(c) The captain said, "Carry the message to the front; (e) The score was even, two men were out, when Dick came to the bat in the ninth inning; but (f) I had watched the trail all morning, with gun in hand; 7. What incident from his life do you imagine the laughing cavalier has just been telling? (See page 167.) 8. Turn to the picture on page 267. What traits of character do you find pictured in the face? CHAPTER II REVIEW OF CAPITALIZATION AND PUNC TUATION 251. The purpose of marks of punctuation is to assist the reader's understanding by indicating such grouping of words as will convey the author's meaning. These marks stand in place of the pauses and inflections of voice in spoken language which play so large a part in conveying our meaning. They indicate to the eye the writer's pauses and breaks in thought, and the grammatical relation between words and groups of words. The right and wrong of punctuation cannot be set down in arbitrary rules, since the use of the different marks depends on the judgment of the individual and may change from time to time. However, a few rules, which are recognized and followed by the best English writers, should be learned and put into practice. Further than this, you should observe carefully the punctuation of presentday writers and publishers of good standing. Capitalization 252. Uses of Capital Letters 1. The first word of a sentence, of every line of poetry, and of a direct question or a direct quotation (except a mere phrase or a part of a sentence) should begin with a capital letter. He said, "We have come for the purpose of explaining the matter." Ask yourself this question: Are you making the most of your opportunities? 2. Proper names should begin with capitals. This includes names of persons, places, rivers, mountains, races, sects, holidays, events of historical importance, epochs of time, etc. Battle of the Wilderness, The Middle Ages, Republicans, Presbyterians. NOTE. The words street, river, mountain, and the like, begin with capitals only when used as part of a proper name. Tremont Street, Nile River, Pyrenees Mountains. 3. The names of the days of the week and months of the year but not the seasons should begin with capitals. Monday, June, fall, spring. 4. The names applied to Deity should begin with capitals. Personal pronouns referring to Deity are also capitalized when their antecedents are not expressed or when there might be confusion of antecedents. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 5. Adjectives derived from proper nouns should begin with capitals. American, Shakespearian. 6. The pronoun I and the interjection O are always capitalized. NOTE. The interjection Oh is capitalized only when it stands at the beginning of a sentence. 7. The first word and every important word in the titles of books, essays, etc., should begin with capitals. A Tale of Two Cities. The Flight of a Tartar Tribe. 8. Titles of rank and honor used in connection with proper names should begin with capitals. When the title is used without the proper name, it is capitalized only in the case of officials of high rank. The President summoned the Secretary of State to an important conference. Rear-Admiral Dewey. The alderman from the fifth ward. 9. The words north, south, east, west, and their compounds (northeast, etc.) and adjectives (northern, etc.) should begin with capitals when they refer to sections of the country, and not when they simply denote direction. The commercial interests of the South, as well as those of the North, felt the financial depression. Toward evening a refreshing breeze came up from the west. 10. Words denoting kinship as father, mother, etc., are capitalized when used without the possessive pronoun and when used with a proper name. Did you tell Father that Uncle John had decided to remain in California? He begged his sister to intercede. 11. Names of personified objects should begin with capitals. And, O, ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves, EXERCISE 47 a. Bring to class two illustrations of each of the above rules for the uses of capitals. These illustrations may be original or taken from your reading. b. Give the reasons for the use of capitals in the following sentences: 1. We heard the President's address at the Champlain Tercentenary Celebration. 2. Father and Sister expect to join Uncle Fred in the English lake district next summer, probably in July. 3. Days Off by Henry Van Dyke would be a good book to take to read on your journey. 4. And Sir Launfal said, "I behold in thee An image of Him who died on the tree;" 5. He was heard to ask, "Will you kindly direct me to Washington Street?" 6. General Clarence R. Edwards, Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, in his annual report to the Secretary of War, urges that American citizenship be extended to the Porto Ricans. 7. He was the one man in the country who could transfer the free life of the West to the pages of a magazine without loss of vitality, as "The Buffalo Hunt," "The Broncho Buster," and "The Apache Trail" testify. 8. The Republicans in the House supported the bill with enthusiasm. |