Plain English

476. Use capital letters to begin important words in the title of a book or the subject of a composition. In titles the nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs should begin with a capital, while the prepositions and conjunctions should begin with small letters. The articles, the, a and an are not capitalized unless they are the initial word in the title.

477. Use a capital to begin every direct quotation. The first word of an indirect quotation should begin with a small letter. A direct quotation is one which uses the exact words of the speaker. For example: He said, "I will come." This is a direct quotation, but He said that he would come, is an indirect quotation.

478. Use a capital to begin an important statement or to ask a question. For example: Resolved; That the United States should democratize war. The question is, Shall the people determine the question of war?

479. Use capitals for the chief items of any enumeration of particulars. For example;

480. Begin the words indicating titles of offices and honor with a capital. For example, President Wilson, Doctor Smith, Professor Locke. When you use a title of this kind as a general term, that is, not indicating any particular person, do not use a capital. As for example: The society has had several presidents. But if you use the title to take the place of the person's name, for example: The President read the message to Congress, always use a capital.

481. Use capitals for the titles at the beginning of a letter or in written composition and in direct address. For example: My dear Father, My dear Mother, My dear Comrade, Dear Aunt Emma, Dear Friend, Dear Fellow Workers, etc. Also in conversation.

Are you coming with me, Mother?

What did the Doctor say, Comrade Smith?

When these words are not used in direct address, however, they should not be capitalized. For example, at the close of a letter you would write:

Your sincere friend.

Your loving brother.

Or in conversation:

I asked my mother to go with me.

My brother wrote me concerning the matter.

482. Begin the names of important buildings and localities with a capital. For example:

Public Library, High School, The East Side, The Union Square, Central Market, etc.

These words used in a general sense, however, should not begin with a capital letter. For example:

Our public libraries, our high schools, jails, prisons, post offices, etc.

483. The words state and territory, when they refer to particular divisions of the country, should be capitalized. For example:

The State of New York, The Territory of Alaska, The French Government, etc.

State and government are also capitalized when they are used in place of proper names. For example:

The State is based on exploitation.

The Government has issued an edict of war.

We do not use a capital in such expressions as:

Church and state, state affairs; they occupy a large territory, etc.

484. In directing letters or other matter for the mail, capitalize all words except prepositions, conjunctions or articles. These should be capitalized only when they begin a line.

Exercise 1

Draw a line under each word in the following that should be begun with a capital:

john joffre, lake michigan, day, thursday, friday, spring, august, december, germany, country, france, man, jones, smith, doctor, doctor george, professor moore, girl, mary, susan, methodist, mohammedan, church, party, republican party, socialist, company, national electric light company, river, mississippi river, the red river, essex county, state of illinois, iowa, railway, new york, new york central railway, the french revolution, novel, the sea wolf, poem, arrows in the gale, american.

Exercise 2

Notice carefully the following quotations and sentences and capitalize every word that should begin with a capital letter.

1. iron, the twin brother of fire, the first born out of the matrix of the earth, a witness everlasting to the glory of thy labor, am i, o man.

2. therefore i say unto you, banish fear from your hearts.

3. but ye, plebs, populists, people, rebels, mob, proletariat, live and abide forever.

4. and they came here from all parts of the earth, the syrians and the armenians, the thracians and the tartars, the jews, the greeks and the romans, the gauls and the angles and the huns and the hibernians, even from the deserts of the sands to the deserts of ice they came to listen unto his words.

5. marx and engels wrote the communist manifesto.

6. its closing words are; working men of all countries unite.

7. italy was the last of the great powers of europe to become involved in the war.

8. john randolph submitted an amendment to the constitution providing that the judges of the supreme court of the united states shall be removed by the president on the joint address of both houses of congress.

9. eugene v. debs spent six months in woodstock jail for exercising his right of free speech.

10. col. the abbreviation for colorado, is easily confused with cal. the abbreviation for california.

11. the people's college is a college maintained by the working class.

12. william jennings bryan won his first nomination for president of the united states by a very dramatic speech delivered in the national democratic convention.

13. marion craig wentworth, a socialist playwright, has written a play called "war brides."

14. the play closes with these words; a message to the emperor: i refuse to bear my child until you promise there shall be no more war.

15. olive schreiner's "woman and labor" is full of fascinating thought.

Exercise 3

Notice carefully the use of capitals in the following quotations, and determine the reason for the use of every capital:

As the nobles of England wrung their independence from King John, and as the tradesmen of France broke through the ring of privilege enclosing the Three Estates; so today the millions who serve society in arduous labor on the highways, and aloft on the scaffoldings, and by the sides of the whirring machines, are demanding that they, too, and their children, shall enjoy all of the blessings that justify and make beautiful this life.—Frank Walsh.

"The toad beneath the harrow knowsExactly where the tooth-point goes.The butterfly beside the roadDoth preach contentment to that toad."

"When I came here, it was said that the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company voted every man and woman in their employ without any regard to their being naturalized or not; and even their mules, it used to be remarked, were registered if they were fortunate enough to possess names." From a letter written by Mr. L. M. Bowers, Chairman of The Board of Directors of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, to the Secretary of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., under date of May 13, 1913.

Master, I've done Thy bidding, wrought in Thy many lands.Not by my sins wilt Thou judge me, but by the work of my hands.Master, I've done Thy bidding, and the light is low in the west,And the long, long shift is over … Master, I've earned it—Rest.—Robert Service.
It's O! to be a slaveAlong with the barbarous Turk,Where woman has never a soul to save,If this is Christian work!—Thos. Hood.While there is a lower class, I am in it.While there is a criminal element, I am of it.While there is a soul in jail, I am not free.—Eugene V. Debs.
When Adam delved and Eve span,Who was then the gentleman?The vilest deeds, like poison weeds,Bloom well in prison-air;It is only what is good in manThat wastes and withers there:Pale Anguish keeps the heavy gate,And the Warder is Despair.—Oscar Wilde.

ABBREVIATIONS AND CONTRACTIONS

485. There are a number of words which we abbreviate or contract, in our every-day use. A contraction is a shortened form of the word used to save time or space and is made by omitting a letter or letters. The apostrophe is used to indicate the omission in a contracted word. As, for example:

B'ld'g, B'l'v'd, M'f'g.

When the word is contracted in this way and the apostrophe is used, these contractions are not followed by the period but are used just as the completely written word would be used. There is no accepted list of these contractions. We devise them according to our need at the moment.

An abbreviation, however, is an authorized contraction of the word. It is the shortening of a term which is habitually used to save time and space. The apostrophe is not used and the abbreviation should be followed by a period. As for example:

Bldg. Blvd. Mfg.

These abbreviations and contractions are very helpful to us in saving time and space but should not be used too frequently. Too many contractions or abbreviations make writing ridiculous. Take time to write out the majority of words. Only use abbreviations or contractions for certain accepted words. Avoid an excessive use of abbreviations.

COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS

486. We quite often abbreviate the names of the months, especially those which have long names. Short names like March, April, May, June and July, should never be abbreviated. For the other months we use in correspondence the abbreviations, Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Days of the week are also sometimes abbreviated as follows: Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. Do not use these abbreviations too often. Spell out the names of the months and of the days of the week except in lists of dates or something that calls for abbreviations to save time or space.

Mr., Mrs., Messrs., Jr., Sr., are never spelled out, but are always written in the abbreviated form. You will often find Doctor and Professor abbreviated to Dr., Prof. This is permissible but it is always good form to write them out in full.

487. We have abbreviated forms for a number of names; as for example: Geo., Chas., Thos., Wm., etc. But it is always much better to write these names out in full: George, Charles, Thomas, William, etc.

Remember that nicknames are not abbreviations and do not require a period after them. Jim, Charley, Tom, and Bill are not abbreviations but nicknames.

In correspondence or in any circumstance that demands the saving of time or space, we abbreviate the names of states and territories, as follows:

Alabama, Ala.

Arizona, Ariz.

Arkansas, Ark.

California, Cal.

Colorado, Colo.

Connecticut, Conn.

Delaware, Del.

District of Columbia, D. C.

Florida, Fla.

Georgia, Ga.

Idaho, Ida.

Illinois, Ill.

Indiana, Ind.

Iowa, Ia.

Kansas, Kan.

Kentucky, Ky.

Louisiana, La.

Maine, Me.

Maryland, Md.

Massachusetts, Mass.

Michigan, Mich.

Minnesota, Minn.

Mississippi, Miss.

Missouri, Mo.

Montana, Mont.

Nebraska, Neb.

Nevada, Nev.

New Hampshire, N. H.

New Jersey, N. J.

New Mexico, N. M.

New York, N. Y.

North Carolina, N. C.

North Dakota, N. D.

Ohio, O.

Oklahoma, Okla.

Oregon, Ore.

Pennsylvania, Pa. or Penna.

Rhode Island, R. I.

South Carolina, S. C.

South Dakota, S. D.

Tennessee, Tenn.

Texas, Tex.

Vermont, Vt.

Virginia, Va.

Washington, Wash.

West Virginia, W. Va.

Wisconsin, Wis.

Wyoming, Wyo.

488. Use a. m. and p. m. after dates in lists of dates or schedules of trains or for any similar purpose, but in the text of a letter or manuscript it is better to write them out in full. As for example, do not say:

I will arrive tomorrow a. m., or, You may call about eight p. m.

Say rather:

I will arrive tomorrow morning. You may call at eight o'clock this evening.

The letters a. m. are the abbreviation for ante meridiem, Latin for before noon; and p. m. for post meridiem, meaning afternoon.

489. Two consecutive years may be written 1914-15, but use 1915 rather than '15. In the heading of letters it is better to write the date out in full, as, May 28, 1915, instead of 5-28-15.

In the back of your dictionary you will find a complete list of accepted abbreviations used in writing and printing. The list that follows contains abbreviations most commonly used, especially in business correspondence:

@ for at

acct. for account

agt. for agent

amt. for amount

ans. for answer

asst. for assistant

atty. for attorney

av. for average

bal. for balance

bbl. for barrel

bdl. for bundle

bro. for brother

bros. for brothers

blk. for black

bls. for bales

bu. or bush. for bushels

Co. for company

chgd. for charged

C. O. D. for "cash on delivery"

cr. creditor

cts. cents

cwt. for hundred weight

cu. for cubic

do. for the same

dr. for debtor

doz. for dozen

ea. for "each"

et al. for "and others"

e. g. for example

etc. for "and so forth"

ft. for foot or feet

frt. freight

f. o. b. "free on board"

gal. gallon

guar. for guaranty

hdkfs. for handkerchiefs

h. p. horse power

in. for inches

ins. for insurance

inst. for this month

i. e. for "that is"

Jr. for junior

lb. for pound

memo. for memorandum

Mon. for Monday

mo. for month

mos. for months

mdse. for merchandise

mfg. for manufacturing

Mss. for manuscript

no. for number

N. B. for take notice

O. K. for "all correct"

oz. for ounce

% for per cent

pp. pages

pr. for pair

pt. for pint

pk. for peck

prox. for next month

qt. for quart

recd. for received

sec. for second

Sec. for secretary

Sr. for senior

Supt. for superintendent

ult. for last month

via by way of

viz. namely

vol. for volume

wt. for weight

yd. for yard

yds. for yards

yr. for year

Exercise 4

Write the proper abbreviations for the following words:

Building

Charles

Boulevard

Tuesday

Arkansas

Mississippi

Foot

Virginia

Georgia

Senior

By way of

Per cent

Charged

Avenue

October

Delaware

Professor

Thursday

Colorado

Kansas

Handkerchiefs

January

Secretary

Superintendent

Received

That is

Free on board

Monday

Oklahoma

July

Thomas

California

Company

Account

Friday

Merchandise

Number

All correct

Cash on delivery

And so forth

Colonel

Maine

August

William

Missouri

Brothers

Amount

Wyoming

SPELLING

LESSON 28

There is no way to learn to spell except by constant application. Watch in your reading the spelling of all words. Whenever you wish to add a certain word to your vocabulary, master immediately the spelling as well as the meaning of that word. Keep your dictionary handy; use it constantly in the study of your lessons. Do not guess at the spelling of the word. You are not likely to forget quickly the spelling of any word which you have taken the trouble to look up.

Read your examinations over carefully before sending them in, watching closely for any error in spelling and in punctuation. When your papers are graded and returned you, make a list of all the words which are misspelled and master then and there the spelling of these words. Do not be guilty of the same error twice. Remember that correct spelling is a mark of intelligence and scholarship and that nothing will so detract from the influence of your written work as incorrect spelling.

While there is always a certain word which more aptly expresses our meaning than any other, we can usually find two or more words which express practically the same meaning.

Words which have nearly the same meaning are called synonyms.

It is always an interesting exercise and will add greatly to your vocabulary to select a certain paragraph and go through it replacing certain words with other words which have practically the same meaning. It is this mastery of synonyms which gives the great writers and orators their power. They do not use the same word over and over again until our ears have grown weary of it. With their wonderful mastery of language they are never at a loss for words in which to re-clothe their meaning.

For the first three days of this week's work in spelling we have words and their synonyms. For the words given in the lessons for the last three days, look up in your dictionary a suitable synonym.

Monday

Abundant

Plenty

Precarious

Uncertain

Behavior

Conduct

Tuesday

Abuse

Invective

Hateful

Odious

Praise

Applause

Wednesday

Sufficient

Enough

Refuge

Asylum

Achieve

Attain

Thursday

Insolent

Revenge

Curb

Repudiate

Censure

Regret

Friday

Prosperity

Subterfuge

Event

Observe

Portion

Destroy

Saturday

Talkative

Indolent

Profit

Volunteer

Cordial

Enormous

There are a number of nouns very similar in form, yet different in meaning, which we very often use incorrectly.

Cross out in these sentences the incorrect word. Look them up in the dictionary and be sure of the exact meaning:

Roger's essay—assay won him praise.

The assay—essay indicated the quantity of gold in the metal.

The completion—completeness of the course entitled me to a Diploma.

The completion—completeness of the arrangements fills us with hope of success.

Confidants—confidence often betray us.

The business world is built upon confidants—confidence.

The conscience—consciousness of a religious person is very sensitive.

The class struggle develops class conscience—consciousness.

The strikers listened to unwise counsel—council.

The council—counsel refused the franchise.

You knew he was a cultured—cultivated man, the moment you met him.

It is a highly cultured—cultivated plant.

I asked her for the recipe—receipt for making cake.

He gave her a receipt—recipe for the money.

Emigration—-immigration has reduced the population of Servia.

Emigration—immigration is flooding the United States with cheap labor.

Edison's discovery—invention of the storage battery was a momentous event.

The discovery—invention of gold in Alaska attracted the attention of the world.

The state placed a limitation—limit upon the sale of liquor within certain limits—limitations.

PLAIN ENGLISH

LESSON 29

Dear Comrade:

The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in any man or woman. It is the things which we do for ourselves in any line of work that count the most for us. The things which come to us without any effort on our part do not stay with us very long nor do us much good while we have them.

Sometimes we feel discouraged because we have not had the opportunity to attend school as much as we would like. There is no gainsaying but that this is a tremendous handicap and yet, after all, it is not an insurmountable obstacle. It is much better to have the appetite without the food than to have the food without the appetite. There is always a chance of securing the food if we want it bad enough and will struggle hard enough. So in the matter of an education. Many a man who has never seen the inside of a college is better educated than those who have been through college.

These men have really wanted knowledge, have sought it early and late, and have found knowledge; and because they were in the work-a-day world, in constant contact with their fellow-men, they were able to relate the knowledge which they gained out of books to the world in which they lived and this is true education. This is, also, what many college-bred people lack. A student is half made as soon as he seeks knowledge for its own sake. If you are striving to learn, not to make grades or to pass examinations or to secure a degree, but simply for the sake of knowing things, then indeed you are on the way to become really educated.

Stimulate within yourself a desire for knowledge, observe the things about you, add to your store of information daily; read a good book each day, even if you have time to read only a page or two, and you will be surprised at the result in your life.

Take, for example, our spelling. Why should we continually misspell the words which we use every day and which we see every day on a printed page. If we are wide-awake and have our eyes open, we can soon learn to spell correctly all these common words, at least. Make a list this week of fifty things with which you come in contact in your daily work, then look these words up in your dictionary and see how many of them you have misspelled. There is no reason why we should not be learning constantly and the more we observe, the more acute becomes our power of observation.

Let us determine more than ever to feel that we are part of the great world movement, that we belong in the ranks of those who have caught the vision of what the world might be, and that we belong to that glorious army of those who are fighting for the dream; so we may take courage; so we may find joy in the struggle, bitter as it may be, and so we may do our part in the fight.

Yours for Education,THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.

PUNCTUATION

490. Marks of punctuation are very important in our written language. They take the place of the gesture and pause and inflection and intonation of the voice, by which we make our meaning clear in vocal speech. So the marks of punctuation do not become mere mechanical devices. They are marks full of meaning and necessary to express our thought.

Punctuation is a word derived from the Latin word punctum which means a point. We have other words from the same derivation, as puncture, etc.

Punctuation is the art of pointing off our written language so as to make its meaning clear.

Some very amusing errors have occurred because of the misplacing or the omission of punctuation marks. It is said, that a toast was one time given at a public dinner; "Woman! without her, man would be a savage." The next day it appeared in print; "Woman, without her man, would be a savage." You can readily see that the punctuation in this instance made a very great difference in the meaning of the sentence.

491. In conversation, the tone of the voice which we use, has a great effect upon our meaning, for example I might say, The International failed, in such a tone of voice, that it would express despair and chagrin, and indicate that the International was a thing of the past; or I might say, The International failed, with such an inflection, that you would understand that even the suggestion was to be treated with contempt, that the International was still powerful and its triumph inevitable. And in writing, the only way we have of expressing these shades of meaning is by means of punctuation marks.