native of Norway.
=Rule 6.--The comma is used to separate an appositive from the rest of
the sentence.=
Write five sentences illustrating the use of the comma to set off an
appositive.
=Exercise 183--Explanatory Expressions=
Similar in use to appositives are--
B. Words, phrases, or clauses that separate the subject from the
predicate verb, the verb from its object, or the like.
In the natural order of the sentence the verb immediately follows the
subject and the object follows the verb. When, for the purpose of
explanation, something is inserted between the two, it should be set off
from the rest of the sentence by commas. Words that are thus inserted
are called appositive or parenthetical expressions and are illustrated
in the following:
In Ohio and Kentucky enterprising individuals,
_evidently taking the suggestion from the popular
rural delivery service_, have established ice cream
routes. Ice cream wagons travel the country roads at
stated times so that, _with no more trouble than is
required to answer the postman's whistle_, dwellers on
the farms can now secure the hot weather luxury at
reasonable prices. The plan, _so far as one can tell
from present indications_, gives promise of meeting
with great success.
=Rule 7.--Parenthetical expressions should be set off by commas.=
Punctuate the following:
1
The politics of the city as well as those of the
nation must be kept clean. The most intelligent men of
the community not the least intelligent should make
our political speeches and be our political leaders.
The very opposite we must confess is what we see too
often. Many business men steadily pursuing their own
ends during the day feel that they cannot devote time
to politics. We need not search far to discover that
too many of them even if they have the time do not
care to give it. At election the most influential
business and professional men either through lack of
interest or through laziness stay at home instead of
going to the polls. The men who are elected in nine
cases out of ten are not fit to hold office. The blame
belongs every one will agree to those who do not vote.
2
England as most people know is becoming vastly
interested in the production of cotton in the Soudan.
This state of affairs for more reasons than one is a
matter of interest to the American manufacturer as
well as to the American cotton planter. Egyptian
cotton ranking next to our own sea-island in length
and strength of fiber is wanted because of the
brilliant finish it gives. For the manufacture of fine
goods including sateens India linens and mercerized
goods as well as for mixing with silk it has been
found very valuable. Cotton growers expect that the
enlargement of the Assouan dam will eventually redeem
about a million acres from the desert in Lower Egypt
and although not more than half will probably be
planted to cotton it will increase Egypt's output
about twenty-five per cent. Our Department of
Agriculture after having experimented for years has
developed and acclimated in California a variety of
Egyptian cotton superior several experts say to the
real Egyptian. It now rests with the planters any one
can see to decide whether American manufacturers will
get their fine cotton at home or abroad.--_The Wall
Street Journal._
3
For several reasons some of them certainly unworthy
people on both sides of the Atlantic are talking of
the perils of a "yellow" invasion. It is true that in
the past various invasions have been attended with
evil but civilization has passed on into an age when
migrations even the mightiest that the world has seen
are taking place silently and steadily for the good of
all. There is no reason to suppose that the overflow
and interflow of nations heretofore synonymous with
the progress of humanity should bring to us anything
but good. Commerce is to lead the van in the new
movement of the nations as it has in the past and the
merchant consciously or unconsciously is going to
anticipate and guide the statesman.--_The Commercial
and Financial Chronicle._
4
The prevailing spirit at least among a certain class
of young business men seems to be that the saving of
little things in the course of the day consumes time
entirely out of proportion to the value of the things
saved but like all general rules it is carried too far
by young men who could hardly employ their time to
better advantage than in saving good though minor
materials that would otherwise be lost. The man who
originated the idea probably found it correct for
himself but like all principles catering to
indifference regarding details the idea is too readily
adopted by many young men who can ill afford its
practice. No one wishes a man to be parsimonious but
he should not allow anything to be wasted which can
with a reasonable exercise of effort be saved.
=Exercise 184--Explanatory Expressions=
C. _Independent elements_ are words, phrases, or clauses that have no
direct grammatical relation with any other word in the sentence. They
are really a kind of parenthetical expression, but have less connection
with the sentence than those given under B.
The following is an argument against the trusts. The italicized
expressions are independent elements. What different kinds do you
discover?
_Gentlemen_, the big problem before us to-day,
_therefore_, is the trusts. Shall the people control
the trusts, or shall the trusts control the people?
_To state the question differently_, shall we all
continue to keep a voice in government, or shall we
turn our power over into the hands of a few and let
their word be law? This centralizing of power, _by the
way_, was the evil men tried to remedy by forming
republics, and shall we Americans, _do you think_, be
willing to sacrifice all that has been gained for us
of liberty? _The answer being self-evident_, let us
proceed. It seems that the little violator of law can
be punished; the big violator cannot be, or, _at any
rate_, is not punished. The trusts, _most people
know_, are formed to destroy competition. Their reason
for destroying competition, _evidently_, is to swell
profits by charging all that the trade will bear. The
trust, _finally_, is not a method of doing business,
but a scheme for levying tribute.
=Rule 8.--Independent elements are separated from the rest of the
sentence by commas.=
Punctuate the following:
1
NEW YORK, May 12, 19--.
Mr. Thomas R. Stevenson,
5010 Prospect Ave.,
Milwaukee, Wis.
Dear Sir:
You are no doubt now planning your summer vacation
before you make any new plans however consider the
opportunity that we are offering you to see a new and
marvelously beautiful world for little more very
likely than the cost of an ordinary vacation at the
summer hotel to which you usually go.
The idea of summer travel in the Tropics it may be is
new to you comparatively few people unfortunately have
yet awakened to its possibilities they do not realize
at least not fully that the climate in Jamaica Panama
and the Central and South American countries is
practically the same throughout the year moreover the
transportation rates are much lower than they are in
the North and the incidental expenses of travel such
as carriage fare and the cost of curios are
considerably less rough weather too is almost unknown
in the summer.
Possibly as you live on the shores of Lake Michigan
you have been considering a week's cruise of the great
lakes at an expense certainly of $40 or more and along
coasts that you have seen doubtless many times before
we offer a number of trips varying in length from
twelve to twenty-four days and in cost from $50 to
$130 to Jamaica Panama and Central and South America
thus for ten dollars more you may sail twice as long
pass shores much more beautiful visit cities far more
strange and return with a new almost magical store of
memories.
You are wondering perhaps how it is that we can offer
these remarkably low rates the reason briefly told is
that our ships carry an exceptionally large amount of
freight however do not think merely because our ships
carry freight that they are not splendidly equipped
for passenger travel on the other hand they are so
luxuriously furnished that they are especially fitted
for tropical cruises you are missing an unusual
opportunity we assure you if you do not more fully
investigate our offer.
Yours very truly,
2
We are learning year by year that as a rule financial
independence cannot be secured by most men except by
saving the savings bank is of course the first place
to invest savings because it will receive small sums
and pay an interest on them when a man's savings
however have reached $1000 for example what shall he
do with his money he has not the time or the knowledge
probably to watch his investments he wishes therefore
to put his money where it will be safe where it will
earn a fair rate of interest and if possible where he
can on short notice convert it into cash.
3
A man is an investor usually at least by virtue of his
savings a woman on the other hand invests because she
has received a legacy this may take the form of course
of property securities cash or life insurance it is
the function of sound investment most people know to
surround funds of this nature with strong security the
selection of conservative investments it is evident
must be made with care those companies naturally that
deal in conservative securities are the ones a
prospective investor should consult.
4
Not long ago the editor of a financial journal
received a letter of inquiry from a woman she had she
said only two thousand dollars if she invested it as
some of her friends had advised her to do in a
well-known security she could not live on the
proceeds she had consequently made a connection with
a brokerage house and was making a living by buying
and selling speculative stocks her list by the way
showed a profit of $500 in four months what she wanted
to know of course was how she could make the gain a
second time in effect she was told to take her profits
and run as fast as she could she will not in all
probability take the advice and in a few months
possibly weeks she will write again for help in
rescuing her last few hundred dollars she will have
learned at last that the way to keep her money is to
save it but she will not by that time in all
likelihood have any money to save.
=Exercise 185--Explanatory Expressions=
D. The _explanatory relative clause_.
Similar to the appositive is the explanatory relative clause. Like an
appositive, it is inserted into the sentence for the purpose of
explanation and is separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
Because of this similarity, it is sometimes called an appositive
relative clause.
Great care must be taken in punctuation to distinguish a clause that may
be omitted from the sentence without destroying the meaning from one
that may not be omitted. The appositive clause may be omitted. A
restrictive clause, because it restricts the meaning of the word it
modifies, may not be omitted. Because it is needed for the sake of
clearness, it is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
To distinguish an appositive clause from a restrictive clause, the
former is called a non-restrictive clause.
Notice the difference between the following: