Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/795

 sounds may not come together."&mdash;Ib., p. 27. "It would be as improper to say an unit, as to say an youth; to say an one, as to say an wonder."&mdash;Ib., p. 27. "When we say 'He died for the truth,' for is a preposition."&mdash;Ib., p. 28. "We do not say 'I might go yesterday,' but 'I might have gone yesterday.'"&mdash;Ib., p. 11. "By student, we understand one who has by matriculation acquired the rights of academical citizenship; but, by bursché, we understand one who has already spent a certain time at the university."&mdash;Howitt's Student-Life in Germany, p. 27.

SECTION II.&mdash;THE SEMICOLON.
The Semicolon is used to separate those parts of a compound sentence, which are neither so closely connected as those which are distinguished by the comma, nor so little dependent as those which require the colon.

RULE I.&mdash;COMPLEX MEMBERS.
When two or more complex members, or such clauses as require the comma in themselves, are constructed into a period, they are generally separated by the semicolon: as, "In the regions inhabited by angelic natures, unmingled felicity forever blooms; joy flows there with a perpetual and abundant stream, nor needs any mound to check its course."&mdash;Carter. "When the voice rises, the gesture naturally ascends; and when the voice makes the falling inflection, or lowers its pitch, the gesture follows it by a corresponding descent; and, in the level and monotonous pronunciation of the voice, the gesture seems to observe a similar limitation, by moving rather in the horizontal direction, without much varying its elevation."&mdash;Comstock's Elocution, p. 107. "The wide, the unbounded prospect lies before me;   But shadows, clouds, and darkness, rest upon it."&mdash;Addison.

RULE II.&mdash;SIMPLE MEMBERS.
When two or more simple members, or such clauses as complete their sense without subdivision, are constructed into a period; if they require a pause greater than that of the comma, they are usually separated by the semicolon: as, "Straws swim upon the surface; but pearls lie at the bottom."&mdash;Murray's Gram., p. 276. "Every thing grows old; every thing passes away; every thing disappears."&mdash;Hiley's Gram., p. 115. "Alexander asked them the distance of the Persian capital; what forces the king of Persia could bring into the field; what the Persian government was; what was the character of the king; how he treated his enemies; what were the most direct ways into Persia."&mdash;Whelpley's Lectures, p. 175. "A longer care man's helpless kind demands;   That longer care contracts more lasting bands."&mdash;Pope.

RULE III.&mdash;OF APPOSITION, &C.
Words in apposition, in disjunct pairs, or in any other construction, if they require a pause greater than that of the comma, and less than that of the colon, may be separated by the semicolon: as, "Pronouns have three cases; the nominative, the possessive, and the objective."&mdash;Murray's Gram., p. 51. "Judge, judgement; lodge, lodgement; acknowledge, acknowledgement."&mdash;Butler's Gram., p. 11. "Do not the eyes discover humility, pride; cruelty, compassion; reflection, dissipation; kindness, resentment?"&mdash;Sheridan's Elocution, p. 159. "This rule forbids parents to lie to children, and children to parents; instructors to pupils, and pupils to instructors; the old to the young, and the young to the old; attorneys to jurors, and jurors to attorneys; buyers to sellers, and sellers to buyers."&mdash;Wayland's Moral Science, p. 304. "Make, made; have, had; pay, paid; say, said; leave, left;   Dream, dreamt; mean, meant; reave and bereave have reft." &mdash;Ward's Gr., p. 66.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.
FALSE PUNCTUATION.&mdash;ERRORS CONCERNING THE SEMICOLON.