"An explicative sentence is used for explaining. An interrogative sentence for enquiring. An imperative sentence for commanding."—S. Barrett's Prin. of Language, p. 87. "In October, corn is gathered in the field by men, who go from hill to hill with baskets, into which they put the ears; Susan labors with her needle for a livelihood; notwithstanding his poverty, he is a man of integrity."—Goldsbury's Parsing, Manual of E. Gram., p. 62.
"A word of one syllable, is called a monosyllable. A word of two syllables; a dissyllable. A word of three syllables; a trissyllable. A word of four or more syllables; a polysyllable."—Frazee's Improved Gram., 1st Ed., p. 15. "A word of one syllable, is called a monosyllable. A word of two syllables, a dissyllable. A word of three syllables, a trissyllable. A word of four or more syllables, a polysyllable."—Frazee's Improved Gram., Ster. Ed., p. 17.
"If I say, 'if it did not rain, I would take a walk;' I convey the idea that it does rain, at the time of speaking, If it rained, or did it rain, in the present time, implies, it does not rain; If it did not rain, or did it not rain, in present time, implies that it does rain; thus in this peculiarity, an affirmative sentence always implies a negation, and a negative sentence an affirmation."—Frazee's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 61; Ster. Ed., 62. "If I were loved, and, were I loved, imply, I am not loved; if I were not loved, and, were I not loved, imply, I am loved; a negative sentence implies an affirmation; and an affirmative sentence implies a negation, in these forms of the subjunctive."—Ib., Old Ed., p. 73; Ster. Ed., 72.
"What is Rule III.?"—Hart's Gram., p. 114. "How is Rule III. violated?"—Ib., p. 115. "How do you parse 'letter' in the sentence, 'James writes a letter'? Ans.—'Letter is a noun com., of the MASC. gend., in the 3d p., sing. num., and objective case, and is governed by the verb 'writes,' according to Rule III., which says. 'A transitive verb,' &c."—Ib., p. 114.[465]
"Creation sleeps. 'T is as the general pulse
Of life stood still, and nature made a pause;
An awful pause! prophetic of her end,
And let her prophecy be soon fulfilled;
Fate drop the curtain; I can lose no more."—Hallock's Gram., p. 216.
SECTION V.—THE DASH.
The Dash is mostly used to denote an unexpected or emphatic pause, of variable length; but sometimes it is a sign of faltering, or of the irregular stops of one who hesitates in speaking: as, "Then, after many pauses, and inarticulate sounds, he said: 'He was very sorry for it, was extremely concerned it should happen so—but—a—it was necessary—a—' Here lord E——— stopped him short, and bluntly demanded, if his post were destined for an other."—See Churchill's Gram., p. 170.
RULE I.—ABRUPT PAUSES.
A sudden interruption, break, or transition, should be marked with the dash; as, 1. "'I must inquire into the affair; and if'—'And if!' interrupted the farmer." 2. "Whom I—But first 't is fit the billows to restrain."—Dryd. Virg. 3. "HERE LIES THE GREAT—False marble! where? Nothing but sordid dust lies here."—Young.