在英语学习过程中,同学们往往容易忽略标点符号。其实,正确掌握标点符号,尤其是",",有助于我们正确解题。下面,本文以高考试题为例来谈谈这个问题。希望它能给同学们一些帮助。

　　一、","用于作状语的分词短语前后。如:

　　1.When I got back home I saw a message pinned to the door,________"Sorry to miss you: will call later."

　　A. read B. reads C. to read D. reading

　　析:解此题的关键是把握","。A、B两项都因缺少连词和主语而被否定;作状语的不定式前一般不能有",",因而C项也不行。故D项正确,分词短语充当伴随状语。

　　二、","将同位语、定语与句子的其它部分隔开。如:

　　2. Greenland,________island in the world, covers over two million square kilometers.

　　A. it is the largest

　　B. that is the largest

　　C. is the largest

　　D. the largest

　　析:空格前有",",在没有连词的情况下,不会出现分句A;that不能引导非限制性定语从句,排除B;C项则缺少关系代词which。因而D项正确,","所隔开的部分作Greenland的同位语。

　　3. Meeting my uncle after all these years was an unforgettable moment,________ I will always treasure.

　　A. that B. one

　　C. it D. what

　　析:空格前有",",因此不可能由that或what来引导非限制性定语从句;it不可能充当an unforgettable moment的同位语。one在此作代词,指代并强调前边的"an unforgettable moment"。

　　4. The Olympic Games,________in 776 B.C., did not include women players until 1912.

　　A. first playing

　　B. to be first played

　　C. first played

　　D. to be first playing

　　析:被","所隔开的部分作The Olympic Games的定语,相当于非限制性定语从句"which was first played in 776 B.C."。先行词与play是被动关系,可排除A和D,B表示将来,不合题意。

　　三、","用于非限制性定语从句的前后。如:

　　5.________has been announced, we shall have our final exams next month.

　　A. That B. As C. It D. What

　　析:由句子中","可知,题干是一个非限制性定语从句,因而只有B项正确,As代替后边整个主句的内容。

　　四、","用于并列成分之间。如果两个并列成分间已经有连词,则不再用","连接;但是,三个或三个以上的并列成分间,除最后两个用连词连接外,其余的要用","隔开。如:

　　6. The purpose of new technologies is to make life easier, _____ it more difficult.

　　A. not make B. not to make C. not making D. do not make

　　析:B项正确。这里是两个并列的不定式短语作表语,其间没有连词连接,因此第二个不定式符号"to"应该保留,且第二个不定式前要用","连接,以免与表示目的的不定式相混淆。

　　五、","用在位于句首的状语从句之后。从句后置时,也可用","隔开。如:

　　7. Mother was worried because little Alice was ill, especially________Father was away in France.

　　A. as B. that C. during D. if

　　析:","前后都是有主谓结构的句子,因此空格处只能是从属连词,先排除C项,再根据上下文的逻辑关系确定A为正确答案。

　　(文/邓新华；英语辅导报高三版2003-2004学年第42期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)