LESSON 44

WORDS AND PHRASES USED INDEPENDENTLY

Introductory Hints. In this Lesson we wish to notice words and phrases that in certain uses have no grammatical connection with the rest of the sentence.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars. Dear Brutus serves only to arrest attention, and is independent by address.

Poor man! he never came back again. pendent by exclamation.

Poor man is inde

Rod and staff

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. simply call attention to the objects before anything is said of them, and are independent by pleonasma construction used sometimes for rhetorical effect, but out of place in ordinary speech.

His master being absent, the business was neglected. His master being absent logically modifies the verb was neglected by assigning the cause, but the phrase has no connective expressed or understood, and is therefore grammatically independent. This is called the absolute phrase. An absolute phrase consists of a noun or a pronoun used independently with a modifying participle.

His conduct, generally speaking, was honorable. Speaking is a participle without connection, and with the adverb generally forms an independent phrase.

To confess the truth, I was wrong. The infinitive phrase is independent.

The adverbs well, now, why, there are sometimes independent; as, Well, life is an enigma; Now, that is strange; Why, it is already noon; There are pitch-pine Yankees and white-pine Yankees.

Interjections are without grammatical connection, as you have learned, and hence are independent.

Whatever is enclosed within marks of parenthesis is also independent of the rest of the sentence; as, I stake my fame (and I had fame), my heart, my hope, my soul, upon this

cast.

Analysis

1. The loveliest things in life, Tom, are but shadows.

Explanation. Tom is independent by address. an adjective modifying shadows.

But is

2. There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story intellects with skylights.

Explanation. Often, as in this sentence, there is used idiomatically, merely to throw the subject after the verb, the idea of place having faded out of the word. To express place, another there may follow the predicate; as, There is gold there.

3. Ah! then and there was hurrying to and fro.

4. Hope lost, all is lost.

5. The smith, a mighty man is he.

6. Why, this is not revenge.

7. Well, this is the forest of Arden.

8. Now, there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-market, a

pool.

9. To speak plainly, your habits are your worst enemies. 10. No accident occurring, we shall arrive to-morrow. 11. The teacher being sick, there was no school Friday. 12. Mr. President, I shall enter on no encomium upon Massachusetts.

13. Properly speaking, there can be no chance in our affairs.

14. But the enemies of tyranny — their path leads to the scaffold.

15. She (oh, the artfulness of the woman!) managed the matter extremely well.

retreat began

+

later

day

16. A day later (Oct. 19, 1812) began the fatal retreat of the Grand Army, from Moscow.

See Lesson 35.

COMPOSITION

LESSON 45

INDEPENDENT WORDS AND

PHRASES

COMMA-RULE.
RULE. Words

Words and phrases independent or nearly so are set off by the comma.

Remark. Interjections, as you have seen, are usually followed by the exclamation point; and there, used merely to introduce, is never set off by the comma. When the break after pleonastic expressions is slight, as in (5), Lesson 44, the comma is used; but, if it is more abrupt, as in (14), the dash is required. If the independent expression can be omitted without affecting the sense, it may be enclosed within marks of parenthesis, as in (15) and (16). (For the uses of the dash and the marks of parenthesis, see Lesson 148.)

Words and phrases nearly independent are those which, like however, of course, indeed, in short, by the bye, for instance, and accordingly, do not modify a word or a phrase alone, but rather the sentence as a whole; as, Lee did not, however, follow Washington's orders.

Direction. Write sentences illustrating the several kinds of independent expressions, and punctuate according to the Rule as explained.

Direction. Write short sentences in which these words and phrases, used in a manner nearly independent, shall occur, and punctuate them properly:

In short, indeed, now and then, for instance, accordingly, moreover, however, at least, in general, no doubt, by the bye, by the way, then, too, of course, in fine, namely, above all, therefore.

Direction.

Write short sentences in which these words shall modify some particular word or phrase so closely as not to be set off by the comma:

Indeed, surely, too, then, now, further, why, again, still.

Exercises on the Composition of the Sentence and the Paragraph

(SEE PAGES 192-196)

TO THE TEACHER. See suggestions to the teacher, pages, 44, 179.

LESSON 46

SENTENCES CLASSIFIED WITH RESPECT TO

MEANING

Introductory Hints. In the previous Lessons we have considered the sentence with respect to the words and phrases composing it. Let us now look at it as a whole.

The mountains lift up their heads. This sentence is used simply to affirm, or to declare a fact, and is called a Declarative Sentence.

Do the mountains lift up their heads? This sentence expresses a question, and is called an Interrogative Sentence.

Lift up your heads. This sentence expresses a command and is called an Imperative Sentence. Such expressions as You must go, You shall go are equivalent to imperative sentences, though they have not the imperative form.

How the mountains lift up their heads! In this sentence the thought is expressed with strong emotion. It is called an Exclamatory Sentence. How and what usually introduce such sentences; but a declarative, an interrogative, or an imperative sentence may become exclamatory when the speaker uses it mainly to give vent to his feelings; as, It is impossible! How can I endure it! Talk of hypocrisy after this!

DEFINITION. A Declarative Sentence is one that is used to affirm or to deny.

DEFINITION. An Interrogative Sentence is one that expresses a question.

DEFINITION. An Imperative Sentence is one that expresses a command or an entreaty.

DEFINITION. An Exclamatory Sentence is one that expresses sudden thought or strong feeling.* INTERROGATION POINT-RULE. Every direct interrogative sentence should be followed by an interrogation point.

Remark. When an interrogative sentence is made a part of another sentence, it may be direct; as, He asked, "What is the trouble?" or indirect; as, He asked what the trouble was. (See Lesson 74.)

* For punctuation, see page 58.