英语逗号的功能及运用

巴朝军

英语中的标点常常容易被考生忽视。纵观历年高考试题，短文改错、语法填空中都出现过一些利用逗号设置陷阱的题目。题目中的逗号常常是我们借以判断的重要信号，研究逗号的功能对我们分析句子结构、理清解题思路有着十分重要的作用。

一、巧用逗号，区分谓语动词和非谓语动词

【试题特征】句子中出现逗号连接的几个动作，考查学生区分谓语动词与非谓语动词的能力。

【解题思路一】结构分析法。

利用句子中能够显示结构的标志性词汇，分析句子结构，确定空白处在整个句子中所作的句子成分。

【典例1】Dont panic or get out of line， and trying to remain quiet and calmly （calm）. （2014年四川卷，短文改错）

【解析】trying→try。Dont是一个标志性词汇，表明本句是一个祈使句，此处与前面的panic和get并列，因此用动词原形。

【典例2】________（search）the website of the Fire Department in your city， and you will learn a lot about firefighting.

【解析】Search。句子中的连词and是标志性词匯，整个句子构成“祈使句+and +陈述句”结构，因此用动词原形。

【典例3】It is worth considering what makes “convenience” foods so popular， and ________ （introduce） better ones of your own.

【解析】introducing。解此题应利用好并列关系，并列关系要求前后结构对等。结合句子的意思，空白处与considering并列，故用introducing 。

【典例4】We can lie on the grass for a rest， sat by the lake listening（to）music.（2014年新课标全国卷II，短文改错）

【解析】sat→sit。此处与前面的lie并列，因此用动词原形。

【解题思路二】意义分析法。分析句子意义，确定是谓语还是状语。

【重要提示】英语中，用谓语动词表达主要信息，而对谓语动词进行修饰，说明谓语动词发生的时间、原因、方式，或者是伴随动作、补充说明等，用非谓语动词。

【典例5】One evening at sunset， we sat by the fire， have our barbecue. （2014年陕西卷， 短文改错）

【解析】have→having。结合句子的意思可知，have our barbecue应是伴随着sat by the fire，所以用现在分词短语having our barbecue作状语，表示伴随动作。

二、巧用逗号，区分简单句和并列句

【典例6】It was time for her to have a new baby， 70 it was also time for the young panda to be independent. （2016年四川卷， 语法填空）

【解析】and。逗号不能连接两个句子，因此空白处应填一个连词。

【典例7】With little sleep and hardly any break， so he works from morning till night. （短文改错）

【解析】去掉so。逗号前是一个介词短语，作句子的状语，逗号后应该是一个句子，构成简单句，而非并列分句，因此不需要并列连词。

【典例8】The lecture have been given， a lively question-and-answer session followed. （短文改错）

【解析】have→ having。逗号不能连接两个并列分句，逗号前用独立主格结构作状语。

【注意】“分句+逗号+分句”结构是错误的，这种结构可以变为：

（1）“状语+逗号+句子”， 构成简单句；

（2）“分句+逗号+并列连词+分句”，构成并列句。

三、巧用逗号，区分并列句和复合句

【典例9】Toms mother kept telling him that he should work harder，but _______ didnt help. （语法填空）

【解析】it。句中的but是并列连词，因此整句是并列句，故填代词it。

请比较下例：

【典例10】Toms mother kept telling him that he should work harder，_______ didnt help.

【解析】which。句中无并列连词，因此不是并列句。结合句子的意思可知，后一句话是对前一句话的补充说明，因此是一个非限制性定语从句。

【典例11】But my connection with pandas goes back to my days on a TV show in the mid-1980s， 65 I was the first Western TV reporter permitted to film a special unit caring for pandas rescued from starvation in the wild. （2016年全国卷I ，语法填空）

【解析】when。句中无并列连词，因此不是并列句。结合句子的意思可知，后一句话是对前一句话的补充说明，因此是一个非限制性定语从句，先行词是时间，引导词在从句中作状语，故填when。

四、巧用逗号，分析较为复杂的句子结构（含有复合句和并列句）

【典例12】It could be anything—gardening， cooking， music， sports—but whatever it is， 70 （make） sure its a relief from daily stress rather than another thing to worry about. （2016年全国卷II， 语法填空）

【解析】make。句中but为并列连词，后面连接一个复合句。“whatever it is”是一个让步状语从句，其后应是主句。结合语境可知，应是一个祈使句，故用动词原形。这是一个“从句+逗号+主句”结构。

综上所述，分析、归纳含有逗号的句子结构，可以帮助我们准确区分谓语动词和非谓语动词，科学判断句子的类型（简单句、并列句和复合句），从而提高我们语言知识运用的准确性。

五、巩固练习

（一）短句改错

1. I hurried to the classroom， finding my seat and sat down to read.

2. In the presence of so many people he was nervous， that was understandable.

3. Living near the sea， so we enjoy healthy air and beautiful sight.

4. It is known to everybody， it may now be too late to clean up the river.

5. Turning to the left， and youll find the post office. You cant miss it.

6. Saw the door locked， he realized that he would have to turn back in vain again.

7. They sent us their statement， hoped to get our support.

8. Many trees， flowers， and grass were planted， our newly-built school looked more beautiful.

9. Qinghai Lake， is the largest inland body of salt water in China，lies 3198 metres above sea level.

10. Mr Smith，from him I have learned a lot， is a famous scientist

11. The manager looks relaxed， many things were settled.

12. Our guide，was a French Canadian，was an excellent cook.

13. He will put off the picnic until May 1st， then he will be free.

14. As the development of modern economy， more and more people choose to go abroad for a holiday.

15. They reached London yesterday， there a negotiation of sale will be held.

（二）語法填空

If you have ever seen the Milky Way galaxy（银河系）， you know what a beautiful sight it is： a truly massive group of shining stars 1

（stretch） across the night sky.

But a new study finds that one-third of the worlds population no longer can see the Milky Way 2 night.

The findings were reported in the journal Science Advances， 3 （say） that in the United States， it is even harder to see the Milky Way. For 80 percent of Americans， it is 4

（possible） or very difficult to see the galaxy at night. The Milky Way is a spiral structure. NASA， the American space agency， 5

（say） the Milky Way is about 100，000 light years across， from one end to 6 other. Our galaxy has hundreds of billions of stars.

Light pollution causes the problem， 7

（block） our viewing of the stars and planets， affecting natural events or activities on Earth. The sky is brightened at night by street lights and other artificial lighting， 8 is especially true in big cities.

Researchers 9 （look） into the increase of artificial light over the years. They say not only does it affect our view of the Milky Way， but it has been 10 （show） to have a big impact on human health and on wildlife， too.