A PUNCTUATION PRIMER
By FRANCES M. PERRY, Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, Wellesley College.
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The Punctuation Primer is a manual of first principles or essentials simply and systematically presented; it is not an elaborate treatise on punctuation. It offers a few fundamental principles that are flexible and comprehensive, and easily understood and remembered. The meaning of the text to be punctuated and the grammatical structure of the sentence are made the bases for generalization and division.
¶ The discussion is taken up under two main divisions: The terminal punctuation of sentences, and the punctuation of elements within sentences. Under punctuation of elements within sentences, the punctuation of principal elements, of dependent elements, of coordinate elements, of independent elements, and of implied elements are considered in the order given.
¶ In addition, several important related topics are treated, such as paragraphing, quotations, capitalization, compound words, word divisions, the uses of the apostrophe, the preparation and the correction of manuscript, conventional forms for letters, the use of authorities in writing themes, the correction of themes, and the making of bibliographies.
¶ Throughout the carefully selected examples make clear the meaning of the text, while the exercises provided at each stage of the work afford the student practice in the correct application of the principles.
¶ Though written primarily to meet the needs of college freshmen, the primer is an excellent manual for high schools.