大学英语写作之句子技巧摘要:句子技巧可以提高写作质量。
本文从排比句,强调句,修辞句及从属结构的使用对句子技巧进行了研究。
关键词:句子技巧排比句强调句修辞句从属结构句子是语言结构的最高层次,也是构成语篇的基本单位。
要想写好文章首先得写出像样的句子来。
有了好的句子,才有好的段落;有了好的段落,才有好的文章。
写好句子是表达过程中的关键。
许多大学生在学句法时学得不错,但却不能自觉地把各种句子技巧应用于写作实践中,即学用分离。
一方面是因为学生功夫不到家,另一方面则是因为缺乏老师的引导。
为了帮助提高学生的写作水平,本文就如何在写作中使用各种句子技巧进行了探讨。
1 排比句(parallelism)语法功能相同的句子成分用相同的语法形式表达出来,这就是英语中的排比。
通过排比,我们可以把相同的事物平衡起来。
基本上任何句子成分都可以排比形式出现。
排比不仅是一种机械手段,也是一种修辞手段。
通过排比的使用,句子显得流畅自然,节奏感强,感染力强。
请看例句:(1) In the evening Steve likes playing with his son,reading the newspaper,and watching television.(作宾语的三个动名词短语构成排比)(2)After the camping trip I was exhausted,irritable,and hungry.(作表语的三个形容词构成排比)(3)They not only invaded our privacy but also wasted our time.(作谓语的两个动词短语构成排比)(4)Being lazy and clumsy, I have never liked tennis.(两个形容词平衡起来构成排比)(5)Where he works and where he lives are two completely different places.(两个从句平衡起来构成排比)使用一系列的词语,短语,从句或完整的句子不仅能构成排比,也可以构成层递效果(climax)。
请看例句:(1)I value a friend who is very sweet,kind and loving.(三个词语由轻到重构成层递)(2)With this faith we will be able to work together,to pray together,to struggle together,to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together,knowing that we will be free one day.(五个不定式短语由轻到重构成层递)(3)She had the same feeling when she graduated from middle school,when she graduated from high school,and when she graduated from college.(三个从句由轻到重构成层递)该使用排比的时候而不用排比不仅使句子生硬不连贯,也会削弱句子的感染力。
罗马帝国的凯撒大帝(Julius Caesar)的名言“I came, I saw,I conquered.”之所以千年流传,就是因为它使用了排比这一句子技巧,也可以说使用了层递这一修辞手段。
如果凯撒大帝说成“I came,I was able to see,and the land was c onquered.”,恐怕没人愿意记这样一拉杂罗嗦不连贯的句子。
2 强调句(emphasis)单句中使用强调尤其重要。
因为强调可以唤起读者对重要内容的重视。
获得强调效果的手段是多样的,包括:词序,语态,肯定式,重复,省略,强调句式及一些机械手段。
请看例句:(1)Great is the mystery of space, greater is the mystery of time.(改变正常词序获得强调效果)(2)Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.(培根在这里用了层递手段强调了句子最后部分的内容)(3)The girl gave no reason for her refusal to come.(使用主动语态直截了当,重点突出)(4)John Adam was elected President in 1796.(使用被动语态突出亚当当选总统)(5)He usually came late.(肯定句立场坚定,态度鲜明。
试比较:He was not very often on time.否定句则显得态度暧昧,犹豫不决或故弄伎俩而让人烦。
由此看来否定句有其不足之处,故,一些否定意义可用肯定形式来表达,如:not honest说成dishonest;did not remember说成forgot;did not pay attention to说成ignored;not important 说成unimportant等等)(6)Not that I loved Caesar less,but that I loved Rome more.(肯定形式与否定形式结合使用,更能起到强调作用,即,强调肯定句中的内容)(7)The old man has nothing left, nothing except memories capable of filling volumes of books.(使用重复词语nothing 获得强调效果)(8)It was the merchants who protested the new taxes.(使用强调句型强调主语)(9)What the merchants did was to protest the new taxes.(使用强调句型强调动词protest)(10)The new taxes were what the merchants protested.(使用强调句型强调宾语the new taxes)有时候,我们可以省去句中无关紧要的词语获得强调效果,如:As a student, he is most Conscientious.该句省略为:He is a most conscientious student.有时候我们可用一些机械手段获得强调效果,譬如,给相关内容加下划线,斜体,黑体,大写;还可以使用一些标点符号获得强调效果,如:感叹号,破折号及冒号,见如下例句:Watch out!The verdict was what he expected — death.The verdict was what he expected:death.3 修辞句(rhetorical sentences)在修辞中,句子不再是纯粹的语法单位,而是构成段落或篇章的一个个环节。
从整段的角度或全文的角度来看,句式在长度或结构上一定要有所不同,这样才能产生节奏感从而激起读者的兴趣。
修辞句式一般分为松句(Loose Sentences)、掉尾句(Periodic Sentences)、平衡句(Balanced Sentences)。
松句是一种主要内容在前、次要内容在后的句式。
由于主要内容在句子前面已经表达出来,因此,我们可以将句号提前至句中的逗号处,省去后面那些次要信息句子意思仍然完整。
主句在前、从句在后的复合句是松句,并列句及简单句也可以是松句。
松句一般都很流畅平稳,简单明了,常用于讲话或写作中,用来陈述观点、罗列事实、叙事或描写:The mist had lifted from the city below,and all the streets and open places were alive with noisy buyers and sellers, whose loud talking and disputing came up in a continuous hum,like the drone of swarm of bees.在这个松句中,The mist had lifted from the city below为主要内容,我们可以把句号加在“below”、“alive”、“buyers”、“sellers”、“hum”等词的后面而不影响句意的完整。
掉尾句是一种次要内容在前、主要内容在后的句式,也就是说,句子主要内容直到句末才表达完整。
从句在前、主句在后的复合句是掉尾句,句首有修饰语的简单句也可以是掉尾句。
掉尾句常用于强调或达到某种修辞效果。
掉尾句的语言比较正式,尤其多个掉尾句一起使用时这种效果更加强烈。
因此,写作时应尽量使用简短明了的掉尾句,避免使用较长的复杂的掉尾句。
请看下面的例句:As he still pressed forward,waving his swords and cheering his soldiers to the attack,a third shot lodged deep within his breast.纯粹的松句或纯粹的掉尾句表达效果未必好。
许多高明的句子往往是松句和掉尾句的结合体。
请看下面的例句:With little in common after years of separation, old friends are often shocked and embarrassed when they meet again.One day about noon,going towards my boat,I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man’s naked foot on the shore.平衡句由两个或多个结构相同、意义相对的短语或句子构成。
平衡句用来列举事实或进行对比。
平衡句为正式的书面语,很少出现在口语或非正式文体中,但常用于说明文和议论文中。
请看下面的句子:The people want peace, but the imperialists want war.To err is human,to forgive divine.The politician is concerned with successful elections whereas the statesman is interested in the future of his people.A long journey tests a horse’s strength;a long acquaintance shows a man’s heart.4 从属结构(subordination)从属结构是一种句子技巧,它的使用可以把分量不等的内容组合到一起,且读者很容易地看清这些内容的轻重关系。