雅思考試小作文因?yàn)楸容^模式化,相對(duì)來(lái)說(shuō)用錯(cuò)詞的情況也少一些。提醒考生們?cè)诔R?jiàn)錯(cuò)誤方面應(yīng)注意:在談及價(jià)位時(shí)我們應(yīng)該用高低而非大小貴賤來(lái)表達(dá),即 high/low price 而非big/small price 或者expensive/cheap price; great value而不是big value; their living condition is poor而非bad等等。其實(shí),小作文中比較集中的錯(cuò)誤在“比較與對(duì)比”搞不清楚,所以出現(xiàn) ‘compare’與 ‘contrast’ 的使用錯(cuò)誤,這里我們?cè)敿?xì)說(shuō)一下。
一、compare與contrast的誤用
我們先從兩者的定義入手來(lái)看兩者的區(qū)別。Compare的定義為:to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different. Contrast的定義為:to compare two or more things to show the difference between them. 由定義不難看出前者側(cè)重于找到兩個(gè)或多個(gè)事物的異同,而后者則側(cè)重于它們的不同。
看個(gè)例句:
It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours。
前一句翻譯為:對(duì)比一下我們的情況與他們的情況會(huì)很有趣。
后一句的翻譯為:我們的情況與他們的情況有很大的不同,這很有趣。
再看一個(gè)引自O(shè)XFORD ADBANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY的例子:
There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West。
The company lost $7 million in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier。
When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast。
不難發(fā)現(xiàn),Compare 翻譯為“ 與。。。相比”而contrast可譯為“明顯不同的是。。。”,切記這種翻譯方式就不會(huì)用錯(cuò)彼此了。
二、介詞使用錯(cuò)誤
1、普通介詞的誤用
一般表現(xiàn)為固定搭配錯(cuò)誤,如常把provide sb with sth用成provide sb sth; be satisfied with用成be satisfied for等等,雖然這樣的錯(cuò)誤看似無(wú)傷大雅,但在考官眼里就是影響順暢閱讀的,當(dāng)然會(huì)影響最終成績(jī)。解決的辦法簡(jiǎn)單而古老:把常見(jiàn)的固定搭配牢記于心,問(wèn)題自然就解決了。
2、“to”作為介詞的誤用
“to”最常見(jiàn)的用法是以動(dòng)詞不定式符號(hào)的形式出現(xiàn)的,所以同學(xué)們也已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了 “to do”的固定搭配。對(duì)于一些如walk to me, to the left等介詞to表方向等常見(jiàn)用法一般也不會(huì)出現(xiàn)錯(cuò)誤。但是對(duì)于與動(dòng)詞搭配的介詞to就會(huì)經(jīng)常犯錯(cuò):
如:
More and more students have taken to depend on their parents to make decision for them。
這里的 ‘take to’ means ‘to begin to do sth as a habit’ 其中 ‘to’為介詞,所以后面只能接名詞或相當(dāng)于名詞的詞,如動(dòng)名詞。所以黑體處應(yīng)改為“depending on”。“take to”的另一個(gè)常用用法也需要牢記:
He hasn’t taken to his new school. (這里‘take to’ means ‘to start liking sb or sth’)
Prefer A to B中的 “to”也是介詞,會(huì)有 prefer doing sth to doing sth/ prefer sth to sth else, 這里朗閣海外考試研究中心提醒您,“prefer to do sth rather than do sth”中的“to”可是真正的不定式符號(hào)。
類似的常用用法請(qǐng)同學(xué)們牢記:
Be used to doing
Be accustomed to doing
See to doing
Adapt to doing
Adjust to doing
prefer doing sth. to doing sth。
等等,請(qǐng)注意平時(shí)仔細(xì)積累。
三、assume及claim使用不夠準(zhǔn)確
我們知道, think, assume, claim是議論文中常用引出觀點(diǎn)的動(dòng)詞。在實(shí)際作文中,同學(xué)們往往認(rèn)為幾個(gè)詞的意思是一樣的,完全可以代換,所以拿過(guò)來(lái)就用。甚至還有同學(xué)把consider也拿過(guò)來(lái)與之混用。我們首先還是從定義來(lái)看這幾個(gè)詞的不同:
Think: to have opinion or belief about sth。
翻譯為“認(rèn)為”,通常接賓語(yǔ)從句來(lái)表達(dá)比較確定的觀點(diǎn)。
Assume: to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it。
翻譯為“假設(shè)、假定”,是否有事實(shí)依據(jù)是不確定的。
Claim: to say sth is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it。
翻譯為“聲稱”,用這個(gè)詞往往意味著不贊同緊跟其后的觀點(diǎn),所以很少用作 ‘I claim that…
Scientist are claiming a breakthrough in the fight against cancer, but in fact, …。
所以 ‘It is claimed that’ 通常翻譯為“有報(bào)道稱。。。”。和‘it is reported that ’的區(qū)別在于后者翻譯為“據(jù)報(bào)道”,往往代表著作者贊同報(bào)告的內(nèi)容,
Consider: to think about sth carefully, especially in order to make a decision
翻譯為“考慮”,一般不用作引出觀點(diǎn),看個(gè)例子:
We are considering buying a new car。
所以,提醒您,千萬(wàn)不要在雅思大作文的第一段(觀點(diǎn)表達(dá)段)就因?yàn)橛迷~把握不準(zhǔn)而導(dǎo)致對(duì)整篇文章的低分印象。
四、表“建議”的詞匯后面忘記用虛擬從句
這是摘自學(xué)生作文中的一個(gè)病句:
I suggest he continues his study instead of working after graduation from high school。
因?yàn)?‘suggest’翻譯為“建議”,所以后面的從句應(yīng)該用虛擬語(yǔ)氣,黑體部分應(yīng)該改為 “(should) continue”
提醒您,一定要牢記以下常見(jiàn)表“建議”的詞匯,而且要記住這些詞接從句時(shí)要用虛擬語(yǔ)氣:
Recommend, suggest, advise
五、such as與for example的混用
我們知道,在表示舉例子的時(shí)候,such as 與like是完全等同的,如:Wild flowers such as/like orchids and primroses are becoming rare。
但是同學(xué)們對(duì)于Such as、for example 的把握還是不夠準(zhǔn)確。我們都知道,后者接句子前者接詞語(yǔ)表示舉例子。于是就有了下面的寫法:
There is a similar word in many languages, such as in French and Italian。
這里的such as改為 for example為好,因?yàn)?ldquo;in French and Italian”其實(shí)是“there is a similar word in French and Italian”的簡(jiǎn)化,所以要用 for example來(lái)引出例證。再來(lái)看幾個(gè)類似的例子:
It is possible to combine computer science with other subjects, for example physics。
最后,要提醒各位考生,在平時(shí)的寫作中絕對(duì)不能放過(guò)任何的模棱兩可,只有平時(shí)“斤斤計(jì)較”才能做到“寫作使人精確”。