EXAMPLE.
“Were all books reduced to their quintessence, many a bulky author would make his appearance in a penny paper: there would be scarce any such thing in nature as a folio: the works of an age would be contained on a few shelves: not to mention millions of volumes, that would be utterly annihilated.” Addison, Spect. Nᵒ 124.
Here the whole Sentence is divided into four parts by Colons: the first and last of which are Compounded Members, each divided by a Comma; the second and third are Simple Members.
When a Semicolon has preceded, and a greater pause is still necessary; a Colon may be employed, tho’ the Sentence be incompleat.
The Colon is also commonly used, when an Example, or a Speech is introduced.
When a Sentence is so far perfectly finished, as not to be connected in construction with the following Sentence, it is marked with a Period.
In all cases the proportion of the several Points in respect to one another is rather to be regarded, than their supposed precise quantity, or proper office, when taken separately.
Beside the Points which mark the pauses in discourse, there are others which denote a different modulation of the voice in correspondence with the sense. These are
| The Interrogation Point | } | thus marked | { | ? |
| The Exclamation Point | } | { | ! | |
| The Parenthesis | } | { | () |
The Interrogation and Exclamation Points are sufficiently explained by their names: they are indeterminate as to their quantity or time, and may be equivalent in that respect to a Semicolon, a Colon, or a Period, as the sense requires. They mark an Elevation of the voice.
The Parenthesis incloses in the body of a Sentence a member inserted into it, which is neither necessary to the Sense, nor at all affects the Construction. It marks a moderate depression of the voice, with a pause greater than a Comma.
A PRAXIS,
or Example of Grammatical Resolution.
1. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate late being Governour of Judea, the word of God came unto John the Son of Zecharias in the wilderness.
2. And he came into all the country about Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
3. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
4. Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.
5. And as all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
6. Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that, Jesus also being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape upon him; and lo! a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
1. In is a Preposition; the the Definite Article; fifteenth, an Adjective; year, a Substantive, or Noun, in the Objective Case governed by the Preposition in; of, a Preposition; the reign, a Substantive, Objective Case, governed by the Preposition of; of Tiberius Cæsar, both Substantives, Proper Names, Government and Case, as before; Pontius Pilate, Proper Names; being, the Present Participle of the Verb Neuter to be; Governour, a Substantive; of Judea, a Proper Name, Government and Case as before: Pontius Pilate being governour, is the Case Absolute, that is, the Nominative Case with a Participle without a Verb following and agreeing with it; the meaning is the same as, when Pilate was governour: the word, a Substantive; of God, a Substantive; came, a Verb Neuter, Indicative Mode, Past Time, third Person Singular Number, agreeing with the Nominative Case word; unto, a Preposition; John, a Proper Name; the Son, a Substantive, put in Apposition to John; that is, in the same Case, governed by the same Preposition unto; of Zecharias, a Proper Name; in, a Preposition; the wilderness, a Substantive, Government and Case as before.
2. And, a Conjunction Copulative; he, a Pronoun, third Person Singular, Masculine Gender, Nominative Case, standing for John; came, as before; into, a Prep. all, an Adjective; the country, a Subst. about, a Prep. Jordan, a Proper Name; preaching, the Present Participle of the Verb Active to preach, joined like an Adjective to the Pronoun he; the baptism, a Substantive in the Objective Case following the Verb Active preaching, and governed by it; of repentance, a Subst. Government and Case as before; for, a Prep. the remission of sins, Substantives, the latter in the Plural Number, Government and Case as before.
3. And, (b. that is, as before) the same, an Adjective; John (b.) had, a Verb Active, Indicative Mode, Past Time, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case John; his, a Pronoun, third Person Sing. Possessive Case; raiment, a Subst. in the Objective Case, following the Verb Active had, and governed by it; of camel’s, a Substantive, Possessive Case; hair, Subst. Objective Case, governed by the Preposition of, the same as, of the hair of a camel; and, (b.) a, the Indefinite Article; leathern, an Adj. girdle, a Subst. about, (b.) his, (b.) loins, Subst. plural Number; and his, (b.) meat, Subst. was, Indicative Mode, Past Time, third Person Singular of the Verb Neuter to be; locusts, Subst. plural Number, Nominative Case after the Verb was; and, (b.) wild, Adj. honey, Subst.
4. Then, an Adverb; said, a Verb Active, Past Time, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case he (b.) to, a Prep. the multitude, Subst. Objective Case, governed by the Prep. to; that, a Relative Pronoun, its Antecedent is the multitude; came, (b.) forth, an Adverb; to, a Prep. and before a Verb the sign of the Infinitive Mode; be baptized, a Verb Passive, made of the Participle Passive of the Verb to baptize, and the Auxiliary Verb to be, in the Infinitive Mode; of him, Pronoun, third Person Sing. standing for John, in the Objective Case governed by the Prep. of; O, an Interjection; generation, Subst. Nominative Case; of vipers, Subst. plural Number; who, an Interrogative Pronoun; hath warned, a Verb Active, Present Perfect Time, made of the Perfect Participle warned and the Auxiliary Verb hath, third Person Singular agreeing with the Nominative Case who; you, Pronoun, second Person plural, Objective Case, following the Verb Active warned and governed by it; to flee, Verb Neuter, Infinitive Mode; from, a Prep.; the wrath, Subst. Objective Case, governed by the Prep. from; to come, Verb Neuter, Infinitive Mode; bring, Verb Active, Imperative Mode, second Person plural, agreeing with the Nominative Case ye understood, as if it were, bring ye; forth, an Adverb; therefore, a Conjunction; fruits, a Subst. plur. Objective Case, following the Verb Active bring, and governed by it; meet, an Adjective, joined to fruits, but placed after it, because it has something depending on it; for repentance, a Subst. governed by a Prep. as before.
5. And, (b.) as, an Adverb; all, (b.) men, Subst. plural Number; mused, a Verb Neuter, Past Time, third Person plural, agreeing with the Nominative Case men; in, (b.) their, a Pronominal Adjective, from the Pronoun they; hearts, Subst. plural Number, Objective Case governed by the Prep. in; of John, (b.) whether, a Conjunction; he, (b.) were, Subjunctive Mode, governed by the Conjunction whether, Past Time, third Person Sing. of the Verb to be, agreeing with the Nominative Case he; the Christ, Subst. Nominative Case after the Verb were; or, a Disjunctive Conjunction, corresponding to the preceding Conjunction whether; not, an Adverb; John, (b.) answered, a Verb Active, Indicative Mode, Past Time, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case John; saying, Present Participle of the Verb Active to say, joined to the Substantive John; unto, (b.) them, a Pronoun, third Person plural, Objective Case governed by the Prep. unto; all, (b.) I, Pronoun, first Person Singular; indeed, an Adverb; baptize, a Verb Active, Indicative Mode, Present Time, first Person Singular, agreeing with the Nominative Case I; you, Pronoun, second Person plural, Objective Case, following the Verb Active baptize, and governed by it; with, a Prep. water, Subst. but, a Disjunctive Conjunction; one, a Pronoun, standing for some Person not mentioned by name; mightier, an Adjective in the Comparative Degree, from the Positive mighty; than, a Conjunction, used after a Comparative word; I, (b.) the Verb am being understood, that is, than I am; cometh, a Verb Neuter, Indicative Mode, Present Time, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case one; the latchet, Subst. of, (b.) whose, Pronoun Relative, one being the Antecedent to it, in the Possessive Case; shoes, Subst. plural; I, (b.) am, Indicative Mode, Present Time, first Person Sing. of the Verb to be, agreeing with the Nominative Case I; not, (b.) worthy, an Adjective; to unloose, a Verb Active, in the Infinitive Mode, governing the Substantive latchet in the Objective Case; he, (b.) shall baptize, a Verb Active, Indicative Mode, Future Time, made by the Auxiliary shall, third Person Sing. agreeing with, the Nominative Case he; you, (b.) with the, (b.) Holy, an Adjective; Ghost, a Subst. and with, (b.) fire, a Subst. this and the former both in the Objective Case governed by the Prep. with.
6. Now, an Adverb; when, an Adverb; all, (b.) the people, a Subst. were baptized, a Verb Passive, made of the Auxiliary Verb to be joined with the Participle Passive of the Verb to baptize, Indicative Mode, third Person plural, agreeing with the Nominative Case Sing. people, being a Noun of multitude; it, Pronoun, third Person Sing. Neuter Gender, Nominative Case; came, (b.) to pass, Verb Neuter, Infinitive Mode; that, a Conjunction; Jesus, a Proper Name; also, an Adverb; being, Present Participle of the Verb to be; baptized, Participle Passive of the Verb to baptize; and, (b.) praying, Present Participle of the Verb Neuter to pray; Jesus being baptized and praying is the Case Absolute, as before; the heaven, Subst. was opened, Verb Passive, Indicative Mode, Past Time, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case heaven, the Auxiliary Verb to be being joined to the Participle Passive, as before; and the Holy Ghost, (b.) descended, Verb Neuter, Indicative Mode, Past Time, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case Ghost; in a (b.) bodily, an Adjective; shape, a Subst. like, an Adjective; a dove, a Subst. Objective Case, the Prep. to being understood, that is, like to a dove; upon, Prep. him, Pronoun, third Person Sing. Objective Case governed by the Prep. upon; and, (b.) lo! an Interjection; a voice, a Subst. Nominative Case, there was being understood, that is, there was a voice; from, Prep. heaven, Subst. Objective Case, (b.) saying, (b.) this, a Pronominal Adjective, person being understood; is, Indicative Mode, Present Time, of the Verb to be, third Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case this; my, a Pronominal Adjective; beloved, an Adjective; Son, a Subst. Nominative Case after the Verb is; in, (b.) whom, Pronoun Relative, Objective Case governed by the Prep. in, the Substantive Son being its Antecedent; I am, (b.) well, an Adverb; pleased, the Passive Participle of the Verb to please, making with the Auxiliary Verb am a Passive Verb, in the Indicative Mode, Present Time, first Person Sing. agreeing with the Nominative Case I.
THE END.