The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

Where a finite verb is understood, a comma is generally required; as, "From law arises security; from security, curiosity; from curiosity, knowledge."—Murray.

   "Else all my prose and verse were much the same;
    This, prose on stilts; that, poetry fallen lame."—Pope.

As the semicolon must separate the clauses when the comma is inserted by this rule, if the pause for the omitted verb be very slight, it may be left unmarked, and the comma be used for the clauses; as, "When the profligate speaks of piety, the miser of generosity, the coward of valour, and the corrupt of integrity, they are only the more despised by those who know them."—Comstock's Elocution, p. 132.

The infinitive mood, when it follows a verb from which it must be separated, or when it depends on something remote or understood, is generally, with its adjuncts, set off by the comma; as, "One of the greatest secrets in composition is, to know when to be simple."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 151. "To confess the truth, I was much in fault."—Murray's Gram., p. 271.

   "The Governor of all—has interposed,
    Not seldom, his avenging arm, to smite
    The injurious trampler upon nature's law."—Cowper.

Participles, when something depends on them, when they have the import of a dependent clause, or when they relate to something understood, should, with their adjuncts, he set off by the comma; as, 1. "Law is a rule of civil conduct, prescribed by the supreme power in a state, commanding what is right, and prohibiting what is wrong."—BLACKSTONE: Beattie's Moral Science, p. 346.

2. "Young Edwin, lighted by the evening star, Lingering and list'ning wander'd down the vale."—Beattie.

3. "United, we stand; divided, we fall."—Motto.

4. "Properly speaking, there is no such thing as chance."

When a participle immediately follows its noun, and is taken in a restrictive sense, the comma should not be used before it; as,

   "A man renown'd for repartee,
    Will seldom scruple to make free
    With friendship's finest feeling."—Cowper.

RULE XII.—ADVERBS. Adverbs, when they break the connexion of a simple sentence, or when they have not a close dependence on some particular word in the context, should, with their adjuncts, be set off by the comma; as, "We must not, however, confound this gentleness with the artificial courtesy of the world."—"Besides, the mind must be employed."—Gilpin. "Most unquestionably, no fraud was equal to all this."—Lyttelton. "But, unfortunately for us, the tide was ebbing already."

   "When buttress and buttress, alternately,
    Seem framed of ebon and ivory."—Scott's Lay, p. 33.

Conjunctions, when they are separated from the principal clauses that depend on them, or when they introduce examples, are generally set off by the comma; as, "But, by a timely call upon Religion, the force of Habit was eluded."—Johnson.

"They know the neck that joins the shore and sea, Or, ah! how chang'd that fearless laugh would be."—Crabbe.

Prepositions and their objects, when they break the connexion of a simple sentence, or when they do not closely follow the words on which they depend, are generally set off by the comma; as, "Fashion is, for the most part, nothing but the ostentation of riches."—"By reading, we add the experience of others to our own."

   "In vain the sage, with retrospective eye,
    Would from th' apparent What conclude the Why."—Pope.

Interjections that require a pause, though more commonly emphatic and followed by the ecphoneme, are sometimes set off by the comma; as, "For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north."—Jeremiah, i, 15. "O, 'twas about something you would not understand."—Columbian Orator, p. 221. "Ha, ha! you were finely taken in, then!"—Aikin. "Ha, ha, ha! A facetious gentleman, truly!"—Id.

"Oh, when shall Britain, conscious of her claim, Stand emulous of Greek and Roman fame?"—Pope.

A word emphatically repeated, is generally set off by the comma; as, "Happy, happy, happy pair!"—Dryden. "Ay, ay, there is some comfort in that."—Shak. "Ah! no, no, no."—Dryden.

   "The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
    The moss-covered bucket, which hung in the well!"—Woodworth.

A quotation, observation, or description, when it is introduced in close dependence on a verb, (as, say, reply, cry, or the like,) is generally separated from the rest of the sentence by the comma; as, "'The book of nature,' said he, 'is before thee.'"—Hawkesworth. "I say unto all, Watch."—Mark. "'The boy has become a man,' means, 'he has grown to be a man.' 'Such conduct becomes a man,' means, 'such conduct befits him.'"—Hart's Gram., p. 116.

   "While man exclaims, 'See all things for my use!'
    'See man for mine!' replies a pamper'd goose."—Pope.

"Short, simple sentences should not be separated by a comma."—Felton's
Gram., 1st Ed., p. 135; 3d Ed., Stereotyped, p. 137.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because a needless comma is put after short, the sentence being simple. But, according to Rule 1st for the Comma, "A simple sentence does not, in general, admit the comma." Therefore, this comma should be omitted; thus, "Short simple sentences should not be separated by a comma." Or, much better: "A short simple sentence should rarely be divided by the comma." For such sentences, combined to form a period, should generally be separated; and even a single one may have some phrase that must be set off.]

"A regular and virtuous education, is an inestimable blessing."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 174. "Such equivocal expressions, mark an intention to deceive."—Ib., p. 256. "They are, This and that, with their plurals these and those."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 26; Practical Lessons, p. 3. "A nominative case and a verb, sometimes make a complete sentence; as, He sleeps."—Felton's Gram., p. 78. "Tense, expresses the action connected with certain relations of time; mood, represents it as farther modified by circumstances of contingency, conditionally, &c."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 37. "The word Noun, means name."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 14. "The present, or active participle, I explained then."—Ib., p. 97. "Are some verbs used, both transitively and intransitively?"—Cooper's Pt. and Pract. Gram., p. 54. "Blank verse, is verse without rhyme."—Hallock's Gram., p. 242. "A distributive adjective, denotes each one of a number considered separately."—Ib., p. 51.

   "And may at last my weary age,
    Find out the peaceful hermitage."
        —Murray's Gr., 12mo, p. 205; 8vo, 255.

"A noun without an Article to limit it is taken in its widest sense."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 8; Practical Lessons, p. 10.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma is here set before the verb is taken. But, according to the Exception to Rule 1st for the Comma, "When the nominative in a long simple sentence is accompanied by inseparable adjuncts, or when several words together are used in stead of a nominative, a comma should be placed immediately before the verb." Therefore, a comma should be here inserted; thus, "A noun without an article to limit it, is taken in its widest sense."—Lennie's Gram., p. 6.]

"To maintain a steady course amid all the adversities of life marks a great mind."—Day's District School Gram., p. 84. "To love our Maker supremely and our neighbor as ourselves comprehends the whole moral law."—Ibid. "To be afraid to do wrong is true courage."—Ib., p. 85. "A great fortune in the hands of a fool is a great misfortune."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 89. "That he should make such a remark is indeed strange."—Farnum, Practical Gram., p. 30. "To walk in the fields and groves is delightful."—Id., ib. "That he committed the fault is most certain."—Id., ib. "Names common to all things of the same sort or class are called Common nouns; as, man, woman, day."—Bullions, Pract. Les., p. 12. "That it is our duty to be pious admits not of any doubt."—Id., E. Gram., p. 118. "To endure misfortune with resignation is the characteristic of a great mind,"—Id., ib., p. 81. "The assisting of a friend in such circumstances was certainly a duty."—Id., ib., 81. "That a life of virtue is the safest is certain."—Hallock's Gram., p. 169. "A collective noun denoting the idea of unity should be represented by a pronoun of the singular number."—Ib., p. 167.

"When the sun had arisen the enemy retreated."—Day's District School
Gram., p. 85.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because no comma here separates the two simple members which compose the sentence. But, according to Rule 2d, "The simple members of a compound sentence, whether successive or involved, elliptical or complete, are generally divided by the comma." Therefore, a comma should be inserted after arisen; thus, "When the sun had arisen, the enemy retreated."]

"If he become rich he may be less industrious."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 118. "The more I study grammar the better I like it."—Id., ib., p. 127. "There is much truth in the old adage that fire is a better servant than master."—Id., ib., p. 128. "The verb do, when used as an auxiliary gives force or emphasis to the expression."—Day's Gram., p. 39. "Whatsoever it is incumbent upon a man to do it is surely expedient to do well."—J. Q. Adams's Rhetoric, Vol. i, p. 46. "The soul which our philosophy divides into various capacities, is still one essence."—Channing, on Self-Culture, p. 15. "Put the following words in the plural and give the rule for forming it."—Bullions, Practical Lessons, p. 19. "We will do it if you wish."—Id., ib., p. 29. "He who does well will be rewarded."—Id., ib., 29. "That which is always true is expressed in the present tense."—Id., ib., p. 119. "An observation which is always true must be expressed in the present tense."—Id., Prin. of E. Gram., p. 123. "That part of orthography which treats of combining letters to form syllables and words is called SPELLING."—Day's Gram., p. 8. "A noun can never be of the first person except it is in apposition with a pronoun of that person."—Ib., p. 14. "When two or more singular nouns or pronouns refer to the same object they require a singular verb and pronoun."—Ib., p. 80. "James has gone but he will return in a few days."—Ib., 89. "A pronoun should have the same person, number, and gender as the noun for which it stands."—Ib., 89 and 80. "Though he is out of danger he is still afraid."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 80. "She is his inferior in sense but his equal in prudence."—Ib., p. 81. "The man who has no sense of religion is little to be trusted."—Ib., 81. "He who does the most good has the most pleasure."—Ib., 81. "They were not in the most prosperous circumstances when we last saw them."—Ib., 81. "If the day continue pleasant I shall return."—Felton's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 22; Ster. Ed., 24. "The days that are past are gone for ever."—Ib., pp. 89 and 92. "As many as are friendly to the cause will sustain it."—Ib., 89 and 92. "Such as desire aid will receive it."—Ib., 89 and 92. "Who gave you that book which you prize so much?"—Bullions, Pract. Lessons, p. 32. "He who made it now preserves and governs it."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 83.

   "Shall he alone, whom rational we call,
    Be pleased with nothing if not blessed with all?"
        —Felton's Gram., p. 126.

"Newcastle is the town, in which Akenside was born."—Bucke's Classical
Gram., p. 54.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because a needless comma here separates the restrictive relative which from its antecedent town. But, according to Exception 1st to Rule 2d, "When a relative immediately follows its antecedent, and is taken in a restrictive sense, the comma should not be introduced before it." Therefore, this comma Should be omitted; thus, "Newcastle is the town in which Akenside was born."]

"The remorse, which issues in reformation, is true repentance."—Campbell's Philos. of Rhet., p. 255. "Men, who are intemperate, are destructive members of community."—Alexander's Gram., p. 93. "An active-transitive verb expresses an action, which extends to an object."—Felton's Gram., pp. 16 and 22. "They, to whom much is given, will have much to answer for."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 188. "The prospect, which we have, is charming."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 143. "He is the person, who informed me of the matter."—Ib., p. 134; Cooper's Murray, 120. "These are the trees, that produce no fruit."—Ib., 134; and 120. "This is the book, which treats of the subject."—Ib., 134; and 120. "The proposal was such, as pleased me."—Cooper, Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 134. "Those, that sow in tears,