that at the close of the sentence; as, "Which is the older, John or James?"

RULE 2. Doubt.-The interrogation point is sometimes inserted in curves to throw doubt upon a statement. Ex.-"His beautiful (?) diction was not admired."

GENERAL EXERCISE.

Punctuate the following where necessary:

1. They asked me why I did not play

2. They asked me, "Why do you not play"

3. "You intend to go home to-morrow "To morrow no; not till Friday."

4. Do you travel for health or for pleasure

5. What is the product of 17 times 14 Of 16 times 13 Of 18 x 24.

6. The gracefulness () of this buffoon is something to excite wonder.

7. Our friends () undertook to censure us for our levity.

8. Dost thou love life Then do not squander time for that is the stuff that life is made of.

again

9. Greece indeed fell but how did she fall Did she fall like Babylon Did she fall like Lucifer never to rise 10. "Good-morning sir I hope you are well" from it I am suffering intensely"

"Well no far

THE EXCLAMATION POINT (!).

The Exclamation Point is used to indicate some emotion.

RULE 1. Interjections.-The exclamation point is placed after interjections when they show strong emotion.

Ex.-"Hurrah! we are free again."

Note 1.-When the emotion expressed belongs to the whole phrase or sentence, the exclamation is usually placed after the entire expres sion, rather than after the interjection; as, "Shame upon your conduct!"

Note 2.-When an interjection is repeated several times, the repeated words are separated from each other by a comma, and the exclamation point is put only after the last; as, "Well, well! I cannot stand that.".

Note 3.-The difference between O and oh was closely cbserved formerly, O being used in direct address; as, "O home, magical, all powerful home!" while oh was used more directly to express emotions; as, "Oh, how glad I am!"

Note 4.-0 is not immediately followed by an exclamation point, but oh is so followed except where the emotion runs through the whole expression, in which case oh is followed by a comma, and the entire emotional expression by an exclamation point.

Note 5.—The interjections eh and hey are frequently used at the end of a question. In that case they are followed by an interrogation point.

RULE 2. Exclamation.-An exclamation point is placed after every exclamatory expression.

Ex.-"Magnificent! Gorgeous!" were the words of all. "How very simple it is!"

Note. It is usually best to put the point where the full force of the exclamation is brought out. Thus, "Charge, Chester, charge On, Stanley, on !"

RULE 3.-More than one exclamation point may be used to express wonder, irony, contempt, or great surprise.

Ex.-"Believe in his honesty!! I would rather trust the honesty of a thief."

Note. The exclamation point is sometimes used to imply doubt in the same manner as the interrogation point; as, "The sneak was a humble (!) man."

GENERAL EXERCISE.

Punctuate the following where necessary :

1. How sweetly the bee winds her small but mellow horn

2. Lo I am with you alway

3 Alas my noble boy that thou shouldst die

4. Selling off at cost Great sacrifices

5. How calmly the ship glides over the water

6. What a queer-looking bonnet

7. King of kings and Lord of lords we humbly bow before thee

8. Woe to the tempter

9. Oh dear how shall I get out of this.

10.

11.

12.

Green be the turf above thee

Friend of my better days

Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhoc When fond recollection presents them to view 13. Build thee more stately mansions O my soul 14. Let this be your motto Rely on yourself 15. Alas how easily things go wrong

16. God pity us all in our pitiful strife

17. How complicate how wonderful is man

18. God send thee many years of sunshine days

THE DASH (—).

The Dash is used chiefly to indicate a sudden change in the sense or the construction of a sentence.

Note. The dash has its legitimate use, and is necessary in many kinds of composition, but it is frequently used by unskilled writers as a substitute for the comma, the semicolon, the colon, the marks of parenthesis, and even the period. It should not be used as a substi tute for any of these. The use of the dash for any of the marks here mentioned is permissible only where none of them can be correctly used.

The following are the most important rules for the use of the dash:

RULE 1. Sudden Change.-A dash is used to mark some sudden or abrupt change in the construction or the sense of a sentence.

Ex. -"And bid her, you mark me, on Wednesday next-but soft, what day is this?"

RULE 2. Parenthesis.-The dash is sometimes used to set off parenthetical expressions when the connection is not so close as to require commas.

Ex. "Those who hated him most heartily-and no man was hated so heartily-admitted that his mind was exceedingly bril liant."

RULE 3. A Pause.-The dash is sometimes used to indicate a pause made for rhetorical effect.

Ex.-"It was admitted by all that this boy was a model child-when he was asleep."

Note. The dash is also sometimes used to denote an expressive pause; as, "The wind roared-ceased-sighed gently-roared again -then died quietly away."

RULE 4. Omission.-The dash is used to indicate an omission.

Ex. "One morning in the summer of 18- the town of was greatly agitated at a recent occurrence."

RULE 5. Summing Up.-The dash is sometimes used to denote a summing up of particulars.

Ex.-"Father, mother, brother, sister,-all are dead."

RULE 6. Repetition.- When a word or an expression is repeated emphatically or for rhetorical effect, the construction being begun anew, a dash should be inserted before each repetition.

Ex. "Here lies the dust of Cicero-Cicero! who once thrilled the world with his eloquence."

"I wish," said my uncle Toby, with a deep sigh—“I wish, Trim, I were asleep."

RULE 7. Reflex Apposition.-When words at the end of a sentence stand detached and are in apposition with preced

iny parts of a sentence, they are separated from the preceding portion by a dash.

Ex.-Three of the world's greatest poems are epics-Paradise Lost, The Eneid, and The Iliad.

RULE 8. Titles Run in.-When a title or a heading, instead of standing over a paragraph, is run in so as to make a part of the paragraph, it is separated from the rest of the line by a dash. For illustration see any of the foregoing rules.

RULE 9. Dialogue. The parts of a conversation or a dialogue, if run into a paragraph instead of beginning separate lines, are separated by dashes.

Ex. "Good-morning, Mr. Smith."-"Good-morning, sir." "I hope you are well."-"I am quite well; how is your health?"-"Good, very good."

RULE 10. With Other Pauses.-The dash is often placed after other marks to add effect.

The following are the chief instances:

a. After a side-head; as "Remark 2.-," etc.

b. Between the end of a paragraph and the name of the author, if both are placed on the same line; as,— "Procrastination is the thief of time."-Young.

c. Between short quotations brought together in the same line. (See Example under Rule 9.)

GENERAL EXERCISE.

Punctuate the following where necessary :

1. If you will give me your attention I will show you but stop I do not know that you wish to hear me.

2. The stream fell over a precipice paused fell paused again -then darted down the valley.