托福写作--句式多样化

在托福写作中，很多同学写作句式比较单一，作文读起来非常乏味，枯燥，就如同你在一天里不停地重复聆听同一首歌一样。此类作文很难引起考官的注意，可想而知最后的得分是怎么样的。例如：
Primitive men rarely left their territories. They hunted and stalked animals. They were similar to the animals . In fact, mass migrations did occur between the continents. During the migration,  man moved in a fashion just like their prey. They walk on foot, slowly. They are only in an effort to find more food and resources. However, modern technology allows man to live and travel to many places. They can go to interesting places. They like these places.
这段话看完后，是否觉得，有种想睡觉的冲动？为什么呢？因为句式太过于单调了，没有跌宕起伏，没有节奏感，让人敬而远之。那么我们应该如何把这段文字变得既高级而又富有节奏呢？

在这方面，我们必须知道在英语写作里面的基本句式；通过句式的变化使得文章变得更有韵味。
英语的句式可以分为四种：
一．简单句（Simple Sentence）
由一个主谓结构，或两个以上的主语和一个谓语，或两个以上的谓语共一个主语， 有时由两个以上主语和两个以上谓语而构成。简单句不见得短， 通常则用较短简单句来强调主要观点、事实、结论等，或在写作时可表示快速的动作或激动的情绪等。，例如：
1) Ayers Rock rises majestically on a vast, flat, sandy plain.
2) This book is the simplest one.
3) This interesting and instructive book is the simplest one for children.
4) The old captain always used a system called “dead reckoning”.
5) Yesterday morning, the great designer Lao told the employees of our company the story about his life before the war.

二．并列句
并列句（Compound Sentence）由包含两个或两个以上的句子构成；分句由并列连词来连接（或用逗号、分号隔开）。连词有：and, but, or, so, yet, while, for, whereas, either...or, not only... but also, neither...nor, otherwise, or else, therefore, however, then, hence, else, consequently, nevertheless, etc. 这些连词可将句义大致同等重要内容按其发展顺序组合成并列句。例如：
1）we love peace but we are not afraid of war.
2）Hurry up, it’s getting late.(逗号，则表示两分句的因果关系很紧密)
3）I must be going, or I’ll be late.
4）Please bring some medical appliances here, but don’t begin to use them.

三． 主从复合句。
主从复合句（Complex Sentences）中包含两个以上的助威结构句子，其中次要信息及次要意义的从句在句子里充当某一成分，故从句分类为主句从句、宾语从句、表语从句定语从句、状语从句、同位语从句等。句子结构结构由主句和从句构成， 而从句通常则用从属连词引导。当你有两个以上的相关思想时， 若一个比另一个更重要，也就可用主从复合句；用主句表达主要意义，从句表达次要意义。
1） what you need is more practical.
2） He decided that he must be on the side of the winners.
3） When we look at a thing, we must examine its essence.
4） The order soon came that all people should leave the village.
5） The present question is that many people consider impossible what is really possible if a effort is made.

四、并列复合句
并列复合句（Compound Complex Sentence）指并列句中包含从句，即包含两个以上主句，至少有一个或多个从句；通常用并列连词连接符合句而成。例如
1) He heard that the weatherman said it was going to rain, but he still insisted that we started off at once.
2) A few venomous snakes, however, can kill humans, so it is just as well that snakes are very shy and usually attack somebody only if they are disturbed and feel threatened.

认识了这四种句式后，我们可以尝试着把它们应用到写作当中去。以前面提到的段落为例：
Primitive men rarely left their territories. They hunted and stalked animals. They were similar to the animals . In fact, mass migrations did occur between the continents. During the migration,  man moved in a fashion just like their prey. They walk on foot, slowly. They are only in an effort to find more food and resources. However, modern technology allows man to live and travel to many places. They can go to interesting places. They like these places.
前三句Primitive men rarely left their territories. They hunted and stalked animals. They were similar to the animals . 我们可以用从句来连接后两句，变为：they were similar to the animals they hunted and stalked. 然后与第一句用分号合并，变成并列句：Primitive men rarely ever left their territories; they were similar to the animals they hunted and stalked.

第四、五、六、七句In fact, mass migrations did occur between the continents. During the migration,  man moved in a fashion just like their prey. They walk on foot, slowly. 我们可以把前两句变成复合句In fact, when mass migrations did occur between the continents, man moved in a fashion just like their prey. 然后和第六、七句合并，用破折号来直接指出相同之处： In fact, when mass migrations did occur between the continents, man moved in a fashion just like their prey - on foot, slowly, and only in an effort to find more food and resources.

第八、九、十句 However, modern technology allows man to live and travel to many places. They can go to interesting places. They like these places.。我们可以把它第八第九句合并成 However, modern technology allows man to live and travel to many  interesting places. 再与第十句子合并However, modern technology allows man to live and travel to many  interesting places where he pleases.

修改后的段落：
Primitive men rarely ever left their territories; they were similar to the animals they hunted and
stalked. In fact, when mass migrations did occur between the continents, man moved in a fashion
just like their prey - on foot, slowly, and only in an effort to find more food and resources. However, modern technology allows man to live and travel to many  interesting places where he pleases.

所以，通过句式的变化使用，我们可以使段落句子变得更加丰富，读起来抑扬顿挫。在托福考试中，段落中句式的变化会为你带来更高的分数。

作者简介：赖晓安，男，1985年7月8日生。现任职新通广东分公司。