英語(yǔ)小課堂：如何使用英文撇號(hào)？

YouTube視頻欄目“跟露西學(xué)英語(yǔ)”的博主露西-厄爾最近發(fā)布了一段視頻指南，幫助英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)者和英語(yǔ)為母語(yǔ)的學(xué)生。

露西逐條分析了撇號(hào)的常見(jiàn)用法，包括動(dòng)詞縮寫(xiě)和所有格，還講了大家最常犯的錯(cuò)誤。

The possessive case

所有格

The possessive case is used to show a relationship of belonging between one thing and another.

所有格形式用來(lái)表述兩件事物之間的歸屬關(guān)系。

To form the possessive, an apostrophe and an 's' is added to the noun. For example, if a ball belongs to the dog it is the dog's ball.

為了構(gòu)成所有格，名詞后面要加撇號(hào)和s。比如一個(gè)球?qū)儆谝恢还罚蔷褪莇og's ball。

However the rule becomes more complicated once it is applied to a noun ending in the letter 's'.

但用于以s結(jié)尾的名詞時(shí)，使用規(guī)則就會(huì)變得更加復(fù)雜。

The same principle applies but some people might choose to remove the second 's'.

這時(shí)適用于同樣的規(guī)則，但一些人可能會(huì)把第二個(gè)s省去。

For example, to refer to the part played by the actress, it could be 'the actress's part' or 'the actress' part'.

比如，當(dāng)指某位女演員表演的部分時(shí)，可以說(shuō)是the actress's part或者the actress' part。

Some people are guided in whether or not to include the 's' by how the word is pronounced.

一些人按照單詞的發(fā)音來(lái)確定是否添加s。

Lucy said the most important thing to do is to remain consistent in your style and to choose one form throughout a piece of text.

露西說(shuō)，最重要的是自己的文體保持一致，整篇文章選用一種寫(xiě)法。

The rule is clearer with a plural noun as only an apostrophe should be added.

當(dāng)復(fù)數(shù)名詞需要添加撇號(hào)時(shí)，規(guī)則就清晰多了。

For example, the house belonging to your grandparents would be your 'grandparents' house', rather than 'your grandparents's house'.

比如，這間房子屬于你的祖父母，應(yīng)該寫(xiě)成your grandparents' house而不是your grandparents's house

If comparing two nouns with possessive pronouns, you don't always need to repeat the second noun but would still use the apostrophe.

在比較包含物主代詞的兩個(gè)名詞時(shí)，通常無(wú)需重復(fù)第二個(gè)名詞，但仍需使用撇號(hào)。

For example, you don't need to say 'my house is smaller than my parents' house', and can instead just say 'my house is smaller than my parents'.'

比如，你不用說(shuō)my house is smaller than my parents' house，而只要說(shuō)my house is smaller than my parents'(我的房子比父母的房子小)。

With nouns that have multiple owners, the last owner would take possesion, so Lucy and Aly's cat not Lucy's and Aly's cat.

如果某件物品有多個(gè)所有者，要在最后一個(gè)所有者那里添加所有格形式，所以露西和愛(ài)麗的貓要寫(xiě)成Lucy and Aly's cat 而不是Lucy's and Aly's cat。

But if the noun is owned separately it would be Lucy's and Aly's cats.

但如果物品是分開(kāi)所有的，就要寫(xiě)成Lucy's and Aly's cats(露西和愛(ài)麗的貓咪們)。

Verb contractions

動(dòng)詞縮略形式

Verb contractions, which are sometimes called 'short forms', commonly combine a pronoun or noun and a verb, or a verb and not, in a shorter form.

動(dòng)詞縮略形式有時(shí)被稱(chēng)為“簡(jiǎn)易形式”，通常包含一個(gè)代詞/名詞和一個(gè)動(dòng)詞，或者是動(dòng)詞和not的縮寫(xiě)形式。

The first use produces words such as 'she'll', which combines the noun 'she' with 'will', used to express the future tense.

第一種用法比如she'll，是名詞she和will的縮寫(xiě)，用于表達(dá)將來(lái)時(shí)。

The second use is seen in words like 'can't' - can and not - or 'wouldn't' - would not.

第二種用法比如can't (can和not的縮寫(xiě))和wouldn't(would和not的縮寫(xiě))。

While they are common in everyday speech, they are frowned upon in formal writing.

盡管這在日常用語(yǔ)中很常見(jiàn)，但在正式書(shū)寫(xiě)中卻讓人撓頭。

These are particularly true of contractions that combine pronouns with 'would' or 'had'.

這種形式在代詞和would或had結(jié)合是尤其常見(jiàn)。

One might say 'Mum'd' instead of 'Mum would' in informal conversation, for example, but would not write it.

比如在非正式的對(duì)話中，有人可能會(huì)說(shuō)Mum'd而不是Mum would，但書(shū)寫(xiě)時(shí)不會(huì)這么寫(xiě)。

Common mistakes

常見(jiàn)錯(cuò)誤

The addition of apostrophes can lead to people becoming mixed-up between homophones - words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings.

添加撇號(hào)會(huì)讓人們把同音異義單詞搞混，這些單詞發(fā)音相同，但含義不同 。

One of the most common mistakes is the difference between who's and whose.

最常見(jiàn)的錯(cuò)誤是who's和whose之間的差異。

'Who's' is a contracted form of 'who is' while 'whose' is the possessive form of the pronoun 'who'.

Who's是who is的縮略形式，而whose是代詞who的所有格形式。

'You're' and 'your' create similar problems for native and second language English speakers.

不管是對(duì)于英語(yǔ)母語(yǔ)者還是把英語(yǔ)作為第二語(yǔ)言的人來(lái)說(shuō)，you're和your也存在類(lèi)似的問(wèn)題。