在英语写作中， 不起眼的小小的标点其实是不容忽视的重要内容。对写作者来说，正确使用标点，有助于准确的表达含义；对读者来说，一篇文章标点运用正确，有助于读者正确、充分理解作品。反言之，标点使用不准确，对写作者和读者都有不利的影响。
在学习英语写作的过程中， 标点使用错误的现象经常发生；逗号使用不当是标点使用错误中比较典型现象。由于不恰当的使用了逗号而形成的错误有一个特定的称呼：逗号粘连。
写作者在写作和修改过程中， 会特别留意文章的拼写错误、句意间的逻辑关系、上下文语义的统一等；然而，使用逗号时，却通常表现的较随意。在错误已经形成并被指出时，写作者还有一种被“蒙在鼓里”的感觉，似乎对错误一无所知。他们通常会问：什么是逗号粘连？ 怎么会产生这样的问题？ 逗号粘连有什么危害？ 怎样消除逗号粘连？
1 逗号粘连的表现
逗号粘连是写作中出现的一种逗号的不当使用而造成的错误。逗号粘连表现为：使用逗号把两个或两个以上可以独立成句的结构（句子结构）进行连接。此处所指的“可以独立成句的结构”是指含有主语和谓语部分的结构。这些句子结构被写作者用逗号连接起来， 构成一个写作者需要的以句号结尾的句子， 例如：
A. He disliked his sister-in-law, he avoided anythingrelating to her 这个句子中含有两个可以独立成句的结构“He disliked his sister-in-law” 和“he avoided anything relating to her”。
写作者用一个逗号把这两个句子结构联系起来，构成一个用句号结尾的句子—He disliked his sister -in -law, heavoided anything relating to her。下面的句子也是粘连句：B.Many students wish they write good writings, however, they ignore minor but important things, such as punctuation marks and spelling.在这个句子里， 写作者“ 蛮横” 的使用逗号把“Many students wish they write good writings” 与“however, they ignore minor but important things, such as punctuation marks and spelling”两个句子结构连接起来。
2 逗号粘连的成因
写作时， 写作者常常把母语的写作习惯带到英语写作中来。屡写粘连句的写作者常常会这样认为：母语写作中，一个很长且没有标点的句子容易使读者产生“上气不接下气”的感觉，而加了逗号可以使读者有“喘息”之机“从而接下来继续读”；在英语写作中，把这种写作习惯带过来，“也可以吧？ ”。可见，母语写作习惯对写作者影响很大。
在句子写作中应怎样使用逗号？ 逗号可以用在主从复合句中，将主句和从句分开，体现从句对主句的依附关系。逗号用在并列复合句中，应与并列连词共同使用，连接并列分句；如果并列分句本身含有内部标点—逗号， 则两个并列分句用分号连接；如果并列分句之间使用连接副词，则用分号连接两个并列分句。写作者对逗号的使用方法掌握不好，是造成逗号
粘连的主要原因。
3 逗号粘连的危害
逗号粘连看似微不足道，实则危害不小。首先，每个句子结构的语法地位无法得到明确表达。此处用A 句“He dislikedhis sister-in-law, he avoided anything relating to her” 作为例子来分析。由于仅仅由逗号连接，写作者未能充分表达出两个句子结构之间语法关系：是并列关系还是从属关系？ 如果在语法上是并列关系，应该用并列结构.如果两个句子结构在语法上处于从属关系，则应用从属结构来体现从属关系。第二，由于每个句子结构的语法地位不能得到明确表达， 句子的语义重点不能得到明确表达。两个句子结构即He disliked his sister-in-law 与he avoided anything relating to her 在语义上具有同等的地位关系，还是主导-从属的地位关系？ 这一点是不明确的。第三，句子结构在语义上的的逻辑关系不明确。两个句子结构在语义上是递进关系，还是因果关系？ 这一点没有得到恰当的表达。第四，使得连接副词的地位不能得到准确体现。此处用B 句“Many students wish they write good writings, however,they ignore minor things, such as punctuation marks andspelling.”作为例子来分析。由于下划线逗号的使用，使得连接副词“however”处在了尴尬地位，即处在了并列连词的地位，不当的行使了并列连词的功能。
4 逗号粘连的消除
依据句子的实际情况， 逗号粘连的错误可以通过以下途径得到修正。
添加并列连词或从属连词。
A. 添加并列连词（添加的连词用斜体字表示）。以A 句为例，在“He disliked his sister-in-law”与“he avoided anything relating to her” 之间添加符合逻辑关系的并列连词“and” 或“but”。修改后的句子为：He disliked his sister-in-law, and/so he avoided anything relating to her.
B. 添加从属连词（添加的从属连词用斜体字表示）。以A句为例，确立“He disliked his sister-in-law”与“he avoided anything relating to her”的主从关系。依照正常逻辑关系，可以把“He disliked his sister-in-law”确立为从属句，用从属连词“because”导出；把“he avoided anything relating to her” 确立为主句。修改后的句子为：Because he disliked his sister-in-law, he avoided anything relating to her
2）用分号连接两个句子结构。分别以A 句和B 句为例。在A 句的两个句子结构之间添加分号“；”，分号表明两个句子结构在A 句中具有相同的语法地位。修改后的a 句为：He disliked his sister-in-law; he avoided anything relating to her. 可以用同样的方法对待B 句， 则修改后的B 句为： Many students wish they write good writings; however, they ignore minor but important things, such as punctuation and spelling.
3） 把句子中的用逗号连接的句子结构变为完整的句子。以A 句为例， 把句子中逗号前后的两个句子结构分别变为完整的句子。逗号前的句子结构变成完整的句子“He disliked his sister-in-law.”； 逗号后的句子结构变成完整的句子“He avoided anything relating to her.”。以b 句为例，把第一个逗号前的句子结构变成完整的句子“Many students wish they write
good writings.”; 把第一个逗号后的句子结构变成完整的句子“However, they ignore minor but important aspects, such aspunctuation and spelling.”
(1) 把非限制性定语从句(non -restrictive attributive clause) 理解成限制性定语从句(restrictive attributive clause) 而忽略用逗点。如:
〔错误〕7. We were led into a nearest fabric shop that was divided into two parts.
从句意来看,上句是一个非限制性定语从句,故应在shop 后加逗点,把that 相应改成which 即:
〔修改〕7. We were led into a nearest fabric shop , which was divided into two parts.
(2) 不论状语从句在整个句子中处于何种位置,一概以逗点隔开。
〔错误〕8. We will go there , if it is fine tomorrow.
状语从句可置于句首或句末。置于句首时,一般要用标点隔开;而置于句末时,则无需与主句隔开,故 以上句子应改为:
〔修改〕8. If it is fine tomorrow , we will go there. 或We will go there if it is fine tomorrow.
(3) 在疑问句形式的陈述句后使用问号。
〔错误〕9. What fun we girls could expect , to stay in the same class , studying for four long years with them ？I wondered.
〔修改〕9. What fun could we girls expect , to stay in the same class , studying for four long years with them , I wondered.
英语疑问除可用问号来表达外,尚可用词序加以表达。故上例的疑问可用逗点表示。
(4) 误把however ,therefore , because , thus 等起联系作用的副词当成并列连词,导致写作中的逗号粘连(comma splice) 错误。
〔错误〕10. She thought what the teacher pointed out was right , however , she didn’t care for that .
两个完整的句子或两个并列句之间不能一概用逗点点开, 可用句号、分号或在逗点后加并列连词(and , but , or , for , so , nor , yet) 等方法修改。故上例可改为:
〔修改〕10. She thought what the teacher pointed out was right . However , she didn’t care for that .
或She thought what the teacher pointed out was right ; however , she didn’t care for that .
或She thought what the teacher pointed out was right , but she didn’t care for that .
(5) 与comma splice 相映成趣的是,许多学生作文时,极少考虑句子间的逻辑关系,一个逗点连首尾,导致大量熔句(fused sentence) 的堆砌。例如:
〔错误〕11. Young men like blue jeans they wear them all the time.
〔修改〕11. Young men like blue jeans ; they wear them all the time.
或Young men like blue jeans. They wear them all the time.
或Young men like blue jeans , and they wear them all the time.
或Young men like blue jeans ; they wear them all the time.
或Since young men like blue jeans , they wear them all the time.
(6) 两个并列的形容词间以and 代替逗点。
〔错误〕12. Through the window , in front of me were large green fields which reminded me of the small clearing where I spent my lonely and hard childhood.
现代英语表达一般在两个形容词中间不使用and , 而是用逗点分隔。
〔修改〕12. Through the window , in front of me were large green fields which reminded me of the small clearing where I spent my lonely , hard childhood
因语体错位而造成的标点错误。英文写作是一种书面语的输出。其书面语体的特征要求其与口头语相区别。口语中存在的大量缩约(contraction) 在书面语体中应尽量避免。而许多学生在书面作文中大量使用省字号(’),几乎1/ 3 左右的作文在文体上存在漏洞,现代英语的发展对此却难以容忍。如:
1. I’d like to share my joys with you. ( I would like to)
2. .you can’t behave like that . (you cannot)
3. .there’re so many splendid toys for me to select . (there are)
其他错误：
(1) 引号错误。
〔错误〕13.“No pain , no gain. ”If you .
〔修改〕13. As the saying goes ,“No pain , no gain. ”
英文中短小的引语与作者提示“某某说之类的词语之间用逗点隔开,置于引号内。不能省略提示语“某某说之类而直接引用。
〔错误〕14. Glancing through the essay entitled“Why Not More ？ ”, Dr. Jefferson frowned thoughtfully.
〔修改〕14. Glancing through the essay entitled“Why Not More ？,”Dr. Jefferson frowned thoughtfully.
许多学生对诸如上例引号边的标点位置含糊,不清楚以下常用法:句号和逗号必须置于引号之内;冒号和分号必须置于引号之外;如果所引内容本身是疑问句或感叹句,问号和感叹号一般放在引号之内,否则,问号和感叹号则放在引号之外。
(2) 日-月-年次序的日期中的逗号错误。英语日期的表达可以用月-日-年的次序和日-月-年
的次序,日和年之间加逗号而月和年之间习惯上不加逗号。例如: 误把“13 August 2002”写成“13 August , 2002”。
(3) 在部分副词如perhaps , so 后加逗号。如:
〔错误〕16. Perhaps , I would not have such a good chance again.
〔错误〕17. So , they keep in touch with each other merely by writing letters and phoning now.
以上两句的修改方法是把句中的逗号去掉。
(4) 连接号(hyphen) 错误。许多英语习作者往往随意用连接号派生单词,如把“boyfriend”写成“boy -friend”;“middle school”写成“middle -school”。在行末单词分行时,连接号使用错误更多。与之相反,若把本应有的连接号粗心删去,其单词含义可能会大相径庭。如有一年美国政府在一份贸易清单上列举了一些免税进口的物品,其中有一种是foreign fruit —plants(外国果树苗),后来由于打字员的疏忽，漏打连接号使其成了foreign fruit , plants(外国水果、树苗),结果导致第二年大量的水果如桔子、葡萄等从世界各地免税涌入美国市场从而使美国政府当年损失约200 多万美元。
应用逗号而没用,造成语义的表达不清。
Please send me a gross each of the red , green ,blue ,orange and black ties.
使人看了以后不知是发5 摞(1 摞= 12 打)
—红、绿、蓝、橙、黑各一摞— 领带,还是发4 摞
—红、绿、蓝、橙黑各一摞领带。这句话可改为:
①Please send me a gross each of the red , green ,blue ,orange ,and black ties.
②Please send me a gross each of the red , green ,blue ,orange-and-black ties.
该用分号的地方用了逗点, 不该用标点的地方也用了逗点,都导致了句子的错误。
①People make history , unusual people make history interesting. 此句逗点应改为分号, 这是两个独立分句。
②Mary was happiest when she was free of her parents’ scrutiny , or while she was working in her garden. 此句的并列连词是连接的成对的从句,而不是独立分句,连词前面的逗号应去掉。
