{"id":7495,"date":"2026-07-16T09:10:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/?p=7495"},"modified":"2026-07-16T09:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:12:43","slug":"english-punctuation-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/th\/english-punctuation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"\u6a19\u9ede\u7b26\u865f\u82f1\u6587\uff1a13 \u500b\u5fc5\u5b78\u7b26\u865f\u7684\u7528\u6cd5\u8207\u5538\u6cd5 (2026) | English Punctuation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nQuick Answer\uff08\u5feb\u901f\u89e3\u7b54\uff09:<\/strong> English punctuation uses half-width marks\uff08\u534a\u5f62\u7b26\u865f\uff09with specific spacing rules that Chinese does not have. The three that cause the most trouble for Taiwan writers are the comma\uff08\u9017\u865f\uff09, the apostrophe\uff08\u6487\u865f\uff09, and quotation marks\uff08\u5f15\u865f\uff09. English has no \u9813\u865f\uff08\u3001\uff09, never uses full-width symbols\uff08\uff0c\u3002\uff09, and always puts a space after<\/em> a mark, never before it. Master those four rules and your written English instantly looks more native.\n<\/div>\n

Roughly one in three emails I mark from Taiwanese professionals has the same tell: a full-width comma\uff08\uff0c\uff09sitting in the middle of an English sentence, or an itemised list joined by \u3001instead of commas. It is not a vocabulary problem or a grammar problem. It is English punctuation<\/strong> \u2014 the one layer of writing that classrooms in Taiwan rarely teach, because Chinese and English handle marks in completely different ways. This guide walks through all 13 marks you actually need, what each one is called out loud, and the specific mistakes that come from writing English with a Chinese keyboard habit.<\/p>\n

\u6a19\u9ede\u7b26\u865f\u82f1\u6587\u5c0d\u7167\u8868\uff1aNames of Every Mark<\/h2>\n

Before the rules, you need the vocabulary. Native speakers say these mark names constantly \u2014 when reading out an email address, dictating a URL, or editing a document. If someone says “no apostrophe in that one,” you should know exactly which key they mean. Here is the full reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Symbol<\/th>\nEnglish Name<\/th>\n\u4e2d\u6587<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
.<\/td>\nPeriod \/ Full Stop<\/td>\n\u53e5\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
,<\/td>\nComma<\/td>\n\u9017\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
?<\/td>\nQuestion Mark<\/td>\n\u554f\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
!<\/td>\nExclamation Point \/ Mark<\/td>\n\u9a5a\u5606\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
‘<\/td>\nApostrophe<\/td>\n\u6487\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
” “<\/td>\nQuotation Marks<\/td>\n\u5f15\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
:<\/td>\nColon<\/td>\n\u5192\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
;<\/td>\nSemicolon<\/td>\n\u5206\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
–<\/td>\nHyphen<\/td>\n\u9023\u5b57\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2014<\/td>\nDash (em dash)<\/td>\n\u7834\u6298\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
( )<\/td>\nParentheses \/ Brackets<\/td>\n\u62ec\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
&<\/td>\nAmpersand<\/td>\n\u548c\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
~<\/td>\nTilde<\/td>\n\u6ce2\u6d6a\u865f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"English
The 13 English punctuation marks every Taiwan learner should recognise on sight.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Comma\uff08\u9017\u865f\uff09: The Mark Taiwan Writers Overuse<\/h2>\n

The comma is where most Chinese-to-English writing falls apart, and the reason is structural. Written Chinese lets you string clause after clause together with commas \u2014 a run-on that reads perfectly well in Mandarin. Drop that same habit into English and you get a “comma splice,” one of the fastest ways to look like a non-native writer.<\/p>\n

Here is the rule in one line: a comma cannot join two complete sentences. “I finished the report, I sent it to my manager”<\/em> is wrong. Fix it three ways \u2014 a period (“I finished the report. I sent it…”<\/em>), a semicolon, or a joining word like \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30<\/em>, \u0e41\u0e15\u0e48<\/em>, or \u0e14\u0e31\u0e07\u0e19\u0e31\u0e49\u0e19<\/em> (“…report, so I sent it…”<\/em>). Use commas for lists, after introductory phrases, and around extra information \u2014 not to weld sentences together.<\/p>\n

\"Writing
A comma separates items and clauses \u2014 it does not glue two full sentences together.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Period\uff08\u53e5\u865f\uff09and the Full-Width Trap<\/h2>\n

The period itself is simple: it ends a statement. The trap is invisible. Taiwanese keyboards default to a full-width period\uff08\u3002\uff09and full-width comma\uff08\uff0c\uff09when the input method is set to Chinese. Type an English sentence without switching modes and you get “Please review the attached file\uff0cthanks\u3002”<\/em> \u2014 which looks almost right on screen but flags instantly to any native reader and breaks in most software. Always switch your keyboard to half-width\uff08\u534a\u5f62\uff09English mode before writing English. A real period takes up half the space of a Chinese one, and there is a space after it, not before.<\/p>\n

The Apostrophe\uff08\u6487\u865f\uff09: It’s vs Its<\/h2>\n

The apostrophe does two jobs and confuses learners on both. First, contractions: it is \u2192 it’s<\/em>, do not \u2192 don’t<\/em>, they are \u2192 they’re<\/em>. Second, possession: the manager’s office<\/em>, Taiwan’s economy<\/em>. The single trickiest pair in all of English is its<\/em> versus it’s<\/em>. It’s<\/em> always means “it is” or “it has.” Its<\/em> (no apostrophe) shows possession \u2014 “the company raised its prices.”<\/em> When in doubt, expand it: if “it is” fits, use the apostrophe. If it does not, drop it. This same logic clears up a lot of the traps in our guide to English homophones Taiwan learners confuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Vintage
The apostrophe key does double duty: contractions and possession.<\/em><\/p>\n

Quotation Marks\uff08\u5f15\u865f\uff09: Use ” ” Not \u300c\u300d<\/h2>\n

Chinese quotes speech with \u300c\u300d and \u300e\u300f. English uses straight or curly double quotes: “…”<\/em>. This matters more than it looks, because a document full of \u300c\u300d marks screams “translated from Chinese” to any editor. American English puts periods and commas inside<\/em> the closing quote \u2014 She said, “I’ll be there.”<\/em> British English often puts them outside. For Taiwan, where American English is the default, keep them inside. Single quotes (‘…’<\/em>) are only for a quote inside a quote.<\/p>\n

The Colon\uff08\u5192\u865f\uff09and Semicolon\uff08\u5206\u865f\uff09<\/h2>\n

These two get mixed up constantly, so here is the clean split. A colon<\/strong>\uff08\u5192\u865f :\uff09introduces something \u2014 a list, an explanation, or a quote: “Bring three things: your passport, a pen, and the form.”<\/em> Whatever comes before the colon must be a complete sentence. A semicolon<\/strong>\uff08\u5206\u865f ;\uff09links two related complete sentences that could each stand alone: “The deadline moved; nobody told the team.”<\/em> If you are unsure whether a semicolon fits, a period is always the safe choice \u2014 even native writers underuse the semicolon rather than risk getting it wrong.<\/p>\n

\"Proofreading
Colon introduces; semicolon connects. When unsure, a period never fails.<\/em><\/p>\n

Question Marks\uff08\u554f\u865f\uff09and Exclamation Points\uff08\u9a5a\u5606\u865f\uff09<\/h2>\n

Both are straightforward, with one caution. A question mark ends a direct question: “Did you send the invoice?”<\/em> \u2014 but not an indirect one: “He asked whether I sent the invoice.”<\/em> (period, no question mark). The exclamation point signals strong feeling, and here is a mild opinion worth taking: use it almost never in professional writing. One exclamation point in a work email reads as friendly; three read as unhinged. Save the energy for the words themselves.<\/p>\n

Hyphens\uff08\u9023\u5b57\u865f\uff09and Dashes\uff08\u7834\u6298\u865f\uff09<\/h2>\n

A hyphen (-) is short and joins words into one idea: well-known<\/em>, five-year-old<\/em>, state-of-the-art<\/em>. A dash (\u2014) is longer and sets off a break in thought \u2014 like this one \u2014 or replaces a colon for emphasis. They are not interchangeable, and typing two hyphens (–) where a dash belongs is a common shortcut. On a keyboard, most writing apps auto-convert two hyphens into a real dash. Don’t stress the difference in casual chat; do get it right in anything formal.<\/p>\n

\"English
Hyphens join words; dashes break a sentence for emphasis.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u9813\u865f\u600e\u9ebc\u8fa6\uff1fWhy \u3001Doesn’t Exist in English<\/h2>\n

This is the single most common Chinese-interference mistake, and it deserves its own section. Chinese uses the \u9813\u865f\uff08\u3001\uff09to separate items in a list \u2014 \u860b\u679c\u3001\u9999\u8549\u3001\u6a58\u5b50<\/em>. English has no such mark. The comma does that job: apples, bananas, and oranges<\/em>. Notice the word \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30<\/em> before the last item, and the optional comma before it (the “Oxford comma,” which most American style guides recommend for clarity). If you find yourself reaching for \u3001in an English sentence, stop \u2014 it does not exist on the English side of the language, and there is no situation where it belongs.<\/p>\n

\u5168\u5f62 vs \u534a\u5f62: The Width Problem Nobody Warns You About<\/h2>\n

Every English punctuation mark has a full-width\uff08\u5168\u5f62\uff09twin that lives on the Chinese input method: \uff0c\u3002\uff01\uff1f\uff1a\uff1b\uff08\uff09. They look bigger and sit centered in their space. In Chinese, that is correct. In English, they are all wrong \u2014 full-width marks break URLs, throw errors in code and forms, and mark you instantly as writing in the wrong mode. The fix is a one-second habit: toggle your input method to English\/half-width before typing anything in English, and check your final text for any stray \u5168\u5f62 marks before you hit send. This one adjustment fixes more “off” looking English than any grammar rule.<\/p>\n

\"Person
Half-width marks and a single space after each one \u2014 the native default.<\/em><\/p>\n

5 English Punctuation Mistakes Taiwan Learners Make Most<\/h2>\n

After marking thousands of pieces of student and professional writing, the same five errors come up again and again. Fix these and you clear about 90% of the punctuation problems in Taiwan-written English:<\/p>\n