汉语目前使用的标点符号是参考借鉴西文标点体系而制定，它既保留了西文标点的主体特征，又带有与汉语语言特点相适应的特色。因而，中英文标点符号之间存在着一定的差异。

　　1. 汉语中某些标点符号英语没有。

　　（1）顿号（、）：顿号在汉语中起分割句子中的并列成分的作用；英语中没有顿号，分割句中的并列成分多用逗号。如：

　　She slowly, carefully, deliberately moved the box.

　　（2）书名号（《》）：英文没有书名号，书名、报刊名用斜体或者下划线表示。如：

　　Hamlet / Hamlet 《哈姆雷特》

　　Winter's Tale / Winter's Tale 《冬天的童话》

　　The New York Times / The New York Times 《纽约时报》

　　（3）间隔号（?）：汉语有间隔号，用在月份和日期、音译的名和姓等需要隔开的词语的正中间，如“一二?九”、“奥黛丽?赫本（人名）”等。英语中没有汉语的间隔号，如：William Wordsworth。

　　2. 英语中某些标点符号汉语没有。

　　（1）撇号—Apostrophe（'）

　　（2）连字号—Hyphen（-）

　　（3）斜线号—Virgule or Slash（/）：

　　该符号主要起分割作用，如It could be for staff and / or students. 也常用于标音，如bed /bed/。

　　3. 某些符号在汉英两种语言中的形式不同。

　　（1）中文的句号是空心圈（。），英文的句号是实心点（.）。

　　（2）英文的省略号是三个点（...），位置在行底；中文的为六个点（......），居于行中。

　　（3）英文的破折号是（-）；中文的是（—）

　　中国学生常见标点符号错误

　　(1) 顿号、书名号、句号、省略号错误。比较中英文标点符号可见，英文标点中没有中文形式的顿号、书名号、句号和省略号。而这四种标点符号成了大学英语写作中“借鉴频率较高的符号。如:

　　（错误）1. While she is reading《Gone With the Wind》, I am cooking。

　　（错误）2. My sister bought a lot of fruits for me, such as banana、orange、apple and pear.

　　英文中的印刷体用斜体字表示书籍、报刊、戏剧、电影、绘画作品等的名称，在书写体或打字机打的文本中用字下线表示斜体字；英文常用逗号来代替冒号：而句号是用实心小黑点表示。

　　故以上两句应改为:

　　（修改）1. While she is reading Gone With the Wind , I am cooking. （印刷体）

　　（修改）2. My sister bought a lot of fruits for me, such as banana, orange , apple and pear.

　　(2) 冒号错误。冒号是中英文兼有的标点符号。在汉语中，冒号是表示提示性话语之后的停顿，常用在“说、道、讲、问、唱、回答、喊、吼”等动词的后边，以标明下面的话是谁说的。在英文表达中，“for example”（例如） 一类的词后常用逗点代替冒号。此用法影响下列英文句子标点：

　　（错误）3. I thought to myself: "What kind of trap is she laying?"

　　（错误）4. He asked: "Where are you from?"

　　（错误）5. Good manners can be seen in everyday life. For example: a person with good manners is kind and helpful to others.

　　（修改）3. I thought to myself, "What kind of trap is she laying?"

　　（修改）4. He asked, "Where are you from?"

　　（修改）5. Good manners can be seen in everyday life. For example, a person with good manners is kind and helpful to others.

　　（3）破折号错误。汉语中的破折号标明行文中解释说明的部分，而英文同位语也具有同等说明的功能，故英文写作中用破折号连接同位语成份的错误也屡见不鲜。如:

　　（错误）6. We are studying and living at the famous university—Beijing University.

　　（修改）6. We are studying and living at the famous university, Beijing University.

　　在大学英语写作中，与语法有关的标点错误

　　(1) 把非限制性定语从句 (non-restrictive attributive clause) 理解成限制性定语从句(restrictive attributive clause) 而忽略用逗点。如：

　　（错误）7. We were led into a nearest fabric shop that was divided into two parts.

　　从句意来看，上句是一个非限制性定语从句，故应在shop 后加逗点，把that 相应改成which

　　（修改）7. We were led into a nearest fabric shop, which was divided into two parts.

　　(2) 不论状语从句在整个句子中处于何种位置，一概以逗点隔开。

　　（错误）8. We will go there, if it is fine tomorrow.

　　状语从句可置于句首或句末。置于句首时，一般要用标点隔开；而置于句末时，则无需与主句隔开，故以上句子应改为：

　　（修改）8. If it is fine tomorrow , we will go there. 或We will go there if it is fine tomorrow.

　　(3) 误把however, therefore, because, thus 等起联系作用的副词当成并列连词，导致写作中的逗号粘连 (comma splice) 错误。

　　（错误）10. She thought what the teacher pointed out was right, however, she didn't care for that.

　　两个完整的句子或两个并列句之间不能一概用逗点点开，可用句号、分号或在逗点后加并列连词 (and, but, or, for, so, nor, yet) 等方法修改。

　　故上例可改为：

　　（修改）10. She thought what the teacher pointed out was right. However, she didn't care for that.

　　或 She thought what the teacher pointed out was right; however, she didn't care for that.

　　或She thought what the teacher pointed out was right, but she didn't care for that.

　　(4) 两个并列的形容词间以and 代替逗点。

　　（错误）12. Through the window, in front of me were large green fields which reminded me of the small clearing where I spent my lonely, hard childhood

　　现代英语表达一般在两个形容词中间不使用and，而是用逗点分隔。

　　（修改）12. Through the window, in front of me were large green fields which reminded me of the small clearing where I spent my lonely and hard childhood.

　　其他错误

　　引号错误。

　　As the saying goes, "No pain, no gain."

　　英文中短小的引语与作者提示“某某说之类的词语之间用逗点隔开，置于引号内。不能省略提示语“某某说之类而直接引用。

　　（错误）14. Glancing through the essay entitled "Why Not More?", Dr. Jefferson frowned thoughtfully.

　　（修改）14. Glancing through the essay entitled "Why Not More?," Dr. Jefferson frowned thoughtfully.