英语标点符号的使用方法

英语标点符号的使用方法

　　标点符号在书面语中主要用来明确语句的含义，标示一个句子或句子中各个成分的起止，以及彼此间的语法或语义上的关系。英语中使用的标点符号主要有下面这些：
　　1、句号（.） (Period 或 Full Stop)
　　2、逗号（，） （Comma）
　　3、分号（；） （Semicolon）
　　4、冒号（：） （Colon）
　　5、问号（？） （Question Mark）
　　6、撇号（’） (Apostrophe)
　　7、引号（“”或‘’） （Quotation Marks）
　　8、感叹号（！） （Exclamation Mark）
　　9、破折号（—） （Dash）
　　10、连字号（–） （Hyphen）
　　11、括号（[ ]） (Parentheses)
　　12、删节号（…） （Ellipsis）

一、句号（period）

--Each of the twins wanted to know what the other was doing . (lon)
--There was no smoking in the corridors . (lon)
--I enjoy tennis but don’t play it often . (lon)

　　用于代表一个单词的缩略语后面
--B . C . (before Christ) --St . (Street)
--Mon . (Monday) --Ltd . (Limited)
--Jan . (January) --Co . (company)

　　用于引号之内（Inside quotation marks）
--Mary’s mother answered：“Oh yes, she’s in . ” （col）
--“Margaret,” I said to her, “I’m so glad you came . ” (col)
--What Dorothy said was “My mother’s on the phone . ” (lon)

二、逗号（Comma）

　　用于分隔并列的词和短语（To separate words and phrases in a series）
--We ordered a hamburger, French fries, apple pie, and a coke. (lon)
--He awoke, ate his breakfast , got dressed , and went to work. (tofel)
--He walked with long , slow , steady , deliberate strides. (lon)
--He went across the sidewalk , down the street , and into the bar and grill. (tofel)

　　用于分开同位语
--Her mother , a Canadian , died when she was five. (col)
--Tom, I’d like you to meet my friend , George. (fofel)
--People , old and young , all came out to greet the guests. (zha)

　　用于分开表示对比的词、短语或从句，以及表示转题的词或词组（To set off a contrast word, phrase, or clause; a transitional word or expression）

　　a. 分开表示对比的词、短语或从句
--She was not , however , aware of the circumstances. (dic)
--I , on the contrary , envy you because you can work and choose your work. (dic)
--In contrast to his brother , he was always considerate in his treatment of others. (dic)
--We are enjoying ourselves , although the weather is bad. (cge)
--Elizabeth was lively and talkative , whereas her sister was quiet and reserved. (cge)

　　b. 分开表示转题的词或词组
--Incidentally , she found the book you asked for. (dic)
--I went to college. Meanwhile , all my friends got well-paid job. (lon)
--I want to tell you about my trip, but , by the way , how is your mother? (lon)
--This wanted a bit more thinking about, and , in the meantime , there were a hundred and one little things to be done. (dic)

　　用于yes、no、why、well等词后的句首（At the beginning of a sentence after yes、no、 why、well，etc）
--Yes , you are right. (dic)
--“Is it raining?” “No , it’s snowing.” (dic)
--You say he is only forty! Why , I know he is at least fifty. (dic)
--Well , old chap, sit down and make yourself comfortable. (dic)

　　用于句首的短语或从句之后（After a phrase or a clause at the beginning of a sentence）
--Unable to resist , Matilda agreed to betray her country. (形容词短语) (lon)
--From a personal point of view , I found this a good solution to the problem. (介词短语) （lon）
--To be perfectly frank , you are a bad driver. （不定式短语） （oxf）
--Having failed twice , he didn’t want to try again. (动词-ing形式) （oxf）
--Weakened by successive storms , the bridge was no longer safe. (动词-ed形式) （oxf）
--The game over , we all went home. (独立结构) （tofel）
--Since we live near the sea , we often go sailing. (副词从句) （lon）

　　用于分开直接引语（To set off direct quotations）
-“The radio is too loud , ”she complained. (lon)
--She replied , “My first thought was to protect.” (col)

　　如果被分开的引语的第一部分不是完整句子，则后面的引述动词后也须用逗号，引语的第二部分以小写字母开始。例如：
--“I wonder,” said John , “whether I can borrow your bicycle.” (lon)
--“That man,” I said , “never opened a window in his life.” (col)

　　用于标写日期、地址、学位等
日期： Tuesday , April 3 , 2001
地址： 318 First Street , Sacramento , California (门牌号和街号之间无标点)
学位： John Burke , Ph.D. , has written this book.

　　此外也可用于非正式信件的抬头或信末署名前的客套语。例如：
--Dear Philip ,
--Sincerely yours ,

　　用于分开非限定性形容词从句或插入语
--I have invited Ann , who lives in the next flat. (oxf)
--These books , which you can get at any bookshop , will give you all the information you need. (oxf)
--The trees in that area , it is said , are mostly over thirty feet tall. (zha)
--We’ll have to book our tickets in advance , I’m afraid. (zha)

　　用于避免费解或误读
--What his name is , is of no interest to me. (lon)
--Whatever she does , does not concern me. (lon)
--What one person may think of , another may not. (lon)
--During the summer , days become longer. (没有逗号，有可能误读为Summer days。) (lon)
--Soon after , the meeting was adjourned. (没有逗号，有可能误读为after the meeting。) (lon)

三、分号（Semicolon）

　　用在省去连接词的并列分句之间（Between the clauses of a compound sentence when the conjunction is omitted）
--The summer were wet ; the winter were dry. (tofel)
--Don’t lose that key ; it opens the large suitcase with my new clothes. (tofel)
--Some of us agree with that statement ; some disagree. (dic)
--Heather didn’t call until 10:15 ; we were very upset. (tofel)
--Taylor was, as always, a consummate actor ; with a few telling strokes he characterized King Lear magnificently. (lon)

　　用于隔开由hence、moreover、however、also、therefore、consequently等转题词连接的分句 （To separate clauses jointed by such transitional words as hence, moreover, however, also, therefore, also, therefore, consequently, etc）
--My mother is by herself ; hence I must go home now. (dic)
--Bicycling is good exercise ; moreover, it doesn’t pollute the air. (dic)
--The two sides met again today ; however, they reached no settlement. (tofel)
--It rained ; therefore the game was called off. (dic)
--The Delgado family is moving ; consequently, we’ll have new neighbours within a month. (tofel)

　　转题词位于句末时，前面一般用逗号，后面用句号。例如：
--He said that it was so; he was mistaken , however. (dic)
转题词也可放于句首，后面用逗号。例如：
--Nevertheless , she decided to act. (dic)

四、冒号（colon）

　　用于列举事物
--Please send the stipulated items : your birth certificate, your passport and the correct fee. (lon)
--She asked for the following articles : an axe, a hammer, an awl and a saw. (tofel)
--Our main considerations are as follows : safety, speed, and glamour. (tofel)
如果所列举的事物前面有动词或介词，则不可用冒号。例如：
--The colors I chose were red, green, blue, and white. (tofel)
--This design comes in silk, stain, and cotton. (tofel)

　　用于注释句之前
--I’ve just had some good news : I’ve been offered a job in a law firm. (lon)
--You can’t count on him to help : he is such a busy man. (zha)
--The man had been drinking heavily : this, not age, explained his unsteady walk.

　　用于引语之前
--One student commented : “He seems to know his material very well.” (lon)
--In his speech to the United Nations, Mr Teng said : “I come here today….” (tofel)
不过，在现代英语中，直接引语前多半用逗号。如：
--He said , “I am going home.” (lon)

五、问号（Question Mark）

　　用于疑问句或表示疑问的陈述句末尾。例如：
--She asked, “How many were in your class ? ” (tofel)
--What can be done to help these people ? （lon）
--How long have you been here ? Ten minutes ? Twenty ? Thirty ? (tofel)
--You are leaving already ? (lon)

六、撇号（Apostrophe）

　　用于构成名词所有格
--Jim’s coat --the boss’s desk
--the woman’s dress --a moment’s rest
--somebody else’s order --everyone’s goal
--one month’s rent --season’s greetings

　　用于构成动词短语的紧缩形式
--I have I’ve --will not won’t
--She would she’d --I am I’m

　　用于构成字母、数字或缩写等的复数形式
--There are three I’s in that word. (lon)
--How many 5’s have you got? (zha)
--an oversupply of Ph.D.’s (博士学位获得者的过剩) (zha)

　　此外，在非正式的语体中，撇号也用来表示缩写的年份，因此，1984年可写成 ’84。

七、引号（Quotation Marks）

　　主要用于表示中间包入的成分是一句引语。例如：
--He smiled and asked, “Are you her grandson?” (lon)
--“You have to keep trying, Mabel,” he said. (col)

　　有时也可用来加在书名、报名、剧名和杂志名等东西的两端。例如：
--She enjoyed the article “Cities Are for Walking.” (lon)
--Have you read “Red Star Over China”? (zha)

　　或加在一个词的两端，引起人对这个词的注意。如：
--What’s the difference between “differ” and “differentiate”? (zha)
--He couldn’t spell “mnemonic”, and therefore failed to reach the finals. (lon)