英文写作——The Elements of Style知识点解读2—逗号的用法

逗号的用法无疑是英语写作中最重要的知识点之一了,真的非常非常容易出错,今天说下这个。

The Elements of Style(哦,对了,上一个总结里忘说了,我这里参考用的是第4版)

Elementary Rules of Usage 惯用法的基本规则

第2-6条:(2-6条都是和逗号使用相关的)

Rule 2: In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, using a comma after each term except the last.

(1)表示一个“序列”, 逗号用来分隔平行词汇(平行的形容词,名词等),一个连词连接的3个或3个以上的一组词,除最后一个以外,其余每个用逗号连接。

red, blue, and white (这是一个最最常见的用法,and前要记得加逗号)

gold, silver, and copper

注:这个用法下有一个例外,就是商号或公司名称里最后一个连词(一般是and)前的逗号一般可以省略;

Little, Brown and Company Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (这里Lufkin和Jenrette之间按道理应该是“, and”,但这里替换成了一个&符号)

(2) 复合谓语,包括与同一主语连用的动词, 当有三个或更多动词短语时,用逗号分隔词,但是只有两个时不需要(见Rule4中的(2));

He opened the refrigerator, took out the beer, and drank it. 他打开冰箱,拿出啤酒,喝了起来。(注意这个and前的逗号是经常会被忽略的,别丢掉)

I opened the window and breathed the fresh air.


Rule 3: Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. 插入语位于两个逗号之间。

(1)插入语位于两个逗号之间,如果插入语仅轻微中断行文,可以省略,但绝不能只有一个逗号;

The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot. (这里“unless……”做插入语,插入语的一个特点就是,你把它拿掉,两个逗号前后分句连起来还是一个完整的句子,比如这里这个句子就可以变成:The best way to see a country is to travel on foot. 插入语的作用只是增加一些补充信息。)

Mary Angela, Joey's sister falls in love with Chandler. (错误示例,这里Joey's sister是一个插入语,所以sister后面是应该有逗号的)

Donald Trump you will be pleased to hear, is no longer the president of the US. (错误示例,这里 "you will be pleased to hear"是一个插入语, 所以you前面应该有逗号)

(2)日期通常包含插入的单词或数字,按如下方式进行标点;

February to July, 2021 (这个例子是书上的,但是我认为不太对,July后面按道理不应该有逗号)

April 6, 1986 (美式英语常见日期写法,逗号在两个数字之间)

Friday, January 15, 2021 (逗号在两个单词和两个数字之间)

The exam was held on 10 January 2021. 英式英语中常见这种日期写法,单词恰好将两个数字分隔开,所以不需要逗号)

补充:Grammarly提供的日期写法:写日期时,在美式英语和加拿大英语中,逗号放在两个单词或两个数字之间,但不能放在单词和数字之间。

在英国和澳大利亚英语中,日期的书写方式通常不需要逗号。

The TV play starts on Tuesday, June 10. (美式)

 On July 20, 1969, a man first stepped on the moon. (美式)

My favorite vacation was in August 2007.  (只有一个单词和一个数字,不用逗号)

The conference was held on 14 January 2021. (英式)

(3)直呼的名字或头衔也是插入的;

 If, Madam, you like, I can make a new dress for you. (头衔Madam是插入的)

Well, Harry, you will fail the test if you keep playing the computer game. (名字Harry是插入的)

(4)一些缩略词如e.g., etc., i.e., 是插入的;缩写的学位是插入的;名字后面跟随的称谓或身份头衔也是插入的;

Temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, etc., is important for the chemical production of ozone.

Jourosy Jiang, Ph.D, presided. (姜博士主持会议,哈哈哈)

Harry Potter, wizard (哈利.波特, 魔法师)

Albert Einstein, scientist (阿尔伯特.爱因斯坦,科学家)

注意:

1) 当名词和表示其身份的词构成同位语时就不能加逗号了,一般情况下差别在于表身份的词是否加了the;

Harry Potter the wizard (这个例子和上面的区别就在于wizard前面加了the, 这时the wizard就变成了Harry Potter的同位语了,逗号不能要)

Albert Einstein the scientist

2) Junior 年幼的,简写为Jr., Senior 年长的, 简写为Sr., 一般都起限定作用,所以不加逗号;

Bjerknes Jr. 小皮亚克尼斯; Bjerknes Sr. 老皮亚克尼斯

(5) 非限制性定语从句具有插入性质,由表示关系、时间或地点的连词(which, when, where)引导的非限制性定语从句,需要用逗号隔开;

非限制性定语从句时一种不用来识别或限定先行名词的从句,它不起限定作用,仅增加一些信息,所以它一般能拆成两个句子。

The audience, which had at first been indifferent, became more and more interested. (which引导的非限制性定语从句,是插入的,它的作用不是来限定是哪些观众,而是增加一些关于观众的信息,需要用逗号隔开,这个句子可以拆成下面两个:The audience was at first indifferent. Later it became more and more interested.)

In 1769, when Napoleon was born, Corsica had but recently been acquired by France. (when 引导的非限制性定语从句,是插入的,它的作用不是限定哪个时间,而是增加关于这个时间的一些信息,需要用逗号隔开,这个句子可以拆成下面两个: Napoleon was born in 1769. At that time Corsica had but recently been acquired by France.)

Edinburgh, where J.K. Rowling wrote the story of Harry Potter, is a beautiful city. (where 引导的非限制性定语从句,是插入的,它的作用不是限定哪个地点,而是增加关于这个地点的一些信息,需要用逗号隔开,这个句子可以拆成下面两个: J.K. Rowling wrote the story of Harry Potter in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a beautiful city.)

(6) 限制性定语从句不是插入的,不能用逗号分隔;

People who live in rural areas usually have low incomes. (who在这里起限定作用,用来指定某些人,不能用逗号隔开)

Cities where ozone concentrations exceed 82 ppbv. (where在这里其限定作用,指定是哪些城市,不能用逗号隔开)

(7)分词短语和同位语遵循和定语从句相同原则,按照限定和非限定来判断是否使用逗号;

分词短语:

People living in the countryside have less pressure. (分词短语living…起限定作用,不能用逗号隔开)

Rose and Jack, smiling, are dancing on the deck. (分词短语smiling…不起限定作用,是插入的,仅补充信息,用逗号隔开)

同位语:

My cousin Mary, is a talented dancer. (这里的Mary是同位语限定,因为cousin可能有很多个, 同位语Mary限定了是哪一个)

My eldest brother, Jack, sings. (这里的Jack是非限定插入语,因为最年长的兄弟只有一个,Jack补充了他的名字信息)

(8) 当一个短语或分句位于主句前,用逗号隔开;

Partly by hard fighting, partly by diplomatic skills, they enlarged their dominions to the east and rose to royal rank with the possession of Sicily. (书本中的例子)

Influenced by the positive phase of ENSO, the Walker circulation is weakening.  

After finishing all her homework, she can finally have a good sleep.

这里有个共同特点,就是句子主语刚好都在逗号的后面。如果把逗号省略的话,主语就在一个没有停顿的句子中间了,这是不可以的。


Rule 4: Placing a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause. 复合句中引导独立分句的连词前需要逗号。
(1)连词如and, but, for, or, nor, while等连接两个独立分句,前后各有主语,连词前面要加逗号;

The anthropogenic emissions of the city have decreased, and the air quality is becoming better.

The anthropogenic emissions of the city have decreased, but air pollution is still severe. 

(2)连词前后主语相同,连词前一般不用逗号,连词时but时为了强调转折语气,可以加逗号;

She practiced very hard and is very competitive. 

I have just eaten a big meal, but am still hungry. (grammarly会建议删掉逗号,所以我的理解是,当连词是but时从语法角度不用逗号,从语气角度可以加逗号)

Susan loves reading, but hates writing. (也是会建议删掉逗号的)


Rule 5: Do not join independent clauses with a comma. 两个独立分句间不要用逗号。

(1)但没有连词时,两个独立分句间不用逗号(使用分号或句号,这个和Rule4中的(1)是对应的);

两个或两个以上语法完整的分句构成一个并列复合句,但没有连词时,使用分号合适

His studies are innovative; they are full of interesting ideas.(用分号连接,表示前面两个分句联系紧密)

His studies are innovative. They are full of interesting ideas. (用句号也对,但语气中断)

It's already 10:00 pm; we cannot finish the work today. (用分号连接,前面两个分句为因果关系,是最为常见的分号使用情形)。

(2)例外情况,每个分句都很短且形式类似,或语气轻松宛若交谈,可以使用逗号;

Man proposes, God disposes. 谋事在人, 成事在天。(形式类似的短分句)

Here today, gone tomorrow. 来也匆匆,去也匆匆。 (形式类似的短分句)

I hardly knew him, he was so changed. 他变了太多,我几乎认不出来了。(宛若交谈,虽然逗号可以,最好还是用分号吧)


Rule 6: Do not break sentences in two. 不要把句子拆成两半。

(1)该用逗号别用句号;

I met Jack two days ago. Attending a meeting in Beijing. (错误示例,动名词attending…引导的分句作伴随状语,伴随状语的逻辑主语一般情况下是全句的主语,伴随状语与谓语动词所表示的动作或状态是同时发生的。所以这里attending和met的主语都是I,是一个句子,如果这里用句号,attending就没有主语了。正确的应该是:I met Jack two days ago, attending a meeting in Beijing.我两天前在北京参加一个会议时遇到了杰克。)

She was a talented scientist. A woman who published a lot of high-quality papers. (错误示例,非限制性定语从句,正确的应该是:She was a talented scientist, a woman who published a lot of high-quality papers.)

注:这里有一些例外情况可以用句号,比如要表示强调;

The girl yelled for help again and again. No reply.


 

上面这些基本是按The Element of Style 的内容顺序总结的,只不过很多例子是我自己编的啦,得有点自己的东西嘛,哈哈。

AGU文章的逗号用法指导也可以看看:https://www.agu.org/Publish-with-AGU/Publish/Author-Resources/Grammar-Style-Guide#commas

补充:这个链接里提到了The Element of Style中没有说到的一个科学论文中比较重要的点,就是与参数相关的逗号使用

(1)紧跟着变量名称的参数不需要用逗号隔开;

This instrument can observe many meteorological variables such as sea level pressure SLP, temperature T, and relative humidity RH.

This instrument can observe many meteorological variables such as sea level pressure (SLP), temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH). (也可以用括号)

(2)如果一个短语将变量和参数分开,则保留分隔符号(逗号或者括号,注意在一篇文章中前后一致);

This model can provide many diagnostic parameters such as wind speed (v), production rate (r), and the vertical velocity induced by dry deposition (w). (最后这个 the vertical velocity induced by dry deposition,w其实指代的是vertical velocity, 但因为加了“induced by dry deposition”作定语,这里就要用括号括起来以防混淆). 

一般情况下,下面三种写法都可以:

  • temperature T

  • temperature, T,

  • temperature (T)

 

 

逗号的用法就说这么多啦,感觉已经好长了呀,写了这么多,都要被自己感动哭了,哈哈哈。

 

 

 

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