英语写作常见问题.docx

一、 选词常见问题
准确而有效地用词依赖于平时的积累和准确理解。现将作文中经常出现的问题总结如下，希望能对大家有所帮助。

（一） 误用口语词汇或俚语
专业四级考试中的作文多为议论文，要求逻辑性强，结构紧凑，具有说服力，而口语体中多为简单句，结构松散，不适合表达这样的思想观点。请看下面这篇题为Why I Learn English的短文:
I think learning English is very important, especially to me. Well, if you ask me why, I’ll tell you some reasons. Let’s look at something in job market. Anyway if you can’t speak English, you can’t get a good job. Don’t you believe? Then another is to communicate with foreigners. You know, if you can’t speak English, how can you make your idea understood by them? You see, spoken English is getting more and more important. So why don’t I learn English well?
上文中的句式和用词都比较口语化，斜体部分都是典型的口语用词，在作文中应避免使用。我们将上文修改如下，作一比较：
To learn English is very important for the following two reasons: for one thing, with the increasing competitiveness in job market, college graduates are not only expected to obtain some special knowledge and technique in a field, but to have a good command of English to find a good job. For another, English is an international language which is necessary in communication with foreigners. In a word, I am determined to work hard at English to find a nice job and to communicate effectively with foreigners in English.
修改后的短文不但改掉了口语词汇，还使用了连接词和复合句，增强了文章的连贯性和逻辑性。
俚语尤其要避免使用，因为俚语给人的感觉极其随便，与议论文文体不符。而且有的带有方言性，有的带有粗俗性，多出现在口语中和戏剧、电视、电影、小说的对白中，不适合书面文体使用。例如：
Ｍy friend Li Yong got the sack yesterday and I called to express my sympathy.
To get the sack是俚语，意为“被解雇”，有调侃之意，应将其改为was dismissed，使其与后面的to express my sympathy 保持风格一致。再如：
Ｍy little son is bloody intelligent.
Bloody是粗俗语，应改为very。

（二）喜用抽象词
抽象词往往偏长、大、难，如以configuration代替pattern，以counter-productive 代替ineffective。不少抽象动词以-ize, -ise后缀结尾，如casualize（雇用临时工）。过多且不适当地使用抽象词会使原本明白简单的句子变得隐晦含混，且给人以矫揉造作之感。请看例句：
The desirability of attaining unanimity so far as the general construction of the body is concerned is of considerable importance from the production aspect.
此句用词抽象，结构繁冗，The desirability of attaining unanimity其实就是agree之意，so far as the general construction of the body is concerned即on a standard body, from the production aspect可改为for increased production。如此，上句可改写为：
To increase production, it is important to agree on a standard body.
因此我们在写作文时，可以化抽象为具体，化艰深为通俗，从抽象的意思中引出具体地意义，以意义显豁的词语代替意义含混的词语。

（三）词语的误用
在我们的作文中，经常会见到用词不当的情况，影响意义的表达。其原因多是由于对词汇的意义和用法掌握不够准确而造成的，具体说来有如下几点：
其一,误解词义。有些英语词汇看似汉语释义相同，但具体意义是有差异的。请看下列各句中的用词错误：
1) * Both salt and sugar are easy to melt in hot water.
2) * They persuaded their son to try again, but he just turned a deaf ear to them.
3) * It is uneasy for the children to do such a thing.
在例１）中，melt指物体受热熔化，而不是指溶质在溶剂中的溶解。例２）中的persuade不仅指“劝说”，而且强调结果“说服某人做某事”，这与该句后半部分he just turned a deaf ear to them语义矛盾。例３）的uneasy在古英语中有“不容易”之意，但在现代英语中已经没有这种用法了，而是表示“心神不安”之意。因此，以上３句应改为：
1) Both salt and sugar are easy to dissolve in hot water.
2) They advised their son to try again, but he just turned a deaf ear to them.
3) It is difficult for the children to do such a thing.
其二，用法错误。先看几个例子：
1) *We hope him to get the first prize.
2) *Who is responsible for this department?
3) *She will probably be elected woman chairman.
以上各例都是由于词语的用法错误而导致不符合英语的表达习惯。例１）中，hope只能用于hope to do something或hope + that从句的结构中，不能说hope somebody to do something。例２）中的responsible for表示对某事的后果负责，而不表示汉语中的负责某个部门的工作。例３）中“女主席”以及类似的“女议员”“女诗人”等，不能用woman作定语。woman和man作定语区分男女时，只能用在一些表示职业的名词前。以上３句正确的表达应为：
1) We expect him to get the first prize.
2) Who is in charge of this department?
3) She will probably be elected chairwoman.
有些动词，词义不易解释清楚，用法比较微妙使用时经常出错。如characterize一词的中文释义为“表示……的特性、具有……的特性”，但在使用时不能直接把汉语意思往里套。如要表达“某民族具有勤劳和勇敢的特点”，不能说：
*The nation characterizes industry and courage.
而要说：
Industry and courage characterize the nation.或
The nation is characterized by industry and courage.
类似的词还有feature, star等，这些词在学习时一定要弄清楚它与主语和宾语的关系。
其三，不区分词语的使用语境。用词不仅要考虑其语义，还要考虑其上下文情境。还是来看几个例子：
1) *The conclusion that the scholar has come to is that kids should not have to suffer for the sins of their fathers.
2) *Mrs. Brown was indignant with her son, because he hadn’t done his homework.
3) *While reading the tragedy, the girl cried over its pages.
Kid是口语体词汇，而例１）从整个句子来看应该是一项研究的结果，是比较正式的文体，kid在此处不合适。例２）中的indignant是一个较严肃的词，意为“愤怒、愤慨”，常指由正义感而引起的愤怒情绪，不适合表示母亲对孩子的不满意。例３）中，cry表示放声大哭，不适合表示句中因被书中情节感动而哭泣。以上３句可修改如下：
1) The conclusion that the scholar has come to is that children should not have to suffer for the sins of their fathers.
2) Mrs. Brown was angry with her son, because he hadn’t done his homework.
3) While reading the tragedy, the girl wept over its pages.
其实上述三种情况是相互关联的，我们掌握一个英语单词除了要掌握其准确含义，还必须要了解它具体的用法和使用的情境，这样才能准确地表达自己的思想。除了以上我们提到的一些错误之外，拼写错误及误用词性导致的语法错误也都很常见。要克服这些错误，一方面平时要勤于积累，另一方面，在考试时应尽量选用自己熟悉、有把握的词汇，避免出错。

(四)　汉语思维对用词的影响
在我们平时记单词或在字典里查单词时，有些同学习惯于只看单词的汉语释义，而且将这个英语单词与它的汉语释义划上等号，而不去理会单词的具体用法和含义。比如，说到“身体好”不少同学会马上想到good body。汉语中的“身体”既可以指躯体，也可以指健康状况，而body只能指躯体。“身体好”可以用healthy来表示。实际上，在两种语言中，意义完全对等的词汇是非常少的。在上文的词汇搭配、词汇误用等部分举出的错误例子中，有不少都是由于汉语思维的影响而出错的。下面我们再看几个例子：
1) *The traffic in Beijing is getting more and more crowded.
2) *The price of car is so cheap that quite some people can afford it.
3) *The speed of a plane is faster than that of a train.
例１） 中，crowded表示“拥挤”时，意为“having too many people”，我们可以说crowded buses, hotels, downtown area，但不能表示交通拥挤。例２）中的cheap可以表示具体事物便宜，但“价格便宜”不能说“price is cheap”。同样，fast本身表示速度快，但不能用来说明speed。现将以上三句修改为：
1) The traffic in Beijing is getting more and more congested.
2) The price of car is so low that quite some people can afford it.
3) The speed of a plane is higher than that of a train.

二、句式多样化
　如果在一篇文章里只有一两种句式，且句子长度大致相等，势必会使文章单调呆板，平淡无味。要使文章生动，具有吸引力，就必须灵活变换句式。句式多样化可通过以下手段来达到。

（一）改变句子主语
在汉语句子中常用人来作主语，强调人对事物或对人本身的作用或影响，但在英语中常用非人称作主语着重强调物对人的作用，对人思维和行为的影响及其产生的结果。这种表达法往往带有拟人化修辞色彩，语气含蓄，比喻形象，文体也显得自然、轻松、客观性强。例如：
1) New year’s Day saw them enjoying themselves in the activity of gala.
2) The Second World War brought him rapid battle promotion.
如果改为我们习惯的以人作主语，则显然不如上述两句简练、形象、客观、公正：
1) They enjoyed themselves in the activity of gala on New Year’s Day.
2) He got rapid battle promotion during the Second World War.
有些以物作主语的句子已丧失拟人化的修辞色彩，此类句子中常见的动词有：find, bring, give, escape, surround, kill, deprive, seize, send, know, tell, permit, invite, take, drive, happen, occur等。例如：
1) His name escapes me for the moment.
2) The sight of the old house reminds me of my poor life when I was young.
3) The point slipped my attention.

（二）改变句子开头
在句子中，除了以主语开头外，还可以根据具体情况，用其它句子成分开头。如：
１． 以同位语开头，如：
The most common liquid, water, has always been a useful source of power.
２． 以副词开头，如：
Casually, the thief slipped one of the watches into his coat sleeve.
３． 以表语开头，如：
Very important in the farmer’s life is the radio weather report.
４． 以宾语开头，如：
What they were asked to do in ten days, they finished in two.
５． 以介词短语开头。在以下两段中，第二段适当用介词短语作为句子的开头，使对比鲜明，句子生动：
I always listen to the latest song hits. The new tunes are most interesting to me. But my parents do not share this enthusiasm. The old songs seem good enough to them.
I always listen to the latest song hits. To me the new tunes are most interesting. But my parents do not share this enthusiasm. To them the old songs seem good enough.
６． 以分词短语开头，如：
Troubled by the dream, he woke up with a start.
７． 以动词不定式开头，如：
　　To find the hidden papers, the inspectors looked through several suitcases.

（三）改变句子结构
英语句子按语法结构分可分为简单句、并列句、复合句，按用法功能分可分为陈述句、疑问句、祈使句、感叹句，按修辞格分可分为松散句、尾重句、平衡句、平行句、倒装句等。写作时可依据具体情况，灵活运用各种句式。例如要表达“粗心驾驶易引起车祸”可以有以下几种表达方式：
1) Traffic accidents are invited by careless driving.
2) Careless driving invites traffic accidents.
3) For anyone to drive carelessly is t invite traffic accidents.
4) The fact that you drive carelessly invites traffic accidents.
5) To drive carelessly is to invite traffic accidents.
6) Driving carelessly invites traffic accidents.
7) Anyone who drives carelessly is to invite traffic accidents.
8) Traffic accidents are what careless driving invites.
9) Whoever drives carelessly is to invite traffic accidents.
（四）改变句子长度
长句和短句各有特点，各有用途。短句结构简单，明白易懂，适用于下定义，一些重要事实的陈述，或是描写迅速的动作和激动的心情。如：
The man knelt down again, watching Charlie carefully. He lowered the pole but kept his head raised. Charlie stood indecisively. Then he ran to a snow pile by the curbstone. The man shifted to see him. “You come near me, and I’ll break your neck.” He said.
长句结构复杂，容量大，能在一句中表达复杂而完整的内容，适用于描写、说明、议论，如：
Exploded and developed by the people from all over the world, America is a new country, a nation of nations, a classless society where everyone is considered equal, everyone can make a name through hard work, even a farmer’s son can work his way up to be a president.
在一个段落中，长句和短句应交错使用，既避免句子单一化，还可以增加语言的表现力。尤其注意不要过多堆积短句，那样会使句与句之间连贯性差，使读者读起来有一种磕磕绊绊的感觉。堆积短句、简单句实际上是语言技巧不成熟、语言水平低的表现，还会使文章显得稚气、呆板。下面的这段文字中就有这样的毛病：
I returned to my room. There was a note under my door. It was from Bill. He said he was in the town looking for a job. He hadn’t found anything yet. He added that he was sorry to have missed me.
这段话中有六句简单句，读来单调乏味，而且句与句之间缺乏联系。现在我们将它修改如下，使意义更明确，并体现出句与句之间的逻辑关系：
When I returned to my room, I found a note from Bill under the door. He said he was in the town looking for a job, but hadn’t found anything yet. He added that he was sorry to have missed me.
当然我们也不提倡使用冗长、造作的长句，更不能把一些短句机械地堆积成一个长句。下面的例子就是这种情况：
It is about six o’clock when we finish supper and I get ready to go to the early show at the movies because I like to get out early so I can go dancing with the crowd.
在段落中，我们可以利用长句和短句各自的特点，发挥它们的长处。短句言简意赅，意义明确，可以用在段首来提出讨论的主题，和在段尾总结中心思想。中间的细节和论述部分可以由长句来完成。如下面的段落中第一句为短句，也是段落的主题句，后面的长句则是对第一句的说明：
Newspapers give a distorted view of life. They overemphasize the unusual, such as a mother giving birth to quintuplets, the development of a Christmas tree that grows its decorative cones, the minting of two pennies which were only half-engraved, gang fights, or teenage drinking.

三、常见问题
（一）误用平行结构
所谓平行结构 (parallelism) 是指把结构相同或相似，意义相关，语义一致的几个词、短语、分句或句子并列使用。它的作用一是可以使句子流畅、连贯，二是可以使句子平衡、富于节奏感，且在表达上具有力度。如：
He passes his time doing crossword puzzles and building model airplanes.
If you leave a note, or if you telephone, I will get your message.
平行结构中各部分通常以重要性递增的顺序排列，如：
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
――Martin Luther King
平行结构通常以并列连词and, or ,but等连词，或等立连词either…or…, neither…nor…, both…and…, not only…but also…等连接。后者如：
She knows not only what to say but also when to say it.
平行结构的形式特点在于同一语法或句法结构的叠用，即名词与名词平行，动词与动词平行，短语与短语平行，分句与分句平行。在实际写作练习中，有些同学忽视了平行结构这一特点，导致平行结构的误用。如：
误用：The game show contestant was told to be cheerful, charming, and with enthusiasm.
改为：The game show contestant was told to be cheerful, charming, and enthusiastic.
误用：He writes equally well with pen and brush.
改为：He writes equally well with pen and with brush.
误用：The disadvantages of nuclear reactors are their great danger and that they are very expensive.
改为：The disadvantages of nuclear reactors are their great danger and their great expense.
误用：John, winner of many awards for swimming, but who had not swum for months, dived into the water and rescued the child.
改为：John, who had won many awards for swimming, but who had not swum for months, dived into the water and rescued the child.
误用：He told the boy either to brush the horse or feed the chickens.
改为：He told the boy either to brush the horse or to feed the chickens.
（二）歧义句
前面我们提到修饰语位置不当会引起歧义，如：
歧义：The rains that the crops had needed badly damaged the roads.
改为：The rains that the crops had badly needed damaged the roads.
或：The rains that the crops had needed damaged the roads badly.
还有一种歧义是由代词指代不明引起的。如：
The teachers told the students that they are doing a good job.
这句话中的代词they是指the teachers 还是指the students，从句法上很难判断。这种情况下，必须具体指出指代对象。上句可改为：
The teachers said that the students are doing a good job.
再看几例：
歧义：The two criminals didn’t what to do when they saw them.（they和 them 哪一个指代criminals？）
改为：The two criminals didn’t what to do when the police saw them.
歧义：Mary told her mother that her bike was broken.（her指 Mary还是 her mother？）
改为：Mary told her mother, “My bike is broken.”
或：Mary told her mother, “Your bike is broken.”

（三）表意不清
在写作中，有时会专注于句子结构，而忽略了表达意义的准确性、完整性，有时甚至会出现语义前后矛盾的现象。现举例说明：
1. The box in my bedroom was too heavy for me to move, but at last I moved it downstairs.
2. The explorer passed the impassable swamp at last.
3. I shot the bird, but it flew away.
4. You’d better pull out that tooth.
5. His lecture is delivered in such easy English.
6. The old man is too weak.
第一句和第二句都是语义矛盾，既然太重而搬不动（too heavy for me to move），又如何搬到了楼下（moved it downstairs），既然是不可逾越（impassable），又是如何越过的（passed）？第三句的错误是由于对shoot一词的语义理解不准确，shoot表示“射中”，所以与后面的it flew away矛盾；第四句表示“亲自动手拔掉自己的牙齿”，不太符合实际情况。第五句和第六句结构和意义不完整。以上六句可改正如下：
1. Though the box in my bedroom was very heavy, I managed to move it downstairs.
2. The explorer passed the swamp at last through all kinds of hardships.
3. I shot at the bird, but it flew away.
4. You’d better have that tooth pulled out.
5. His lecture is delivered in such easy English that the whole class can follow him.
6. The old man is too weak to walk without the help of his cane.

（四）指代不明
在使用代词时，应有明确的指代对象。如：
1) My father is extremely intelligent, though he does not always express it in a verbal form.
2) The book’s title sounds interesting, but when I read it I found it boring.
这两句话中，it没有可指代的先行词，使用不当，可改为：
1) My father is extremely intelligent, though he does not always express his intelligence in a verbal form.
2) The book’s title sounds interesting, but when I read the book I found it boring.
或：The book has an interesting title, but when I read it I found it boring.

四、段落写作中常见问题
（一） 不善举例
我们先来了解一下英汉两种语言中举例的不同习惯。英汉两种语言都常用读者熟悉的著名人物来举例，以增强文章的说服力，但是同时，英语文章中也常用普通人来举例，而且有名有姓，体现其真实性。文体允许的情况下，还常以自己的经历为例。这些在汉语的议论文中很少出现。
汉语中的议论文习惯引经据典，几乎每篇文章都会引用典故、诗歌或名人名言，如孔子、李白等。英语中引用的经典主要是圣经、希腊、罗马神话，而且频率很低，因为西方民族尊重历史，但更尊重现实。
在引用现代权威言论时，汉语偏向于政治领袖和名人，而英语文章偏向于专家和普通人。另外，在引用调查事实和数据事实方面，英语文章远比汉语文章多得多。
由于有以上的差异，很多学生不善于用生活中的实例来论述，文章缺乏具体细节，如：
Taking part in sports can also help improve study efficiency. It can give you a rest after a day’s hard work. It can make you relax when you feel tired and broken-down. It can make you concentrate your study and work more. So if you take part in sports regularly, your study efficiency will surely be improved.
这一段落中，都是观点的罗列，缺乏具体的事例，显得单调乏味。现修改如下：
Taking part in sports can also improve study efficiency. For example, whenever I feel a little tired from studies, I will have a 15-minute walk on campus. After a brief walk I always feel entirely refreshed and relaxed. I can continue to study and memorize things better. My personal experience shows that half an hour’s exercise after a supper will help you maintain concentration for a whole night.

（二） 教训口吻
汉语议论文的结尾处习惯用教训式或口号式语言，如“我们应该”，“我们必须”，“让我们……”等，这种语言习惯也反映到了学生的习作中，即常用“they should”，“we must”，“let us”等句式结