雅思写作是考生最头疼也是最难取得高分的科目,尽管很多考生在考试前做了大量的练习和模拟训练,但写作成绩提高的幅度仍旧不明显。常见的原因主要有训练不得法,教师指导质量不高,语言技能弱等。根据笔者多年在写作方面的教学经验,考生在写作上常犯的错误大致总结为以下十个方面:
l 不一致(disagreements)
雅思写作中的所谓不一致,不仅仅指主谓不一致,它还包括了数的不一致,时态不一致和代词不一致等。
1. When one have money, he can do what he want to.
(一旦人有了钱,他就能想干什么就干什么)
分析:
One是第三人称单数,因而本句的have应该改为has;同样,want应该改为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).
l 修饰语错位(misplaced modifiers)
英语与汉语不同,同一修饰语置于句子不同的位置,句子含义可能引起变化。对于这点很多考生没有引起足够的重视,因而造成不必要的误解。比如:
1. I believe I can do it well and I will better know the world outside the campus.
分析:
Better位置不当,应置于句末。
改为:I believe I can do it well and I will know the world outside the campus better.
l 句子不完整(sentence fragments)
在口语对话中,人们可以借助手势,语气,上下文等,使不完整的句子完全被理解。可是书面语就不同了,句子结构不完整会使得句子意思不清。而这种情况往往发生在主句写完以后,考生又想加些补充说明时发生:
1.There are many ways to know the society. For example, by TV, radio, newspaper and so on.
分析:
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,不能成为一个句子。
改为:There are many ways to know the society, for example, by TV, radio, newspaper.
l 悬垂修饰语(dangling modifiers)
所谓悬垂修饰语是指句首的短语和后面的短语逻辑关系不清,如:
1. At the age of ten, my grandfather died.
分析:
这句话“At the age of ten”只指出10岁时,但并没有指出谁10岁时,按照一般的推理不可能是“my grandfather”,如果我们把这个悬垂修饰语改明确点,句子就不会引起别人误解了。
改为:When I was ten, my grandfather died.
2. To do well in college, good grades are essential.
分析:
句中不定式“To do well in college”逻辑主语不清。
改为:To do well in college, a student needs good grades.
l 词性误用(misuse of parts of speech)
词性误用通常表现为:介词当动词用,形容词当副词用,名词当动词用等,如:
1. None can negative the importance of money.
分析:
Negative是形容词,误作动词使用。
改为:None can deny the importance of money.
l 指代不清(ambiguous reference of pronouns)
指代不清主要指代词与被指代的人或物关系不清,或者先后使用的代词不一致,如:
1. Mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted her to become her bridesmaid.
分析:
读完上面这句话后,作者无法明确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明确,意思就一目了然了。
改为:Mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted my sister to become her bridesmaid.
2. We can also know the society by serving it yourself.
分析:
句中代词we和反身代词yourself指代不一致。
改为:We can also know the society by serving it ourselves.