句子结构的错误
在英语中按句型来说可以分为陈述句、疑问句、祈使句和感叹句四种,从结构上来说又可以分为简单句、并列句和复合句三种。句子的结构错误是构成句子完整结构的某一成分用错或者缺少,或者使用了多于成分而造成句意不清的错误类型。由于英语语法和汉语语法特点在结构上表现得十分明显,主、谓、宾结构在数、格、人称上的一致、连接手段的正确使用以及词序安排等,都与汉语有着相当大的差异,因此在改错中也是一大难点。句子结构错误类型包括:句子类型使用错误、句子成分短缺、平行结构错误以及词组搭配使用错误。
例 1
Computer analyzed marketing reports can help
deciding which products to emphasize now, which
to develop for the future, and which to be dropped. 1.__________
本句中三个平行成分 which products to emphasize now, which to develop for the future, and which to be dropped 结构模式应该一致,均采用不定式主动语态,因而 to be dropped 应改为 to drop .
例 2
When we consider the comfortable circumstances
of a working family today, the life of the workingman
in 1882 seems miserable indeed. But earlier it had
been ever hard. 1.__________
根据上文中“ earlier ”可知,原句显然是将 1882 年以前的生活与 1882 年时的生活作比较,所以此处 hard 应该改为 harder .
例 3
At the beginning of the nineteenth century working
hours were from sunrise to sunset, pay was awful,
and working conditions being poor and dangerous. 1.__________
在该句中, working hours were from sunrise to sunset, pay was awful, and working conditions being poor and dangerous 三个小分句为并列结构关系,因此必须保持成分和结构上的一致性,故应该将 being 改为 were .
例 4
However, a second person thought that this was
more a question of civilized behavior as good 1.__________
manners.
“ more…than… ”是固定搭配用法,在此句中表示“与其…不如…”的意思,而不是“比…多”的意思;没有“ more…as… ”的搭配用法,故应该将 as 改为 than .
练习题
1 On the contrary, the intimate atmosphere of the
small college allows the student four years of structural
living in which to expect and preparing for the real world. 1.__________
2 In making his choice among educational institutions
the student must, therefore, consider a great many factors.
Going to school is part of the socialization process,
and so going to the movies. 2.__________
3 The next morning the sun rose like a red ball on the
eastern horizon. But somehow after breakfast it hid
itself behind patches of clouds but it seemed a rain was 3.__________
apparent.
4 But luckily, no sooner had we entered the car when it 4.__________
suddenly began to rain.
5 That is worthy of note about these two groups is that 5.__________
among the 40 people there are only two women.
6 Women members are so less than members that we 6.__________
again think of the outdated prejudice that women are
inferior in intelligence.
7 The best way to avoid using dictionaries when you
are reading English books is to try to remember many 7.__________
words as you can.
8 It is just on that day when I bumped into Miss Helen 8.__________
on my way to work.
9 It is in the cinema not on the street where he lost his 9.__________
wallet which contained $ 1,000 in it.
10 In the future passengers ships will be built to travel
undersea, and special underwater ships will be designed
for mining, fishing, and to exploring unknown areas. 10.__________