12. Appositive words and phrases are separated from the remainder of the sentence by commas.

"In the early years of this century, such a linen weaver, named Silas Marner, worked at his vocation, in a stone cottage that stood among the nutty hedgerows near the village of Raveloe, and not far from the edge of a deserted stone-pit."

13. When words are omitted, the omission is indicated by the use of a comma.

"Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor; Most choice, forsaken; and most loved, despis'd!"

14. A comma is used before a short and informal quotation.

"In the bitterness of his wounded spirit, he said to himself, '_She_ will cast me off too.'"

15. A comma is used to separate the independent clauses of a compound sentence sufficiently involved to necessitate some mark of punctuation, and yet not involved enough to require marks of different ranks.

"But about the Christmas of the fifteenth year a second great change came over Marner's life, and his history became blent in a singular manner with the life of his neighbors."

6. Small groups of more closely related words are inclosed by commas to indicate their near relation and to separate them from words they might otherwise be thought to modify.

"In this strange world, made a hopeless riddle to him, he might, if he had had a less intense nature, have sat weaving, weaving--looking towards the end of his pattern, or towards the end of his web, till he forgot the riddle, and everything else but his immediate sensations; but the money had come to mark off his weaving into periods, and the money not only grew, but it remained with him."

SEMICOLONS.

17. A semicolon is used to separate the parts of a compound sentence if they are involved, or contain commas. It is also used to give independence to the members of a compound sentence when not very complex.

"The meadow was searched in vain; and he got over the stile into the next field, looking with dying hope towards a small pond which was now reduced to its summer shallowness, so as to leave a wide margin of good adhesive mud."

"As for the child, he would see that it was cared for; he would never forsake it; he would do everything but own it."

18. Semicolons are used to separate a series of clauses in much the same way as commas are used to separate a series of words.

"I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor; As much as child e'er loved, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love thee."

19. A semicolon is generally used to introduce a clause of repetition, a clause stating the obverse, and a clause stating an inference.

(Many examples of the last two rules will be found in the discussion of compound sentences on pages 202, 203.)

COLONS.

20. A colon is used to introduce a formal quotation. It is frequently followed by a dash.

"Under date of November 28, 1860, she wrote to a friend:--

"'I am engaged now in writing a story--the idea of which came to me after our arrival in this house, and which has thrust itself between me and the other book I was meditating. It is Silas Manner, the Weaver of Raveloe.'"

"On the last day of the same year she wrote: 'I am writing a story which came across my other plans by a sudden inspiration, etc.'"

21. A colon is used to introduce a series of particulars, either appositional or explanatory, which the reader has been led to expect by the first clause of the sentence. These particulars are separated from each other by semicolons.

"The study of the principles of composition should include the following subjects: a study of words as to their origin and meaning; a study of the structure of the sentence and of the larger elements of discourse--in other words, of concrete logic; a study of the principles of effective literary composition, as illustrated in the various divisions of literature; and also a study of the aesthetics of literature."

"What John Morley once said of literature as a whole is even more accurate when applied to fiction alone: its purpose is 'to bring sunshine into our hearts and to drive moonshine out of our heads.'"

22. A colon is used to separate the major parts of a very complex and involved sentence, if the major parts, or either of them, contain within themselves semicolons.

"For four years he had thought of Nancy Lammeter, and wooed her with a tacit patient worship, as the woman who made him think of the future with joy: she would be his wife, and would make home lovely to him, as his father's home had never been; and it would be easy, when she was always near, to shake off those foolish habits that were no pleasures, but only a feverish way of annulling vacancy."

23. A colon is sometimes used to mark a strong independence in the parts of a compound sentence.

"He didn't want to give Godfrey that pleasure: he preferred that Master Godfrey should be vexed."

THE DASH.

24. A dash is frequently used with a colon to introduce a formal quotation. The quotation then begins a new paragraph.

(Example under colon.)

25. A dash is used alone or with a comma to inclose a phrase or clause which is parenthetic or explanatory.

"'But as for being ugly, look at me, child, in this silver-colored silk--I told you how it 'ud be--I look as yallow as a daffadil.'"

(Example under comma.)

26. A dash is used to denote a sudden turn of the thought.

"I've no opinion of the men, Miss Gunn--I don't know what _you_ have."

"'It does make her look funny, though--partly like a short-necked bottle wi' a long quill in it."

27. A dash is frequently used when the composition should be interrupted to indicate the intensity of the emotion.

"No--no--I can't part with it, I can't let it go,' said Silas abruptly. 'It's come to me--I've a right to keep it.'"

"And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life!

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more, Never, never, never, never, never!-- Pray you, undo this button:--thank you, sir.-- Do you see this? Look on her,--look,--her lips,-- Look there, look there!"--

28. A dash is sometimes used alone before an appositive phrase or clause.

"For the first time he determined to try the coal-hole--a small closet near the hearth."

PERIOD, EXCLAMATION POINT, INTERROGATION MARK.

29. A period closes every declarative sentence.

30. A period is used after abbreviations.

31. An exclamation point follows an expression of strong emotion.

32. An interrogation mark follows a direct question.