Реферат: APPENDIX II

PUNCTUATION RULES*

Semicolons. Semicolons may take the place of full stops. If two sentences are closely related in subject matter, perhaps by contrast or a common factor, the relationship can be stressed by joining the sentences with a semicolon:

The design of the bridge was superb at the time; today it has to carry too such heavy traffic.

Each ‘sentence’ remains an accurate, grammatical whole, making sense by itself. However, the link of information (then...now) is strong, and is emphasized by the use of a semicolon instead of a full stop at the end of the first sentence. This use of the semicolon can produce an elegant style; if it is not overused, it can be most effective. Semicolons can also be used to separate sections of information in a list:

The following hazards must be considered:

1. insulation and protection from electric shock;

2. possible fire risks and the location of fire extinguishers;

3. testing of pressurized or other highly stressed components.

Nowadays, these semicolons are often omitted, which is acceptable as long as the individual items in the list are short; if they are more than a line in length, then for clarity the punctuation should be retained.

Colons.Colons are not interchangeable with semicolons. The most common useof a colon is to introduce an example orintroduce a quotation. A colon may also introduce a list, as in the following example:

The equipment needed for this test is as follows:

· oscilloscope

· digital voltmeter

· signal generator

A list may sometimes simply be an amplification of the preceding information:

There are three main types of stepping motor: variable reluctance motors, permanent magnet motors and hybrid motors.

Commas.In some ways, commas are a difficult form of punctuation, because whilethey often follow rules, to a certain extent they are also the result ofindividual choice, of a feeling for the language.

The most common use of a comma is to separate the main part of a sentence from a subordinate part, either to make the meaning clear or allow the reader to ‘take breath’ naturally. This is an important aspect of the use of commas, as the ‘natural pause’ in a long sentence helps the reader to assimilate the information given so far and prepare for what is to come.

When the bridge was first built, it was adequate for traffic requirements.

The subordinate unit may appear neither at the beginning nor at the end of the sentence, but in the middle:

The bridge, originally adequate for traffic requirements, is today the scene of frequent holdups and the cause of long queues.

The ‘comment’ words and phrases are separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma or commas, depending on where the comment is placed in the sentence.

There is, however, a plan to build a second bridge over the river.

Nevertheless, for the time being the problem will remain.

The detour needed, it must be remembered, is lengthy.

Dashes and brackets.Asides, comments or examples may be placed between dashes as an alternative to commas. Dashes tend to be informal in style and should be avoided in technical writing.

Brackets, on the other hand, are ‘heavy’ punctuation. They break up the flow of the reading, and should be used only when the information which they enclose is not an integral part of the sentence. Notes like (see Figure 6.1) perhaps show one of the two most common uses of brackets.

Hyphens.Hyphens are sometimes confused with dashes, but they are shorter and have different uses. They may be used to bring together twowords which gain a new meaning from being joined: ‘re-cover’ is differentfrom ‘recover’.

Scientific and technical terms often contain hyphens which reflect two aspects of the meaning.

The insulation is made of glass-reinforced foil-faced mineral wool.

(Based on “Writing for Engineers” by Joan van Emden, 2005).

VOCABULARY NOTES

Bracket(s)n обычномн. скобка(и)

Colonn двоеточие

Comman запятая

Dashn тире

Full stopточка syn: period, full point

Hyphenn дефис, соединительная черточка

Semicolonn точка с запятой

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