The Handy Cyclopedia of Things Worth Knowing Part 41

--ng, not n, as singing, not singin; speaking, not speakin.

--ngth, not nth, as strength, not strenth.

--son, the o should be silent; as in treason, tre-zn, not tre-son.

--tal, not tle, as capital, not capitle; metal, not mettle; mortal, not mortle; periodical, not periodicle.

--xt, not x, as next, not nex.

SHORT RULES FOR SPELLING.

Words ending in e drop that letter on taking a suffix beginning with a vowel. Exceptions--words ending in ge, ce, or oe.

Final e of a primitive word is retained on taking a suffix beginning with a consonant. Exceptions--words ending in dge, and truly, duly, etc.

Final y of a primitive word, when preceded by a consonant, is generally changed into i on the addition of a suffix. Exceptions--retained before ing and ish, as pitying. Words ending in ie and dropping the e by Rule 1, change the i to y, as lying. Final y is sometimes changed to e, as duteous.

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a vowel, form their plural by adding s; o as money, moneys. Y preceded by a consonant is changed to ies in the plural; as bounty, bounties.

Final y of a primitive vowel, preceded by a vowel, should not be changed into i before a suffix; as, joyless.

In words containing ei or ie, ei is used after the sound s, as ceiling, seize, except in siege and in a few words ending in cier. Inveigle, neither, leisure and weird also have ei. In other cases ie is used, as in believe, achieve.

Words ending in ceous or cious, when relating to matter, end in ceous; all others in cious.

Words of one syllable, ending in a consonant; with a single vowel before it, double the consonant in derivatives; as, s.h.i.+p, s.h.i.+pping, etc. But if ending in a consonant with a double vowel before it, they do not double the consonant in derivatives; as troop, trooper, etc.

Words of more than one syllable, ending in a consonant preceded by a single vowel, and accented on the last syllable, double that consonant in derivatives; as commit, committed; but except chagrin, chagrined; kidnap, kidnaped.

All words of one syllable ending in l, with a single vowel before it, have ll at the close; as mill, sell.

All words of one syllable ending in l, with a double vowel before it, have only one l at the close: as mail, sail.

The words foretell, distill, instill and fulfill retain the double ll of their primitives. Derivatives of dull, skill, will and full also retain the double ll when the accent falls on these words; as dullness, skillful, willful, fullness.

PUNCTUATION.

A period (.) after every declarative and every imperative sentence; as, It is true. Do right.

A period is also used after every abbreviation; as, Dr., Mr., Capt.

An interrogation point (?) after every question.

The exclamation point (!) after exclamations; as, Alas! Oh, how lovely!

Quotation marks (" ") inclose quoted expressions; as Socrates said: "I believe the soul is immortal."

A colon (:) is used between parts of a sentence that are subdivided by semi-colons.

A colon is used before a quotation, enumeration, or observation, that is introduced by as follows, the following, or any similar expression; as, Send me the following: 10 doz. "Armstrong's Treasury," 25 Schulte's Manual, etc.

A semicolon (;) between parts that are subdivided by commas.

The semicolon is used also between clauses or members that are disconnected in sense; as, Man grows old; he pa.s.ses away; all is uncertain. When as, namely, that is, is used to introduce an example or enumeration, a semicolon is put before it and a comma after it; as, The night was cold; that is, for the time of year.

A comma is used to set off interposed words, phrases and subordinate clauses not restrictive; as, Good deeds are never lost, though sometimes forgotten.

A comma is used to set off transposed phrases and clauses, as, "When the wicked entice thee, consent thou not."

A comma is used to set off interposed words, phrases and clauses; as, Let us, if we can, make others happy.

A comma is used between similar or repeated words or phrases; as, The sky, the water, the trees, were illumined with sunlight.

A comma is used to mark an ellipsis, or the omission of a verb or other important word.

A comma is used to set off a short quotation informally introduced; as, Who said, "The good die young"?

A comma is used whenever necessary to prevent ambiguity.

The marks of parenthesis ( ) are used to inclose an interpolation where such interpolation is by the writer or speaker of the sentence in which it occurs. Interpolations by an editor or by anyone other than the author of the sentence should be inclosed in brackets--[ ].

Dashes (--) may be used to set off a parenthetical expression, also to denote an interruption or a sudden change of thought or a significant pause.

THE USE OF CAPITALS.

1. Every entire sentence should begin with a capital.

2. Proper names, and adjectives derived from these, should begin with a capital.

3. All appellations of the Deity should begin with a capital.

4. Official and honorary t.i.tles begin with a capital.

5. Every line of poetry should begin with a capital.

6. t.i.tles of books and the heads of their chapters and divisions are printed in capitals.

7. The p.r.o.noun I, and the exclamation O, are always capitals.

8. The days of the week, and the months of the year, begin with capitals.

9. Every quotation should begin with a capital letter.