15-1. Such scanty record was kept of Sebastian Cabot’s voyages of 1497 and 1498 that we cannot tell what land the Cabots first saw; whether it was the bleak coast of Northern Labrador, or some point as far South as Cape Breton, is still a matter of dispute.
The differentiation between the comma in No. 15 (here aided by a dash) and the semicolon in No. 15-1, is very plain; [145]and each mark, when reached, unmistakably notifies the reader what relation exists between what precedes and what follows it.
When one is reading these sentences aloud, each mark determines the voice-inflection that will convey the meaning to the listener.
16. An ellipsis or omission of words is found in all kinds of composition. (Remarks d and i.)
17. When a quotation is short, and closely connected with the words preceding it, a comma between the parts is sufficient.—See page 108.
18. Capitalize the exclamations “O” and “Oh” (see chap. iii, sec. 6).
19. In resolutions, italicize the word “Resolved,” but not the word “Whereas.” (See chap. iv, sec. 36.)
The above four examples show a variety of treatment of reference matter (real or apparent) that is perplexing, not only because of the sources of the examples, but because the same is found many times in the books from which the examples are taken. Nos. 16 and 17 are from Mr. Wilson’s work, and Nos. 18 and 19 are from “A Manual for Writers.”
No. 16 is one of a number of examples to be punctuated according to a preceding rule and the “Remarks” under such rule. (The punctuation of No. 16 is to follow “Remarks d and i,” which require commas before and after “or omission.”) Thus “Remarks d and i” above is purely parenthetical matter in its relation to the language of the example. As it explains no word or group of words within the example it is treated as an independent sentence, and is therefore properly punctuated.
No. 17 is a “Remark” under a general rule. “See page 108” is a part of this “Remark.” Instead of condensing the information found on page 108 and adding it to what precedes, in the example such information, additional to and not explanatory of what precedes it, takes the form of a sentence,—“See page 108.” It has no reference by way of explanation to what precedes, but stands for an additional sentence. It also belongs in another paragraph; and this fact is shown by the dash, the use of which here is purely conventional punctuation.