分号 Semicolon
分号最常用于两分句之间,其分隔度较逗号为,大但较句号为小,通常用作表示句子中两分句意思相连。
(1)以分号化替句号来分隔两相关独立分句(Independent Clauses).
Independent clause; independent clause.
例子:
The student parking lot is half empty at 3:30p.m.; this must be a commuter campus.
Spring is here; the birds are warbling with joy.
注意:
如果使用 coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet or so),则用逗号 comma,而不是分号,详情请看逗号部分的讲解。
(2)当其中一独立分句(Independent Clause)中包含逗号时,以分号来分隔两分句.
Independent clause; coordinating conjunction independent clause,containing commas.
Independent clause, one thatcontains commas; coordinating conjunction independent clause, one that contains commas.
例子:
For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice.
(3) 当要使用连接副词(Conjunctive Adverbs, e.g. therefore, however)或其它连接语(Transitional Expressions, e.g. in addition, on the other hand)来联结分句时,以分号作分隔.
Independent clause; conjunctive adverb or other transition expression independent clause.
例子:
His mother claimed to be interested in swimming; however,she didn’t know the difference between orthodox breaststroke(蛙式)and butterfly stroke(蝴蝶式).
If you give children too much freedom, they willnever learn to control themselves; on the other hand, if you give them too little,they will never become self-reliant.
(4) 利用分号来分开较长或含有逗号的串联字、短语或分句.
Independent clause that includes a series of items, each or all of which contain commas, another item in the series, another item in the series.
例子:
We need the following representatives: a person who speaks Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean; a lawyer with a background in civil rights; and a professor of art, literature, or some other area within the humanities.
(5) 避免错用分号
I)主从复合句之间,不使用分号
例子:
错误句子:Although the new computers had arrived at the college; the computer lab was still being built.
正确句子:Although the new computers had arrived at the college, the computer lab was still being built.
II)介绍资料或名单时,不使用分号,而是用冒号(:)
例子:
错误句子:The students’ demands included the following; an expanded menu in the cafeteria, better janitorial services, and more up-to-date textbooks.
正确句子:The students’ demands included the following: an expanded menu in the cafeteria, better janitorial services, and more up-to-date textbooks.
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