雅思考試寫作最易出錯的5組詞
雅思小作文因為比較模式化,相對來說用錯詞的情況也少一些。提醒考生們在常見錯誤方面應注意:在談及價位時我們應該用高低而非大小貴賤來表達,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,小作文中比較集中的錯誤在比較與對比搞不清楚,所以出現 compare與 contrast 的使用錯誤,這裡我們詳細說一下。
一、compare與contrast的誤用
我們先從兩者的定義入手來看兩者的區別。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重於找到兩個或多個事物的異同,而後者則側重於它們的不同。
看個例句:
It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours.
前一句翻譯為:對比一下我們的情況與他們的情況會很有趣。
後一句的翻譯為:我們的情況與他們的情況有很大的不同,這很有趣。
二、介詞使用錯誤
1、普通介詞的誤用
一般表現為固定搭配錯誤,如常把provide sb with sth用成provide sb sth; besatisfied with用成be satisfied for等等,雖然這樣的錯誤看似無傷大雅,但在考官眼裡就是影響順暢閱讀的,當然會影響最終成績。解決的辦法簡單而古老:把常見的固定搭配牢記於心,問題自然就解決了。
2、“to”作為介詞的誤用
“to”最常見的用法是以動詞不定式符號的形式出現的,所以同學們也已經習慣了 “to do”的固定搭配。對於一些如walk to me, to the left等介詞to表方向等常見用法一般也不會出現錯誤。但是對於與動詞搭配的介詞to就會經常犯錯:
如:More and more students have taken to depend on their parents to make decision for them.
這裡的 ‘take to’ means ‘to begin to do sth as a habit’ 其中 ‘to’為介詞,所以後面只能接名詞或相當於名詞的.詞,如動名詞。所以黑體處應改為“depending on”。
三、assume及claim使用不夠準確
我們知道, think, assume, claim是議論文中常用引出觀點的動詞。在實際作文中,同學們往往認為幾個詞的意思是一樣的,完全可以代換,所以拿過來就用。甚至還有同學把consider也拿過來與之混用。我們首先還是從定義來看這幾個詞的不同:
Think: to have opinion or belief about sth.
翻譯為“認為”,通常接賓語從句來表達比較確定的觀點。
Assume: to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it.
翻譯為“假設、假定”,是否有事實依據是不確定的。
Claim: to say sth is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it.
翻譯為“聲稱”,用這個詞往往意味著不贊同緊跟其後的觀點,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“有報道稱......”和‘it is reported that ’的區別在於後者翻譯為“據報道”,往往代表著作者贊同報告的內容。
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,看個例子:
We are considering buying a new car.
四、表“建議”的詞彙後面忘記用虛擬從句
來看一個病句:
I suggest he continues his study instead of working after graduation from high school.
所以,一定要牢記以下常見表“建議”的詞彙,而且要記住這些詞接從句時要用虛擬語氣:因為‘suggest’翻譯為“建議”,所以後面的從句應該用虛擬語氣。
五、such as與for example的混用
我們知道,在表示舉例子的時候,such as 與like是完全等同的,如:Wild flowers such as/like orchids and primroses are becoming rare.
但是同學們對於Such as、for example的把握還是不夠準確。我們都知道,後者接句子前者接詞語表示舉例子。於是就有了下面的寫法:
There is a similar word in many languages, such as in French and Italian.
這裡的such as改為 for example為好,因為“in French and Italian”其實是“there is a similar word in French and Italian”的簡化,所以要用 for example來引出例證。再來看幾個類似的例子:
It is possible to combine computer science with other subjects, for example physics.