如何让托福写作更地道

2022-05-24 14:48:44

    采用一些

  然而,由于历史、地理和社会的原因因此,擅用名词化不仅体现了写作水平,更是一种思维方式。曾经一个针对中国几所顶尖大学的优秀作文的调查显示,20 篇优秀作文中名词化的使用频率为7%-8%,而普通习作的使用频率仅为5%-6%。与此同时,选用了20 篇英语国家学生的英语作文,同样的方法统计出其名词化的使用频率为10%-15%。有人更是戏说道,老外眼中句子分为3个档次,最差的是主动句,较好的是被动句,倒装句等,最好的nominalization(名词化)的句子,这样的句子最学术最适合写论文。那么面对这样的差异,我们需要重新审视我们写作中的思维方式,做到如何恰到好处又不“画蛇添足”。

  简单说,名词化即是动词或形容词被用作名词的现象。比如动词转成名词:discovery->discovery, move->movement, refuse->refusal,又比如形容词转成名词:careless->carelessness, difficult->difficulty, intense->intensity。那么什么情况下,我们需要进行名词化呢?

  A 谓语动词的宾语部分

  原句:I do not know either what she meant or what he intends.

  名词化:I do not know either her meaning or his intentions.

  B 结合被动形式

  原句:If people decide without enough persuasive information,...

  名词化:If a decision is made without enough persuasive information,...

  C 取代诸如从句中“the fact that”的用法

  原句:The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed the jury.

  名词化:My denial of his accusations impressed the jury.

  更好的名词化:a. When I denied his accusations, I impressed the jury.

  b. In denying his accusations, I impressed the jury.

  D 名词化部分用在there is/are的后面

  原句:We demand that the government stop taxing entertainment.

  名词化:There is a demand for an end to taxation on entertainment.

  原句:The floods considerably eroded the land.

  名词化:There was considerable erosion of the land from the floods.

  然而,有些时候,在我们的思维方式中认为理所应当使用“名词化”时,老外认为是没有必要的。比如:

  A 名词化部分跟在动词后面

  原句(名词化“冗余”):The police conducted an investigation into the matter.

  改后:The police investigated the matter.

  B 名词化部分作为主语

  原句:Our discussion is concerned with a tax cut.

  改后:We discussed a tax cut.

  C 连续进行名词化

  原句:a. First, she reviewed the evolution of the dorsal fin.

  b. There was a first a review of the evolution of the dorsal fin.

  改后:First, she reviewed how the dorsal fin evolved.

  D 连接部分名词化

  原句:Their cessation of hostilities was because of their personnel losses.

  改后:They ceased hostilities because they lost personnel.

  原句:The instability of the motor housing did not preclude the completion of the field trials.

  改后:Even though the motor housing was unstable, the research staff completed the field trials.

  在保证基本的语言语法不出错的基础上,托福写作中如果能更多地正确使用名词化,文章不但更地道,也更易取得高分。当然,应当多加进行托福写作练习,熟练掌握名词化不是一蹴而就的事情,平时需要多积累,多运用。

 

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