雷区一、主谓不一致
在考生作文中,这种语法错误是最为常见的,也是杀伤力最强的一种。主谓一致中,明明主语是单数,但是谓语动词用了原形;或是主语是复数,可谓语动词却用成了第三人称单数形式。另外,所谓“不一致”不光指主谓不一致,还包括了数的不一致、时态不一致以及代词不一致等。比如:
When one have money, he can do what he want to.
分析:one是第三人称单数,因此本句的 have 应改为 has;
可改为:When one has money, he can do what he wants (to do).
英语与汉语不同,同一个修饰语置于句子不同的位置,句子的含义可能引起变化。对于这一点考生们往往没有引起足够的重视,因而造成了不必要的误解。比如:
I believe I can do it well and I will better know the world outside the campus.
分析:better 位置不当,应置于句末。
在口语中,交际双方可借助手势语气上下文等,不完整的句子完全可以被理解。可是书面语就不同了,句子结构不完整会令意思表达不清,这种情况常常在主句写完以后,作者又想加些补充说明时发生。比如:
There are many ways to know the society. For example by TV, radio, newspaper and so on.
分析:本句后半部分 "For example by TV, radio, newspaper and so on.” 不是一个完整的句子,仅为一些不连贯的词语,不能独立成句。
可改为:There are many ways to know society, for example, by TV, radio, and newspaper.
所谓悬垂修饰语是指句首的短语与后面句子的逻辑关系混乱不清。比如:
At the age of ten, my grandfather died.
这个句子中 "at the age of ten" 只写出十岁时,但没有说明“谁”十岁时,按一般推理不可能是my grandfather, 如果我们把这个悬垂修饰语改得明确一点,读者或考官在读句子时就不会误解了。
改为:When I was ten, my grandfather died.
“词性误用”常表现为:介词当动词;形容词当副词用;名词当动词用等。比如:
None can negative the importance of money.
分析:negative 系形容词,这里被误用为动词。
改为:None can deny the importance of money.
指代不清主要讲的是代词与被指代的人或物关系不清,或者先后所用的代词不一致。比如:
Mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted her to be her bridesmaid.
读完上面这一句话,读者无法明确地判断两位姑娘中谁将结婚,谁将当伴娘。如果我们把易于引起误解的代词所指代的对象加以明确,意思就一目了然了。这个句子可改为:Mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted my sister to be her bridesmaid.
这类错误的原因是受中文母语的迁移影响。很多考生在写句子时,句子之间缺乏有效的连接成分。甚至,有的句子写的比较中式化。比如:
There are many ways we get to know the outside world.
分析:这个句子包含了两层完整的意思:“there are many ways”以及“we get to know the outside world”。简单地把它们连在一起就不妥当了。
可改为:There are many ways for us to learn about the outside world. 或:There are many ways through which we can become acquainted with the outside world.
很多人平时不练笔不写作,没有养成良好的推敲、斟酌用词的习惯。大部分考生随心所欲,拿来就用,所以作文中用词不当的错误随处可见。比如:
The increasing use of chemical obstacles in agriculture also makes pollution.
分析:显然,这里把 obstacles “障碍”,“障碍物” 误作 substance “物质”了。另外 “the increasing use (不断增加的使用)” 应改为 “abusive use (滥用)”。
改为:The abusive use of chemical substances in agriculture also causes / leads to pollution.
简洁性永远是好文章的重要标志!能用单词的不要用词组;能用词组的不要用从句或句子。比如:
In spite of the fact that he is lazy, I like him.
本句的 “the fact that he is lazy” 系同谓语从句,我们按照上述 “能用词组的不用从句”可以改为:
In spite of his laziness, I like him.
再比如:
For the people who are diligent and kind, money is just the thing to be used to buy the thing they need.
整个句子可以大大简化为:Diligent people use money only to buy what they need.
不连贯是指一个句子前言不对后语,或是结构上不畅通,这也是考生常犯的毛病。比如:
The fresh water, it is the most important things of the earth.
分析:the fresh water 与逗号后的 it 不连贯,it 与 things 在数方面不一致。