英语标点符号的用法

2.在句子中如果已经使用过逗点，为了避免歧义的产生，就用分号来分隔相似的内容。如 The employees were Tom Hanks, the manager; Jim White, the engineer; and Dr. Jack Lee. 需要注意的是：一个完整的句子以大写字母开始，以句点结束。写英文时用逗点代替句点、分号、冒号或破折号叫“逗号错”，这正是中国学生所要避免的。请比较下列例句： 误：It was raining hard, they could not work in the fields.

（注意：上面句子中划横线的部分是两个不同的主语，而且逗点前后的句子是完整的-----单独拿出来都能代表一个完整的意思。因此，用逗号违反了英文规定，即一个句子只能有一套主干。）

正：It was raining hard; they could not work in the fields.

It was raining hard. They could not work in the fields.

It was raining so hard that they could not work in the fields.

They could not work in the fields because it was raining hard.

It was raining hard, so they could not work in the fields.

As it was raining hard, they could not work in the fields.

误：The essay is poorly organized, there is no central idea.

正：The essay is poorly organized; there is no central idea.

The essay is poorly organized: there is no central idea.

连字符：

1.连字号主要用于某些前缀(如: self-,ex-和all-) 后和构成复合词。如:

ex-husband(前夫),brand-new（全新的）,poorly-dressed（衣着破烂的）

I have forty-thousand or fifty-thousand dollars.

I want to obtain the whole-year or half-year lease of the apartment.

当两个或两个以上复合词并用, 而各复合词连字号后的部分相同时, 各复合词的相同部分只出现一次,应改为the whole-or half-year lease.

2.用于区分同一词源