Business English Part 55

What, _then_, determines the price of grapes?

We cannot become good speakers until we learn to subordinate in tone those groups of words that are subordinate in idea, and to bring out clearly those groups which, for one reason or another, are emphatic. The same thing is true in music. We cannot become good musicians until we learn phrasing; that is, until we learn to group the notes to form distinct musical ideas. But when we write our thoughts, we cannot indicate the tone in which the words are spoken. We must show in some other way which groups of words belong together, which are important, and which are subordinate in idea. For this purpose punctuation marks have been invented. When we write, we unconsciously speak the thoughts to ourselves; we hear the divisions between the parts of ideas; and, if we understand punctuation, we indicate the divisions.

Questions

1. Why in writing and printing do we separate one word from the next? In ancient writing this was not done.

2. Why do we separate one sentence from the next?

3. We use punctuation marks for the same reason. Explain.

4. The word to keep in mind in punctuation is _separate_. If two words belong together in idea, the two making one idea, allow them to stand unseparated. If they give two ideas, separate them by a mark of punctuation. What is the difference in thought in the two sentences that follow?

(_a_) She is a pretty, energetic girl.

(_b_) She is a pretty energetic girl.

=Exercise 166--The Apostrophe (')=

The _apostrophe_ (') is used--

1. To show the possessive case of nouns (See Exercise 82); as,

The _boy's_ writing is excellent.

2. To indicate the omission of one or more letters; as,

_I'll_ attend to the matter.

3. To show the plural of letters, figures, and words that usually have no plural; as,

Your _3's_ are too much like your _5's_, your _a's_ like your _u's_.

Don't use so many _and's_.

Write sentences in each of which you use one of the following words correctly:

you're we're who's they're your were whose there it's he's don't their its his doesn't

Explain why the apostrophe is used in the following:

1. I've received no reply.

2. This month's sales exceed last month's by one thousand dollars.

3. Politics doesn't affect the matter very much.

4. The mistake was caused by his making his 7's like his 9's.

5. Have you received the treasurer's report? No, I haven't.

Point out the mistakes in the following:

1. For sale, A ladies fur coat.

2. The boy's have gone skating.

3. We wo'nt worry over the political situation.

4. Lets decide now where were to spend our vacation.

5. Dot your is and not your us.

6. Is this book your's or her's?

=Exercise 167--Capitals=

_Capitals_ are used for--

1. The first word of every sentence.

2. The first word of every line of poetry.

3. The first word of a quotation (See Exercise 169).

4. The first word of a formal statement or resolution; as,

Resolved, That women shall be given the right to vote.

5. The first word of every group of words paragraphed separately in an itemized list, as in an order for merchandise.

6. The p.r.o.noun _I_ and the interjection _O_ (not _oh_).

7. The words _Bible_ and _Scripture_, the books of the Bible, all names applied to the Deity, and all personal p.r.o.nouns referring to Him.

8. All proper nouns, proper adjectives, and words that are considered proper nouns; as,

_a._ Names of the days of the week, holidays, and months of the year, but not names of the seasons.

_b._ North, South, etc., when they refer to sections of the country, but not when they refer to a direction or a point of the compa.s.s.

_c._ Official t.i.tles or t.i.tles of honor when they are used in connection with names, but not when they are used without names; as,

Vice-President Roosevelt, ex-President Roosevelt.

Nominations are now in order for vice-president.