1. 懸垂修飾語(Dangling Modifiers)
所謂懸垂修飾語是指句首的短語與后面句子的邏輯關系混亂不清。例如:At the age of ten, my grandfather died. 這句中"at the age of ten"只點出十歲時,但沒有說明“誰”十歲時。按一般推理不可能是my grandfather, 如果我們把這個懸垂修飾語改明確一點,全句就不那么費解了。在托福寫作中出現(xiàn)這種錯誤的考生,基本上都需要在基礎上下很大的功夫。
改為:When I was ten, my grandfather died。
例. To do well in college, good grades are essential。
剖析:句中不定式短語 “to do well in college” 的邏輯主語不清楚。
改為:To do well in college, a student needs good grades。
2. 句子不完整(Sentence Fragments)
在口語中,交際雙方可借助手勢語氣上下文等,不完整的句子完全可以被理解??墒菚嬲Z就不同了,尤其是在像托??荚囘@樣的寫作中,句子結構不完整會令意思表達不清。這種情況常常發(fā)生在主句寫完以后,考生又想加些補充說明時發(fā)生。
例. There are many ways to know the society. For example by TV,radio,newspaper and so on。
剖析:本句后半部分“for example by TV,radio,newspaper and so on.”不是一個完整的句子,僅為一些不連貫的詞語,不能獨立成句。
改為:There are many ways to know society,for example,by TV,radio,and newspaper。
3. 綜合性語言錯誤(Comprehensive Misusage)
所謂“綜合性語言錯誤”,是指除了上述十種錯誤以外,還有諸如時態(tài),語態(tài),標點符號,大小寫等方面的錯誤。
例1.Today, Money to everybody is very importance, our’s eat, cloth, live, go etc。
改為:Today,to everybody,money is very important for it can affect every part of our life,like food,cloth,transport etc。
4. 不間斷句子(Run-on Sentences)
什么叫run-on sentence?請看下面的例句。
例1. There are many ways we get to know the outside world。
剖析:這個句子包含了兩層完整的意思,“There are many ways”,以及“We get to know the outside world”。簡單地把它們連在一起就不妥當了。
改為:There are many ways for us to learn about the outside world. 或,There are many ways through which we can become acquainted with the outside world。
5. 累贅(Redundancy)
言以簡潔為貴。寫句子沒有一個多余的詞;寫段落沒有一個無必要的句子。托福寫作評分標準中也是明確的表明了要使文章盡量簡潔,能用單詞的不用詞組;能用詞組的不用從句或句子。如:In spite of the fact that he is lazy, I like him。
本句的“the fact that he is lazy”系同謂語從句,我們按照上述“能用詞組的不用從句”可以改為:In spite of his laziness, I like him。
例1. For the people who are diligent and kind, money is just the thing to be used to buy the thing they need。
剖析:整個句子可以大大簡化。
改為:Diligent, caring people use money only to buy what they need。
6. 措詞毛病(Troubles in Diction)
Diction是指在特定的句子中如何適當?shù)剡x用詞語的問題,在大家學習英語的時間里,英語教師平時在這方面花的時間往往極其有限,影響了學生在寫作中沒有養(yǎng)成良好的推敲,斟酌的習慣。所以直接的后果就是考生們往往隨心所欲,想到什么就用什么,結果托福作文中用詞不當?shù)腻e誤比比皆是。
例. The increasing use of chemical obstacles in agriculture also makes pollution。(農業(yè)方面化學物質使用的不斷增加也造成了污染。)
剖析:顯然,考生把obstacles“障礙”,“障礙物”誤作substance“物質”了。另外“the increasing use(不斷增加的使用)” 應改為“abusive use(濫用)”。
改為:The abusive use of chemical substances in agriculture also causes/leads to pollution。