opinion. How have the principles of rhetoric been discovered and established? Do you suppose there is any further opportunity for such discoveries to be made in the future, or is rhetoric a completed science? Give reasons for your opinion. 151. Can one write well without a knowledge of the laws and principles of rhetoric? Will a close observance of such laws and principles alone make one a successful writer? Give reasons for your opinion. How may such an observance help one to write well? How can you make your study of rhetoric practical in your life after you leave school? APPENDIX. RULES FOR THE USE OF CAPITALS. 1. A capital is used to begin every complete sentence. 2. A capital is used to begin every line of poetry. 3. A capital is used to begin every direct quotation that is a sentence. 4. A capital is used to begin every proper noun and every proper adjective. a. Capitals are used to begin the names of things personified. b. Capitals should be used to begin the names of the days of the week and of the months of the year, but the tendency now is not to capitalize the names of the seasons unless they are personified. 5. Every important word in a title or heading should begin with a capital. a. All words except prepositions, articles, and conjunctions used to be included under this rule; but now the tendency is to capitalize only nouns and verbs, and some authorities recommend using a capital only for the first word. 6. The pronoun and the vocative Oshould always be capitals. a. The vocative O, used only in direct address, should be carefully distinguished from the interjection, oh. 7. All titles of honor and respect should begin with capitals. 8. Important words may sometimes be capitalized to draw attention to them. 9. Statements complete in themselves and formally introduced may begin with capitals though used as parts of other sentences. a. A formal introduction is one which requires the falling inflection in reading. We believe the following truths to be incontrovertible: That governments derive their just power from the consent of the governed. That no people can justly be transferred from one government to another without their own consent. RULES FOR PUNCTUATION. I. The Comma. 1. An appositive expression, unless very short, should be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas. a. A noun in apposition, taken with its modifiers, is an appositive expression. I John saw these things. And up and down the people go, Round an island there below, The island of Shalott. 2. The terms of a series should be followed by commas. There are three cases here: a. When no conjunction is used, a comma follows each member of the series. I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance, Among my skimming swallows. -TENNYSON. b. When a conjunction is used between the last two members only, a comma follows each member except the last. And this our life Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. —SHAKESPEARE. c. When all the conjunctions are used, no commas are needed, though for special emphasis they are sometimes used. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive blessing and glory and honor and power. Exception to case a. No comma should ever separate the last of a series of adjectives from the noun they modify. This great, round, whirling world of ours. 3. Independent expressions should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. And now, the bells having ceased their sad tolling, the solemn voice of the clergyman was heard repeating the comforting service. 4. Words, phrases, or clauses interposed between parts closely connected in thought, should be separated from those parts by commas. Character is like bells which ring out sweet music, and which, when touched, accidentally even, resound with sweet music. - PHILLIPS BROOKS. He bears both the sentence and the sorrow That, to pay grief, must of poor patience borrow. SHAKESPEARE. 5. Phrases and clauses transposed from their ordinary1 posi 1 The order of the sentence usually requires the principal clause first, and all modifiers as near as possible to the words they modify. tion should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Like the sunlight which fills all the air around us, the presence of God fills the universe, and enters every heart that opens to receive him. If I live the life he gave me, God will turn it to his use. 6. Short coördinate clauses are separated from each other by commas. 7. Subordinate clauses not restrictive should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. The robin who built in our orchard last summer is singing there again. The robin, who is one of our sweetest songsters, is so friendly that he may be easily tamed. 8. A long complex or compound subject should be separated from the predicate by a comma. The student who has been diligent and thorough in his daily preparation, will not need to fear occasional examinations. 9. Omitted words are marked by commas, either to give emphasis or to prevent misunderstanding. To err is human; to forgive, divine. 10. A direct quotation informally introduced should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. "Gentlemen, we must all hang together," said Hancock. "Yes," said Franklin, or we shall all hang separately." 66 GENERAL SUGGESTION. The tendency in punctuation at the present day is to be sparing of commas. |