RULE 1. The members of a simple sentence should not, in general, be
separated by a comma; as, "Every part of matter swarms with living
creatures."
_Exercises in Punctuation_.--Idleness is the great fomenter of all
corruptions in the human heart. The friend of order has made half his
way to virtue. All finery is a sign of littleness.
RULE 2. When a simple sentence is long, and the nominative is
accompanied with an inseparable adjunct of importance, it may admit a
comma immediately before the verb; as, "The good taste _of the present
age_, has not allowed us to neglect the cultivation of the English
language;" "Too many _of the pretended friendships of youth_, are mere
combinations in pleasure."
_Exercises_.--The indulgence of a harsh disposition is the introduction
to future misery. To be totally indifferent to praise or censure is a
real defect in character. The intermixture of evil in human society
serves to exercise the suffering graces and virtues of the good.
RULE 3. When the connexion of the different parts of a simple sentence,
is interrupted by an adjunct of importance, the adjunct must be
distinguished by a comma before and after it; as, "His work is, _in many
respects,_ very imperfect. It is, _therefore,_ not much approved." But
when these interruptions are slight and unimportant, it is better to
omit the comma; as, "Flattery is _certainly_ pernicious;" "There is
_surely_ a pleasure in beneficence."
_Exercises_.--Charity like the sun brightens all its objects. Gentleness
is in truth the great avenue to mutual enjoyment. You too have your
failings. Humility and knowledge with poor apparel excel pride and
ignorance under costly attire. The best men often experience
disappointments. Advice should be seasonably administered. No assumed
behavior can always hide the real character.
RULE 4. The nominative case independent, and nouns in apposition when
accompanied with adjuncts, must be distinguished by commas; as, "My
_son_, give me thy heart;" "Dear _Sir_, I write to express my gratitude
for your many kindnesses;" "I am obliged to you, my _friends_, for your
many favors;" "_Paul_, the _apostle_, of the Gentiles, was eminent for
his zeal and knowledge;" "The _butterfly_, _child_ of the summer,
flutters in the sun."
But if _two_ nouns in apposition are unattended with adjuncts, or if
they form only a proper name, they should not be separated; as, _"Paul_
the _apostle_, suffered martyrdom;" "The _statesman Jefferson_, wrote
the declaration of Independence."
_Exercises_.--Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all
generations. Continue my dear child to make virtue thy chief study.
Canst thou expect thou betrayer of innocence to escape the hand of
vengeance? Death the king of terrors chose a prime minister. Hope the
balm of life sooths us under every misfortune. Confucius the great
Chinese philosopher was eminently good as well as wise. The patriarch
Joseph is an illustrious example of true piety.
RULE 5. The nominative case absolute and the infinitive mood absolute
with their adjuncts, a participle with words depending on it, and,
generally, any imperfect phrase which may be resolved into a simple
sentence, must be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas; as,
"_His father dying_, he succeeded to the estate;" "_To confess the
truth_, I was in fault;" "The king, _approving the plan_, put it in
execution;" "He, _having finished his academical course_, has returned
home, _to prosecute his professional studies_."
_Exercises_.--Peace of mind being secured we may smile at misfortune. To
enjoy present pleasure he sacrificed his future ease and reputation. His
talents formed for great enterprises could not fail of rendering him
conspicuous. The path of piety and virtue pursued with a firm and
constant spirit will assuredly lead to happiness. All mankind compose
one family assembled under the eye of one common Father.
RULE 6. A compound sentence must be resolved into simple ones by placing
commas between its members; as, "The decay, the waste, and the
dissolution of a plant, may affect our spirits, and suggest a train of
serious reflections."
Three or more nouns, verbs, adjectives, participles, or adverbs,
connected by conjunctions, expressed or understood, must be separated by
commas; as, "The husband, wife,[11] and children,[12] suffered extremely;"
"In a letter, we may advise, exhort, comfort, request, and discuss;"
"David was a brave, wise, and pious man;" "A man, fearing, serving, and
loving his Creator, lives for a noble purpose;" "Success generally
depends on acting prudently, steadily, and vigorously, in what we
undertake."
[11] The correctness and importance of this rule appear to be so
obvious, as to render it not a little surprising, that any _writer_,
possessing the least degree of rhetorical taste, should reject it. I
am bold to affirm, that it is observed by every correct reader and
speaker; and yet, strange as it may seem, it is generally violated
by those printers who punctuate by the ear, and all others who are
influenced by their pernicious example; thus, "The head, the heart
and the hands, should be constantly and actively employed in doing
good." Why do they not omit the comma where the conjunction is
understood? It would be doing no greater violence to the principles
of elocution; thus, "The head the heart and the hands, should be,
&c." or thus, "The head the heart, and the hands, should be
employed," &c. Who does not perceive that the latter pause, where
the conjunction is expressed, is as necessary as the former, where
the conjunction is understood? And, since this is the case, what
fair objection can be made to the following method of punctuation?
"The head, the heart, and the hands, should be constantly and
actively employed in doing good;" "She is a woman, gentle, sensible,
well-educated, and religious."
[12] As a considerable pause in pronunciation is necessary between
the last noun and the verb, a comma should be inserted to denote it;
but as no pause is allowable between the last adjective and the
noun, or between the last adverb and the verb, the comma, in such
instances, is properly omitted; thus, "David was a brave, wise, and
_pious_ man."
Two or more nouns, verbs, adjectives, participles, or adverbs, occurring
in the same construction, with their conjunctions understood, must be
separated by commas; as, "Reason, virtue, answer one great aim;" "Virtue
supports in adversity, moderates in prosperity;" "Plain, honest truth,
needs no artificial covering;" "We are fearfully, wonderfully framed."
_Exercises._--We have no reason to complain of the lot of man nor of the
mutability of the world. Sensuality contaminates the body depresses the
understanding deadens the moral feelings of the heart and degrades man
from his rank in creation.
Self-conceit presumption and obstinacy blast the prospects of many a
youth. He is alternately supported by his father his uncle and his elder
brother. The man of virtue and honor will be trusted relied upon and
esteemed. Conscious guilt renders one mean-spirited timorous and base.
An upright mind will never be at a loss to discern what is just and true
lovely honest and of good report. Habits of reading writing and thinking
are the indispensable qualifications of a good student. The great
business of life is to be employed in doing justly loving mercy and
talking humbly with our Creator. To live soberly righteously and piously
comprehends the whole of our duty.
In our health life possessions connexions pleasures there are causes of
decay imperceptibly working. Deliberate slowly execute promptly. An idle
trifling society is near akin to such as is corrupting. This unhappy
person had been seriously affectionately admonished but in vain.
RULE 7. Comparative sentences whose members are short, and sentences
connected with relative pronouns the meaning of whose antecedents is
restricted or limited to a particular sense, should not be separated by
a comma; as, "Wisdom is better than riches;" "No preacher is so
successful as thee;" "He accepted _what_ I had rejected;" "Self-denial
is the _sacrifice which_ virtue must make;" "Subtract from many modern
poets _all that_ may be found in Shakspeare, and trash will remain;"
"Give it to the _man whom_ you most esteem." In this last example, the
assertion is not of "man in general," but of "the man whom you most
esteem."
But when the antecedent is used in a general sense, a comma is properly
inserted before the relative; as, "_Man_, _who_ is born of a woman, is of
few days and full of trouble;" "There is no _charm_ in the female sex,
_which_ can supply the place of virtue."
This rule is equally applicable to constructions in which the relative
is understood; as, "Value duly the privileges you enjoy;" that is,
"privileges _which_ you enjoy."
_Exercises._--How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! The
friendships of the world can exist no longer than interest cements them.
Eat what is set before you. They who excite envy will easily incur
censure. A man who is of a detracting spirit will misconstrue the most
innocent words that can be put together. Many of the evils which
occasion our complaints of the world are wholly imaginary.
The gentle mind is like the smooth stream which reflects every object in
its just proportion and in its fairest colors. In that unaffected
civility which springs from a gentle mind there is an incomparable
charm. The Lord whom I serve is eternal. This is the man we saw
yesterday.
RULE 8. When two words of the same sort, are connected by a conjunction
expressed, they must not be separated; as, "Libertines call religion,
bigotry _or_ superstition;" "True worth is modest _and_ retired;" "The
study of natural history, expands _and_ elevates the mind;" "Some men
sin deliberately and presumptuously." When words are connected in pairs,
the pairs only should be separated; as, "There is a natural difference
between merit _and_ demerit, virtue _and_ vice, wisdom _and_ folly;"
"Whether we eat _or_ drink, labor _or_ sleep, we should be temperate."
But if the parts connected by a conjunction are not short, they may be
separated by a comma; as, "Romances may be said to be miserable
rhapsodies, _or_ dangerous incentives to evil."
_Exercises_.--Idleness brings forward and nourishes many bad passions.
True friendship will at all times avoid a rough or careless behavior.
Health and peace a moderate fortune and a few friends sum up all the
undoubted articles of temporal felicity. Truth is fair and artless
simple and sincere uniform and consistent. Intemperance destroys the
strength of our bodies and the vigor of our minds.
RULE 9. Where the verb of a simple member is understood, a comma may, in
some instances, be inserted; as, "From law arises security; from
security, curiosity; from curiosity, knowledge." But in others, it is
better to omit the comma; "No station is so high, no power so great, no
character so unblemished, as to exempt men from the attacks of
rashness, malice, and envy."
_Exercises_.--As a companion he was severe and satirical; as a friend
captious and dangerous. If the spring put forth no blossoms in summer
there will be no beauty and in autumn no fruit. So if youth be trifled
away without improvement manhood will be contemptible and old age
miserable.
RULE 10. When a simple member stands as the object of a preceding verb,
and its verb may be changed into the infinitive mood, the comma is
generally omitted; as, "I suppose _he is at rest_;" changed, "I suppose
_him to be at rest_."
But when the verb _to be_ is followed by a verb in the infinitive mood,
which, by transposition, may be made the nominative case to it, the verb
_to be_ is generally separated from the infinitive by a comma; as, "The
most obvious remedy is, _to withdraw from all associations with bad
men_;" "The first and most obvious remedy against the infection, is, to
withdraw from all associations with bad men."
_Exercises._--They believed he was dead. He did not know that I was the
man. I knew she was still alive. The greatest misery is to be condemned
by our own hearts. The greatest misery that we can endure is to be
condemned by our own hearts.