III. Supply commas where needed, giving reasons.
In Holland children have very few playthings. The shoes are shaped very much like the canal-boats of the country. The children recognize this fact and have a custom of sailing them on the water. This is fine sport except when the little craft is loaded with too many stones causing it to sink and insuring them punishment from their parents.
I was told of a small lad who going out one morning to sail his wooden shoe put into it his knife a small brass cannon a top and some marbles that had been given him on the previous Christmas.
His tiny vessel which had a paper sail ran firmly until an old man came down to the canal to dip up a pail of water. This made such waves that the heavily laden shoe was overwhelmed and sank suddenly before the knife or cannon or marbles could be rescued.
102. Parentheses and Brackets.—Parentheses are to inclose explanatory matter which is independent of the grammatical construction of the sentence. Brackets have the same general office, but are generally used only to inclose corrections, explanations, or similar matter, introduced by the author into the statement of some one else.
Prescott (1796-1859) was a brilliant historian.
It is said (and I can believe that it is true) that many still believe in witches.
It was at that moment [10 A.M.], the colonel goes on to say, that his superior officer [General Smith] met him.
103. The Dash.—The dash is used to indicate a sudden change in thought or construction. Two dashes have the general effect of parentheses.
Yes—no—I scarcely know what to say.
You were saying that—
I suppose—but why should I tell you?
His father, his mother, his brothers, his sisters,—all are dead.
At last he succeeded in opening the box and found in it—nothing.
He had two constant motives—love of man and love of God.
The two motives—love of man and love of God—were constant.
104. The Apostrophe.—The apostrophe is used (1) to indicate the omission of a letter or letters, (2) in forming the possessive case, and (3) in forming the plurals of letters and figures.
Don't, shan't, o'er, John's, horses', his abc's.