EXAMPLES.
“If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, Sir, should keep his friendship in constant repair.”—Dr. Johnson.
“When Dr. Franklin wished to gain his enemy, he asked him to do him a favor.”
“Clap an extinguisher upon your irony, if you are unhappily blest with a vein of it.”—Lamb.
“Although we seldom followed advice, we were all ready enough to ask it.”—Goldsmith.
REMARKS.
1. A clause is said to be dependent, when it depends on some other clause to complete its meaning; as, When Dr. Johnson wished to gain his enemy | he asked him to do him a favor. The first clause of this sentence would not be complete in meaning without the second. Dependent clauses usually commence with if, when, since, because, until, &c.
2. When clauses are closely connected, the comma may be omitted; as, Mozart published some music when seven years of age.
Rule III. Relative Clauses.—1. A relative clause should be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.