rcise:

1. The hen clucks to her chickens. When she scratches up a
worm.

2. Before my brother could forewarn me. I had touched my tongue
against the cold iron. On which it stuck.

3. The commission had the services of two men of international
reputation. Charles Newman, Esq. and Gifford Bailey,
Ph D.

4. Since Hugh had fished only in creeks. He was surprised that
the lines were let down a hundred feet or more. The right
distance for codfish.

5. Between 1775 and 1825 Virginia furnished the nation its
leaders. Such as the author of the Declaration of Independence.
The orator of the Revolution. The leader of the Revolutionary
army. The chief maker of the Constitution. Four of our first
five Presidents. And our greatest Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court.

=The Comma=

There are five principal uses of the comma:

to separate clauses (a-d)
to set off a parenthetical element (e)
to mark a series (f-g)
to introduce a quotation (h)
to compel a pause for the sake of clearness (i)

=91a. A comma is used between clauses joined by _but_, _for_, _and_, or
any other coordinating conjunction.=

Right: The hour arrived, but Forbes did not appear. [The comma
emphasizes the contrast.]

Right: She was glad she had looked, for a man was approaching
the house. [The comma prevents the combination _looked for a
man_.]

Right: He gave the money to Burke, and Reynolds received
nothing. [The comma prevents confusion.]

Exception.--If the clauses are short and closely linked in thought, the
comma may be omitted (She came and she was gone in a moment. McCoy
talked and the rest of us listened.) If the clauses are long and
complicated, a semicolon may be used (See 92b).

Note.--No comma should follow the conjunction. Wrong: He was
enthusiastic but, inexperienced. Wrong: They went before the committee
but, not one of them would answer a question.

=b. Do _not_ use a comma between independent clauses which are _not_
joined by a conjunction. Use a period or a semicolon.= (This error, the
"comma splice," betrays ignorance of what constitutes a unified
sentence. See 18.)

Wrong: The circus had just come to town, every one wanted to
see it.

Right: The circus had just come to town. Every one wanted to
see it.

Wrong: The story deals with the life of a youth, Do