UNDER RULE II.—OF SIMPLE MEMBERS.
"When the sun had arisen the enemy retreated."—Day's District School Gram., p. 85.
[Formule.—Not proper, because no comma here separates the two simple members which compose the sentence. But, according to Rule 2d, "The simple members of a compound sentence, whether successive or involved, elliptical or complete, are generally divided by the comma." Therefore, a comma should be inserted after arisen; thus, "When the sun had arisen, the enemy retreated."]
"If he become rich he may be less industrious."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 118. "The more I study grammar the better I like it."—Id., ib., p. 127. "There is much truth in the old adage that fire is a better servant than master."—Id., ib., p. 128. "The verb do, when used as an auxiliary gives force or emphasis to the expression."—Day's Gram., p. 39. "Whatsoever it is incumbent upon a man to do it is surely expedient to do well."—J. Q. Adams's Rhetoric, Vol. i, p. 46. "The soul which our philosophy divides into various capacities, is still one essence."—Channing, on Self-Culture, p. 15. "Put the following words in the plural and give the rule for forming it."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 19. "We will do it if you wish."—Id., ib., p. 29. "He who does well will be rewarded."—Id., ib., 29. "That which is always true is expressed in the present tense."—Id., ib., p. 119. "An observation which is always true must be expressed in the present tense."—Id., Prin. of E. Gram., p. 123. "That part of orthography which treats of combining letters to form syllables and words is called spelling."—Day's Gram., p. 8. "A noun can never be of the first person except it is in apposition with a pronoun of that person."—Ib., p. 14. "When two or more singular nouns or pronouns refer to the same object they require a singular verb and pronoun."—Ib., p. 80. "James has gone but he will return in a few days."—Ib., 89. "A pronoun should have the same person, number, and gender as the noun for which it stands."—Ib., 89 and 80. "Though he is out of danger he is still afraid."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 80. "She is his inferior in sense but his equal in prudence."—Ib., p. 81. "The man who has no sense of religion is little to be trusted."—Ib., 81. "He who does the most good has the most pleasure."—Ib., 81. "They were not in the most prosperous circumstances when we last saw them."—Ib., 81. "If the day continue pleasant I shall return."—Felton's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 22; Ster. Ed., 24. "The days that are past are gone for ever."—Ib., pp. 89 and 92. "As many as are friendly to the cause will sustain it."—Ib., 89 and 92. "Such as desire aid will receive it."—Ib., 89 and 92. "Who gave you that book which you prize so much?"—Bullions, Pract. Lessons, p. 32. "He who made it now preserves and governs it."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 83.
"Shall he alone, whom rational we call,
Be pleased with nothing if not blessed with all?"
—Felton's Gram., p. 126.
UNDER THE EXCEPTIONS CONCERNING SIMPLE MEMBERS.
"Newcastle is the town, in which Akenside was born."—Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 54.
[Formule.—Not proper, because a needless comma here separates the restrictive relative which from its antecedent town. But, according to Exception 1st to Rule 2d, "When a relative immediately follows its antecedent, and is taken in a restrictive sense, the comma should not be introduced before it." Therefore, this comma Should be omitted; thus, "Newcastle is the town in which Akenside was born."]
"The remorse, which issues in reformation, is true repentance."—Campbell's Philos. of Rhet., p. 255. "Men, who are intemperate, are destructive members of community."—Alexander's Gram., p. 93. "An active-transitive verb expresses an action, which extends to an object."—Felton's Gram., pp. 16 and 22. "They, to whom much is given, will have much to answer for."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 188. "The prospect, which we have, is charming."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 143. "He is the person, who informed me of the matter."—Ib., p. 134; Cooper's Murray, 120. "These are the trees, that produce no fruit."—Ib., 134; and 120. "This is the book, which treats of the subject."—Ib., 134; and 120. "The proposal was such, as pleased me."—Cooper, Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 134. "Those, that sow in tears, shall reap in joy."—Id., ib., pp. 118 and 124; and Cooper's Murray, p. 141. "The pen, with which I write, makes too large a mark."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 71. "Modesty makes large amends for the pain, it gives the persons, who labour under it, by the prejudice, it affords every worthy person in their favour."—Ib., p. 80. "Irony is a figure, whereby we plainly intend something very different from what our words express."—Bucke's Gram., p. 108. "Catachresis is a figure, whereby an improper word is used instead of a proper one."—Ib., p. 109. "The man, whom you met at the party, is a Frenchman."—Frost's Practical Gram., p. 155.
UNDER RULE III.—OF MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
"John, James and Thomas are here:
that is, John and James, &c."—Cooper's Plain and Practical Grammar, p. 153.
[Formule.—Not proper, because no comma is here used after James, or after Thomas, or again after John, in the latter clause; the three nouns being supposed to be in the same construction, and all of them nominatives to the verb are. But, according to Rule 3d for the Comma, "When more than two words or terms are connected in the same construction, or in a joint dependence on some other term, by conjunctions expressed or understood, the comma should be inserted after every one of them but the last; and, if they are nominatives before a verb, the comma should follow the last also." Therefore, the comma should be inserted after each; thus, "John, James, and Thomas, are here: that is, John, and James, and Thomas, are here."][1]
"Adverbs modify verbs adjectives and other adverbs."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 97. "To Nouns
- ↑ [463] Some printers, and likewise some authors, suppose a series of words to require the comma, only where the conjunction is suppressed. This is certainly a great error. It gives us such punctuation as comports neither with the sense of three or more words in the same construction, nor with the pauses which they require in reading. "John, James and Thomas are here," is a sentence which plainly tells John that James and Thomas are here; and which, if read according to this pointing, cannot possibly have any other meaning. Yet this is the way in which the rules of Cooper, Felton, Frost, Webster, and perhaps others, teach us to point it, when we mean to tell somebody else that all three are here! In his pretended "Abridgment of Murray's English Grammar," (a work abounding in small thefts from Brown's Institutes,) Cooper has the following example: "John, James or Joseph intends to accompany me."—Page 120. Here, John being addressed, the punctuation is right; but, to make this noun a nominative to the verb, a comma must be put after each of the others. In Cooper's "Plain and Practical Grammar," the passage is found in this form: "John, James, or Joseph intends to accompany us."—Page 132. This pointing is doubly wrong; because it is adapted to neither sense. If the three nouns have the same construction, the principal pause will be immediately before the verb; and surely a comma is as much required by that pause, as by the second. See the Note on Rule 3d, above.
