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Note of Exclamation
The note of exclamation (!) follows an exclamation, or any series of words denoting an outburst of emotion. "Alas!" "Woe is me!" "Hurrah!" "Three cheers!"
COLON.
1.-The colon (:) serves to divide from one another the several co-ordinate members of a compound sentence, when they might each of them form an independent sentence, but are arranged side by side in a compound sentence, for the sake of thereby better indicating how they illustrate and supplement one another. In general the colon divides a double sentence into the two sentences whereof it is composed.
2.-The two sentences of a compound sentence thus divided by the colon are usually equal to each other in importance, and are not connected by any express conjunction. both." "
The rich and poor have met one another: the Lord is the Maker of them
Many verses of the Bible, especially of Psalms and Proverbs, consist each of two or more perfectly co-ordinate sentences, separated from one another by a colon.
3.-When the last member of a compound sentence sums up the import of the preceding members, separated from one another by the semicolon, such last member is introduced by the colon. "
If he do not repent; if he continues in the same evil course; if he disregard counsel his ruin is inevitable."
4.-A quotation or enumeration of details is often preceded by a colon. "
He spoke as follows:" "His last words were: " "For a man to write well, there are required three necessaries: to read the best authors; observe the best speakers; and much exercise of his own style."
5.-Words indicating that a detailed list is to follow immediately have a colon and a dash placed after them and before the list. "
The following is a full list of the pictures in the room :- "The total imports for last year were :-" SEMICOLON. "
1. The semicolon separates co-ordinate sentences more dependent on one another than are those parted by the colon. "
Gratitude consists in an equal return of benefits if we are able, of thanks if we are not; which thanks, therefore, must always rise in proportion as the benefits received are great, and the receiver incapable of making any other sort of requital."
2.-The semicolon also separates from one another subordinate sentences all equally dependent on another sentence, when each of them, if freed of the subordinating conjunction, would read as an independent sentence. "
There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that, though the wide world is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till." "
The preacher assumes that judgment is not executed in this world; that the wicked are successful; that the good are miserable."
3.-Two co-ordinate sentences divided by the colon have generally no express conjunction between them; divided by the semicolon they are generally linked together by an express conjunction. "Prosperity showeth vice: adversity virtue." "Prosperity showeth vice; but adversity virtue."
COMMA. 1. Three or more words of the same part of speech not connected by conjunctions are often separated from one another by commas. "Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, shrunk to this little measure ? " "He was active, persevering, and ingenious." 2.-Two words contrasted with one another are separated by a comma: "Though deep, yet clear." "He is slow, but sure." 3.-Words in a series of pairs are parted, one pair from the next, by a comma: "Young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor, fair and dark." 4.-Words and phrases in apposition are generally separated the one from the other by a comma: "Rome, long the mistress of the world." "England, the greatest naval Power."
A comma should not, however, separate two words in apposition that are always united: "Cato the Elder." "Cato the Censor." "John the Evangelist." "John the Baptist."
5.-A comma is inserted after the name of a person or thing addressed: "My son, never tell a lie." "Countrymen, lend me your ears." "Ye rocks and crags, I'm with you once again."
6.-Short subordinate sentences and phrases preceding the principal statement are generally separated from it by commas: "Unless you mend your ways, you must go." "The preliminaries settled, they proceeded to business."
7.-A relative clause, unless restrictive, is marked off from the rest of the sentence by a comma: "Sailors, who are superstitious, are unwilling to embark on a Friday." comma:
8.-If, however, the relative clause is restrictive, it is not separated by a "A sailor that is not superstitious will not mind on what day he embarks." "The soul that sinneth shall die."
9.-Adverbial phrases and clauses are usually separated from the principal statement and from one another by commas: "In truth, I know not why I am so "
In the midst of life, we are in death." "At last, with no small difficulty, and after much fatigue, we came, through deep roads and bad weather, to our journey's end." sad."
10.-Explanatory words or phrases (such as " therefore," " moreover," "indeed," "consequently," "in fact," " to some extent," etc.) inserted into the body of a sentence are often marked off by commas.
11.-" As," "namely," "to wit," introducing an example, are each followed by a comma: "There are three great kingdoms in Nature: namely, the mineral, the vegetable, and the animal."
12.-When certain words applicable to each of several parts of a sentence are expressed in one part but not in the others, a comma is generally inserted at each place where they are omitted: "Egypt was once the leading Power; later, Persia; later, Rome."
13.-Unless when consisting of a long series of words, and so not readily distinguishable from the rest of the sentence, the subject ought not to be separated from the predicate by any point.
14.-If, however, a comma is likely to help the reader to discriminate the subject from the rest of the sentence, let a comma follow the subject. PARENTHESES.
Parentheses ( ) are used to enclose words or phrases in a sentence inserted by way of explanation or comment, but lying outside of the construction of the sentence: "You see (as I predicted would be the case) I have made a long journey for nothing;" "the whole nation mourns, as the newspapers tell us (for my part, I don't see many signs of it)."
DASH. 1.-The dash (-), in most cases, denotes a sudden digression from the general run of the sentence: "Thou happy, happy child-but first let me wipe away that tear;" "I doat upon art-I have bit my tongue." 2.-The dash sometimes takes the place of parentheses, when the clause to be punctuated, though digressive, is more connected with the context than is usual in the case of a clause in parentheses: "In every country-but more in England than any other-we find arrogant wealth and craven poverty side by side." BRACKETS.
Brackets [ ] are used to isolate interpolated words from the passage into which they are interpolated: "He said to his patient that if he [the patient] did not feel better in half-an-hour, he [the doctor] thought he [the doctor] had better return." HYPHEN.
A hyphen (-) is used (1) to connect the part of a word at the end of a line with the next part beginning the next line. (2) to conjoin two or more words into one compound word: "A never-to-be-forgotton day;" "dry-as-dust; " "long-winded." The hyphen is affixed to the part of the word ending a line, and not to the next part beginning a new line.
The part of a word to which the hyphen is attached should be an integral part. The hyphen should not break up a word into two parts each of which consists of letters that do not combine in meaning.