冒號(hào)，破折號(hào)，分號(hào)及括號(hào)的使用與寫(xiě)作風(fēng)格關(guān)系緊密，因此本章主要介紹它們的用法。本章很少涉及其它標(biāo)點(diǎn)：如逗號(hào)，句號(hào)，連字符。下面，筆者對(duì)它們的用法以問(wèn)答形式略談一二：
問(wèn)：如果連續(xù)使用兩個(gè)形容詞，可用逗號(hào)分開(kāi)它們嗎？
答：在"Singapore is a clean, friendly city state"一句中，逗號(hào)代替了"and"。 連續(xù)兩個(gè)形容詞同時(shí)修飾一個(gè)名詞時(shí)，可用逗號(hào)把它們隔開(kāi)。但當(dāng)其中一個(gè)形容詞修飾另一形容詞時(shí)，不需要用逗號(hào)隔開(kāi)它們：
On my way back home, I stared at the pale blue sky.
問(wèn)：何時(shí)用連字符連接單詞？
答：1. 參見(jiàn)字典；
2. 參考the goal of preventing misreading一書(shū)。
3. 連字符常用于連接比較常用的復(fù)合詞，使之成為一詞。
air craft
air-craft
aircraft
type setting
type-setting
typesetting
screen play
screen-play
screenplay
data base
data-base
database
采用連字符連接的兩個(gè)詞，意思可一目了然。例如，沒(méi)用連字符的合成詞light year，字面意思是一年比另一年不重要；加上連字符，我們就很清楚light-year是光年的意思。
通常，我們?cè)谔幚砻~前兩個(gè)或多個(gè)詞的組合時(shí)，可用連字符。
例：know-how
ready-to-wear
faster-than-expected production
life-form
state-of-the-art technology
medium-range missiles
當(dāng)這一群詞用作形容詞時(shí)，僅對(duì)它們所修飾的名詞之前的詞使用連字符。
It was a fast-paced city life.
即City life is fast paced.
Bring me the up-to-date report.
即Bring me up to date.
還有，以"-ly"結(jié)尾的副詞不用連字符。
Wrong: We do not work with financially-unstable organizations.
Correct: We do not work with financially unstable organizations.
Wrong: We are required to attend all regularly-scheduled meetings.
Correct: We are required to attend all regularly scheduled meetings.
問(wèn)：你贊成省略縮略語(yǔ)的中間或末尾的句點(diǎn)嗎？
答：這是一個(gè)關(guān)于寫(xiě)作風(fēng)格和品味的問(wèn)題，有些編者對(duì)縮略語(yǔ)用句點(diǎn)；有些則不用。用與不用取決于你。我的建議是，一旦你決定采用哪種方式，就不宜改變。
專(zhuān)有名詞中的句點(diǎn)應(yīng)該保留。
Correct(正) Also correct(正確) U.S.A. USA 10 p.m. 10 pm R.S.V.P. RSVP U.F.O. UFO 姓名之間的圓點(diǎn)應(yīng)予保留
Correct Not Correct J. F. Kennedy J F Kennedy 問(wèn)：什么叫不分段句？ 答：兩個(gè)完整的句子間僅用逗號(hào)，或不用任何其它標(biāo)點(diǎn)，這兩個(gè)句子叫做不分段句。 例： The air conditioner is broken, we must have it repaired as soon as possible. How to rid of run-on? Here are a few approaches: 有如下幾種方法可消除不分段句 。 The air conditioner is broken and has to be repaired as soon as possible. ?。ㄊ褂眠B詞"and"） The air conditioner is broken; it has to be repaired as soon as possible. （用分號(hào)隔開(kāi)這兩個(gè)句子） The air conditioner is broken. We must have it repaired as soon as possible. ?。ㄓ镁涮?hào)隔開(kāi)這兩個(gè)句子）
Correct(正) Also correct(正確) U.S.A. USA 10 p.m. 10 pm R.S.V.P. RSVP U.F.O. UFO 姓名之間的圓點(diǎn)應(yīng)予保留
Correct Not Correct J. F. Kennedy J F Kennedy 問(wèn)：什么叫不分段句？ 答：兩個(gè)完整的句子間僅用逗號(hào)，或不用任何其它標(biāo)點(diǎn)，這兩個(gè)句子叫做不分段句。 例： The air conditioner is broken, we must have it repaired as soon as possible. How to rid of run-on? Here are a few approaches: 有如下幾種方法可消除不分段句 。 The air conditioner is broken and has to be repaired as soon as possible. ?。ㄊ褂眠B詞"and"） The air conditioner is broken; it has to be repaired as soon as possible. （用分號(hào)隔開(kāi)這兩個(gè)句子） The air conditioner is broken. We must have it repaired as soon as possible. ?。ㄓ镁涮?hào)隔開(kāi)這兩個(gè)句子）