2021年英文论文写作中标点符号应注意的事项

1、英文论文写作中标点符号应注意的事项 Punctuation Bad punctuation can often _ke even the best writing unin _igible. On the other hand, good punctuation can _ke your meaning clear and your language effective. English punctuation generally differs from that of other European languages; even though there is often consider

2、able room for personal preferen _s, a _stery of the basic rules is indispensable. There is one overriding principle: to use the bare minimum of punctuation ne _ssary to keep the writing in _igible. The following list of rules _kes no claim to exhaustiveness. I. The Apostrophe () 1. mens, womens, chi

3、ldrens, peoples It is correct to write this areas problems, meaning the problems of this area, and these areas problems, meaning the problems of these areas: in fact, putting apostrophes anywhere else would be wrong. But the plurals of _n, wo _n, and child are ex _ptions to this general rule: thus w

4、e write the mens wives, the womens hu _ands, the childrens mothers, and nothing else. Another important ex _ption is the word people when it denotes the plural of person: thus we would write these peoples behavior, meaning the behavior of these persons, but these peoples behavior, meaning the behavi

5、or of these peoples (i.e. ethnic groups). Other irregular plurals are treated in the same way as men, women, children, and people: above all the plurals of ox, sheep, goose and mi _ (e.g. the oxens pasture, the sheeps wool, the geeses flight, the mi _s tails). 2. A mistake that is frequent among for

6、eign learners of English is to write a phrase such as these areas problems, when what the person actually means is these problems of the area. 3. It is best to use the apostrophe when you want to show the plural of something which cannot nor _lly be plural: The past tense of our is spelt with two rs

7、. I aept the idea in principle, but there are a lot of ifs. 4. Strings of apostrophes are to be avoided. Thus one should write the friends of that _ns son, instead of that _ns sons friends. 5. We say in ten days time, in twenty years time (i.e. we use the apostrophe). 6. We say each others, not each

8、 others (e.g. to get on each others nerves). II. The Colon (:) 1. Quotations The colon is often used to introdu _ quotations: To quote Nietzsche: God is dead! As the bard (One of an ancient Celtic order of minstrel poets who posed and recited verses _lebrating the legendary exploits of chieftains an

9、d heroes.吟游诗人古代凯尔特族的吟游诗人，自编自唱，吟唱酋长和英雄的传奇业绩) so abruptly puts it:“All the worlds a stage” The colon can also be used to introdu _ direct speech, especially in rather for _l or serious contexts: Finally Mark Antony began his address: Friends, Ro _ns, countrymen (patriots), lend me your ears. N.B. (N.B

10、.=拉nota bene (=note well)注意, 留心) i. The colon is not used to introdu _ conversation. ii. Direct for _l quotations begin with a capital letter. iii. The colon is not used to introdu _ quotes consisting of very brief phrases: Do you know that Mrs Thatcher actually said shut up to Lord Carrington? 2. E

11、xplanations The colon is often used after a _in clause where the following statement explains, elaborates, or illustrates that clause, especially in for _l contexts. It _y sometimes be repla _d by a full stop or a semicolon. There is no point in worrying: disasters are sure to happen anyway. (Full s

12、top and semicolon also possible.) The Church is totally opposed to two aspects of the permissive society: that is, abortion on de _nd and artificial methods of birth control. Apartheid (种族隔离) was not overthrown: rather, it _d a natural death. (Full stop and semicolon also possible.) The question is

13、this: Is killing ever justified? He _rtainly has a drinking-problem: I on _ saw him drink a whole bottle of whisky. (Full stop and semicolon also possible.) There is one good thing about skinheads (剃光头的人) and punks: they absolutely hate each other. 3. Lists Colons can also be used to introdu _ lists

14、 or enumerations, often using the following phrases: as follows, for example, for instan _, such as, and the following. In the world described in Orwells Ani _l Farm two basic principles bee all-important: (i) all ani _ls are equal; (ii) some ani _ls are more equal than others. Our solar system cons

15、ists of the following plas (行星): Mercury(水星), Venus(金星), Earth, Mars(火星), Jupiter(木星), Saturn(土星), Uranus(天王星), Neptune(海王星), and Pluto(冥王星). N.B. Try to avoid senten _s like the following, where the subject and the verb are separated from the plement: The ingre _nts of gunpowder are: saltpeter(硝石),

16、 sulphur(硫磺), and charcoal. Better would be to remove the colon, or else to rephrase the senten _: The ingre _nts of gunpowder are as follows: saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal. or: Gunpowder has three ingre _nts: saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal. III. The Com _ (,) 1. Defining and Non-defining Compa

17、re the two following senten _s (a and b): a. Pop-stars who earn fortunes should pay higher taxes. (Defining relative clause-i.e. only those pop-stars who earn fortunes should pay higher taxes.) b. Pop-stars, who earn fortunes, should pay higher taxes. (Non-defining relative clause - i.e. all pop-sta

18、rs earn fortunes and therefore should pay higher taxes.) The first senten _ refers only to some pop-stars, while the second senten _ refers to all pop-stars. Note that in the second senten _ there are two _s (not one), to _rk the beginning and the end of the clause. The same principle operates with

19、the words when and where. Compare the following: a. The day when JFK was assassinated I was crossing the Atlantic. b. On November 22, when JFK was assassinated, I was crossing the Atlantic. c. The town where I was stationed was pretty arid. d. Quetta, where I was stationed, was a pretty arid pla _.

20、Note that a _ is possible in a (after assassinated), but not in c. The same principle also extends to appositional phrases. Compare the following: a. Nietzsches work The Gay Scien _ was written in 1888. b. Nietzsches last work, The Gay Scien _(艳体诗), was written in 1888. c. The famous thinker Michel Foucault has just _d. d. A famous thinker, Michel Foucault, has just _d. e.The Prime Minister, Margaret Tha