句子结构和书面表达技巧举隅

2016-04-08 22:35甘肃董耀忠
教学考试(高考英语) 2016年4期
关键词:介词谓语定语

甘肃 董耀忠

句子结构和书面表达技巧举隅

甘肃 董耀忠

书面表达题是高中英语考试中的重要题型之一,也是检验考生语言运用能力的一种重要形式。其命题形式和题材内容在各地各类考试中呈现多样性,测试体裁多以记叙文、应用文、观点对比式议论文和看图写话等为主,有情景作文,也有开放或半开放性作文,均贴近考生的生活实际,写考生熟悉的人和事,大同小异。然而,要切实提升书面表达水平,增强写作效果,提高该题的得分,就要注重书面表达的写作技巧,尤其是提升考生用词和造句的能力。

一、明晰句子类型,奠定写作基础

(一)句子的使用目的不同

句子按其使用目的的不同可分为陈述句、疑问句、祈使句和感叹句。其中,陈述句有肯定和否定结构;疑问句有一般疑问句、特殊疑问句、选择疑问句和反义疑问句;祈使句也有肯定和否定之分;感叹句可用“how”和“what”分别对形容词、副词和名词等进行修饰感叹。如:

He can hardly speak an English word.(陈述句)

Is there anything wrong with your pen?(一般疑问句)

Have a cup of tea,will you?(反义疑问句)

How fluently he speaks English!(感叹句)

归纳:陈述句、疑问句、祈使句和感叹句各自能够满足不同的表达语气和语境,即使是同一句话,也可根据表达目的的不同换用不同的句式,正如我们常说的“话有三说巧为妙”。

(二)句子的类型源于结构

英语中,句子类型易于区分。按照句子结构可分为简单句、并列句和复合句三大类。

1. 只有一个主语(或并列主语)和一个谓语(或并列谓语)的句子叫简单句。如:

My father and his workmate gave me a book.(并列主语)

I walked out and saw the yard white.(并列谓语)

2. 含有两个或两个以上独立的主谓结构或简单句的句子叫并列句。这些分句在形式上是平等的、互不依存的,但却在意义上相互联系。可由逗号或分号连接,更多的则是由并列连词连接。并列连词常有:

(1)表示并列关系:and,both...and...,not only...but(also)...,as well as等。如:

He likes not only playing basketball,but also playing football.

(2)表示转折关系:but,while,however,yet,still等。如:

Tom was rich while his brother was very poor.

(3)表示选择关系:or,or else,otherwise,either...or...,neither...nor,not...but...等。如:

Either you come to my place or I go to yours.

(4)表示因果关系:for,so,therefore等。如:

He didn’t work hard,therefore he failed in the examination.

3. 复合句是由一个主句和一个或一个以上的从句构成的。常有表示时间、地点、原因、条件和让步等的状语从句,有对先行词修饰限定的定语从句,有在主语、同位语和宾语等位置上出现的名词性从句等。如:

Dont’ promise anything unless you are one hundred percent sure.(条件状语从句)

I’ll give you my friend’s home address,where I can be reached most evenings.(非限制性定语从句)

Tomorrow is Tom’s birthday. Have you got any idea where the party is to be held?(同位语从句)

归纳:并列句和主从复合句的使用能够弥补简单句在表达上的不足,避免出现由于过分或过多地使用简单句而造成的“流水账”式的文章,以更好地体现语言的凝练和语意的畅通。

二、简繁搭配使用,优化表达形式

(一)注重简单句,更要强化句子成分

简单句是英语表达的基本句型,英语中主要有五种基本简单句型:主谓、主谓宾、主系表、主谓双宾语、主谓宾加宾补。在写作中,不管运用哪种句式,句子基本成分使用得恰当、准确显得尤为重要。

1. 准确把握句子主要成分:主语和谓语

(1)主语成分

The boy comes from America.(名词作主语)

Studying English is very important.(动名词作主语)

That he won the prize excited his mother.(从句作主语)

It’s obvious that he was wrong.(代词it充当形式主语,that引导主语从句)

归纳:主语是句子的“主”,表示句子所说的是谁或是什么。一般由名词、代词或相当于名词或代词的词、短语或句子充当。当主语为从句等时,为避免“头重脚轻”,可用“it”充当形式主语。

(2)谓语成分

His parents are teachers.(系动词)

The sun rises in the east.(实义动词)

They must have finished their tasks.(情态动词、助动词和实义动词)

归纳:谓语是句子的“脊柱”,用来说明主语的动作、性质或特征等。谓语常用动词或动词词组充当,动词有系动词、实义动词、助动词和情态动词等。若无特殊情况,谓语要置于主语之后。主谓结构的重点在于主语和谓语之间人称和数的一致。

●技巧点拨:在书面表达中,考生在写句子时首先要确定好句子的主语和谓语,力避写出无“头”无“脊柱”的“两无”之句,让读者无从读句、无法理解句意。

例如:精通一门外语不容易。

译文之一:Master a foreign language is not easy.(受汉语影响,用动词直接开头,无主语,且谓语混乱)

优化调整:It’s not easy to master a foreign language.(运用形式主语“it”和“to do...”不定式结构,结构清晰到位)

2. 巧妙设置句子其他成分:宾语、表语、定语、状语和宾语补足语等

(1)宾语成分

She handed him a book.(代词、名词作宾语)

She likes to play basketball.(动词不定式作宾语)

They believed that he should have done that.(从句作宾语)

I find it easy to do the job.(“it”为形式宾语,“to do the job”为真正的宾语)

归纳:宾语表示谓语动作的对象,一般由名词、宾格代词或相当于名词的词或短语来充当,根据需要也可用形式宾语it或句子。另外,宾语从句应用陈述句语序。如:

He asked whether/if he could come then.(用whether或if 引导,表示“是否”,从句用陈述语序)

He asked what he could borrow from her.(用特殊疑问词引导,从句用陈述语序)

(2)表语成分

The book isn’t mine.(名词性物主代词作表语)

My book is on the desk.(介词短语作表语)

My suggestion is that we should start at once.(从句作表语)

His speech was boring.(现在分词作表语)

归纳:英语中,有一类动词为系动词,如be,get,look,sound,seem,feel等,其后面的成分为表语。充当表语的典型词是形容词,也可是名词、代词、介词短语、非谓语动词或从句等。实际上,系动词和表语共同构成句子的复合谓语,说明主语的身份、性质和状态等。

(3)定语成分

The beautiful girl is her daughter.(形容词、形容词性物主代词作定语)

The book on the desk is mine.(介词短语作后置定语)

The building being repaired is our library.(非谓语动词短语作定语)

He is one of the students thatwho have been late.(从句作定语)

归纳:定语是用来修饰名词或代词的句子成分,顾名思义,是起修饰限定的作用。作定语的典型词是形容词,也可以是数词、介词短语、非谓语动词或定语从句等。定语有前置和后置两种情况,如短语结构、从句等作定语时,常置于被修饰词之后。

(4)状语成分

He did his homework carefully.(副词作状语)

She goes out to do some shopping on Sunday.(介词短语作状语)

When I grow up,I’m going to be a doctor.(从句作状语)

Feeling tired,he went to bed without supper.(非谓语动词作状语)

归纳:状语是用来修饰动词、形容词或副词的,一般表示行为发生的时间、地点、目的、方式、程度等意义。作状语的典型词是副词,当然也可是介词短语、不定式、分词、状语从句等。状语在句中的位置有讲究,如:主从句之间可相互调换位置,也有时主从句可被逗号隔开。

(5)宾语补足语成分

The news made us sad.(形容词作宾补)

I found myself in dark.(介词短语作宾补)

He always has others wait for him.(省略to的不定式作宾补)

Don’t leave the water running.(现在分词作宾补)

归纳:以上例句中的谓语动词虽然均为及物动词,但其后只加宾语却不能将意思表达清晰、完整,此时,需要加上对宾语的补充成分,如形容词、介词短语、不定式或分词等,句意方可完整。

●技巧点拨:明确了哪些词可以充当句子的宾语、表语、状语和宾补等成分,且掌握了这些句子成分常在句中所处的位置后,考生还应学会灵活地运用相关句子成分,以写出漂亮而又地道的句子,特别是做到不受汉语思维的干扰,避免出现“汉式英语”。

例如:我不是唯一不戴帽子的人。

译文之一:I am not the only not wear a hat man.(属汉式英语直译,语句成分混乱)

调整句式:I am not the only man who doesn’t wear a hat.(运用定语从句,句子结构明晰)

又如:我发现和他聊天很难。

译文之一:I find chat with him is hard.(虽有主语和谓语“I find”,但后面又有动词“chat”和“is”,句子成分混乱)

调整句式:I find it hard to chat with him.(运用形式宾语it和不定式结构)

或I find(that)chatting with him is hard.(运用动名词作主语的宾语从句结构)

(二)拓展简单句,尝试运用复杂句

在基本句型的基础上,根据表达所需,简单句可变为倒装、强调等特殊句式,更可依据语意合并为并列句或主从复合句。当然,在书面表达中并非一定要追求使用复杂句,经过拓展或润色的简单句也不失为一篇好文章的主体。

1.简单句有时极不简单

(1)简单句可扩展

原句:The man was famous.

扩展:At the age of 16,the man named Mike was famous because of being good at playing the piano.(画线部分为在原句基础上增加的状语和定语)

归纳:句子的扩展实质上就是在名词前后加上前置或后置定语,在动词、形容词或副词前后加上适当的状语,或者是增加修饰整个句子的状语等,从而使简单句的结构形式更加饱满、表达内容更加清楚、语言更加形象生动。

(2)简单句可变形

原句:He could speak Japanese.

变形:It’s he who could speak Japanese.(运用强调句)

原句:I shall never do this again.

变形:Never shall I do this again.(运用倒装句)

归纳:单纯简单句的基本结构形式往往不能满足表达需求,依据英语习惯和英语中相关特殊句式等的语法规则,考生可在基础单句上进行变形,以取得绝妙效果。

(3)简单句可有其高级形式

I want to have a pen friend,hopefully a girl.(增加同位语)

They are standing there,watching a bird flying.(设置伴随状语)

We should get high marks by studying hard instead of by cheating in the exam.(巧用介词短语)

归纳:简单句也可以不简单,通过增加同位语、设置伴随状语、巧用介词短语等方法,完全可使句子的表达内容更丰富、句子形式更精彩,同时也可彰显考生的语言运用能力。

2.尝试使用并列句和复合句

(1)我的家乡位于江北河畔,是个风景秀丽、适合居住的地方。

译文:My hometown lies beside the Jiangbei river. My hometown is a beautiful city. It is fit for living.

合并:My hometown,a beautiful city fit for living,lies beside the Jiangbei river.(运用同位语、后置定语和插入语等语法规则)

(2)他摔倒了,腿撞在桌子上。

译文:He fell down. He hit his leg on a table.

合并:He fell down and hit his leg on a table.(运用连词and合并为并列句)

(3)不保护环境,我们将没有干净的饮用水。

译文:We don’t protect the environment. We don’t have fresh drinking water.

合并:We don’t have fresh drinking water if we don’t protect the environment.(运用关联词if合并为主从复合句)

归纳:合并就是将多个零散的简单句组成一个长句。汉语常强调“意合”,简单句较多,结构较松散;而英语则强调“形合”,结构紧密,因此长句较多。所以,考生要尽量将表达的意思整合起来,以达到用英语表达和理解的思维习惯。

●技巧点拨:在英语书面表达中,我们明白了如何写简单句,并尝试将简单句合并为并列句或复合句等长难句,效果就已经不错。但是,由于考生语言运用能力较低的实际,考生还需要学会如何对低级句型润色改造,使之成为经典句或高级句。

例如:I was very tired. I couldn’t keep up with them.

可改为:I was very tired and couldn’t keep up with them.(并列句)

高级句:I was so tired that I couldn’t keep up with them.(运用“so...that...”句式)

I was too tired to keep up with them.(运用“too...to...”句式)

又如:She gave me a lot. There are Christmas presents. She also gave me a heart full of love.

可改为:She gave me not only Christmas presents but also a heart full of love.(运用“not only...but also...”句式)

高级句:What she gave me was not only Christmas presents but also a heart full of love.(运用主语从句、系表结构,句子更地道)

总之,在书面表达写作中,恰当用词、造句是相当关键的,是根本;学会对句子进行修改润色,也十分必要,考生应多加训练以提高自己的措辞造句能力。

(作者单位:甘肃省漳县第一中学)

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