英文之標點符號共有十五種，雖然中學生用的寫作種類不多，但是在聯考中亦不可因小失大，造成了標點符號的濫用、
誤用，而在翻譯和作文中，因印象不好，冤枉地被扣去可貴的分數。此外，了解各種標點的用法，在閱讀類型的測驗中
，也是重要的解題關鍵之一，讀者切勿輕忽。
句點（Period 或 Full Stop）之主要用法：(‧)
1、敘述句的結尾
English is my favorite subject.
2、祈使句的結尾
Pass me the salt.
3、英文字的縮寫
the R.O.C the U.S.A Mr. Ph.D.
問號（Question Mark）之主要用法：( ? )
1、疑問句的結尾
Are you a happy girl?
2、用於括弧內表不確定
The writer was born in 1911( ? ) and died in 1977.
驚嘆號（Exclamation Mark）之用法：( ！ )
1、感嘆句的結尾
What a pretty lady she is!
2、強烈的祈令(使)句的結尾
Get out! Be careful!
逗號（Comma）之主要用法：( , )
1、用來分開一系列片語或子句。
I like bananas, apples, oranges, and lemons.
He came into the house, took off the coat, and then sit down.
2、連接兩個對等子句，在and, or, but, so, nor, for等之前，但若句子很短，則常省去逗點。
It was very hot, and we felt like swimming.
He was sick but he was not absent.（對等子句短時，逗點常省略）
3、至於句首的副詞子句之後，但若子句很短常省去逗點
When I grow up, I want to be a teacher.
4、直接稱謂後
Henry, will you help me?
5、在直接引句動詞前
He said, ”I don’t like the movie.”
6、在句首位置的副詞性片語（不定詞、分詞片語等）之後
To enter college, we should study hard.
Talking a walk in park, I ran across him.
7、插入句中的片語，子句等之前後
He is, as it were, a walking dictionary.
8、同位語之字、片語，或非限定子句之前後----若同位語在句尾，則只在同位語前用逗號.
Mr. Young, a doctor, lives in Taipei. I like her eldest brother, who is an athlete.
9、附加問句前
He is a student, isn’t he?
10、時間、地點之分隔
I was born in Tainan, Taiwan, in 1968. He lives at 123 Park Street, Taipei, Taiwan.
11、感嘆詞在句首與其他部分之分隔
Oh, I wish I were young!
12、Yes, No等回應用語後
Yes, I will do it. Of course, it is difficult.
13、書信中，稱呼及結尾語之後
Dear Mr. Lin, Sincerely, Dear Mother, Your son,
14、句子太長時，可供斷句休息用。
分號（Semicolon）之主要用法：( ; )
1、連接兩個關係密切的獨立(對等)子句
To say is one thing; to do is quite another.
2、連接性副詞如 however, therefore, besides, moreover, consequently 等之前
He works very hard; therefore, he always gets high marks.
He is intelligent; in addition, he is diligent.
3、長句中避免文句不清，以分號分隔原逗號的位置
I want to buy bread and coffee for myself; newspaper and cigarettes for Father; and some orange juice for Mother.
4、表對等子句之強調或強烈的對照
The teacher continued lecturing; but the students rose to go.
冒號（Colon）之主要用法：(：)
1、引導一連串的名詞
Three reasons have led to his success: industry, intelligence, and insistence.
（三項理由致使他成功：勤勉，聰明和堅持。）
2、引導解釋性的子句或片語
I have only one wish: going to college.
The traffic accident was very terrible: two were killed; five were badly injured.
3、在 as follow（或 said）之後
He spoke as follows: “Let’s try again.
Don’t give up.”
4、較正式之書信稱謂後
Dear Professor Lee:
破折號（Dash）之主要用法：( -- )
1、與逗號、分號或冒號之用法類似，但語氣較強烈之表現
He admitted he had only one goal in life--fame.
2、引導總括前文之片語或句子
A house, a good wife, a car, two wise kids--these are what I want to have.
連字號（Hyphen）之主要用法：( - )
1、複合名詞、複合形容詞中
son-in-law(女婿) mother-to-be(孕婦) man-made(人造的) good-tempered(好脾氣的)
2、數目字與分數之表示
two-thirds(2/3) twenty-first(第21) one-fifth(1/5) ninety-nine(99)
3、與字首合用
self-reliance(自立) non-smoker(非吸煙者) pseudo-scientific(假科學的) post-war(戰後)
括弧（Parentheses）之主要用法：( )
1、引入解釋性的字句
The following chart (Figure 3) shows the rise and fall of the tides.
2、表可省略的字
The man (whom) I look up to is Mr. Lin.
方括弧（Brackets）之主要用法：( [ ] )
1、表示 [或] 的意思
He is content [contented] with his life.
2、作者自己加入說明
The book [The Old Man and The Sea] is one of the bestsellers.
省略符號（Apostrophe）之主要用法：( ’ )
1、字母、數字的縮寫
It’s ( It is ) I’m( I am ) won’t( will not ) ‘94(1994)
2、名詞之所有格
today’s newspaper Father’s coat
3、’s 表字母、數字、符號之複數型
There are two n’s in my name Nancy.
引號（Quotation Marks）： (“ ”) (‘ ’)
1、引介直接引句
He said, “Learning English is interesting.”
2、表需注意的部分
He regards himself as a “patriot”.
3、直接引句中，如有引句，則用單引號(‘ ’)表示
She said, “My parents always say, ‘Don’t trust a stranger.’ ”
刪節號（Ellipsis）之用法： (…)
1、在句中用三小點表省略的部分
In the beginning, the man … lost his way.
2、若刪除句尾部分常用四小點
I didn’t tell him the truth because he ….
字下線（Underline）之主要用法： ( )
1、表某強調的語詞
We are due to arrive at the airport at nine.
2、手寫時代替代打字的斜體字部分，如指書本、雜誌、電影、樂章等之名目
Time（時代周刊）
Gone with the Wind（飄）
大寫（Capitalization）之主要用法：
1、句子、詩行的開始均大寫
I live in the town In a street;
It is crowded with traffic And feet;
2、專有名詞之大寫
Taipei
Mr. Cheng
China
3、書信中的稱呼語、結尾語的首字母大寫
Dear Mr. Jordan.
Yours sincerely,
4、月份、星期之開頭大寫
January
Monday
5、機關、學校、公司、行號
Ministry of Foreign Affairs（外交部）
National Taiwan Normal University
National Chang-Hua Senior High School
6、假日、節慶
New Year’s Day（元旦）
Chinese New Year（春節）
Lantern Festival（元宵節）
Youth Day（青年節）
Tomb-Sweeping Day（清明掃墓節）
Dragon Boat Festival（端午節）
Mid-Autumn Festival [Moon Festival]（中秋節）
Teacher’s Day（教師節）
Double Tenth Day（雙十節）
Taiwan Retrocession Day（臺灣光復節）
Constitution Day（行憲紀念日）
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