English Punctuation
Period : le point. On utilise le point à la fin d’une phrase comprenant un verbe conjugué.
Examples:
He went to a conference on global warming in LA last week.
They are coming to maintain the equipment in the lab.
Comma : la virgule. On l’utilise dans différents cas :
• Séparer une liste de termes. C’est l’usage le plus fréquent de la virgule. Une virgule précède généralement la conjonction “et” (and) qui relie le dernier élément de la liste.
Examples:
We are used to studying in the library, doing fieldwork outdoors, and writing reports, and preparing for exams.
• Séparer les propositions (clauses). Ceci s’applique surtout après une proposition en tête de phrase ou une longue
Examples:
In order to be admitted to an American university, you must take the SAT.
Although he wanted to be present at the lecture, he was held up by a traffic jam.
Séparer deux propositions indépendantes connectées par une conjonction comme mais (but).
Examples:
He wanted to gain admission to Harvard, but he was unable to get financial aid.
I’d like to grade my students’ papers tonight, and then watch a program on Discovery Channel.
Introduire une citation directe.
Exemples :
The scientist said, “If the polar ice caps keep on melting as is the case today, the polar bear is bound to become an extinct species.”
Séparer les appositives (nom ou groupe nominal) ou les propositions relatives non limitatives.
Examples:
Albert Einstein, who was born in Germany, had to migrate to the US.
Robert Smith, the CEO of Smith and Martin Corp., has invested millions of dollars in nanotechnologies.
• Séparer les milliers dans des grands chiffres
65,000 dollars
12,000 or 12000
• La virgule se place après le mois dans une date.
October 3, 1949
Le point d’interrogation (question mark). En anglais, il n’y a pas d’espace devant le point d’interrogation. Le point d’interrogation est utilisé pour poser une question.
Exemples :
How long have your students been working on thermodynamics?
Le point d’exclamation (exclamation mark) s’emploie à la fin d’une phrase pour marquer la surprise, l’indignation, une forte émotion.
Exemples :
What a discovery!
I can’t believe he has just been awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry!
Le point virgule (semi-colon). En anglais, il n’y a pas d’espace devant le point virgule. Le point virgule sert à séparer deux propositions indépendantes. On l’utilise quand le rapport entre les deux propositions est clair, en l’absence d’un mot de liaison.
Exemples :
Some students like biology; others prefer chemistry.
On utilise aussi le point virgule pour séparer des groupes de mots, eux-mêmes séparés par des virgules.
Exemples :
They decided to go to the United States, for their studies; Canada, for a holiday; and Mexico to do some fieldwork.
On utilise aussi le point virgule entre deux propositions indépendantes dont la seconde est introduite par un mot de liaison: therefore, however, furthermore, for example, in other words, in fact.
Exemples :
Many Chinese people use Baidu as a search engine; in fact, it is more widely used than Google.
My Irish friend and I don’t like people eavesdropping; therefore, we often use Gaelic when we communicate in public.
Les deux points (colon). En anglais, il n’y pas d’espace avant les deux points. Les deux points sont utilisés dans les cas suivants :
• Pour fournir des renseignements supplémentaires ou complémentaires ainsi que des explications.
Exemple :
· He resigned from his position, citing the following reasons: long working hours, moral harassment, low income, and lack of motivation on the part of the team.
· Pour dresser une liste
He has only read two novels this year: Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice.
Pour introduire une citation, quand il n’y a pas de verbe pour introduire la citation (he said). On utilise alors la majuscule pour le premier mot de la citation.
Polonius gave his son the following advice: Neither a borrower nor a lender be….
Devant une appositive
Exemple :
A scientist must have two qualities: he must be rigorous and he must be thorough.
1. Ajoutez la ponctuation dans les phrases.
1. You are requested to bring to the test a pencil an eraser a notebook and a pocket calculator
2. Girls in this country look forward to an important event in their lives coming of age
3. The two causes of racism are ignorance and fear
4. There are two causes of racism ignorance and fear
5. Some experiments were successful others were not
6. Few French people speak English with any degree of proficiency in fact the French school system may be one of the worst in the world when it comes to teaching foreign languages
7. Edwin Hubble the scientist who discovered the asteroid 1373 Cincinnati on August 3 1939 was born in Marshfield, Missouri
8. Hubble’s discoveries were the universe goes beyond the Milky Way galaxy and redshift increases with distance
9. Some scientists believe there may be water on Mars rather it may be under the surface of the Red planet
10. Sir Alexander Fleming entered St Mary’s Medical School London University he qualified with distinction in 1906 and began research under Sir Almroth Wright a pioneer in vaccine therapy
2. Restituez la prononciation dans le passage suivant.
early in his medical life Fleming became interested in the natural bacterial action of the blood and in antiseptics he was able to continue his studies throughout his military career and on demobilization he settled to work on antibacterial substances which would not be toxic to animal tissues in 1921 he discovered in tissues and secretions an important bacteriolytic substance which he named Lysozyme about this time he devised sensitivity titration methods and assays in human blood and other body fluids which he subsequently used for the titration of penicillin. in 1928 while working on influenza virus he observed that mould had developed accidently on a staphylococcus culture plate and that the mould had created a bacteria-free circle around itself he was inspired to further experiment and he found that a mould culture prevented growth of staphylococci even when diluted 800 times he named the active substance penicillin
(http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1945/fleming-bio.html)