无论我们考的是GRE、GMAT、TOEFL还是IELTS,我们都势必会在写作当中遇到比较关系的表达
比如:
I am taller than you are.
或
I am as good as you are.
这种难度的比较句型,写起来也不需要太多思考,因为大家习惯了比较级后面紧跟than,或者as加形容词或副词之后直接跟一个than。
I learn much more from my work experience than from class.
或
The corn does not taste as good when it is just harvested as after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
这种难度级别的“比较句型”很多同学读起来就开始有障碍了,而写起来就更费力了。
但其实这种句子写起来是有非常标准的模式的。今天就来手把手教你怎么写出正确的比较关系。
就拿刚才第二个句子为例,我们先假想不写否定句,毕竟就是把tastes改成does not taste的问题,我们先想想它的肯定句版本怎么写出来:The corn tastes as good when it is just harvested as after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
Step 1
思考如果不做比较,单纯的比较双方各自的原始句子怎么写
The corn tastes good when it is just harvested.
The corn tastes good after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
(如果这个部分写不出来,那不是不会写比较关系的问题了)
无论是 “比较级 + than” 还是 “as + 形容词/副词 + as” 都比较的是一种程度,先找到两个句子要比较的那个程度。
在刚才的例子当中,要比的是good的程度,那么如果我们要构造比较级,等会儿肯定会变成better,如果用as … as,那等会儿肯定会有一个as good
Step 3
复刻刚才的第一个原始句子,从头到尾完整写出来,只是把那个程度词变成所需的比较版本
这很重要!很多同学写不好,就是因为他们忍不住会打断那个句子
The corn tastes better when it is just harvested …
或
The corn tastes as good when it is just harvested …
千万注意!不要写完better急着写than,或者写完as good急着写as,这是很多人写时会遇到的问题。
如果刚才写的是比较级,就在写完的部分后加than,如果刚才写的是as + 形容词/副词,同理在写完的部分后加as
The corn tastes better when it is just harvested than …
或
The corn tastes as good when it is just harvested as …
Step 5
补第二个句子,但不要再把要比的那个程度词写进去
The corn tastes better when it is just harvested than the corn tastes after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
或
The corn tastes as good when it is just harvested as the corn tastes after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
Step 6
省略两句的重复成分(注意不能引起歧义)
The corn tastes better when it is just harvested than after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
或
The corn tastes as good when it is just harvested as after it has been kept in the fridge for a few days.
实际上,当我真正去写一个比较句的时候,我脑子里肯定是不会需要经历这六个步骤的,我是一口气写下来的。但对于写比较句存在困难的同学,大家应该通过严格的规则反复训练,然后才能实现这种一气呵成。
句1: I have a lot of money trapped in the stock market.
句2: I spent a lot of money for my apartment.
比较的是a lot的程度,比较级其实就是more … than,或as much … as
I have more money trapped in the stock market…
I have more money trapped in the stock market than …
I have more money trapped in the stock market than I spent money for my apartment.
I have more money trapped in the stock market than I spent for my apartment.
大家自己可以自行造类似的例子,重复刚才的机械过程,然后你们会发现,Step 1到Step 5复制起来都是没有灵活余地的,这是好事。
但是Step 6其实会出现问题,那就是到底什么能省略,什么不能省略。这其实是一个大问题,而且取决于比较对象所处的句子成份。
I have more money than she has money.
=> I have more money than she does.
I have more money than does she.
更省事的做法是I have more money than her.
但这种更简化的处理并不总能做到,比如下面这个例子。
I love my father more than my mother loves my father.
=> I love my father more than my mother does.
I love my father more than does my mother.
但绝不可以简化处理为I love my father more than my mother,因为很显然,我们能看出来这个句子就有歧义了,不知道是我和我妈妈比,还是我爸爸和我妈妈比。
请格外留意刚提到的倒装处理,很多人看不懂这种倒装表达,会以为要比较的是my father和my mother。不是的,如果是比较my father和my mother,那应该是不同宾语的比较。方式见下条。
I have more knowledge than I have money.
I have more knowledge than money.
I love my father more than I love my mother.
不可以简化为I love my father more than my mother,因为和刚才主语比较省略后的形式无法区分。
只有主语不同、谓语宾语都重复;或者只有宾语不同、主语谓语都重复时:由于主语和宾语都有可能是名词,所以会存在比较对象不清楚的可能性,所以省略时是需要三思的。
The house he bought is much bigger than the house I bought is.
=> The house he bought is much bigger than (is) the one / that I bought.
Watermelons produced in relatively dry areas are generally sweeter than watermelons produced in humid areas are.
=> Watermelons produced in relatively dry areas are generally sweeter than (are) ones / those produced in humid areas.
The house he bought is much bigger now than it used to be.
为什么前面例子用的是the one或that,而这个例子用的是it呢?
因为前面例子指代的其实是不同的house,所以the one或that表示的是,我们谈论的还是同类事物(房子),但是是不同的个体。但如果我们用it,我们要讨论的具体对象也一定是没有发生变化的。
The car runs faster on smooth surfaces than the car runs on the hill.
=> The car runs faster on smooth surfaces than it does on the hill. / The car runs faster on smooth surfaces than on the hill. (注意on绝不能省略)
I love you more because you love me than I love you because you are attractive.
=> I love you more because you love me than because you are attractive. (注意because绝不能省略)
I feel happier with her than I feel with you.
=> I feel happier with her than I do with you.
=> I feel happier with her than with you. (注意with绝不能省略)
I love you more than I loved you before.
=> I love you more than I did before.
=> I love you more than before.
其实按照成份来讲,on the hill, because you are attractive, with you, before这些都是一个完整的状语成份,所以之所以不会省略掉on, because, with这些词,是因为我们要保留完整的成份,这是很多写比较句有困难的同学经常遗漏的问题。
I love you more than I hate you.
The book is more inspiring than the book is innovative.
=> The book is more inspiring than it is innovative.
I am a much better comedian than I am a writer.
I am a much better comedian than a writer(×)
前面那个句子中文很难直译,意译过来是:我作为一个喜剧家要远比作为一名作家优秀。后面那个句子就成了我比一个作家要更是一个好喜剧家了。
The book is much more thoughtful than it might seem.(后半句原始分句:It might seem that the book is thoughtful.)
The professor gave a much more insightful lecture as many students earlier expected.(后半句原始分句:Many students earlier expected that the professor would give an insightful lecture.)
You have made more mistakes than you are allowed to make.
=> You have made more mistakes than (you are) allowed (to).(后半句原始分句:You are allowed to make many mistakes.)
我们会发现,在处理比较省略时,我们需要留意是否会引起歧义,以及指代对象是否发生变化。
今天的分享就到这里啦,希望大家可以之后顺利写出正确的带有比较关系的句子!