很多学生平时在学习独立写作的时候经常会发出一个疑问,想要考出20+甚至25+的成绩到底需要文章逻辑更好还是语言更好?要我具备什么样的语言能力能满足高分的要求?今天就为大家进行一下具体的分析。
1. OG评分标准解析
为了回答我们上面提出的两个问题,首先我们来看一下OG的评分标准。官方指南对
Language use is the third criterion on which your essay will be judged. To get a top score, an essay must display “consistent facility in the use of language.” There should be a variety of sentence structures, and word choice should be appropriate. If your essay includes a few minor lexical or grammatical errors, you can still get a high score. However, if you make a lot of grammatical errors and if those errors make it hard to understand your meaning, you will get a lower score. Raters will also judge your essay based on the complexity of sentence structures and on the quality and complexity of your vocabulary. If you use very simple sentences and very basic vocabulary, you will probably not be able to express very complex ideas. If your language is hard to follow, your sentences are overly simple, and your vocabulary is limited, you may score no higher than a 3 no matter how impressive your ideas may be.
我们在这段描述中有三个重点,我们分别来看一下:
① There should be a variety of sentence structures… 文章中句式要多样
② Raters will also judge your essay based on the complexity of sentence structures… 使用复杂的句子结构
③ If your language is hard to follow, your sentences are overly simple, and your vocabulary is limited, you may score no higher than a 3 no matter how impressive your ideas may be. 无论文章观点多好,过于简单的句式和过于简单的词汇不会使文章超过3分
也就是说,想要考到写作20+的成绩,文章中的句式绝对不能全部都是简单句,要能够运用多种句型来体现文章句式的复杂程度。这就需要考生在平时练习的过程中,了解有哪些高级句式,以及句式之间如何进行替换。
我们下面为大家列出了5个托福独立写作中常用的加分高级句式,并逐一进行解析。
托福独立写作常用高分句式
1. 同位语从句
在四种名词性从句(主语从句、宾语从句、表语从句和同位语从句)中,
同位语从句一般是同学们不太能够熟悉使用的,而同位语从句非常适合在文章中表示观点,比如我们在独立写作中经常会用到一下几个句型:
There is a consensus (belief/notion/fact) that …
…, for the fact that…
我们举几个例子来帮助大家理解这几个句型的运用。
There is a consensus that science and technology is central to living, working, and the resolution of personal and societal problems.
Playing computer games is useful and entertaining for the fact that computer games teach children the skills that they need in life.
需要注意的是,同位语从句和定语从句非常类似,引导词前会出现一个名词,因为同位语是用名词修饰名词,而定语是用形容词修饰名词,因此同位语从句中从句部分是对前面名词的补充说明,而定语从句中的从句是对现行词的修饰限定。另外在句子结构中,同位语从句的从句部分不缺成分,而定语从句的从句部分缺少成分。
2. 定语从句
定语从句是同学们使用非常广的一个句式,我们这里要强调的是非限定性定语从句在写作中的使用。非限定性非常适合表示一件事情发生而导致的结果,比如下面这句话:
Many students may endure too much pressure from their teachers, which would threaten their health and incur a loss of self-confidence.
许多学生可能会承受来自老师的巨大压力,这将威胁到他们的健康并导致自信的缺失。
在上面这句话中,关系代词which指代了前面的整个一句话(主句)并在从句中承担了主语,表示了承受压力对学生健康的影响。
3. 强调
强调结构主要用于对主语和状语进行强调。结构为“it is(was)+被强调部分+who(that)”。需要注意这个结构中it不能用其他词替换,谓语动词只有时态的变化,并且无论强调部分是什么,只能用who表示人,that表示其他所有。我们通过几个例子来看一下强调结构在独立写作中的运用。
原句:Government contributes most to the development of the society and the economy.
强调主语:It is the government that contributes most to the development of the society and the economy.
政府对于社会和经济发展做出的贡献最大。
原句:Human beings ought to protect the endangered animal species for the benefit of maintaining the ecological balance.
强调状语:It is for the benefit of maintaining the ecological balance that human beings ought to protect the endangered animal species.
正是为了维持生态平衡,人类才应该保护地球上濒危的物种。
4. 倒装
倒装句和下面的非谓语结构可以说在托福独立写作中的出现率比较少,很多学生不习惯用倒装和非谓语结构去进行写作。倒装的结构有很多种,我们这里挑最常用的否定副词置于句首的情况,来讲一下倒装句的用法:
原句:We should seldom judge a person from his/her ability to earn money.
倒装:Seldom should we judge a person from his/her ability to earn money.
在这个例子中,我们可以发现,原句是陈述句语序,即主语位于谓语动词之前,而在倒装句中,当否定副词位于句首之后,句子要采用半倒装结构,及谓语动词中的情态动词、助动词、系动词提到主语之前,实义动词仍在主语之后。
5. 非谓语
非谓语动词分别包括:动名词、不定式和分词。非谓语动词是比从句更高级的语法现象,因为它通常比从句更简洁,也通常用于对从句进行简化,我们通过下面一个例子来理解如何用非谓语动词进行从句的简化:
从句:Volunteering helps to develop an emotional support system that act as a stress buffer during tough times.
简化:Acting as a stress buffer during tough times, volunteering helps to develop an emotional support system.
志愿者服务有助于建立一个情感支持系统,这个系统是困难时期的压力缓冲器。
在这句话中,定语从句的先行词是support system,先行词在从句中充当动词act的主语,并且是主动关系,因此为了省略从句,我们可以将act改为现在分词acting作主句的状语,此时的acting的逻辑主语仍然是volunteering和主句的主语一致。需要注意的是,同学们在使用非谓语动词作状语时,分词的逻辑主语必须与主句主语保持一致,否则为垂悬结构。
总结
回到我们之前的问题,独立写作中的逻辑很重要能够帮助读者理解我们的文章,但语言使用如果过于简单,可能会导致文章不能表达更复杂的含义,甚至可能我们真正想要表达的含义无法通过简单句表达出来而造成词不达意的现象。因此,平时不断练习高级句式的写作,对取得高分是非常重要的。