英语阅读技巧与策略 Sentence structure

SentencemeaningWordtoSentenceReadingisaprocessofcommunicationbetweenthewriterandthereader.Theresponsibilityofthereaderistocomprehendthewriter’smessageinasaccurateawayasispossible.Todothis,thereadermustactivelytrytomakesenseofthewrittenmessagebythinkingaboutwhatthewriterissaying.Wearenotreadingthewords,butwhatthewordsareconnectedtomake:sentencesandpassages.管中窥豹“什么主谓宾、定状补、从句、短语，我们从初中就开始学了。这些语法知识又枯燥又难记，老师讲了，当时似乎明白，结果自己一做题就错，句子结构越看越糊涂。遇到稍微长点的句子就更别提了，有时候连主谓宾都分不清楚，真烦人！”马婷一边做题，一边向旁边的同学抱怨着。旁边的同学点点头，似乎深有同感。下列图片哪个像汉语句子结构，哪个像英语句式结构呢由于英汉两种语言属于不同的语系，无论在句法、句子结构和表达方式上都有显著的区别。关于汉英句子的一个形象比喻是，英语句子是树式结构，而汉语句子是竹式结构。所谓英语的树式结构，指的是英语的主干结构（即主、谓、宾）突出，就像一颗树的主干。而这些主干上往往又附有一些枝杈和树叶，即用各种关系词把一些修饰性的从句和短语挂靠在主谓宾上，就宛如一棵枝繁叶茂的参天大树。就是因为这种特点，英语中经常有一些结构比较复杂的长句，往往从句里又含从句，短语中又有短语，盘根错节，十分复杂。尽可能长的写下一个英语句子Example:Afterthemorningballgameandbeforetheeveningcampfire,JackandJillwentslowlyupthehillandfetchedalargepailofcoolandcleanwatertobeusedincookingthemealforthefamilyreuniontobeheldthatafternoonattheparkbythelakewheremanypeoplewatchedfireworksontheFourthofJuly…所以理论上讲，英语的句子是可以无限扩展下去的。正是因为汉英两种语言在句子方面的巨大差异，使得中国学生在面对英语句子，尤其是一些复杂的长难句时犹如“雾里看花”，不知所措。而汉语的竹式结构，则是因为汉语的句子一般动词较多，长句较少。表达时会层层铺开，有如一根竹子，一节之后又生一节，一步一步接连下去。正是英语的这种树形特点，使得它的句子结构层次分明，主次可辨。无论句子有多长、结构有多复杂，它都由一些基本的成分组成的。只要找到了句子的主干，再一一剔除枝叶，那么再长再难的句子都是一个简单的结构。首先确定句子的基本句型，找出全句的主语、谓语和宾语，即句子的主干，然后划出句子中的从句（包括定语从句、状语从句）和短语，最后分析从句的及其短语的内部结构。就这样，用庖丁解牛的方式，一个长难句就被一层一层分解了。SentencestructureSentencestructureSixelements:subject,predicate,predicative,object,attributeandadverbialDotheyhavethesamepositionofimportanceinasentence?Whichelementsaremoreimportantthanothers?Whatarethefunctionsofeachelement?CorePartsofaSentenceGrammar:subjectandpredicate.Subject:whoorwhatisthesentenceabout?Predicate:whatisbeingsaidaboutthesubject?Subjectandpredicateareindispensableforsentence.Objectandpredicativeareindispensableforsomesentences.Attributeandadverbialareattachment,forfurtherexplanationorsupplement.Generally,theyhavenoinfluenceonsentencemainstructure.CorepartsModifyingpartsThreeclauses：名词性从句(nominalclause)：主语从句(subjectclause)、宾语从句(objectclause)、同位语从句(appositiveclause)、表语从句(predicativeclause)形容词性从句(adjectiveclause)：定语从句(attributiveclause)副词性从句：状语从句(adverbialclause)（包括时间、条件、结果、目的、原因、让步、地点、方式等）Fivephrases:介词短语、不定式短语、分词短语、动名词短语以及形容词短语。Example1.Aboutfiveo’clockHarrytelephonedtofindoutwhythestorehadnotdeliveredtheairconditionerhehadboughtthatmorning.Coreparts:Whoorwhatisthesentenceabout(WhatistheSubject)?Whatisbeingsaidaboutthesubject(Whatisthepredicate)?Otherparts:When?Why?Thebasicmeaningoressentialthoughtofthissentenceis______.Compoundsentence(并列句)Compoundsentence:sentencethathastwoessentialthoughtsjoinedbyacoordinatingconjunction.YoucanFindmorethanoneessentialthoughts.E.g.2.Parentsknowthatcommercialsaresometimesexaggerated,butchildrenoftenbelieveeverythingtheysee.3.TheplanetMarsisfartherawayfromthesun,soithasalowertemperaturethanEarth.Complexsentence(复合句)Complexsentence:sentencewithanmainclauseandasubordinateclause.Mainclause:theclausethatmakessensebyitself.subordinateclause:theclausethatcan’tmakesensebyitselfbutdependsontherestofthesentencetomakesense.E.g.,Everyonecouldseethattheessayiswellwritten.Sheisgoingtoseeafriendwhowasatschoolwithher.ExerciseIdentifytheessentialandthemoreimportantthought(s)inthefollowingsentence.HavinglearnedindirectlythatRebeccawaspregnantwithhischild,JohnnycamebackfromParistoconfrontherwiththequestionofwhatshewasgoingtodoaboutthechildshewascarrying.Compound-complexsentenceShetriedononeoftheshoeswhichtheassistanthadbroughtbutitwasuncomfortablytightsosheremoveditquicklyandhandeditbackwiththeremarkthatshehadnointentionofhobblingbetweenhercarandherfrontdoorstep.ReadingPunctuationPunctuationmarksaresometimesoverlookedbystudentsastheyread.Theresultisoftenamisunderstandingofthesentence.Althoughtheyaresmall,punctuationmarksarebigwhenitcomestosentencecomprehension.ExerciseA.Mr.JonesaskedtoseeJimandthencalledinBill;thecaptainofourteam,Joe,saidhethoughtwewerenext.B.Mr.JonesaskedtoseeJimandthencalledinBill,thecaptainofourteam;Joesaidhethoughtwewerenext.1.InsentenceA,whoisthecaptainoftheteam?2.InsentenceB,whoisthecaptainoftheteam?A.WhenIlookedintotheroom,IsawMaryseatedatthedesk;Jimwasatworkonthecomputeranddidnothearmecall.B.WhenIlookedintotheroom,IsawMary;seatedatthedesk,Jimwasatworkonthecomputeranddidnothearmecall.1.InsentenceA,whowasseatedatthedesk?2.InsentenceB,whowasseatedatthedesk?A.Thetreatywassignedbythreenationsinvolvedintheborderdisputein1986;onenationrefusedtoabidebyallagreements,however,andthebattlesbeganonceagain.B.Thetreatywassignedbythreenationsinvolvedintheborderdispute;in1986onenationrefusedtoabidebyallagreements,however,andthebattlesbeganonceagain.1.InsentenceA,whathappenedin1986?2.InsentenceB,whathappenedin1986?Foursteps一、找主干，明结构句子的主干即主语和谓语，如果动词是及物动词，还要记得找出宾语。找到了句子的主干，那句子的大概结构也一目了然了，是简单句还是复合句，是并列复合句还是主从复合句，是主动语态还是被动语态，是强调句型，虚拟语气，倒装结构还是普通句型。这样确定了句子的主要结构，脑子里就会有一个大致的框架了。二、理枝干，明层次主干清理出来了，就应该梳理枝干了。这里说的枝干就是修饰主干或主干某个成分的各种从句和短语，包括定语从句，状语从句，介词短语，分词短语，不定式短语等，可以称之为首要修饰