indirect Discourse=

In the preceding exercise we saw different forms of direct quotations, or direct discourse. In each case, the speaker's words were quoted exactly. When the substance of the thought is given in slightly different form, we have an indirect quotation, or indirect discourse, in which no quotation marks are used. An indirect quotation is usually a subordinate clause depending on a word of _thinking_, _saying_, _telling_, or the like. Indirect statements are usually introduced by _that_, and indirect questions by _when_, _where_, _why_, _whether_, _if_, _who_, _which_, _what_, and the like. When a sentence is changed from direct to indirect discourse, the person and usually the tense of the direct quotation are changed; as,

_Direct_: He said, "I do not believe the report." _Indirect_: He said that he did not believe the report.

_Direct_: He said, "Germany is over-populated." _Indirect_: He said that Germany is over-populated. (See Exercise 107.)

_Direct_: She said, "I did my work before I went to school." _Indirect_: She said that she had done her work before she went to school.

_Direct_: "I have finished my work," said the girl. _Indirect_: She says that she has finished her work.

_Direct_: "Why didn't he succeed?" I asked. _Indirect_: I asked why he had not succeeded.

_Direct_: "When may I go?" she inquired. _Indirect_: She inquired when she might go.

In the following change the italicized parts to direct quotations. Do not change the paragraphing.

1

THE SEAL'S LESSON

The baby seal said _that he could not swim_.

His mother answered _that he could try_.

The little fellow persisted _that he could never learn_.

His mother looked at him sternly, and said _that every seal must learn to swim_.

He replied _that the water was cold and that he liked the sand better_, but because his mother insisted, he slid into the water whimpering.

After he had gone a short distance, he turned around and called out _that the water was much pleasanter than the sand_.

His mother said _that she knew that it would be so_. She said _that young people must do as they are told because they have not had enough experience to judge for themselves_.

2

A FAITHFUL SERVANT

A certain old time king said _that he needed a servant who could be depended upon_. He said he knew _that such a man is difficult to secure, and in the hope of getting the right one, he would hire two_.

When he had engaged them, he took them to a well and, showing them a large basket, told them _to fill it with water_. He said _that he would return at night to see what they had done_.

The men were very much in earnest when they began the work, but, after pouring five or six bucketfuls of water into the basket, one of them stopped and said _that he did not see any use in doing that because, as soon as he poured the water in, it ran out again, and his time was lost_.

His companion replied _that the kind of work that their master gave them was no concern of theirs; that they were paid to do the work; and, whether it seemed useful to them or not, they ought to do it_.

The first speaker said _that the other man could do as he pleased, but, as for him, he did not expect to waste his time on such foolish work_. Throwing his bucket down, he walked off.

The one that was left continued at the work until about sunset, when he had nearly emptied the well. Looking into the basket, he saw something glittering. Stooping to look more closely, he found in the basket a ring of great value which his bucket had scooped up from the mud at the bottom of the well. He said _that now he knew why the king had wanted the water poured into the basket_.

Shortly afterward, when the king came up with some of his officers and saw the ring in the basket, he knew that the man had obeyed him, and he said _that he knew he could trust him, and as a reward for obedience he would make him master over other servants_.

=Exercise 172--The Paragraph in Dialogue=

In conversation the words of each speaker, together with the author's words of explanation, form one paragraph. Whenever the speaker changes, the paragraph changes; as,

"Mimer," boldly said the god Odin to the gray old guardian of the well where wit and wisdom lie hidden, "Mimer, let me drink of the waters of wisdom."

"Truly, Odin," answered Mimer, "it is a great treasure that you seek and one which many have sought before but who, when they knew the price of it, turned back."

Then replied Odin, "I would give my right hand for wisdom willingly."

"Nay," rejoined the remorseless Mimer, "it is not your right hand, but your right eye, you must give."--Keary: _The Heroes of Asgard_.

However, when one speaker talks at length, what he says is formed into paragraphs according to the divisions into which it falls. (See