句子是文章的基礎(chǔ),英語單句練習(xí)是英語寫作練習(xí)的一項基本功。如何指導(dǎo)學(xué)生正確使用語法規(guī)則去遣詞造句,寫出合乎語法要求、用詞恰當(dāng)?shù)木渥邮怯⒄Z教學(xué)中十分重要的問題。
本文從英語規(guī)范、良好表達(dá)角度,結(jié)合句子的準(zhǔn)確性、統(tǒng)一性、平行性和多樣性四種屬性要求,結(jié)合寫作實例,進(jìn)行了簡要的分析。
一、用詞的準(zhǔn)確性
有道是“萬丈高樓從底起”,寫作亦然。如果一篇文章連最基本的句子都失范了,那還有什么段落、篇章和寫作技巧可言呢?即使是勉強(qiáng)拼湊成文,也必然是邏輯混亂、語義缺失,或令人不知所云,或令人頓生歧見,甚而可能會鑄成大錯。
現(xiàn)列舉以下例子進(jìn)行分析:
例1:How you behave at dinner will expose the kind of person you are.
例2:During the dinner, don't forget to speak some interesting things in a friendly way with others.
上例引自學(xué)生習(xí)作,畫線單詞所表現(xiàn)出的用詞失范現(xiàn)象非常典型。顯然,例1中expose一詞運(yùn)用不當(dāng)。該詞意為“暴露,顯露”(如Do not expose it to the sun.)或“揭示,揭露”(如He exposed the plan to the police.)。由于學(xué)生只知中文意思而不顧英語慣用法,所以該詞的使用顯然不妥,應(yīng)用reveal或show替換。在例2中,speak一詞表示“說某種語言”,后面常跟表示語言的詞。此外,它還作不及物動詞使用。例2中使用speak不妥當(dāng),應(yīng)改為say。另外,some和things合并為something interesting置于其后則更為準(zhǔn)確,更為符合英語習(xí)慣。
由此可見,在平時的英語教學(xué)中,教師應(yīng)特別注意基本詞匯——同義詞、近義詞在使用性質(zhì)、范圍、方法及搭配方式、習(xí)慣用法等方面的使用方法。在教學(xué)中應(yīng)多舉例子,反復(fù)比較,嚴(yán)格訓(xùn)練,讓學(xué)生能夠區(qū)分詞匯的用法。讓學(xué)生通過讀寫積累詞匯,避免出現(xiàn)用中文詞匯套用英文詞義的錯誤做法,平時多做改錯練習(xí),從而保證學(xué)生寫出正確的英語句子和符合英語表達(dá)方式的文章。
二、句子的統(tǒng)一性
句子的統(tǒng)一性(Unity)也是寫作教學(xué)中的一個關(guān)鍵組成部分。所謂“統(tǒng)一”,即是指每一句話只能有一個中心思想或語義核心,這樣有助于清楚地表達(dá)思想。在教學(xué)時,教師應(yīng)注意以下兩點:
第一,必須講清每句話只有一個中心思想的原則,而相關(guān)的次要語義成分則應(yīng)改為從屬句或分句短語等適當(dāng)形式,把不相關(guān)的語義成分分開,各自成句。
例1:I was walking in the park yesterday morning,and saw a snake.
此句結(jié)構(gòu)松散,中心思想不明確,前后兩部分含義獨(dú)立,相互之間關(guān)系不密切,缺乏統(tǒng)一性。可將句子改為:Yesterday morning,while l was walking in the park,I saw a snake.如此修改,詞句重點突出明確,主次分明,使讀者一目了然。
例2:Bom in a small village in 1966,he grew up to be a postgraduate.
此句過去分詞短語和主句的含義不相關(guān),分別屬于不同的兩個概念,缺乏統(tǒng)一性。應(yīng)改為:He was bom in a small village in 1966.He finally became a postgraduate.
第二,避免用and,but以及so等連詞把不關(guān)聯(lián)的語義成分連接成一個句子,過多的細(xì)節(jié)會喧賓奪主,影響句子的中心思想。
例如:The vessel made for the shore,and the passengers soon crowded into the boats,and the beach was reached in safety,where the inhabitants of the island received them with the utmost kindness.
此句中的and把幾個各有不同主語的分句勉強(qiáng)地連接在一起,造成句子概念模糊,意思混亂。通過分析,此句真正的主語顯然是the passenger,因此,按照此線索可以將此句改為:
The vessel having made for the shore, the passengers soon crowded into the boats,and safely reached the beach,where they were received with the utmost kindness by the inhabitants of the island.
綜上所述,句子不論長短,其各個組成部分都是為一個中心思想服務(wù),句子中任何一個從句、短語或一個詞,都應(yīng)在合適的位置上。要想思想表達(dá)清晰和主次分明,就應(yīng)遵循句子的統(tǒng)一性,只有這樣才能寫出完美統(tǒng)一的句子。
三、句子的平行性
句子的平行性(Parallelism)指當(dāng)一個句子的語言材料在形式與作用方面相同,而且重復(fù)使用時,采用相同的詞類或結(jié)構(gòu)使其對稱。平行結(jié)構(gòu)可使句子自然平穩(wěn)、句子清楚、語義貫通和音調(diào)和諧。反之,就會破壞結(jié)構(gòu)對稱,使句子生硬別扭。在教學(xué)中,通過對比方式讓學(xué)生領(lǐng)會句子平行性的意義及特點。
例1:When l was young,I liked to swim,playing tennis and riding.
此句的三個動詞賓語的形式不一致:to swim,playing,riding。其中,to swim和其他并列產(chǎn)生結(jié)構(gòu)失衡。鑒此,此句結(jié)構(gòu)應(yīng)當(dāng)做如下調(diào)整:When I was young,I liked swimming,playing tennis and riding.
例2:She is charming,intelligent,and a very capable young woman.
此句結(jié)構(gòu)不平行的原因在于and并列的a very capable young woman與前面的charming和intelligent不協(xié)調(diào),結(jié)果破壞了句子的平行性。很簡單,此句應(yīng)當(dāng)用三個形容詞形成平行結(jié)構(gòu),改為:She is charming, intelligent, and capable.
例3:A man is judged not only by what he says but also by his actions.
此句中not only…but also所連接的成分不一致,what he says和by his actions不能形成平行結(jié)構(gòu),因此應(yīng)適當(dāng)調(diào)整,改為:A man is judged not only by his words but also k by his actions.或者改為:A man is judged not only by what he says but also by how he acts.
四、句子的多樣性
句子的多樣性(Variety)指根據(jù)句義使句式富有變化,生動活潑、重點突出及饒有趣味。寫作時,如果只用一種句式,文章會因句式簡單而顯得單調(diào)乏味,例如:They were waiting for the meeting to begin. They talked with each other.They talked about the women’s volleyball team.The team had won victories in Tokyo.
顯然,此段落平淡枯燥,句間無內(nèi)在聯(lián)系,因而也就缺乏正常的表現(xiàn)力和感染力。如果遵循句子多樣性原則,將各句之間適當(dāng)?shù)剡B接起來,那么此語段的表現(xiàn)力就會得到改善,例如:While waiting for the meeting to begin,They talked about the victories won by the woman’s volley ball team in Tokyo.
在教學(xué)上需要注意的是,句式變化決不是簡單地將單句連接成長句,而是要分析句間關(guān)系,選用最佳方法,使文章句式靈活多樣、生動活潑。
為了使學(xué)生靈活多樣地運(yùn)用句式,教師應(yīng)多給學(xué)生布置一些一句多譯練習(xí)。例如:“因為身體很差,他被迫放棄工作?!睂W(xué)生可根據(jù)學(xué)過的從句,將此句譯成分詞短語、獨(dú)立結(jié)構(gòu)、with的復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)、虛擬語氣、強(qiáng)調(diào)句等句式:
1.He had to give up working because he was in poor health。
2.He was in poor health,so he had to give up working.
3.He had to give up working because of poor health.
4.Being in poor health,he had to give up working.
5.His health being poor,he had to give up working.
6.He had to give up working,with his health being poor.
7.His poor health forced him to give up working.
8.1f he had not been in poor health,he would,not have had to give up working.
9.1t was because of poor health that he had to give up working.
一句多譯,開拓了學(xué)生思路,既訓(xùn)練了學(xué)生綜合運(yùn)用知識的能力,又為其靈活表達(dá)思想積累了更豐富的詞匯和語言材料。
綜上所述,英語寫作是英語教學(xué)中的一個涉及面很廣的教學(xué)部分,而句子寫作則是其重要組成部分。在教學(xué)實踐中,教師應(yīng)時常引導(dǎo)學(xué)生進(jìn)行寫作基本功訓(xùn)練,引導(dǎo)學(xué)生多讀、多寫、多觀察、多思考、多練習(xí)。