1. Development

Read these sentences:

1. Mother, may I go with you?

2. Where is your cap, John?

3. Come, girls, let us go to the playground.

Read the first sentence without the word mother. Why is this word used?

Read the second sentence without the word John. Why is this word used?

Read the third sentence, omitting the word girls. Of what use is that word in the sentence?

We say that words used like mother, Mary, and John are used in address.

How is each of these words separated from the rest of the sentence? Why are two commas used in the last sentence?

2. Rule

Words that are used only in address, and that may be omitted, are separated from the rest of the sentence by the comma.

3. Exercises

1. Copy these sentences, using commas where they are needed:

1. Come boys let us play ball.

2. Good morning merry sunshine.

3. Rover go fetch the cows.

4. Farewell good friends.

5. Go daughter and leave me here.

6. Give me of your bark O birch tree.

7. Fetch your cat boy and let her go.

8. Do not suppose children that he had been to a fortune teller.

9. 0 velvet bee you're a dusty fellow.

10. You must be hungry girls after your long walk.

2. Write six sentences, in which you use words of address. Use the names of your friends or class, mates in some of them.

3. Copy from your reader five sentences in which words of address are used. Be sure to punctuate them correctly.