2024年2月21日发(作者：)
英语句法讲座
Lecture 1
在掌握了基本的句法知识以后该怎样做才能写出好的英语句子来呢？我们建议你在练习英语写作时要时刻牢记十个字：完整、明确、连贯、简洁、多样 （complete, exact, coherent, concise,
varied）。完整：
在这里“完整”这个概念有两层意思：句子结构的完整和句子意义的完整。关于句子结构的完整， 1
应该说还是一个语法基本功的问题。一个结构完整的英语句子至少应包括一个主语和一个谓语。不像我们汉语中有许多无主句，例如：“非常想你。”“到处都在传说在关飞碟的故事。”“昨天刚刚产生了新的领导班子。”等等。英语中除了祈使句之外，是不可以省略句子主语的。而正是由于受到汉语的影响，中国学生常常在这一点上出错。当然缺少其他必要的句子成分或把句子中不能独立的组成部分当成句子使用都会破坏句子结构的 2
完整性，导致不完全句，也就是破句（片语，fragment）的产生。
另一方面，一个结构完整的句子所表达的意义不一定完整。例如：
1) He was the most popular folk song singer.
就缺乏思想表达上的完整性。因为句中“He"所谓的 “the most popular" 的概念未表达完全，即在什么时间、什么范围内最受欢迎。可以改为：
He was the most popular folk song singer in
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America in the 60s.
另外，一个句意完整的句子必须表达单一的完整的思想。句2)在句意的完整性上也有缺陷：
2) Last night I was reading in bed, and was
frightened by a scream outside.
这个句子与上句存在的问题有所不同，它的问题在于不符合一个句子表达一个单一的完整的思想这一要求，两个联系相对松散的意思简单地罗列在一起，没有明确主次，因而影响了句子思想表 4
达的完整性。在像这样需表达多层意思时，可以采取主从句的形式，以明确一个主要意思。例如，句2)可改为：
Last night when reading in bed, I was
frightened by a scream outside.
明确：
所谓“明确”指的是句子意思表达的明确，即句子思想应清晰明白，让人一目了然。避免写出句意模棱两可、易产生歧义的句子，例如句3：
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3) He asked his brother whether he could
send the girl back home.
就交代不清究竟是他要求哥哥把女孩送回家，还是他请求哥哥同意让自己去送。这是因为句中代词he 即可指代“He" 也可指代“his brother”，结果造成歧义。所以，要避免代词指代不明，句3可改为：
He asked his brother to send the girl back
home.
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或者：
He asked his brother to allow him to send the
girl back home.
4) A great crowed of shoppers milled inside
and outside hundreds more were storming the
doors.
本句缺了一个关键的逗号而造成了意思表达的模糊不清。因此，要清晰地表达句意，标点符号的准确使用也相当关键：
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A great crowd of shoppers milled inside, and
outside hundreds more were storming the doors.
5) My friend and brother came to see me.
由于没有进行必要的重复，主语是两个人还是一个变得令人猜疑。为力求简洁，英语中提倡尽量省略不必要的重复，但不恰当的省略也会带来语义上的模糊不清。句5可做如下改进：
My friend and my brother came to see me.
连贯
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连贯指句子各部分之间的关系紧密、协调、前后意思连贯、思想表达清楚有序。造成句子不连贯的因素有很多，主要有错用平行结构、代词指代不明、误置修饰语、转换不当、以及主谓不一致等。 除了上述的几点之外，人称、数、语气、时态上的不恰当转换也会破坏句子的连贯性。所以也是在句子写作中应该注意避免的。例如：
Faulty: He was knocked down by a bicycle,
but it was not serious. (人称转换)
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Improved: He was knocked down by a
bicycle, but was not seriously hurt.
Faulty: Those who want to go camping next
week need to get his parents' permission first. (数的转换)
Improved: Those who want to go camping
next week need to get their parents' permission
first.
Faulty: I played my stereo and watched
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television before I decide to do some homework.
(时态转换)
Improved: I played my stereo and watched
television before I decided to do some homework.
Faulty: Take your time, and you should be
careful. (结构不一致)
Improved: Take your time and be careful.
Faulty: I read the passage carefully, and several
mistakes were found. (语态转换)
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Improved: I read the passage carefully and
found several mistakes.
简洁
有人曾说过简洁是好文章的灵魂所在（Brevity is
the soul of good writing.）， 这话说得并不为过。我们知道英语写作最崇尚简洁，相应地，最忌讳冗长、罗嗦、含混不清的句子。而具体到大学英语写作，因作文长度限定，而且测试时间有限，就决定了我们不可能长篇大论地去写。因此尽可 12
能地用最简洁的方式表达出最多的思想信息就理所当然地应该成为每一个考生的追求目标。要达到“简洁”这一标准，就要力求句子中不存在任何不必要的词。例如：
6) I would like to say that my subject in this
writing will be the kind of person that my father
was, who was very generous.
完全可以缩减成下面的短句：
My father was a generous person.
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再请比较一下下面的几组句子：
Wordy: The watch is golden in color and costs
$50 in price.
Improved: The golden watch costs $50.
Wordy: Mr. Smith usually loves to drink all
kinds of wines that are produced in France.
Improved: Mr. Smith likes French wines.
Wordy: He didn't have enough experience,
which is the reason why he didn't do the work
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well.
Improved: He didn't do the work well for lack of
experience.
Wordy: The test was hard, and the students
were resentful, and their teacher was irritated.
Improved: Because the students resented the
hard test, their teacher was irritated.
Wordy: Black was one of those people whom
there are few in the world like him.
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Improved; There are few people like Black.
对比过上面的各组句子，想必你对造句中去繁就简的必要性有了更感性的认识。下面我们将给出另外一些冗赘的句子，你不妨找出纸和笔，马上亲自动手实践一下，把它们修改成简洁明了的好句子。
1. The movie that I went to last night, which was
fairly interesting, I must say, was enjoyed by me
and my girlfriend.
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2. It was a problem which was very difficult in
character and very delicate in nature.
3. The meaning of his statement is that he is of the
opinion that the death penalty should be
allowed.
4. I believe in the fact that the process of
educating a person in college can be, in my
opinion, worthwhile for that individual.
5. After a lot of careful thinking, I've finally
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arrived upon the conclusion that it should be
proper to say a part-time job is beneficial to
college students.
6. Without a doubt, the only thing you can rely or
depend on would be the sure fact that death
comes to everyone.
7. After the concert had come to a close, we went
to a restaurant to have our dinner.
8. She was an old woman who was very kind in
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nature and amiable in manner.
9. I know a man who writes novels.
10. There are many cities that are faced with the
problem of pollution in this day and age.
11. In spite of the fact that he is lazy, I like him.
12. He was not willing to admit the fact that he
had not succeeded.
13. The reason why we are late is because the
storm held us up.
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14. The thing I want to say is that women should
be paid as much as men for the same work.
15. We decided that we would get an early start.
16. In the modern world of today, we must get an
adequate enough education that will prepare us
for a job in our vocation in life.
17. Water is so necessary to men and women,
adult and children, plants and animals in the
world, that people will apply all possible means
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to hold it back by means of storage in the
reservoir or other way else.
Lecture 2
主谓一致问题
主谓不一致问题也是学生英语作文中最常见的错误之一，而这一点更多地是一个语法基本功的问题。在此我们不可能系统全面地讲解所有有关主谓一致的语法问题，仅就学生习作中最容易出错的几点作简单的提示。
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1． 存在句中的主谓一致
存在句中，如果有数主语并列，并且各个主语的数不一致（既有单数又有复数），动词的数一般与离它最近的那个一致。
例如：
Faulty: There are a wooden table, four
old-fashioned chairs and a small bed in the
Chairman's living room.
Revised: There is a wooden table, four
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old-fashioned chairs and a small bed in the
Chairman's living room.
Faulty: There is three cows and a horse in the
field.
Revised: There are three cows and a horse in the
field.
但是，主语如果是几个并列的单数名词，谓语必须复数。如：
Faulty: There is a chair, a table and a bookcase
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in the room.
Revised: There are a chair, a table and a
bookcase in the room.
2． 带修饰语的主语与谓语的一致
当一个主语后跟有以as well as, with , together
with, like, rather than, except, but, including,
accompanied by, plus, besides 等词语开头的修饰语时，谓语动词的数只与主语本身保持一致。从学生的习作中我们可以看到，学生常常受后面词 24
语的影响而导致主谓的不一致。例如：
Faulty: The tree with all its leaves give a
beautiful shade.
Revised: The tree with all its leaves gives a
beautiful shade.
Faulty: The students don't have a lot of time for
pleasure, as English, besides other subjects, take
up a lot of their time.
Revised: The students don't have a lot of time
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for pleasure, as English, besides other subjects,
takes up a lot of their time.
主语中如果有all of, most of, a lot of, some of,
none of 等修饰限定性词语，谓语动词的数应与这些词语之后的名词相一致。例如：
Faulty: Because of the changeable weather, a lot
of apples has gone bad.
Revised: Because of the changeable weather, a
lot of apples have gone bad.
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Faulty: Most of the land in this part of the
country are not used.
Revised: Most of the land in this part of the
country is not used.
3. 主谓一致问题中的就近原则
由neither„nor, either„ or, not only.. but also,
not„ but, more than 等连接的平行结构做主语时，谓语动词应与离它最近的那部分主语保持一致。这也是常常令学生感到迷惑的一个语法现象， 27
出错的频率也相对较高。例如：
Faulty: It's surprising that neither the mother
nor the children has prepared something for the
Christmas party.
Revised: It's surprising that neither the mother
nor the children have prepared something for the
Christmas party.
4. 不定代词作主语时的主谓一致
下列不定代词和复合代词做主语时，谓语一律用 28
单数：
one, no one, nobody, nothing, anyone, anybody,
anything, everyone, everybody, everything,
someone, somebody, something, each, either,
neither, etc.
例如：
Faulty: Either of the engineers are capable of
this.
Revised: Either of the engineers is capable of
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this.
Faulty: Everyone in the village have been
invited to the dancing party.
Revised: Everyone in the village has been
invited to the dancing party.
但both作主语时，谓语动词一律用复数。
5．疑问句与倒装句中的主谓一致
以here, there, where , why , how, how much 等起始的倒装或疑问句中，要根据动词后面的主语 30
决定谓语动词的单复数形式。例如：
Faulty: Here comes Tom and Michael.
Revised: Here come Tom and Michael.
Faulty: How much is the apples?
Revised: How much are the apples?
6. 定语从句的主谓一致
在定语从句中，关系代词who, that, 或which后的动词要与所指代的先行词在数和人称上一致。例如：
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Faulty: George is one of the brightest students
that has graduated from New York University.
Revised: George is one of the brightest students
that have graduated from New York University.
Faulty: Machines can do many tasks which is
impossible to do by hand.
Revised: Machines can do many tasks which are
impossible to do by hand.
7． 集合名词作主语时的主谓一致
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集合名词以单数形式出现，却常常表达复数的含义。一般来说，当这类名词用来表达整体概念时，后面的动词用单数，而一旦它们被用来指组织成员时，谓语就要用复数。这类词常用的有：audience, herd, crowd, troop, team, family, crew
等。由于这类词主谓搭配比较复杂，所以这类词做主语时，学生往往在主谓一致问题上出错。
例如：
Faulty: The family disagrees with each other on
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where to spend the holiday.
Revised: The family disagree with each other on
where to spend the holiday.
Faulty: The audience give out a burst of laughter.
Revised: The audience gives out a burst of
laughter.
Practice:
在下列句子里的空格填入后面括号中所给动词的正确形式。
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1． The decisions of the judge __________(seem)
questionable.
2． A hamburger with a double order of French
fries ________ (be) my usual lunch.
3． One of my son's worst habits _________(be)
leaving his dirty socks everywhere in his room.
4． The rust spots on the back of Emily's car
_______(need) to be cleaned with a special
polish.
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5． There ________ (be) not enough glasses for all
the guests at the party.
6． Stuffed into the mailbox __________ (be) ten
pieces of junk mail and three ripped magazines.
7． Not only the landlady but also her children
__________(act) unfriendly to us.
8． Even the rings, which __________ (be) seen
when the tree is chopped down are square.
9． If each of us _________(pitch) in, we can
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finish this job in an hour.
10． There _______(be) a pen, a pencil, a rubber
and a ruler in the pencil-box.
11． A Basket of fancy fruits and nuts
_________(be) delivered to my house.
12． Neither of your apologies __________(mean)
anything to me now.
13． The serious look in that young girl's eyes
________(worry) me.
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14． He believes films that feature violence
________(be) a disgrace to our society.
15． The team ________(be) playing beautifully.
16． The committee __________ (be) divided in
opinion.
17． The President, accompanied by his ministers,
__________(be) present at the opening ceremony
of the conference.
18． His life is in danger, it seems neither the new
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medicines nor the operation ________ (be)
capable of saving his life.
19． None of the books __________(satisfy) the
students.
20． None of the meat ________(be) fit to eat.
21． The reading course book, plus its reference
books, ____(be) helpful to college students.
22． There _______(be) plenty of room for
improvement in your composition.
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23． Either you or Tony __________ (be) not the
suitable one for the job.
24． How much __________(be) these books?
25． Most of the students ________ (have passed )
the exam.
Lecture 3
修饰语问题：
学生在修饰语的运用上出现的问题主要是两方面：修饰语误置和悬垂修饰语。
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1． 修饰语误置
修饰语误置指的是由于修饰语放置的位置有误，而使它错误地修饰限定了作者意图之外的词语。这种错误往往会不同程度地影响作者思想意图的表达，导致句子的语义发生混乱，让读者困惑不解。
例如：
Faulty: Tony bought an old car from a crooked
dealer with a faulty transmission
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Revised: Tony bought an old car with a faulty
transmission from a crooked dealer.
Faulty: Bill yelled at the howling dog in his
underwear.
Revised: Bill, in his underwear, yelled at the
howling dog.
要避免这种错误，最有效的方法就是尽量把修饰语同它的修饰对象放在一起。
2． 悬垂修饰语
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修饰语（如分词、不定式等，通常作状语）如果放在句首，其逻辑主语必须与句子的主语保持一致。换句话说，如果修饰语放在句首，它的修饰对象必须紧随其后，否则，这修饰语就失去了“依靠”，成为所谓的“悬垂修饰语”。而句子本身要表达的原意也会被扭曲，变得模糊不清。例如：
Faulty: While smoking a pipe, my dog sat with
me by the crackling fire.一句看上去就成了“我的狗”在吸烟了。修饰语while smoking a pipe 脱离 43
了被修饰语而被“悬”了起来。这种错误的出现也是很大程度上受了汉语“意合”的表达方式的影响，忘记了英语对“形合”的严格要求。
对上述悬垂修饰语的修改可有两种方式，要么把被修饰语提前，如：
While smoking a pipe, I sat with my dog by the
crackling fire. 要么也可以在修饰语中加上一个主语，这样也可以避免语义上的混乱：
While I was smoking my pipe, my dog sat with
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me by the crackling fire.
再举两个例子：
Faulty: Swimming at the lake, a rock cut Jim's
foot.
Revised: Swimming at the lake, Jim cut his foot
on a rock.
Or: When Jim was swimming at the lake, a
rock cut Jim's foot.
Faulty: To join the team, a “C” average or better
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is necessary.
Revised: To join the team , you must have a “C”
average or better.
Or : For you to join the team, a “C” average or
better is necessary.
找出下列各句中的误置或悬垂修饰语并改写句子，使句意明确。
Examples:
While sleeping at the campsite, a Frisbee hit
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Bill on the head.
While Bill was sleeping at the campsite, a
Frisbee hit him on the head.
1. The students no longer like the maths teacher
who failed the test.
2. Braking the car suddenly, my shopping bags
tumbled off the seat.
3. We could see the football stadium driving
across the bridge.
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4. I adopted a dog from a junkyard which is very
close to my heart.
5. Joining the Glee Club, the social life of Mike
became more active.
6. Bill swatted the wasp that stung him with a
newspaper.
7. Looking through the telescope, a brightly-lit
object came into my view.
8. Roger visited the old house still weak with the
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flu.
9. Advertising in the paper, Frank's car was
quickly sold.
10. Tim and Rita decided to send their daughter
to college on the day she was born.
11. Hubert found it difficult to mount the horse
wearing tight jeans.
12. I almost caught a hundred lightning bugs.
13. While talking on the telephone, the chicken
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