While (I was) waiting for the train I talked with the station agent. Although (he was) suffering from a severe headache, yet he kept his engagement.

While (one is) traveling through England one cannot fail to notice the carefully kept hedges.

7. The substitution of do for a verb that has been previously used, as in the following sentences:

You write better than I do.

They traveled second-class, just as I did.

The father promised to fulfill his contract and so did the son.

8. The use of the progressive form of the verb is an idiom of the English language. For example:

We are going to church.

They were walking in the park.

She was weeding the garden.

9. The old genitive form of the noun was used as an adverb. From this old usage we have the following idiomatic survivals:

He stays home evenings (or of an evening).
We go to church Sundays (or of a Sunday).

10. An idiom similar to the preceding is the use of nouns as adverbs to denote extent or duration of time, as in the following sentences:

They stayed three hours.

The ship sails twelve knots an hour.

He can jump twenty feet.

This is a survival of an old accusative form.

11. The use of the progressive form of go to indicate future time, as in the following sentences:

I am going to write to him to-morrow.

He is going to begin the study of French next term.

UNIDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

About is also used to indicate futurity. For example:

They are about to move into their new house.

She was about to start when I reached there.

343

12. The use of it and there as introductory words or expletives. For example:

It is better to be good than to be rich.

There is no good reason for him to be absent.

Unidiomatic Expressions. - Certain expressions commonly used, at least in some sections, are not sanctioned by good authority, and should be avoided. Remember that the usage of good speakers and writers establishes the laws of a language. Some of these expressions to be shunned are:

The double negative; as, "I haven't got no pencil."

"Leave me go" for "Let me go."

"Can I go?" for "May I go?"

"I got this apple off of John" for "I got this apple from John." "In back of" for "behind" or "back of;" as, "The tree is in back of the house," instead of "The tree is behind the house."

"To make breakfast" for "to cook breakfast" or "to get breakfast." "Would of," "might of," for "would have" or "might have." "I was to John's last night," instead of “I was at John's last night."

XIX. SUMMARY OF PUNCTUATION

The Function of Punctuation. - Punctuation is important to the extent that it makes the intention of the writer clearer to the mind of the reader. Some of the earlier manuscripts were written without any punctuation whatever; but as thoughts became more complex, writers found it necessary to use some marks to separate parts of their thought from other parts. These marks are not uniformly used, and it is therefore difficult to lay down absolute rules for punctuation. The modern tendency seems to be to use commas more sparingly than formerly. A comparison of the marks used in a novel by Dickens, for example, with those in one by Thomas Hardy will show that the former uses commas much more freely than the latter. So we see that styles in punctuation, as in dress, change from age to age. In general, it is safe to omit commas unless they are needed to make the meaning clear to the reader.

Authorities on Punctuation. The final authorities in matters of punctuation are the publishers and printers of established newspapers and magazines. When in doubt as to what is good present-day usage consult The New York Times, The New York Herald, The New York Tribune, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Transcript, The Christian Science Monitor, and other first-class newspapers; and The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's Magazine, Scribner's Magazine, St. Nicholas, The Youth's Companion, The Saturday Evening Post, The Review of Reviews, and other reputable magazines.

The following rules for punctuation are arranged for ready reference. They represent the general trend of present-day usage.

Period. By far the most important mark of punctuation is the period. It is used for the following purposes:

1. To close a declarative sentence that is not exclamatory. 2. To follow an abbreviation or an initial; as, Dr., St., N. Y., F. M. Brown.

To indicate an omission in a line. Three periods are used for this purpose, thus: "Although less coal is used very warm."

Interrogation Point (?).- -The interrogation point is used after a direct question that is not exclamatory. Thus: Where did you go?

Exclamation Point (!).

The exclamation point is used after an expression of strong feeling, such as grief, surprise, joy, or anger. Thus:

I never heard of such a thing!

Remarkable!

How ridiculous!

It is a

Comma. There are several uses of the comma. good plan never to use a comma unless you have a definite reason for its use. The indiscriminate use of commas gives more trouble than anything else in punctuation. Do not use commas to indicate pauses, for such a practice will inevitably lead you into serious errors. Many of the following uses have already been discussed in other parts of this book.

1. To separate the day of the month from the year. Thus: Jan. 21, 1922

2. To separate the name of a city from the name of the state.

Thus:

Chicago, Ill.

3. After the salutation, especially in a friendly letter, and after the complimentary close. Thus:

Dear Mary, Yours truly,

4. To separate direct quotations from the rest of the sentence unless an interrogation point or an exclamation point is needed.

Thus:

"Now," said Wardle, "what say you to an hour on the ice?" "Youth will be served," now let us cry.

5. To set off the name of address. Thus:

Mother, may I go?

Whom did you see, Frank?

Look, boys, I have a new glove.

6. To indicate omission of words in a sentence. Thus: Mother went north; father and I, south.

7. To separate "interrupters." Thus:

Mr. Franklin, the minister of the Presbyterian church, will speak. Nay, pray you, throw none away.

"Nay," she said, "throw none away.”

Yes, verily and in truth, you shall take it.

This, however, is quite a different case.

Well, then, I suppose I must go.

The men, in other words, lost no time in starting.

8. To separate the members of a series of words, phrases, or short clauses. Thus:

He had a grizzled black coat, a black muzzle, black boots, and a black tip to his magnificent gray brush.

The sandwiches, rolls, and napkins are placed within reach of the guests.

Alcohol makes a clean, beautiful, and efficient fuel.

The whole family began an aimless wandering through London, Paris, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Newport, Geneva, and America.

Its cathedral, its famous public school, its City Cross Hospital, its associations with King Arthur and King Alfred, have long made Winchester a Mecca of American pilgrims.

Fred tied a loop in his end, thrust his feet into it, and grasped the liana with his hands above his head.