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M. Give me an Example.

S. A foft Answer turneth away Wrath; but grievous Words ftir up Anger. Proverbs xv. 1. Or thus, I defired you to get your Leffon by Heart; but instead of this you have been at Play.

M. What is the Ufe of a Period?

S. A Period (.) is a full Stop, and fhews the perfect End and Conclufion of a Sentence. M. Pray give me an Example?

S. Love your Learning. Obey your Parents. Honour the King.

Fear God.
N. B.

Always remember in your Writing, that after a Period you must begin the next Word with a great, or capital Letter, as in the last Example you fee every Sentence begins with a great Letter.

M. Very well: Now pray tell me the Use of a Note of Interrogation and Admiration?

S. A Note of Interrogation (?) is always fet at the End of any Queftion that is afked; as thus: Who made you? How old are you? &c.

M. How, and when, do you use a Note of Admiration?

S. A Note of Admiration (!) is placed after such Words or Expreffions as are furprizing, wonderful, or tranfporting; thus: Oh! Alas! Surprising! Or thus: O the Depth, both of the Wisdom, and Knowledge of God! Rom. xi. 33.

M. How long am I to pause or stop in Reading, when I meet with these feveral Points ?

S. You are to ftop till you can tell one, at a Comma; at a Semicolon till you can tell one, two; at a Colon till you can tell three; and at a Period,

a Note

a Note of Interrogation, and a Note of Admiration till you can tell Six.

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Of the Names of other Marks, and their Ufe,

M. What other Marks are there? S. There are Twelve, as follows. An Apostrophe or Comma'

An Afterisk

An Index

An Obelisk

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A Caret

Crotchets

An Ellipfis

A Hyphen

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A Paragraph
A Parenthefis (~~)
A Quotation

A Section

M. What is the Ufe of an Apoftrophe?

S. It is used when a Letter is omitted, and the Word also becomes one Syllable lefs, when an Apoftrophe is placed between the Syllables. Thus, fav'd, judg'd, is faved, judged, only pronounced with one Syllable. An Apoftrophe alfo placed before an s, at the End of a Word, ferves to express a Sentence much shorter and better, as you will fee! by and bye more plainly. Thus, Solomon's Wifdom, is the fame as the Wisdom of Solomon: fo that you fee it fupplies the Place of the and of. Thus, St. Mary's Parif, fignifies the Parish of St. Mary.\ M. What do you mean by an Asterisk, and what is its Ufe?

S. An Afterisk, or Star, (*) is ufed to refer to fome Note in the Margin of a Book: When there are feveral of them together thus, (****) they denote that Something is left out, that the Author does not choose to infert at full Length.

M. What

M. What is the Use of a Caret?

S. A Caret () is placed underneath a Line when a Word is left out, and points to the Place where

punish

it ought to be placed. Thus, God will the Wicked, fhould be, God will punish the Wicked.

A

M. What are the Ufe of Crotchets ?

S. Crotchets [] like Parenthefis, ferve only to explain a Word or Thing more fully.

M. What is the Ufe of an Ellipfis?

-)

S. An Ellipfis (—————) is used, when Part of a Verfe or Sentence is quoted; thus: - That I may recover my Strength. Pfalm xxxix. 13. M. When is a Hyphen used?

S. A Hyphen (-) is ufed in compound Words, in Order to couple them together: Or when two Names or Things have a Hyphen between them, they then become but oneWord. Thus, Coachmaker, Schoolmaster, &c. are often wrote Coach-Maker, School-Mafter, &c.

M. What is the Ufe of an Index ?

S. An Index or Hand thus () points to fome remarkable Thing or Paffage in an Author. See Page 32d of this Book.

M. What is the Ufe of an Obelifk?

S. An Obelisk (†) is often ufed in large Books, and in many Quotations, and refers you to the Margin of the Book for further Inftruction. M. What do you mean by a Paragraph?

S. A Paragraph (¶) is fet at the Beginning of every new Subject, and no other Paragraph is made till the Senfe of the firft is fully treated of. You will find this Mark in almost every Chapter of the Old and New Testament.

M. What is the Ufe of a Parenthesis?

S. A

S. A Parenthefis () ferves to explain, or give a fuller Senfe and Meaning to any Thing; and yet fo, that the Sentence itself will always read full as well, and oftentimes better without it; and thereföre the Words included in it, fhould be read with a lower Tone of the Voice: As thus, I know, that in me (that is in my Flesh) dwells no good Thing. Or it ferves to affirm more pofitively; thus: The Word of God fays, (and I know it is true) that the Wicked fhall perifh for ever. Or it is used in Exceptions; as thus I give all I have (except my Watch) to William.

M. What is a Quotation?

S. It is a Thing, or Subject, borrowed from another Author, and quoted Word for Word; and then the Author that borrows it puts, or should put two Commas made backwards; thus: to let the Reader know 'tis not his own Words, or Opinion only.

M. What is the Ufe of a Section ?

S. A Section (§) is often fet at the Head, or Beginning of fome other Subject, or new Difcourfe: It is alfo used in long Writings, where the Author gives many Instances of a Thing, and refers to the Proof of it in the Margin; the fame as the Afte rijk or Obelisk.

M. Are here all the Marks?

S. There is another, call'd by fome a Brace, and is made thus. }

M. Pray what is its Ufe?

S. It ferves to bind, link, or circumflex feveral Things together. It is often used in Poetry to tie, or link three Lines together, that rhyme, or jingle in the Ear. Thus,

Thou

Thou great Creator of Mankind,
Let finful Souls Compaffion find.
Proftrate my contrite Heart I bend;
My God, my Father, and my Friend,
Do not forfake me in the End.

}

Or it is often used to bind or circumflex two or
three Lines of Figures together, and fometimes
the Total is fet right against the Middle of it.
Thus, Suppose your Share of Pounds, or any
Thing else be 4, 5, and 7, and my Share be
and 6, it is often fet thus,

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5, 2,

Here your Share is 16, and Mine 13, &c. &c. M. Very well: But pray what is the Meaning of, &c. &c.

S. They are often placed after an Example, to fhew you that the Thing may be proved by a Váriety of Inftances.

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