雅思小作文因?yàn)楸容^模式化,相對來說用錯詞的情況也少一些。提醒考生們在常見錯誤方面應(yīng)注意:在談及價位時我們應(yīng)該用高低而非大小貴賤來表達(dá),即high/low price 而非big/small price 或者expensive/cheap price; great value而不是big value; their living condition is poor而非bad等等。其實(shí),小作文中比較集中的錯誤在“比較與對比”搞不清楚,所以出現(xiàn) ‘compare’與 ‘contrast’ 的使用錯誤,這里我們詳細(xì)說一下。

一、compare與contrast的誤用

我們先從兩者的定義入手來看兩者的區(qū)別。Compare的定義為:to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different. Contrast的定義為:to compare two or more things to show the difference between them. 由定義不難看出前者側(cè)重于找到兩個或多個事物的異同,而后者則側(cè)重于它們的不同。

看個例句:

It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours.

前一句翻譯為:對比一下我們的情況與他們的情況會很有趣。

后一句的翻譯為:我們的情況與他們的情況有很大的不同,這很有趣。

再看一個引自O(shè)XFORD ADBANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY的例子:

There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West.

The company lost $7 million in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.

When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.

不難發(fā)現(xiàn),Compare 翻譯為“ 與。。。相比”而contrast可譯為“明顯不同的是。。。”,切記這種翻譯方式就不會用錯彼此了。

二、介詞使用錯誤

1、普通介詞的誤用

一般表現(xiàn)為固定搭配錯誤,如常把provide sb with sth用成provide sb sth; be satisfied with用成be satisfied for等等,雖然這樣的錯誤看似無傷大雅,但在考官眼里就是影響順暢閱讀的,當(dāng)然會影響最終成績。解決的辦法簡單而古老:把常見的固定搭配牢記于心,問題自然就解決了。

2、“to”作為介詞的誤用

“to”最常見的用法是以動詞不定式符號的形式出現(xiàn)的,所以同學(xué)們也已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了 “to do”的固定搭配。對于一些如walk to me, to the left等介詞to表方向等常見用法一般也不會出現(xiàn)錯誤。但是對于與動詞搭配的介詞to就會經(jīng)常犯錯:

如:

More and more students have taken to depend on their parents to make decision for them.

這里的 ‘take to’ means ‘to begin to do sth as a habit’ 其中 ‘to’為介詞,所以后面只能接名詞或相當(dāng)于名詞的詞,如動名詞。所以黑體處應(yīng)改為“depending on”。“take to”的另一個常用用法也需要牢記:

He hasn’t taken to his new school. (這里‘take to’ means ‘to start liking sb or sth’)

Prefer A to B中的 “to”也是介詞,會有 prefer doing sth to doing sth/ prefer sth to sth else, 這里朗閣海外考試研究中心提醒您,“prefer to do sth rather than do sth”中的“to”可是真正的不定式符號。

類似的常用用法請同學(xué)們牢記:

Be used to doing

Be accustomed to doing

See to doing

Adapt to doing

Adjust to doing

prefer doing sth. to doing sth.