标点符号的英文标点

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：句点：英国英语（BrE）：FullStop；美国英语（AmE）：Period，“.”问号：QuestionMark，“?”感叹号：ExclamationMark，“!”逗号：Comma，“,”冒号：Colon，“:”省略号：Ellipsis(众数：Ellipses)，“...”分号：Semicolon，“;”连字符：Hyphen，“-”连接号：EnDash，“–”破折号：EmDash，“—”括号：Parentheses，小括号（圆括号）“()”（parenthesis;roundbrackets）；中括号“[]”（asquarebracket）；大括号“{}”（curlybrackets;braces）引号：QuotationMarks，双引号“”（quote）；单引号“'”（singlequotationmarks）缩写及所有格符号：Apostrophe，“'”撇号（’）(Apostrophe)用于分隔并列的词和短语（Toseparatewordsandphrasesinaseries）Weorderedahamburger,Frenchfries,applepie,andacoke.(lon)Heawoke,atehisbreakfast,gotdressed,andwenttowork.(tofel)Hewalkedwithlong,slow,steady,deliberatestrides.(lon)Hewentacrossthesidewalk,downthestreet,andintothebarandgrill.(tofel)用于分开同位语Hermother,aCanadian,diedwhenshewasfive.(col)Tom,I’dlikeyoutomeetmyfriend,George.(fofel)People,oldandyoung,allcameouttogreettheguests.(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（Tosetoffacontrastword,phrase,orclause;atransitionalwordorexpression）a.分开表示对比的词、短语或从句Shewasnot,however,awareofthecircumstances.(dic)I,onthecontrary,envyyoubecauseyoucanworkandchooseyourwork.(dic)Incontrasttohisbrother,hewasalwaysconsiderateinhistreatmentofothers.(dic)Weareenjoyingourselves,althoughtheweatherisbad.(cge)Elizabethwaslivelyandtalkative,whereashersisterwasquietandreserved.(cge)b.分开表示转题的词或词组Incidentally,shefoundthebookyouaskedfor.(dic)Iwenttocollege.Meanwhile,allmyfriendsgotwell-paidjob.(lon)Iwanttotellyouaboutmytrip,but,bytheway,howisyourmother?(lon)Thiswantedabitmorethinkingabout,and,inthemeantime,therewereahundredandonelittlethingstobedone.(dic)用于yes、no、why、well等词后的句首（Atthebeginningofasentenceafteryes、no、why、well，etc）Yes,youareright.(dic)“Isitraining?”“No,it’ssnowing.”(dic)Yousayheisonlyforty!Why,Iknowheisatleastfifty.(dic)Well,oldchap,sitdownandmakeyourselfcomfortable.(dic)用于句首的短语或从句之后（Afteraphraseoraclauseatthebeginningofasentence）Unabletoresist,Matildaagreedtobetrayhercountry.(形容词短语)(lon)Fromapersonalpointofview,Ifoundthisagoodsolutiontotheproblem.(介词短语)（lon）Tobeperfectlyfrank,youareabaddriver.（不定式短语）（oxf）Havingfailedtwice,hedidn’twanttotryagain.(动词-ing形式)（oxf）Weakenedbysuccessivestorms,thebridgewasnolongersafe.(动词-ed形式)（oxf）Thegameover,weallwenthome.(独立结构)（tofel）Sincewelivenearthesea,weoftengosailing.(副词从句)（lon）用于分开直接引语（Tosetoffdirectquotations）“Theradioistooloud,”shecomplained.(lon)Shereplied,“Myfirstthoughtwastoprotect.”(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：“Iwonder,”saidJohn,“whetherIcanborrowyourbicycle.”(lon)“Thatman,”Isaid,“neveropenedawindowinhislife.”(col)用于标写日期、地址、学位等日期：Tuesday,April3,2001地址：318FirstStreet,Sacramento,California(门牌号和街号之间无标点)学位：JohnBurke,Ph.D.,haswrittenthisbook.另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：DearPhilip,Sincerelyyours,用于分开非限定性形容词从句或插入语IhaveinvitedAnn,wholivesinthenextflat.(oxf)Thesebooks,whichyoucangetatanybookshop,willgiveyoualltheinformationyouneed.(oxf)Thetreesinthatarea,itissaid,aremostlyoverthirtyfeettall.(zha)We’llhavetobookourticketsinadvance,I’mafraid.(zha)用于避免费解或误读Whathisnameis,isofnointeresttome.(lon)Whatevershedoes,doesnotconcernme.(lon)Whatonepersonmaythinkof,anothermaynot.(lon)Duringthesummer,daysbecomelonger.(没有逗号，有可能误读为Summerdays。)(lon)Soonafter,themeetingwasadjourned.(没有逗号，有可能误读为afterthemeeting。)(lon)分号（Semicolon）用在省去连接词的并列分句之间（Betweentheclausesofacompoundsentencewhentheconjunctionisomitted）Thesummerwerewet;thewinterweredry.(tofel)Don’tlosethatkey;itopensthelargesuitcasewithmynewclothes.(tofel)Someofusagreewiththatstatement;somedisagree.(dic)Heatherdidn’tcalluntil10:15;wewereveryupset.(tofel)Taylorwas,asalways,aconsummateactor;withafewtellingstrokeshecharacterizedKingLearmagnificently.(lon)用于隔开由hence、moreover、however、also、therefore、consequently等转题词连接的分句（Toseparateclausesjointedbysuchtransitionalwordsashence,moreover,however,also,therefore,also,therefore,consequently,etc）Mymotherisbyherself;henceImustgohomenow.(dic)Bicyclingisgoodexercise;moreover,itdoesn’tpollutetheair.(dic)Thetwosidesmetagaintoday;however,theyreachednosettlement.(tofel)Itrained;thereforethegamewascalledoff.(dic)TheDelgadofamilyismoving;consequently,we’llhavenewneighbourswithinamonth.(tofel)转题词位于句末时，前面一般用逗号，后面用句号。例如：Hesaidthatitwasso;hewasmistaken,however.(dic)转题词也可放于句首，后面用逗号。例如：Nevertheless,shedecidedtoact.(dic)用于列举事物Pleasesendthestipulateditems:yourbirthcertificate,yourpassportandthecorrectfee.(lon)Sheaskedforthefollowingarticles:anaxe,ahammer,anawlandasaw.(tofel)Ourmainconsiderationsareasfollows:safety,speed,andglamour.(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：ThecolorsIchosewerered,green,blue,andwhite.(tofel)Thisdesigncomesinsilk,stain,andcotton.(tofel)用于注释之前I’vejusthadsomegoodnews:I’vebeenofferedajobinalawfirm.(lon)Youcan’tcountonhimtohelp:heissuchabusyman.(zha)Themanhadbeendrinkingheavily:this,notage,explainedhisunsteadywalk.用于引语之前Onestudentcommented:“Heseemstoknowhismaterialverywell.”(lon)InhisspeechtotheUnitedNations,MrTengsaid:“Icomeheretoday….”(tofel)不过在现代英语中，直接引语前多半用逗号。如：Hesaid,“Iamgoinghome.”(lon)问号（QuestionMark）用于疑问句或表示疑问的陈述句末尾。例如：Sheasked,“Howmanywereinyourclass?”(tofel)Whatcanbedonetohelpthesepeople?（lon）Howlonghaveyoubeenhere?Tenminutes?Twenty?Thirty?(tofel)Youareleavingalready?(lon)撇号（Apostrophe）用于构成名词所有格Jim’scoat--theboss’sdeskthewoman’sdress--amoment’srestsomebodyelse’sorder--everyone’sgoalonemonth’srent--season’sgreetings用于构成动词短语的紧缩形式IhaveI’ve--willnotwon’tShewouldshe’d--IamI’m用于构成字母、数字或缩写等的复数形式TherearethreeI’sinthatword.(lon)Howmany5’shaveyougot?(zha)anoversupplyofPh.D.’s(博士学位获得者的过剩)(zha)另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。主要用于表示中间包入的成分是一句引语。例如：Hesmiledandasked,“Areyouhergrandson?”(lon)“Youhavetokeeptrying,Mabel,”hesaid.(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：Sheenjoyedthearticle“CitiesAreforWalking.”(lon)Haveyouread“RedStarOverChina”?(zha)或加在一个词的两端，引起人对这个词的注意。如：What’sthedifferencebetween“differ”and“differentiate”?(zha)Hecouldn’tspell“mnemonic”,andthereforefailedtoreachthefinals.(lon)