英语论文写作常见语法错误（中）

下文中提到的语法错误，看着可能较为简单，但请勿掉以轻心，在列的都是在英语论文写作中常出现的问题。学明白这些内容，对自己的英语文本理解能力和翻译能力都有极大帮助。

1. 修饰语(Modifiers)

英文句中的语意有很大一部分是由单词的顺序所决定的，而修饰语可以是单词、短语或从句，功能是在句子中提供描述。这些修饰语的位置很重要，要是放在不对的位置会改变语意。

例如：“I need a leave on Thursday because I am marrying my daughter.”此句中，问题点在于“I am marrying my daughter”这个短语，意味着该说话者将要与他的女儿结婚，这样实在很不恰当。他真正的意思是，他需要出席女儿的婚礼，所以他需要请假。此句的正确版本应该是“Because my daughter is getting married on Thursday, I need a leave.”

以下列出三类修饰语常会遭到误用：

错置修饰语(Misplaced Modifiers)

错置修饰语需要移至句中的他处，以避免可能的混淆。

看看这个例句：

“Simone put the bracelet on her arm that she bought yesterday.”

此句中，意思成了 Simone 昨天买了一只手臂，但其实她买的是一只臂镯。正确的句子应该是：“Simone put the bracelet that she bought yesterday on her arm.”。记得，要解决错置修饰语的问题，就要将修饰语移至要修饰的词旁。

垂悬修饰语(Dangling Modifiers)

垂悬修饰语指的是句子中不包含所修饰的词时，也就是句子中缺乏目标的标题词，无法明确指出修饰语修饰的是句子中的哪个词。

例如：“The waiter finally served us after sitting at the table for nearly an hour.”

此句中的问题在于读者不明白到底是谁坐在桌子旁。句子的正确版本应该是：“The waiter finally served us after we were sitting at the table for nearly an hour.”要解决垂悬修饰语的问题，加上修饰语所修饰的特定词就可以了。

歧义修饰语(Squinting Modifiers)

歧义修饰语，依字面上来看，意思是修饰语会让读者无法判断真正修饰的部分，这类错误会使修饰语即可修饰前面的词，也可修饰后面的词。例如：“The store that had the big sale recently went bankrupt.”此句的意思有两种可能：

1. 最近办过大特卖的那家店铺倒闭了。(The store that recently had a big sale went bankrupt.)

2. 办过大特卖的那家店铺最近倒闭了。(The store that had a big sale went bankrupt recently.)

因此，依照“recently”摆放的位置，句意会有所变化。将词摆放在适当的位置上，对传达正确的讯息来说是很重要的。

2. 错词(Wrong Word)

有时因为词跟词之间的发音太过相似，写作中常会用错，如 their、there、they’re 的发音相同，但各自的语意都不相同。缩写也可能造成问题，should’ve 听起来和 should of 很像，但这其实是 should have 的缩写。

错误：You’re semester is difficult because your taking too many classes.

You’re 意指 you are，而后面的 your 是所有格，这两个词在此句中的用法都错了。

正确：Your semester is difficult because you’re taking too many classes.

这个句子中的You’re 及 your 在句中的用法才正确。

缺少平行结构(Lack of Parallel Structure)

同样重要的想法于表列中或比较中呈现时，应该使用同样的语法形态，不平行结构会令读者混淆，因为在表列中用上不同的语法形态时，意味着表列中的项目不属于同类。

错误：Biology is my major because the subject is challenging, interesting, and excites me.

► “Excites me”与表列中的其他项目的语法结构不同，读起来相当别扭。

正确：Biology is my major because the subject is challenging, interesting, and exciting.

► 表列中的三个项目在结构上对等且平行。

错误：Biology is my major because the subject is challenging, interesting, and I plan on being a veterinarian.

► “I plan on being a veterinarian”与表列中的其他项目的语法结构不同，读起来相当别扭。

正确：I plan on being a veterinarian, so biology is my major. I also chose biology because I find it challenging and interesting.

► “I plan on being a veterinarian”似乎比表列中的另两项还要来得重要，因此可以将这段讨论拆成两句。

3. 错误的平行结构(Faulty Parallelism)

务必在表达一系列的两个以上相符想法或项目时，使用语法对等的句子元素。

错误：The candidate’s goals include winning the election, a health program, and education.

正确：The candidate’s goals include winning the election, enacting a national health program, and improving the educational system.

4. 句子不完整(Fragments)

顾名思义，就是不完整的句子，是由独立从句的一部分所组成。

错误：The University will have to raise tuition next year. Because the state government will not raise taxes to support education.

► “Because the state government will not raise taxes to support education”有主语和动词，但是“because”让句子形成了附属从句，无法自己表达完整的意思，需要与主要从句连接才能形成完整句。

正确：The University will have to raise tuition next year because the state government will not raise taxes to support education.

► 该附属从句成为主要从句的一部分了。

错误：The inevitable laying off of faculty and staff.

正确：The laying off of faculty and staff is inevitable.

► 此句不再是不完整句，因为有了主语“the laying off of faculty and staff”和动词“is inevitable”。

5. 模糊代词指涉(Vague Pronoun Reference)

代词必须有清楚指涉的主语。当代词可以指涉超过一个的主语或是该代词指涉的主语没有点明时，就会产生所谓的模糊代词指涉。

错误：If your students don’t do well on their quizzes, they must not be very good.

► “They”是个模糊的代词，不确定在句中指涉的是students 或是 quizzes。

正确：Your quizzes must not be very good if your students don’t do well on them.

► 本句中，they 明确指涉 quizzes，而非 students。缺乏代词一致性(Lack of Pronoun Agreement)使用代词要准确、一致。代词必须与数字、性别、主语类型一致。

错误：Each member of the rowing team had to set their alarm for three in the morning.

► “Each member”是单数，代词也必须是单数。

正确：Each member of the rowing team had to set her alarm for three in the morning.

► 名词和代词皆为单数。

6. 不清楚的代词指涉(Unclear Pronoun Reference)

代词必须要清楚地指涉限定的指涉对象名词，使用 it、they、that、these、those、which 时要小心，以免造成混淆。

错误：Einstein was a brilliant mathematician. This is how he wasable to explain the workings of the universe.

正确：Einstein, who was a brilliant mathematician, used his quantitative ability to explain the workings of universe.

错误：Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment than in economic development, she sometimes neglects it.

正确：Because of her interest in economic development, Senator Martin sometimes neglects the environment.

7. 不必要的时态转换(Unnecessary Tense Shift)

动词时态要保持一致，如果句子以现在时起头，不要随意地转换成过去时。有时候可能需要转换时态，反映时间的变化，但是非必要的转换可能会使读者混淆，搞不清写作内容的时间关系。

错误：Someone pulled the fire alarm yesterday, so we get out of class without taking the quiz.

► 此句中，没有明确的理由就从过去时“pulled”转换成现在时“get”。

正确：Someone pulled the fire alarm yesterday, so we got out of class without taking the quiz.

► 因为没有明确的理由转换时间，所以两个动词都是过去时。

8. 一致性错误(Agreement Errors)

名词与代词的一致性

代词包括 he、she、they、his、hers 等字，可以指涉前面的名词，或代替名词。代词应该与所代表的名词保持一致，复数名词应该使用 they 作为代词，所有格代词为 their。

• The Beatles wanted their music to convey a message, so they created music and lyrics that others would remember.

单数名词应该使用对应性别的单数代词和单数所有格代词。

• (阳性)Jerry wanted to spend his weekend camping, but he knew he’d have to talk Linda into it.

• (阴性)Linda had wanted to spend her weekend at the spa, but she knew Jerry wanted to go camping.

• (中性)The raccoon got into the ice chest and cut its paw on a sharp knife.

补充：部分跨考同学可能不知道英语名词中四种不同类别的“性”：阳性、阴性、通性和中性。概念较为简单，具体可以自己百度查询了解。

集合名词

上述的简单规则会在导入集合名词和集合代词后变得更加复杂，集合代词包括 everyone、all、everybody、committee、staff。当一个词指涉的是集体中的每个个体时，如 everybody、everyone、each，则使用单数动词和单数代词。

• Everyone in this store is buying chips.

• Everybody needs to bring his or her book to the meeting.

当一个字将个体视为一个团体时，如 committee、staff、faculty等，使用单数动词和代词。

• The committee is making a decision.

当一个字指涉的是为许多个体组成的团体时，如 all、some等，使用复数动词和代词。

• Some people are going to the movies.

• All people listen to their own type of music.

在非正式写作和演说中，有时候也会用在性别中性的情况下，they 可以作为单数的中性代词，如 everyone 一样。

• Everyone has their own opinion.

许多人认为这样的用法是错的，并且偏好使用 his、her 或his/her。要处理这个状况，可以将名词或代词转为复数。

• We all have our own opinions.

动词时态

有时候写作者会在段落之中改变动词的时态，因而导致混淆，为了避免混淆，应确保动词时态的一致。

错误：The method we use is interview and survey. We found that most people voted for the candidate whose name is familiar, regardless of the candidate’s political leanings.

正确1：The method we use is interview and survey. Our findings indicate that people vote for the candidate whose name is familiar, regardless of the candidate’s political leanings.

正确2：The method we used was interview and survey. We found that most people voted for the candidate whose name was familiar, regardless of the candidate’s political leanings.

800万大学生都在用的免费论文查重平台