13. Ambiguity

The comma is often used to prevent ambiguity; as,

1. We enclose your letter of Dec. 7, which was missent.

2. We quote you $5.00 per ton for your wood, subject to your immediate acceptance by wire.

3. The prisoner, said the witness, was a convicted thief.

14. Figures

With the exception of dates, figures should be separated by commas into periods of three orders each; as,

Use a comma to indicate a slight interruption in the grammatical construction of a sentence, where no other mark is applicable; as,

1. The steamer went aground during a dense fog, the tide having been on the ebb for about half an hour.

2. It was expected that the boat would not withstand the severe strain caused by the receding tide, and would go to pieces.

Name..

Grade....

EXERCISE 72

Insert the commas in the following:

(Deduct two per cent for each error.)

1. The death roll from typhoid at Ithaca continues to lengthen and the people there begin to realize the fact that an epidemic of this character cannot be wiped out in a week or a month.

2. Wherefore the plaintiff demands judgment for $1000.00.

3. Referring to your favor we hand you herewith bill for rent on your house and lot $40.00.

4. In reply to yours of recent date would say that we cannot accept your terms.

5. I have no doubt therefore that you can secure his order.

6.

The verdict as a matter of course was that he was guilty.

7. After having spent years in accumulating it his fortune was gone in a day.

8. We shall be pleased to have your quotations on wheat from time to time as may suit

9.

your convenience and perhaps may be able to do some business with you.

If you make this statement to all who sign the contracts will not be worth much.

10. We have just received an order for ten chair cars four cafe cars and two postal and

baggage cars.

11. If you feel like taking the note and giving me credit all right; if not return it to me and oblige Yours truly

12. I went with him to Chicago where I left him.

13. He left the City of New York where he was doing well.

14. Mr. Haws the junior member of our firm spent several months in Europe last fall. 15. Mr. C. L. Wilson our traveling salesman will be in your city on Friday the 10th inst. 16. We wired you yesterday "Sold 100 shares Erie" and now confirm same.

17. It is simply my desire not my command that this shall be done.

18. We are sorry there has been any misunderstanding in the matter and hope that you will be able to see your way out of it without any loss.

19. We are anxious to accommodate Mr. Cook if it can be done consistently with your rules under the present condition of affairs.

20. The relation of the Transvaal cars to which reference is made may be explained etc. 21. Your present favor inclosing complaint prepared by you in your case at Tallahassee has been received. 22. For your own and Dr. Wright's information concerning the subsequent course after

the operation at which you assisted I am inclosing herewith a carbon copy of Miss Eleanor Shaw's case record the record being more elaborate than usual because of the complex and multiple lesions which required to be remedied to obtain the good result now secured.

23. We of course can furnish you any quantity you wish-say 200 sets-at the price he

named f. o. b. cars here.

24. Gentlemen:

We are in receipt of credit memorandum from South Omaha for $1.00 allowance which they are making your branch for account of F. M. Beardsley and which amount we are placing to your credit on the supposition that you desire the amount for Mr. Beardsley.

25. After carefully considering your proposition of the 1st we have come to the conclusion that we cannot accept your terms.

26. Coal iron steel and oil have increased in value.

27. We can furnish you wool blankets in white black and white black and red scarlet grey cardinal and fancy plaid.

28. The plaintiff under such circumstances would not be bound to appear at this time. 29. The Lobe-Cutter Lumber Company plaintiff in the above-entitled action by Carter and Jones its attorneys for complaint against the above-named defendants alleges: etc. 30. J. M. Scott being duly sworn says that he is the attorney for the plaintiff in this action.

31. During the first year of our business we have enjoyed a good trade.

32.

We have taken this matter up with Mr. Story who writes us that he will wait until you receive the steel from Scotland.

33. This insurance was written as you know upon the application of Mr. John Smith who is at present employed in our New York office.

34. For over two years the two that were left were not used and then in 1906 they were

sold.

Name....

Grade..

EXERCISE 73

Insert the commas in the following:

(Deduct two per cent for each error.)

1. Garfield the second martyred president was born in Ohio.

2. Puritanism believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty laid without knowing it the egg of democracy.-Lowell.

3. If you do only cheap things you will be a cheap man.

4. In the acquirement of shorthand skill a good style of longhand is a great advantage. 5. As an object of primary importance promote the general diffusion of knowledge.

6. In fact he declared it was of no use to work on his farm.

7. In my judgment the tariff on anthracite coal should be removed and anthracite put actually where it now is nominally on the free list.

8. On entering the Amphitheatre new objects of wonder presented themselves.

9. The public library is of immense value to all our pupils especially to the poor child that can attend school but a few years.

10. To the pure all things are pure.

11. To the unknown men that lost their lives in the Spanish-American War many monuments have been dedicated.

12. "Sweet smiling village loveliest of the lawn

Thy sports are fled and all thy charms withdrawn."

13. Young man young man what are you learning to do well?

14. I too regret that the mistake occurred.

15. Roughly speaking there are three theories of government which may be respectively designated as paternalism individualism and fraternalism.

16. The true strong and sound mind is the mind that can embrace equally great things and small.-Johnson.

17. We mutually pledge to each other our lives our fortunes and our most sacred honor.

-Jefferson.

18. As Cæsar was going to the senate house he saluted the seer saying "Well the Ides of March have come." But the seer mildly replied "Yes they are come but they are

not yet gone."

19. John there is some one at the door.

20. Principle is ever my motto not expediency.-Disraeli.

21. It is true and there is no help for it.

22. It is I not he.

23. It is right not wrong.

24. Be temperate in youth or you will have to abstain in old age.

25. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

26. The exploits of Mercury himself the god of cunning may be easily imagined to

surpass everything achieved by profaner hands.

27. Homer the greatest poet of antiquity is said to have been blind.

28. Presents I often say endear absents.-Lamb.

29. For thy sake tobacco I would do anything but die.-Lamb.

30. His children too were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody.

31. Glass bends easily when it is hot.

32. The lever that moves the world of mind is emphatically the printing press.

33. Columbus was sent to the University of Padua where he acquired such knowledge as

was then taught.

34. Clever men are good but they are not the best.

35. His cow would either go astray or she would get among the cabbages.

36. That a peculiar state of the mere particles of the brain should be followed by a change of the state of the sentient mind is truly wonderful.

37. Whatever is is right.

38. The college the clergy the lawyers were all against me.

39. Morning is the best time to study my son.

40. France and Germany together have a population of 100000000 in round numbers against our probable 85000000 and State Forests of 14500000 acres against our 160000000 acres of National Forests; but France and Germany spend on their forests $11000000 a year and get from them in net returns $30000000 a year while the United States spent on the National Forests last year $1400000 and secured a net return of less than $130000.

41. His wife kept continually dinning in his ears about his idleness his carelessness and the ruin he was bringing on his family.-Irving.

42. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; writing an exact man.

43. Histories make wise men; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.-Bacon.

44. Whoever operates a motor cycle or automobile upon any highway or private way laid out under authority of the law recklessly or while under the influence of intoxicants shall be punished etc.