高级医学英语阅读与写作Chapter 8 Mechanics of Writing
2012-07-20 22:01:48   来源：37度医学网   作者：  评论：0 点击：

3.    The Colon (:)
       A colon is internally used in sentences to introduce or explain things.
 
Introducing things
 
A colon is used to introduce a series of things as formal appositives, which are usually statements, quotations or series of items. It has the implication of ‘namely’ or ‘that is’. Sometimes a colon can go together before ‘namely’, and ‘that is’ but not after them. e.g.
 
There was three at the table: the Hatter, the March Hare, and a dormouse.
There are two articles in English: the definite article and the indefinite article.
A noun can be used as: 1) subject, 2) object, 3) predicative, 4) an attribute.
A reporter said: “I have never seen so many people on similar occasions. This is not surprising, …” (A long or formal quotation is usually introduced by colon; short quotations are usually introduced by commas.)
The warden began with a sharp reminder: “Gentlemen, you are now almost free; but some of you will not remain free long.”
He told me the good news: taxes are to be reduced. (= He told me the good news: namely, taxes are to be reduced.)
The author made a difficult decision: that is, that he would abandon the manuscript.
 
 
Explaining things
 
A colon is used to explain preceding elements in a sentence. It has the implication of ‘because’. e.g.
 
You can't count on him to help: he is such a busy man.
(= You can't count on him to help becausehe is such a busy man.)
 
Other uses
A colon is again used between figures to indicate hours and minutes, after the salutation of a formal letter and between city and publisher in bibliographical entries. e.g.
 
10:30 A.M.
Dear Dr. DeCarrico: (or (,))
Faster Reading in English, Wuhan: (or (,)) Hubei Education Press, 1985
 
No occurrence of colons
 
A colon is not used closely after a linking verb or a preposition. e.g.
 
Not:
The English articles are: the definite article and the indefinite article.
But:
The English articles are the definite article and the indefinite article.
 
       Not:
You can find her in: the classroom, the bedroom or the library.
       But:
You can find her in the classroom, in the bedroom or in the library.
 
4.    The Quotation Marks (“ ”) (‘ ’)
 
The use of double quotation marks (" ")
        The quotation marks are used to quote the exact words of a speaker or a writer and to set off some titles.     
 

sentence quoted — direct speech	“That is not playing the game,” we told him when he wanted to desert his wife. He said: “Mother, the boy is very naughty.” He asked: “Are you sure your mother will come?”
words quoted	James Earl Jones, outstanding film and stage actor, appeared as the star of CBS'S “Paris”. Alice opened the box. There was a very small cake in. “EAT ME”, she read.
part set off	In the word “know”, the “k” is not pronounced; the word is pronounced without the “k”. The most common past tense of “wake” is “woke”.
titles set off	Young people like to watch the Japanese film “The Pursuer”. How do you like the article “Prospective Renewal of EFL Teaching in China by Chang Hua?”

                                                                                                         
 
Single quotation marks (‘ ’)
Single quotation marks (‘ ’) are used to enclose an internal quotation —a quotation within a quotation. e.g.
 
The review explained: “Elinor Wylie is ironic when she   advises, ‘go burrow underground.’”
“Roy, the men are shouting ‘extra,’” she said.
 
No occurrence of quotation marks
       Quotation marks are not used to emphasize or change the usual meanings of words or to justify slang, irony, or attempts at humor.
 
       Not:
The beggar considered himself a “rich” man.
Some of the old politician's opponents were hoping that he would “kick the bucket” before the next election.
 
Quotation marks with other marks
 
Rules in placing other marks of punctuation together with quotation marks are as follows:
A.   When the quotation marks are at the end of a sentence, punctuation                marks belonging to quotations are placed inside the closing quotation              marks; and punctuation marks belonging to the entire sentence are                placed outside the closing quotation marks.
 
              Inside the quotation marks:
       She said: “My sister will be back tomorrowevening.”
(The quotation is a statement.)
       He asked: “How are you getting along?”
                                       (The quotation is a question.)
       He exclaimed: “ What a lovely garden!”
                                                 (The quotation is an exclamation.)
She screamed, “Run!”
(The quotation is an imperative or order.)
 
              Outside the quotation marks:
Did he say , “I know her”?
        (The entire sentence asks a question and the quotation is a statement.)
The most common past tense of “wake”, however, is “woke”.
(The entire sentence is a statement. The quotation is a word quoted.)
              Curse the man who whispers, “No”!
                     (The entire sentence is an exclamation while the quotation is not.)
 
              But in AmE,periods are within quotation marks. e.g.
 
The most common past tense of "wake", however, is "woke." 
↑(inside)
 
B.   When the quotation marks are in the middle of a sentence, punctuation marks belonging to quotations are inside the closing quotation marks, excluding the period which is replaced by the comma; punctuation marks belonging to an entire sentence such as colon, semicolon are outside quotations. e.g.
 
       Inside quotations:
“I joined the League in 1959,” Li said. Not: “I joined the League in 1959.” he said.
                        (The quotation is a statement. Not a period but a comma is used instead.)
              “Amazing,” the professor said.     
                        (The quotation is an elliptical statement.)
              “You've already got well, haven't you?” she asked.
                        (The quotation is a question.)
              “What a lovely garden!” he remarked.
                        (The quotation is an exclamation.)
“As it's a first offence,” the solicitor said, “I think she'll get away with a fine.”
                                (The comma belongs to the clause.)
 
              Outside closing quotation marks:
The customer wrote that she was “not yet ready to buy the first edition”; it was too expensive.
(The semicolon doesn't belong to the quotation but to the first clause.)
              Alice opened the box. There was a small cake in it. “EAT ME”, she read.
(“EAT ME” itself has no punctuation mark, so the comma doesn't belong to the quotation and is thus put outside.)
 
C.   Avoid punctuation marks both outside and inside quotation marks.
 
              “What?” I asked.                           Not: “What?”, I asked.
              Did she ask, “Who is she”?            Not: Did she ask, “Who is she?”?
 
5.    Parentheses ( ) and Brackets []
      
The use of parentheses and brackets
       Parentheses and brackets are used to enclose loosely related additions or interpolations for comment or explanation or to enclose figures which number items in a series. In BrE, parentheses and brackets are used interchangeably.
 

The part in the brackets may be optional	She goes in for (warning) very unusual clothes. The Headquarters are (is) in New York. Most people take their holidays in the height of (the) summer. John (or his wife) will collect the parcel. They have decided to hold an inquiry (to enquire).
The part in the brackets may be explanatory	It is all the same to me (i.e. either choice suits me). He was of medium (ordinary, middle, average, etc.) height. We looked down from a great height (the mountain heights) to see the whole town. “He is brilliant at the piano.” (i.e. He plays the piano brilliantly.) The mud made it rough [hard] going for the car.
Figures	The prospector refused to buy the land because (1) the owner had no clear title, (2) it was too remote, (3) it was too expensive.

                                         
 
Capitalization and punctuation in parentheses
 
A parenthetical sentence within another sentence has no period or capital. But a freestanding parenthetical sentence requires parentheses, a capital and a period. e.g.
 
       It's all the same to me ( i.e. either choice suits me ).
                            ↑               ↑
                                             no capital         no period
 
       At the moment all flights are late.  (The weatheris bad.)
                                                               ↑               ↑
                                                      capital          period
 
The frisky colt (it was not a thoroughbred) was given away.
(inside the sentence)
       “He is brilliant at the piano.” (i.e. He plays the piano brilliantly.)
(outside the sentence)
 
Simultaneous occurrence
 
Sometimes the pairs of punctuation marks appear simultaneously. Usually brackets are within parentheses, as ([  ]).
 
6.    The Dash (—)
A dash is used to introduce summaries, meaning ‘in short, in a word, in conclusion’, and to indicate interruptions, parenthetical remarks, quotations.The part after the dash is:
 
 

Summary (= in short, in a word)	Attic fans, window fans, air-conditioners — all were ineffective that summer. Pens, pencils, book, ink — everything a   pupil needs — must be got ready.
Sudden interruption in a chain of thought	We have — aha! — no cure for influenza. “I — I — I rather think — maybe — Army has taken it.”
Parenthetical remarks for explanation similar to a colon	Put them in a cell for an hour — that'll cool them down. Don't go skating today — there are dangerous cracks in the ice. How lucky the girls nowadays are! — The can go anywhere, say anything. Then the proposals — both Hsiao Yang's and mine — are adopted. Fishing in this river is forbidden — penalty.
Quotation in place of a colon	Uncle Wang laughingly answered (:) —“No, no; stay where you are.”

 
The part after the dash is clearer, more summary and more emphatic. When the part introduced by the dash is inserted in a sentence, the part is preceded and followed by dashes. e.g.
 
I have changed — more than one — I think.
       Then the proposals — both Hsiao Yang's and mine — are adopted.
 
   In typing, the dash is made by two hyphens (--) with no space before or after it.
 
7.    The Hyphen (-), the Apostrophe (') and the Slash (/)
 
The hyphen (-)
       There are two main uses of the hyphen: word division at the end of a line and formation of a compound word/structure originally not regarded as wholly established words.
      

Word division	compound word (structure)
establishment — estab-lishment divided — di-vide  horror — hor-ror	anti-war            flower-power non-restrictive       lab-technician take-off            sixty-three a devil-may-care attitude
Nature breaks (orthographic, syllabic, morphological) are observed.	Some rules should be observed.

                           
The apostrophe (')
       There are three principal uses of the apostrophe: the formation of the possessive case, the mark of the omission of one or more than one letter, and the formation of the plural numbers of letters, figures and words specified as words.
 
      

possessive case	a moment's rest, China's capital, an hour's distance.John's picture, citizen’ rights
omission of letters	It's ...  = It is ... I can't ... = I can not ... You'dbetter go now. = You had better go now.
formation of the plurals of figures, letters of the alphabet and words specified as words	I will accept no if’s, and’s, or but’s; my decision is final. Ther’s were blurred and looked like 3’s. The machine was invented in the 1960’s. Mind your A’s in your composition.