标点符号虽然小，惹出事情真不少。因为用错了标点符号或是点错地方而造成的歧异和纠纷也不少。这次我们就来看看标点符号都该怎么用吧。

1. 句号 Period [.]
用以表示一个句子的结束：
Hockey is a popular sport in Canada.
The federal government is based in Ottawa.

用在缩写中：
B.C. is the province on the West Coast.
Dr. Bethune was a Canadian who worked in China.
The company is located at 888 Bay St. in Toronto.
It is 4:00 p.m. in Halifax right now.

2. 问号 Question Mark [?]
在句子的结尾使用问号表示是直接疑问句：How many provinces are there in Canada?

注意：在间接疑问句结尾不要加问号：
The teacher asked the class a question.
Don't ask me why.

3. 叹号 Exclamation Mark [!]
在句子的结尾使用叹号表示惊讶、兴奋等情绪：
We won the Stanley Cup!
The forest is on fire!

4. 逗号 Comma [,]
句子中的停顿：Therefore, we should write a letter to the prime minister.

在疑问句中引出说话人："I can come today," she said, "but not tomorrow."

排列三个或以上的名词：Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. are the three biggest provinces.

引出定语从句：Emily Carr, who was born in 1871, was a great painter.

5. 单引号 Apostrophe [']
表示所有:This is David's computer.
These are the player's things. (things that belong to the player)

Note: 对于复数形式的名词，只加'
These are the players' things. (things that belong to the players)

缩写I don't know how to fix it.

（来源：英语周报 英语点津 Annabel 编辑）