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逗号在英语写作中的用法
作者：饶立平
[关键词]逗号 写作 作用 用法
众所周知，写作能帮助我们表达自己的思想感情。我们的大部分写作都是为了与他人一起分享，因此我们的作文一定要有条理。清楚的条理需要标点符号的正确使用，这篇文章就逗号的一些基本用法，在使用时容易混淆的地方做了简单的讨论。在英语写作中，使用逗号是为了使句子结构清晰。下面是逗号在英语写作中的一些基本用法。
我们在进行英语作文时, 为了避免混淆，三个或三个以上并列的成分应该用逗号隔开。在这类句子中通常会使用相应的连词，这类连词有：for, and, nor, but, or, yet…
例如: Her favorite novelists were Melville, Lawrence, and Faulkner.
He is very famous in his hometown, in his country, and in this world.
当几个形容词放在一起共同修饰某个名词做定语或几个副词放在一起共同修饰动词做状语时，各个形容词或副词之间可用逗号隔开。注意：最后的修饰词与被修饰部分不用任何标点符号。如果多个修饰词放在一起作为一个整体修饰某个中心词时,限定词之间也不用逗号。
例如：It was a dark, drizzly, depressing day.
Rick slowly, methodically rechecked his decumentation.
Three very small cars park in the spaces allotted to three full sized cars.
在复合句中,如果从句位于句首,主句与从句之间应该用逗号隔开。这样可以避免混淆多个从句之间的关系。在宾语从句中,从句部分位于句首时,主从复合句之间同样用逗号隔开。注意：如果主从句之间不会引起混淆时，逗号可以省略。
例如：Because of no money ,he sold his tractor and his ploughs, and his land remained uncultivated in the spring. (如果没有逗号, land 可能会被误认为与tractor and ploughs一起做宾语 )
T.S.Eliot’speotry is highly regarded but his drama is not .
That we would win, none of us undoubted.
动词不定式、分词短语或引导性副词位于句首时，使用逗号将其隔开。介词短语位于句首时,同样用逗号把该成分与主句隔开,此时介词短语相当于副词的功能。
例如: To achieve the success, he makes a lot of efforts.
Finally, attending conferences and workshop’s is an important way to meet other professionals.
With your help, we pass the exam.
在非限制性从句或短语中,我们应该用逗号将其与主句分开。注意: 在限制性从句中,主从复合句之间不使用任何标点符号。同位语之间也应用逗号隔开,同位语部分可以是一个单独的词、短语或句子。我们用逗号隔开相反意思的两个结构。
例如: The audio designer, who creates sound effects for a play, is an important member of a theater staff.
The audio designer who worked on this company should be fired句中不使用China , our motherland, is open to the world and is developing rapidly.
There are two choices, not three.
在 “yes” “no”等插入成分或在 “well” 等语气词后,我们应使用逗号。在直接引语中,用逗号将直接引语和引出直接引语的部分隔开,此类结构有: “he said”, “she replied”, 等。直接引语可以位于句首、句中或句尾。注意: 间接引语与主句之间不用逗号隔开。
例如: Yes, I am very busy now.
Well, perhaps one with a pool will do.
Alexander announced, “I don’t think I want a second helping of people.”
Manes said that he would someday return to the Philippines.
当However, moreover, thus, consequently, nevertheless and therefore 等连接副词置于句中做插入语时,应该用逗号将其与句子隔开。当连接副词位于句首时,逗号可用可不用。注意: “however ”不能作为并列连词连接两个独立的句子。同样, 插入或并列的成分出现在句中,我们应用逗号将其与主句隔开。这些成分通常可以由单个的词、短语或从句引出。类似的词、短语或从句有: certainly, fortunately, for example, in fact, you know, I believe 等。
例如: She felt, consequently, that he was not trust worthy.
Thus, she wanted never to do the job again.
He failed many times. However , he went on because he must pass the exam .
Jack cannot ,for example, resist shuffling the toast or dealing the pancakes.
在表达四个或四个以上的数字中,我们从右到左，每三个数之间用逗号隔开。在表达日期时,如果我们用日月年的顺序表达,月与年之间应该用逗号隔开。如果日期按日月年的顺序出现在句中时,在年份后我们也可使用逗号。但是如果只出现月和年时,月和年之间不用任何标点符号。在表达某个地名时,每个成分后都应用标点符号隔开。表达头衔或学术名称时,用逗号分开每个不受限制的名称。
例如:01,399 2,776,100
George Washington was born on February 22,1732.
Hitler annexed Austria in 6 March 1938.
He moved to 719 Maple Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, shortly after the thanks-giving holidays.
At Honors Convocation, Rebecca Kingly, Professor Emirate, presented the scholarship that bears the name.
逗号在英语写作中的用法大致如以上所述,在写作中这些用法的应用也十分重要。如果我们想要提高写作水平,仅仅掌握这些是远远不够的,还需要我们不断努力学习,在学习中多积累与总结。美国著名的批判家与写作家H.L.Mencken曾指出: 每一个困难复杂的问题都有一个简单容易的解决办法。要解决每个复杂的问题首先要打好基础,学好逗号的基本用法,就为你的写作打下了一个坚实的基础。当了解并掌握这些用法之后,在今后的写作中我们在使用逗号时就会变得得心应手。
参考文献:
[1]丁旺道．写作手册[M]．北京外语教研出版社,2001.
[2]唐国新．大学英语写作与教学[M]．河北人民出版社,1995.
[3]王崇义．大学英语写作[M]．湖南师范大学出版社,1998.