GMAT语法改错精解(刘振民)GMAT语法改错精解(刘振民)第一篇总论一、GMAT句子改错题的要求GMAT句子改错题在笔考时,一般有22道题,限时25分钟完成,其基本要求如下:Direction:Ineachofthefollowingsentences,somepartofthesentenceortheentiresentenceisunderlined.Beneatheachsentenceyouwillfindfivewaysofphrasingtheunderlinedpart.Thefirstoftheserepeatstheoriginal;theotherfouraredifferent.Ifyouthinktheoriginalisthebestoftheseanswerchoices,chooseanswerA;otherwise,chooseoneoftheothers.Selectthebestversionandfillinthecorrespondingovalonyouranswersheet.Thisisatestofcorrectnessandeffectivenessofexpression.Inchoosinganswers,followtherequirementsofstandardwrittenEnglish;thatis,payattentiontogrammar,choiceofwords,andsentenceconstruction.Choosetheanswerthatproducesthemosteffectivesentence;thisan—swershouldbeclearmadexact,withoutawkwardness,ambiguity,redundancy,orgrammaticalerror.在实行CAT考试后,该要求没有变化,只不过题量减少了,约为16~18题。二、GMAT改错题的正确选项的特征在GMAT中,改错题与其他英语考试中的改错题并不太一样,它更强调表达的准确性和有效性,而不像TOEFL,只着重语法错误。那么,初学者会问,就ETS而言,在GMAT改错中,当把正确答案替换到原句中,该句子应具有什么样的特征呢?笔者认为,该句子至少有以下3个特征:1.保证原句基本意思及保持原句重心。也就是说,句子的原意不能发生改变,同时原句的主从关系不能发生改变,作次要成分的不能充当句子的主要成分,而句子的主要成分不能下降为从属地位,作修饰成分。2.意思单一,简洁有效。即在句子中,不能出现模棱两可、含糊不清的意思表示。同时表达尽量简洁,不要I罗嗦,能用短语表达的,就不用从句;能用一个词表示的,就不用词组。3.5个中的昀优。而并非昀完美的表达。下面:我们以一个例子来说明以上几点:F—lBeatrixPotters,inherbookillustrations,carefullycoordinatingthemwithhernarratives,capitalizedonherkeenobservationandloveofthenaturalworld.(A)BeatrixPotters,inherbookillustrations,carefullycoordinatingthemwithhernarratives,(B)Inherbookillustrations,carefullycoordinatingthemwithhernarratives,BeatrixPotter(C)Inherbookillustrations,whichshecarefullycoordinatedwithhernarratives,Beat—rixPotter(D)Carefully000rdinatedwithhernarratives,BeatrixPotter,inherbookillustrations,(E)BeatrixPotter,inherbookillustrations,carefullycoordinatedthemwithhernarra—tivesand题解:A、B之所以错,是因为它违反了意思单一原则,其中的coordinating分词短语的修饰关系是模糊的,既可修饰illustrations,又可修饰后面的主句。D错,是因为它违反了第一条原则:保证原句意思。其中coordinated过去分词短语在句首,就表明了该短语修饰主语:BeatrixPorrer改变了句意。而E中,由于其将coordinate与capitalize并列作为主要谓语动词,改变了本属于从属地位的coordinating短语,从而改变了句子重心(coordi-nate与capitalize两个动作毫不相关,并列起来不恰当)。C意思单一,which从句限定修饰illustrations,主从关系明确,因而为正确答案。答案:CGMAT语法改错精解(刘振民)至于第三个特征,我们将在以后的相关例子中提到。三、GMAT解题方法1.抓住明显错误进行排除:有时划线部分中有明显的语法错误或逻辑错误,我们就可由此作为突破口,进行排除,缩小包围圈。F—2ThespeculativefeveroftheRoaringTwentiesinfectedrichandpooralike;vastquantitiesofpeopleweredangerouslyoverextended,creditwasabsurdlyeasytoobtain,andmostbroderagehousesrequiredonlytenpercentcashforstocksboughton“margin.”(A)richandpooralike;vastquantitiesofpeopleweredangerouslyoverextended(B)bothrichandpooralike;largeamountsofpeopledangerouslyoverextendedthem—selves(C)richandpooralike;greatnumbersofpeopleweredangerouslyoverextendedthem—selves(D)bothrichandpooralike;vastamountsofpeopledangerouslyoverextendedthem—selves(E)bothrichandpoor;greatquantitiesofpeopleweredangerouslyoverextended题解:看完划线部分后,我们会发现一个明显的错误,即:A中用quantities来修饰可数名词people,这在语法中是不能接受的,由此点错误,我们就可排除含有此错误点的A、E。同时,我们在对选项进行扫描的过程中,又发现B、D用amount来修饰people,这同样是不能接受的。因而我们又可排除B,D。仅剩C可选。B,D、E中:bothrichandpooralike的表达是哕嗦的,因为both和alike在语义上有重复。在本句中,需要提出的是:rich和poor之前并未加the,也可表示一类人的含义。答案:C2.利用未划线部分寻找暗示和启发。有时候仅就选项部分而言,会有几个选项在表达上和句意上都是无可挑剔的。在此种情况下,再进行选项比较已毫无意义,而应该把目光放宽一些,到未划线部分中去寻找一些暗示。比如说划线部分与未划线部分在人称上是否一致,在数上是否一致等等。这些暗示会使你确认,这几个选项中仅有一个正确。F一3Withouthearingawordof—whatisbeing—saidorshouted,anexperiencedtraderonthefloorofthestockexchangecanlistentothehumofvoicesaroundthemandtellwhatishappening.(A)Withouthearingawordofwhatisbeingsaidorshouted,anexperiencedtrader(B)Withouthearingawordofwhatisbeingsaidorshouted,experiencedtraders(C)Eventhoughthepersonhasnotheardawordofwhatisbeingsaidorshouted,anexperiencedtrader(D)Evenwhenthepersonhasnotheardawordthatisbeingsaidorshouted,experiencestraders(E)Inspiteofnothearingawordofwhatisbeingsaidorshouted,anexperiencedtrader题解:根据下一篇所讲的内容,我们会很容易排除C,D、E(此处排除这三个选项的原因由大家在学完第二篇内容后自行解决)。对于选项A、B,我们发现两者都说得通,只不过A中用单数主语,B用复数主语。此时,我们就需再回到未划线部分,搜索能为我们证实A、B中某一个必对而另一个必错的线索。当读到句末的aroundthem时,我们的目光会为之一亮。them从句意讲,指代主句主语,同时them所指代的应是复数名词,因而A错B对。答案:B3.利用对称性解题:英语在行文上,像我们汉语一样,也讲究前后的对称性。而这一点在比较句中,对照,对比句中和平行结构中表现得尤为突出,即要求尽可能在语法功能上、表达形式上前后一致。我们则可通过未划线部分中的表达形式及语法功能确定划线部分中与之相对应部分的语法功能及表达形式,很快排除错误选项。F一4Atgroundlevel,ozoneisaharmfulpollutant,but.inthestratosphereitshieldstheearthGMAT语法改错精解(刘振民)fromthemostbiologicallyharmfulradiationemittedbytheSun,radiationintheultravio-letbandofthespectrum.(A)inthestratosphere(B)inthestratosphere,inwhich(C)itisinthestratospherein、which(D)inthestratospherewhere(E)itisinthestratosphereand题解:由but表明前后是转折关系,即存在着对比。but之前的地点状语是atgroundlevel因而but之后用inthestratosphere,无论从结构上还是形式上均与atgroundlevel对称。选A是正确的,B,D使but分句的句子结构不完整。E改变句意,而C与but之前的形式缺乏对应关系,表达啰嗦。答案:A4.以薄弱环节作为切入点:在GMAT改错中,划线部分中经常出现的错误就是代词指代混乱和限定性定语从句的引导词指代混乱。因而,如果划线部分中出现了此两类词,在未发现明显错误之前,我们应以此两类词为切人点,通过确认其真实指代对象与其语法指代对象是否一致来排除错误选项。F一5TheGorton—Doddbillrequiresthatabankdisclosetotheircustomershowlongtheywilldelayaccesstofundsfromdepositedchecks.(A)thatabankdisclosetotheircustomershowlongtheywilldelayaccesstofundsfromdepositedchecks.(B)abanktodisclosetotheircustomershowlongtheywilldelayaccesstofundsfromadepositedcheck.(C)thatabankdisclosetoitscusto