细节决定成败

彭芳

英语中的标点符号看似貌不惊人，微不足道，实则“八仙过海，各显神通”。标点符号在语义结构中扮演和发挥至关重要的角色和作用，它的特殊功能涵盖在高中英语的各个题型当中。题干中一个小小的标点符号可以起到提示功能、断句功能。若能仔细观察，注意这个细节特征，分析语境，将有助于确定答案，尤其是在名词性从句、定语从句、非谓语动词以及一些特殊句式结构中起着决定性的作用。下面就标点符号在不同句式结构中所起的提示作用例析如下。

一、在名词性从句中

1. happens to call while I am out of the office， please let him leave the message for me.

A. Who B. Anyone C. Someone D. Whoever

【答案与解析】答案为D。逗号表明这是一个主从复合句，前面的句子是whoever引导的让步状语从句。此题容易误选C，忽略句子中间的逗号，认为空格部分缺句子的主语，充当句子主语的应是名词或代词。

2.How will they deal with the problem on his attitude？

A. to depend B. depending

C. dependedD. depends

【答案与解析】答案为B。由句末的“？”可知How是疑问代词， will they deal with是句子谓语，所以该句中要用depending on his attitude 在句中作状语。若将问号改为句号，答案则为D。

二、在状语从句中

1.He sent me an e-mail， to get further information.

A. hoped B. hoping C. to hope D. hope

【答案与解析】答案为B。分词作状语。

2. ， he went to the party.

A. He was not invited B. Not inviting

C. Not invitedD. Invited not

【答案与解析】答案为C。分词的否定形式作状语。若忽略句子中的逗号，就会错选A。

3.There no bus， we had to go by bike.

A. is B. being C. was D. had

【答案与解析】该题答案为B。构成独立主格结构。若将句子中的逗号变为句号，原句就变成两个独立的句子，则答案为C。

三、 在定语从句中

标点符号是非限制性定语从句的标志，也是区分非限制性定语从句和其他句式结构的标志，因此在解考查非限制性定语从句的题中也起到了不可低估的作用。例如：

1. ， China has successfully won the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

A. It is well known that B. We all know that

C. It is well knownD. As is well known

【答案与解析】答案为D。短线后的逗号表明前面为as引导的非限制性定语从句。若不注意短线后的逗号，则会误选A或B。

2.The old couple have two children， able to come to see them when they fell lonely， however.

A. both of them areB. both of whom are

C. neither of them isD. neither of whom is

【答案与解析】答案为D。逗号表明后面的从句是介词加关系代词引导的非限制性定语从句，因此答案在B、D之中去选，然后根据however 可判断，用否定词neither，所以答案为 D。若将逗号改为句号，则答案为C。

四、在特殊句式结构中

标点符号可以帮助我们准确判断出考题的句式结构，例如强调句、祈使句等。

1. this book—perhaps you will enjoy it.

A. Reading B. Read C. to read D. having read

【答案与解析】正确答案应选B。破折号作用相当于连词and，也就是Read this book and perhaps you will enjoy it.即：祈使句+and / or （else） +条件从句。若忽略句子中的破折号的作用，就会误选A或C，认为考查非谓语动词。

2.It was the driver， not the passenger， was to blame.

A. who B. which C. that D. what

【答案与解析】 正确答案为C。这是It was ... that 强调句，被强调部分为the driver，而not the passenger是插入语。此处易受空格前逗号的影响，误认为这是一个非限制性定语从句，从而误选A。

由此可见，细节决定成败。要正确判断出题人的意图，看出句子结构，选出正确答案，决不能忽略句子中小小的标点符号。

（责任编辑 周侯辰）