英语写作指导:英语写作常见错误与分析
一. 单复数错误
例1. when one have money ,he can do what he want to .
(人一旦有了钱,他就能想干什么就干什么.)
剖析:one是单数第三人称,因而本句的have应改为has ;同理,want应改为wants.本句是典型的主谓不一致.
改为: once one has money ,he can do what he wants (to do)
二. 修饰语错位(misplaced modifiers)
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.对于这一点中国学生往往没有引起足够的重视,因而造成了不必要的误解.例1. i believe i can do it well and i will better know the world outside the campus.
剖析:better位置不当,应置于句末.
三. 句子不完整(sentence fragments)
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,这种情况常常发生在主句写完以后,笔者又想加些补充说明时发生.
例1. there are many ways to know the society. for example by tv ,radio ,newspaper and so on .
剖析: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.
改为:there are many ways to know society ,for example ,by tv ,radio ,and newspaper.
四. 悬垂修饰语(dangling modifiers)
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.例如:at the age of ten, my grandfather died. 这句中at the age of ten只点出十岁时,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明确一点,全句就不那么费解了.
改为:
when i was ten, my grandfather died.
例1. to do well in college, good grades are essential.
剖析:句中不定式短语 to do well in college 的逻辑主语不清楚.
改为:
to do well in college, a student needs good grades.
五. 词性误用(misuse of parts of speech)
词性误用常表现为:介词当动词用;形容词当副词用;名词当动词用等.
例1. none can negative the importance of money.
剖析:negative 系形容词,误作动词。
改为:
none can deny the importance of money.
六. 指代不清(ambiguous reference of pronouns)
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。试看下面这一句:
mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted her to be her bridesmaid.
(玛丽和我姐姐很要好,因为她要她做她的伴娘。)
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的所指对象加以明确,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.
例1. and we can also know the society by serving it yourself.
剖析:句中人称代词we 和反身代词yourself指代不一致。改为:
we can also know society by serving it ourselves.
七. 不间断句子(run-on sentences)
什么叫run-on sentence?请看下面的例句。
例1. there are many ways we get to know the outside world.
剖析: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。
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
八. 措词毛病(troubles in diction)
diction 是指在特定的句子中如何适当地选用词语的问题,囿于教学时间紧迫,教师平时在这方面花的时间往往极其有限,影响了学生在写作中没有养成良好的推敲,斟酌的习惯。他们往往随心所欲,拿来就用。所以作文中用词不当的错误比比皆是。
例1. the increasing use of chemical obstacles in agriculture also makes pollution.
(农业方面化学物质使用的不断增加也造成了污染。)
剖析:显然,考生把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.
九. 累赘(redundancy)
言以简洁为贵。写句子没有一个多余的词;写段落没有一个无必要的句子。能用单词的不用词组;能用词组的不用从句或句子。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.
例1. for the people who are diligent and kind, money is just the thing to be used to buy the thing they need.
剖析:整个句子可以大大简化。
改为:
diligent, caring people use money only to buy what they need.
十. 不连贯(incoherence)
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。
例1. the fresh water, it is the most important things of the earth.
剖析:the fresh water 与逗号后的it 不连贯。it 与things 在数方面不一致。
改为:
fresh water is the most important thing in the world.
十一. 综合性语言错误(comprehensive misusage)
所谓综合性语言错误,是指除了上述十种错误以外,还有诸如时态,语态,标点符号,大小写等方面的错误。
例1.today, money to everybody is very importance, ours eat, cloth, live, go etc.