语法不过关,生词用的再好也是没有用的,语法是句子的关键。
1.非谓语动词使用不当
原:Comparing with the money people earns, the sense of achievement is more important.
改:Compared with the money people earns, the sense of achievement is more important.
评:此处是动词compare的现在分词和过去分词使用混淆了。在英语中,动词的现在分词往往表示的是主动的意思,过去分词则表示被动的含义。原句想表达的是“将成就感与钱相比”,“把…与…相比”是明显的被动含义,因此应该使用compared.
2. 时态混乱
原:Although I have no work experience when I was a teenager, I always dreamed about having a job.
改:Although I had no work experience when I was a teenager, I always dreamed about having a job.
评:虽然托福写作以议论文为主,为了表示客观性,基本上使用的都是现在时态,但是在举例的时候还是会涉及到一些过去时态,例如上面的句子,切记:主从句时态要保持一致。
3. 表述累赘
原:Internet plays an important and indispensible role in people’s life today.
改:Internet plays an indispensible role in people’s life today.
评:这个句子一看就知道是作者为了使用高级词汇而犯下的错误。明明已经有Important来表示重要性了,又强行加上了indispensible来表示不可缺少,这种说法只有在中国政府工作报告中才会出现的,老美是不喜欢的!
4. 用词不当:用词不当包括词性混淆,同义词错用以及固定搭配错误等。
词性混淆:
原句:A large number of people hold the believe that students’ social activities should be the first priority.
改:A large number of people hold the belief that students’ social activities should be the first priority.
评:这个例子中believe是动词,belief才是名词形式。虽然发音相近,但是用法却完全不同。
同义词错用:
原句:It’s indeed that people are worrying about the increasing population.
改:It’s true that people are worrying about the increasing population.
评:虽然二者都表示“真的”,indeed却没有it’s indeed that…的结构,此处只能用true来表示。
固定搭配错误:
原句:As a friend and mentor, she drew from humor, a beautiful spirit and her faith in the Aboriginal culture to accomplish her work.
改:As a friend and mentor, she drew on humor, a beautiful spirit and her faith in the Aboriginal culture to accomplish her work.
评:draw from: 从……中汲取(经验等), draw on:借鉴(经验等)作者本想使用一个高级的表达法,结果用错了,很可惜。