周道義
短文改錯題是得分率極低的題型,可以說是大家的“軟肋”。命題人一般從詞法、句法、行文邏輯等角度設計題目。筆者總結了這一題型的出題規律,同學們只要抓住了這些規律,定能順利答題。
1. 詞法方面的常見錯誤
(1) 名詞方面:包括單復數誤用、可數與不可數名詞誤用等錯誤。
例1Nowadays millions of people of all age take pleasure in a hobby which...
解析: age為可數名詞,復數形式應為ages。
(2) 動詞方面:包括時態、語態、語氣(主要指虛擬語氣的用法)、非謂語動詞等方面的錯誤和主謂不一致、及物動詞和非及物動詞的誤用等錯誤。
例2As we climbed the mountain, we fed monkeys, visiting temples and told stories.
解析: 由句意可知,本句中fed,visited,told為并列謂語,故應將visiting 改為visited。
例3During the World Cup in 2002, my dad stays up late just to watch his favorite sport.
解析: 由時間狀語During the World Cup in 2002可知,應把stays改為stayed。
例4Soon I began to enjoy talk to myself on paper as I was learning to express myself in simple English.
解析: 此處考查非謂語動詞的用法。enjoy后應接動名詞,故將talk改為talking。
(3) 形容詞和副詞方面:包括形容詞與副詞的相互誤用,原級、比較級和最高級之間的誤用,關系副詞where, when, why等的缺失或錯用等。
例5He looks strong than other boys in his group.
解析: 此句是比較句型,應把strong改為stronger。
例6We were expected to meet there stood a tall tree, i.e. at the top of the mountain.
解析: there 前漏掉了關系副詞where。 where 在此處引導其后的地點狀語從句。
(4) 代詞方面:包括代詞的格與數的錯用、指代錯誤、關系代詞的錯用或缺失等。
例7I always thought in Chinese and tried to translate anything into English.
解析: 本句屬于不定代詞的誤用。根據句意,應把anything改為everything。
(5) 數詞方面:主要是基數詞與序數詞的誤用、基數詞和序數詞的單復數形式的錯用等錯誤。
“五百”“數以萬計”和“幾百萬”等的英語表達方式應該是five hundred,tens of thousands of和millions of,而不是five hundreds,ten of thousand of 及million of。
例8Two third of the students are interested in playing computer games.
解析: 表示分數時,分子為2以上時,分母的序數詞要用復數。應將句中的third改為thirds。
例9On his eighty birthday, his children held a great celebration for him.
解析: 本句錯在把基數詞作序數詞用了。應把eighty改為序數詞eightieth。
(6) 冠詞方面:包括冠詞的多余、缺失或錯用。
例10...to discover an interest which can even last lifetime.
解析: 此處的lifetime為可數名詞,應在其前加a。
例11He plays the football as well as a professional football player.
解析: 按照英語的表達習慣,表示“打……球”時,球類前不加冠詞,故應把football前的the去掉。
(7) 介詞:主要包括介詞的多余、缺失或錯用。
例12Could you share your experience for us?
解析: share sth. with sb. 是慣用語,意為“和某人共享某物或某事”。此句中的介詞for應改為with。
(8) 連詞方面:主要包括句中或句與句之間的連詞的錯用。
常見的并列連詞有and, as well as,in the same way, just as等;常見的表示因果關系的連詞有:because, because of, as a result, therefore, consequently, thus, since, so that等;常見的轉折連詞有:although, but, however, instead, nevertheless, on the other hand, rather than, though, otherwise, in spite of, even if, while等。
例13I am trying to improve the situation since it doesnt seem to work.
根據句意,應把表示因果關系的since改為表示轉折關系的but。
2. 句子結構方面的常見錯誤
(1) 常見句型的錯用。
例14He was so tired to walk any longer.
解析: 本句是too…to…句型,故應把so改為too。
(2) 主謂不一致。
例15Now my picture and the prize is hanging in the library.
解析: 本句的主語為my picture and the prize,故應把is改為are。
(3) 常見固定短語的錯用。
例16He is no means a liar as he never tells lies.
解析: 根據句意,no前應加by。 by no means是固定短語,意為“決不”。
3. 邏輯方面的常見錯誤
(1) but, and, so,however等連詞和otherwise等表示連接意義的副詞的相互誤用等。
(2) before, after, when, until, since等狀語從句引導詞的相互誤用等。
例17He didnt stay away from home for long. It was only two days when he came back.
解析: 句意為:“他離家的時間不長,過了兩天就回來了。”根據句子的邏輯,狀語從句he came back的引導詞when應改為before。
(3) 肯定和否定的誤用等。
例18They would have to ask their parents for money or for permission to do thingswith the money.
解析: 根據上文Earning their own money allows them to spend on anything as they please(他們自己掙錢后想花錢買東西可以隨心所欲),本句在would后應加上否定詞not才符合邏輯,意為“不用再向父母要錢或請求他們允許才買東西”。