Rule 19. Use the apostrophe in place of omitted letters in contractions.

EXAMPLES: I'm, can't, it's (= it is), we 're, does n't, don't, is n't, have n't, let's, etc.

Supply apostrophes where needed in the following, and give the rule governing the use of each:

1. Its a pity its wing is broken.

2. Lets play soldiers and Ill be captain.

3. Hers is as happy a face as youll see in a days journey.
4. The girls books were in worse condition than the boys.
5. "Twas the night before Christmas."

6. "Howeer it be, it seems to me

Tis only noble to be good."

7. "And he who follows Loves behest

Far excelleth all the rest!"

8. Whose book is this with its cover torn?

9. Havent we had a happy day?

10. "Ive said my seven times over and over."

11. "O bumblebee, youre a dusty fellow."

12. The childrens voices sounded tired.

13. We filled the horses mangers with hay.
14. The conductors tone was impatient.
15. Babys eyes blinked sleepily.

16. The childrens slippers havent come yet.
17. "Leave em alone

And theyll come home,

Wagging their tails behind them."

18. If shes not gone, she lives there still."

19. Hows your mother? Youre taking her some oranges, arent you? So I suppose shes better.

20. Heres wishing you a Happy New Year!

Rule 20. Use a comma to separate the words yes and no from the rest of the sentence.

EXAMPLES: Yes, he bought them an hour ago. No, he would n't

wait.

EXERCISE 17 - Oral

What rules for the use of the comma have been given in this chapter? State them. What other rules have you learned before? Illustrate all the uses of the comma that you know, and find examples in this chapter.

EXERCISE 18- Written

Supply capital letters and marks of punctuation omitted in the following:

lets pretend, suggested harold, that were cavaliers and roundheads; and you be a roundhead

well then he began afresh lets pretend were knights of the round table; and (with a rush) ill be lancelot

what is it inquired Charlotte, sitting up and shaking out her curls

i stood spell-bound for a moment longer, and then with a cry of "soldiers" i was off to the hedge, charlotte picking herself up and scurrying after

is there going to be a battle panted harold, hardly able to keep up for excitement

of course there is i replied were just in time come on

will they be indians inquired my brother (meaning the enemy) or roundheads or what

i reflected. harold always required direct straightforward answers not faltering supposition they wont be indians, i replied at last; nor yet roundheads. there have nt been any roundheads seen about here for a long time theyll be frenchmen

Adapted from Kenneth GrahAME, "The Golden Age"

Use in a sensible sentence each correct form given below. Be careful not to make the mistakes indicated in the second column. These expressions are all frequently used, but are childish or vulgar.

D. BUSINESS LETTERS

The form of composition most frequently used outside of school is letter-writing. Nearly every one writes friendly letters or letters of business, letters inquiring prices, ordering goods, directing workmen, and the like. Consequently letterwriting is the form of composition that we most quickly recognize as of practical value.

But in spite of all this, the fact remains that only a small proportion of people write a good business letter. Much of the criticism that business men pass on the work of the schools is caused by the poor letters that come to them day after day. A great deal of time is wasted and money lost because customers express themselves poorly or incompletely in their letters. Why? Is it that they do not think what such letters demand?

What does a good business letter demand? First, a form that is practically unvarying, a form from which the reader can in a moment tell where the writer lives, when he wrote, to whom, and, finally, who he is. A good business man wants to give all the time necessary to a piece of work, but no more. With him time is money. Consequently the writer who follows the commonest form of letter-writing will get himself understood best and most quickly. Some parts of that form may seem unnecessary, a useless relic of olden times; but until custom changes these parts, we can save time for ourselves and our correspondents by doing as others do.

No one has a good excuse for making any error in the form of his letter. First, one must memorize the form, and then he must use it again and again until he has gained the habit of writing it correctly. Following are model forms, showing also the way letters are placed on different sizes of paper.