提示单
DASH, SLASH, 椭圆, AND 括号

The dash, slash, ellipses, and brackets are marks that serve specific purposes as indicated below.

DASH

The dash (–) is used to set off additional material within a sentence, 通常是为了强调它, to set off appositives that contain commas, 或者用来指出遗漏的单词. 有时与连字符混淆, a dash comes between words as a form of division, whereas a hyphen generally joins words or parts of words to indicate a connection.

When typing, use two hyphens together without spaces to form a dash. Do not put a space before or after the dash. Some word-processing programs have a mark called an em-dash (longer than a hyphen), which can be used with no space before or after it. The word-processing program may form this automatically when two hyphens are typed together.

1. Use a dash to set off an interruption that is closely relevant to the sentence but not grammatically part of it, 比如一个列表, 插图, 重申, summary, 改变思想或语气, 或者戏剧性的点.

Only one person wears that perfume–my mother.
Three of the people in my class–Tom, Dick, and Harry–refused to join the demonstration.
His feelings for Gwendolyn–he is madly in love with her–will never change.

• Note: Although they can be used in similar situations, the dash and parentheses serve slightly different purposes. The dash is intended to emphasize supplemental information, whereas parentheses tend to understate it.

 

2. Use a dash to set off appositives that contain commas. (An appositive is a noun or noun 短语 that immediately follows and renames a noun or pronoun and is usually surrounded by commas.)

学习复杂的机制, detailed structural components–of the English language is very difficult because the rules are often so inconsistent.

 

3. Use a dash to indicate an abruptly unfinished thought or remark. Do not include a period or comma after the dash.

她是个很棒的女孩，但是
“请帮帮我，免得我——”她叫道.

的削减

The slash (/) is used to show a division between paired terms or between lines of poetry.

1. Use a slash to indicate that a choice can be made between paired or multiple terms. Do not use a space before or after the slash.

Catherine is taking the course pass/fail.

I am acting as the secretary/treasurer/social chairman since there are only two of us on the board.

2. Use a slash to indicate the division between lines of poetry quoted within a sentence. 在斜杠前后加一个空格.

华兹华斯的行, “曾经有一段时间，草地, 格罗夫, 和流, /地球, 每一个常见的景象, / To me did seem / Apparell'd in celestial light," begin one of his most beautiful poems.

椭圆

Ellipses are made up of three periods with spaces between them (. . .) and are used to indicate that material is missing within a sentence or passage.

1. Use ellipses when material has been omitted from a direct (word-for-word) quotation, 是否遗漏是一个词, 短语, 或者几个句子.

The absurdity of the situation makes me ponder Hamlet's query "whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer . . . 飞来横祸."

2. Use ellipses to indicate a pause, hesitation, or unfinished thought.

The veterinarian spoke softly, "The poor horse is . . . 是 . . ."

3. Use a 4-period (closed) ellipsis at the end of a partial quote that is nonetheless a complete grammatical sentence (thus including a period at the end of a 3-period ellipsis).

原句:

I have a weathered copy of that photograph in my own personal collection.

Partial quotation using a closed ellipsis:

I have a weathered copy of that photograph . . . .

注意:当在句子中使用时, place a space before the first period and after the last period of ellipses. If a mark of punctuation occurs right before the ellipses in the sentence, include the punctuation and follow it with one space before the first period of the ellipses. Do not use ellipses to begin a quotation.

括号

Brackets [] are used to insert comments or information into direct quotations, 识别文本中的错误, and to enclose parenthetical information within a parenthetical passage. 虽然类似于括号, brackets and parentheses are used for specifically different purposes.

1. Use brackets to insert comments or clarifying information within a direct quotation. The brackets indicate the parenthetical information is not included in the original text of the quotation itself.

"That disaster [February's earthquake] devastated communities for thousands of square miles."

 

2. Use brackets to highlight errors in the original text of quoted material by immediately following the error with the Latin word sic ("thus") enclosed in brackets. This addition acknowledges the original error and lets it stand as written.

"Words of great excitement should be followed by an explanation [sic] point."

3. Use brackets to enclose parenthetical information within material that is already enclosed in parentheses, 为了避免混淆.

Elizabeth served in the role of president (an "honorary" [unpaid] position) because she 是 sincerely concerned about changing the direction of the organization.