Elementary Rules of Usage
1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's
名词单数所有格要加“‘s“
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice
2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.
三个或三以上且后附连词的名词,除最后一项外,都要在彼此之间添加逗号
red, white, and blue gold, silver, or copper
He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents.
3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.
插入语要放在两个逗号之间
The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel
on foot.
4. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause.
引导独立从句时,要在连词前添加逗号
The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed.
The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape.
5. Do not join independent clauses with a comma.
独立句不能用逗号相连
Mary Shelley's works are entertaining; they are full of engaging ideas.
It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark.
Or:
Mary Shelley's works are entertaining. They are full of engaging ideas.
It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark.
OR
Mary Shelley's works are entertaining, for they are full of engaging ideas.
It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark.
如果第二个分句前面是副词—— 诸如 such as accordingly, besides, so, then, therefore, 或者 thus ——而非连词,仍需添配分号。
I had never been in the place before; besides, it was dark as a tomb.
但是通常在写作时,最好避免此类用法;过于频繁使用则很危险。一种很管用的修正方法是省略“ So ”而第一个分句以 “ As ”引导,如:
As I had never been in the place before, I had difficulty in finding myway about.
如果分句很短且形式相近,则允许于期间添加逗号。
Man proposes, God disposes.
The gates swung apart, the bridge fell, the portcullis was drawn up.
6. Do not break sentences in two.
别把整句拆成散句
I met them on a Cunard liner several years ago. Coming home fromLiverpool toNew York.
He was an interesting talker. A man who had traveled all over theworld, and lived in half a dozen countries.
上两例中,句号应变成逗号,紧随的分句要小写。
Rules 3, 4, 5, and 6 cover the most important principles that govern punctuation. They
should be so thoroughly mastered that their application becomes second nature.
7. Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation.
独立句后的冒号可以引出细节、同位语、详述或引语
错:
Your dedicated whittler requires: a knife, a piece of wood, and a back porch
Understanding is that penetrating quality of knowledge that grows from:
theory, practice, conviction, assertion, error, and humiliation.
对:
Your dedicated whittler requires three props: a knife, a piece of wood, and a back porch.
Understanding is that penetrating quality of knowledge that grows from theory, practice, conviction, assertion, error, and humiliation.
The squalor of the streets reminded her of a line from Oscar Wilde: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
Dear Mr. Montague:
departs at 10:48 P.M.
Practical Calligraphy: An Introduction to Italic Script
Nehemiah 11:7
8. Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary.
用破折号来实现突然中断或引出长的同位语和总结
His first thought on getting out of bed — if he had any thought at all — was to get back in again.
The increasing reluctance of the sun to rise, the extra nip in the breeze, the patter of shed leaves dropping — all the evidences of fall drifting into winter were clearer each day.
只有在无法用普通标点符号标注文章时才可使用破折号
Violence — the kind you see on television — is not honestly violent — there lies its harm.
对:
Violence, the kind you see on television, is
not honestly violent. There lies its harm.
9. The number of the subject determines the number of the verb.
主语的单复数决定动词的单复数
The bittersweet flavor of youth — its trials,
its joys, its adventures, its challenges — is
not soon forgotten.
一个通病是,定语从句的先行词为"one of..." 或相类似的短语时,从句的谓语动词的单复数问题,如:
错:
The bittersweet flavor of youth — its trials,
its joys, its adventures, its challenges — is
not soon forgotten.
对:
One of the ablest scientists who have
attacked this problem
each, either, everyone, everybody, neither, nobody, someone后的动词应为单数,如:
Everybody thinks he has a unique sense of humor.
Although both clocks strike cheerfully, neither keeps good time.
当表示"no one" 或 "not one"的 none 是,动词为单数,如:
None of us is perfect.
而none 表示多于一个人或时,其常用复数,如:
None are so fallible as those who are sure they're right.
有两个以上(包括两个)用and 连接的名词组成的复合主语的话,动词几乎总是复数,如:
The walrus and the carpenter were walking close at hand.
但是某些复合词—— 通常是陈词滥调 —— 是不可分的,时常被视为整体,因此动词应为单数,当 each 或 every修饰那些词时,亦依此律,如:
The long and the short of it is ...
Bread and butter was all she served.
Give and take is essential to a happy household.
Every window, picture, and mirror was smashed.
单数的主语,其谓语动词亦为单数,即使with, as well as, in addition to, except, together with 和 no less than 后附名词为复数,也要依此律,如:
His speech as well as his manner is objectionable.
系动词的单复数要与其主语保持一致,如:
What is wanted is a few more pairs of hands.
The trouble with truth is its many varieties.
有些词似乎是复数,可是通常被看成是单数,其谓语动词也要是单数,如:
Politics is an art, not a science.
The Republican Headquarters is on this side of the tracks. But The general's quarters are across the river.
10. Use the proper case of pronoun
代词使用要恰当
人称代词和疑问代词who 充当主语或宾语时要注意形式,如:
人称代词和疑问代词who 充当主语或宾语时要注意形式,如:
Virgil Soames is the candidate who we
think will win. [We think he will win.]
Virgil Soames is the candidate whom we
hope to elect. [We hope to elect him.]
比较时,动词的人称主语通常为主格,如:
Sandy writes better than I. (Than I write.)
总的来讲,不要这样写(右边为正确句):
I think Horace admires Jessica more than I. I think Horace admires Jessica more than I do.
Polly loves cake more than me. Polly loves cake more than she loves me.
下面是代词作主语的例子:
Blake and myself stayed home. Blake and I stayed home.
Howard and yourself brought the lunch, I thought.
Howard and you brought the lunch, I thought.
11. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject
位于句首的分词短语要与主句主语保持一致
Walking slowly down the road, he saw a woman accompanied by two children.
分词短语前有连词、同位语、形容词、副词短语或介词的话,位于句首的分词短语要遵依此律,如:
On arriving in Chicago, his friends met him
at the station.
On arriving in Chicago, he was met at the
station by his friends.
A soldier of proved valor, they entrusted
him with the defense of the city.
A soldier of proved valor, he was entrusted
with the defense of the city.
Young and inexperienced, the task seemed
easy to me.
Young and inexperienced, I thought the task
easy.
Without a friend to counsel him, the
temptation proved irresistible.
Without a friend to counsel him, he found
the temptation irresistible.
Elementary Principles of Composition
12. Choose a suitable design and hold to it.
做好谋篇布局
作文的第一铁律就是要预计并确定文章的谋篇布局,并把它坚持下来。
13. Make the paragraph the unit of composition.
文章由段落组成
一般来讲,记得要段落组织既要赏心悦目又要逻辑严谨。长段落让读者生畏,他们也不愿意读那些段落。所以,把长段落分割的很养眼—— 尽管从理解、表意和逻辑发展的角度考量的话,这样做是多此一举。但也要注意,文章节奏快的话,短段落太多会让读者分心。适度,得当的结构安排是组织段落的重中之重。
14. Use the active voice.
使用主动语态
主动语态通常比被动语态更直接、有力:
I shall always remember my first visit to Boston.
时常使用主动语态的确可以造就有力的文章
There were a great number of dead leaves
lying on the ground.
Dead leaves covered the ground.
At dawn the crowing of a rooster could be
heard.
The cock's crow came with dawn.
The reason he left college was that his
health became impaired.
Failing health compelled him to leave
college.
It was not long before she was very sorry
that she had said what she had.
She soon repented her words.
句子越短愈有力。因此,简洁是活力的副产品
15. Put statements in positive form.
He was not very often on time. He usually came late.
She did not think that studying Latin was a
sensible way to use one's time.
She thought the study of Latin a waste of
time.
express a negative in positive form.
not honest dishonest
not important trifling
did not remember forgot
did not pay any attention to ignored
did not have much confidence in distrusted
Save the auxiliaries would, should, could, may, might, and can for situations involving real uncertainty.
16. Use definite, specific, concrete language.
Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.
17. Omit needless words.
不要废话
有力的作品都简要。一个句子不应有废词,一个段落不应有废句,同理,一幅画里不应有多余的线条,一部机器不应有多余的零件。这不是说作者要通篇短句、全部概述、忽略细节,而是说每个单词都要有益于文章。
18. Avoid a succession of loose sentences.
不要连用松散句
19. Express coordinate ideas in similar form.
用类似的模式表述并列的观点
平行结构法则的意思是内容与功能上相似的语句要在外型上相似
20. Keep related words together.
关系紧密的单词要放在一起
21. In summaries, keep to one tense.
总结时,时态要保持一致
总结戏剧时要用现在时。总结诗歌、故事、小说时也要用现在时
22. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.
把想想强调的词放在句尾
A Few Matters of Form
格式问题
俗语 用俗语或俚语的话,不要为了着重指出而把俗语用引号括起。这样做只能给人装腔作势的感觉
感叹号 不能为了强调一个简单句就使用感叹号
连字符 能够组成一个单词的就最好不要用连字符:waterfowl
bed chamber bed-chamber bedchamber
wild life wild-life wildlife
bell boy bell-boy bellboy
数字 日期或序数词不要写英文单词,而是用基数词或者罗马数字比较好:
August 9, 1988
Part XII
Rule 3
352d Infantry
括号 句子中包含括号的话,标点要点在后括号的后面,全当括号不存在。除了问号和感叹号外,括号中的句号要删除,如:
I went to her house yesterday (my third attempt to see her), but she had left town.
He declares (and why should we doubt his good faith?) that he is now certain of success.
引言正式引言—— 如文献 —— 要用冒号、引号:
充当动词同位语或直接宾语的引言要在引号前加上逗号
I am reminded of the advice of my neighbor, "Never worry about your heart till it stops beating."
Mark Twain says, "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read."