长难句通常是作者为了表达的需要,给主句添加许多附属成分(包含非谓语形式)、并列成分和使用大量的(clauses)分句。分句包含并列关系、主从关系和两者的结合——并列中有主从关系,主从中有并列关系(复杂分句结构)。
在阅读理解中,长难句往往是理解文意最关键的句子,读不懂长难句也使得许多童鞋在阅读中失分。
长难句的理解首先抓主干,然后找连词,分析分句之间的逻辑关系,遵循由主到从的理解顺序,把复杂的句子变成简单句来理解,难度自然就降低了。
句子结构:
根据结构分可为简单句、并列复合句和主从复合句。
概述: 只有一个主语(或并列主语)和一个谓语(或并列谓语) 即只包含一个主谓结构的句子叫简单句。也就是说,各个句子成分均由单词或短语充当的句子叫简单句。如:
More and more Chinese people are learning English now.
My father and mother go to work at 7am and come back home at 6pm.
我的父亲和母亲每天早上七点去上班,下午六点才回家。
All the students are on the playground.
The problem is who can really repair the machine.
He doesn’t work here any longer.
Of all the subjects, I like English and maths most.
Xiao Li has made great progress in his study of physics.
4). 主语+谓语(及物动词)+双宾语(间接宾语+直接宾语) 如:
He promised me to buy me a bike as a present on my birthday.
5). 主语+谓语(及物动词)+复合宾语(宾语+宾语补足语) 如:
On arriving there, I found the meeting over.
The students often keep their classroom clean and tidy.
概述: 一个句子包含有两个或更多互不依从的主谓结构,这些主谓结构各构成一个分句,由并列连词连接在一起,就是并列复合句。
1). 分句间为并列关系的常用连词: and (和), not only…but also…(不仅……而且……), neither…nor …(既不……也不……)等,以及连接副词(通常要求用逗号“,”与所引导的并列分句隔开):besides(而且)。如:
She set out soon after dark and arrived home anhour later.
Not only does Xiao Zhang often write to me, but also he often comes to see me.
2). 分句间为转折关系的常用连词: but (但是), and yet (然而), , while (然而)(强调转折对比的含义), whereas (然而), nevertheless (尽管如此,仍然)等,以及连接副词(通常要求用逗号“,”与所引导的并列分句隔开):however(然而)如:
-- Would you like to come to dinner tonight?
-- I’d like to, but I’m too busy.
She thought I was talking about her daughter, while,in fact, I was talking about my daughter.
3). 分句间为选择关系的常用连词: or (或者,否则,要不然), otherwise (否则,要不然), or else (否则,要不然), either…or…(不是……就是……)等。如:
Don’t stand at the door; either you come in or you go out to play.
Would you like a cup of coffee or shall we get down to business right away ?
4) 分句间为因果关系的常用连词: for (因为,由于), so (因此,所以)等,以及连接副词(通常要求用逗号“,”与所引导的并列分句隔开): therefore (因此,所以), hence (因此)等。如:
Everybody lent a hand, so the sowing was done in time.
It rained, therefore, the football match was postponed.
5) 分句间存在时间关系的常用连词: when (这时,在那时),前一个分句表示的动作正在进行的期间,发生了另外一件事,这里的 when 的意思相当于 and at that moment.
The farmers were busy getting in crops when it began to rain.
I was doing my homework when suddenly the lights went out.
概述: 由一个主句和一个或一个以上的从句构成的句子叫主从复合句。主句为句子的主体,从句从属于主句并充当主句的一个成分。根据从句在句中的句法功能,从句可分为:名词性从句、定语从句和状语从句。
概述: 名词性从句的功能相当于名词。根据其在句中充当的成分,可分为:主语从句、宾语从句、表语从句和同位语从句。
在复合句中做主语的从句叫主语从句。引导主语从句的连词:that(无意义,所引导的主语从句是完整的),whether (是否),if (是否)(通常只能用于it作形式主语的主语从句),连结代词: who (谁)(主格), whom (谁)(宾格), whose (谁的)(所有格), what (什么,所……的(东西或事情)), which (那个,那些),whoever (无论谁)(主格), whomever (无论谁)(宾格), whatever(无论什么), whichever (无论那个,无论那些),连接副词: when(何时), where (何地), how (怎样,如何), why (为什么)等。如:
That the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Chengde is known to us all.
=It is known to us all that the 2022Winter Olympic Games will be held in Chengde.
=What is known to us all is that the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Chengde.
在句中做宾语的从句叫宾语从句。宾语从句可以作谓语动词、介词、非谓语动词和一些形容词的宾语。引导宾语从句的连词:that(无意义,所引导的主语从句是完整的),whether (是否), if (是否)(通常只能用于宾语从句,但不能与or not连用), 连结代词: who (谁)(主格), whom (谁)(宾格), whose (谁的)(所有格), what (什么,所……的(东西或事情)), which (那个,那些),whoever (无论谁)(主格), whomever (无论谁)(宾格), whatever(无论什么), whichever (无论那个,无论那些),连接副词: when(何时), where (何地), how (怎样,如何), why (为什么)等。如:
No one can be sure what man will look like in a million years.
-- We haven’t heard from her for a long time.
-- What do you think has happened to her?
We all consider it a pity that he was not able to join us in going camping.
在复合句中做主句表语的从句叫表语从句.引导表语从句的连词:that(无意义,所引导的主语从句是完整的),whether (是否),连结代词:who (谁)(主格), whom (谁)(宾格), whose (谁的)(所有格), what (什么,所……的(东西或事情)), which (那个,那些),whoever (无论谁)(主格), whomever (无论谁)(宾格), whatever (无论什么), whichever (无论那个,无论那些),连接副词:when(何时), where (何地), how (怎样,如何), why (为什么), as if/though(好像), because(因为,由于)等。
Is it because we are closer to the sun in summer than we are in winter?
The reason why he was ill is that he was caught in the heavy rain last night.
His white hair was so hard that it looked as if it had been electrified.
用作同位語的从句叫同位語从句,一般跟在一些名词如:idea(观点,看法), news(消息), word(消息), fact(事实) , promise(诺言), truth(事实), hope(愿望), information(消息,信息), knowledge(知识), problem(问题), thought(思想,想法)belief (相信,看法)等后面,用以说明名词表示的具体内容。引导同位语从句的连词有:that(无意义,所引导的主语从句是完整的),whether (是否),连接副词:when(何时), where (何地), how (怎样,如何), why (为什么)等。如:
You would have no idea how excited I was at that moment.
The news that he won the English Competition surprised us most.
(该句中的that引导同位语从句, that 不作任何句子成分只起引导作用。)
在复合句中作定语的从句叫定语从句。被定语从句修饰的词叫先行词,定语从句一般位于先行词之后,引导定语从句的词叫关系词,可分为关系代词和关系副词。关系词放在先行词和定语从句之间,引导定语从句,同时它又作定语从句的一个成分。使用什么样的关系词要根据先行词在定语从句中所作的句子成分而定。关系代词在定语从句中做主语时不能省略,作宾语时在限定性定语从句中可省略,但如果直接置于介词之后作宾语,则不可省略。关系代词which 或whom 在从句中作介词的宾语时,介词一般可放在 which 或whom之前,也可放在从句原来的位子上,在含有介词的动词固定词组中,介词只能放在原来位子上,而不放在 which 或whom 之前。
It is dangerous to let the children who aren’t old enough swim alone in the river.
The building whose roof we can see from here is a hotel.
=The building, the roof of which we can see from here, is a hotel.
=The building, of which the roof we can see from here, is a hotel.
The scientist and his achievements (that ) you told me about are admired by us all.
你讲到的那位科学家和他所取得的成绩被我们大家所敬佩。
As is mentioned above, the numberof the students in senior school is increasing.
在从句中作状语的从句叫状语从句。用于修饰动词、形容词或副词等。状语从句由从属连词引导,根据意义,状语从句可分为:时间, 地点, 原因, 结果, 条件, 目的, 比较,方式, 让步等九种。状语从句可以放在句末或句首,有时也置于句子的中间,置于句首时或句中时,一般用逗号与主句分开。
When you read the poem a second time, the meaning will become clearer to you.
Since he entered the university, he has made great progress in his studies.
Scarcely had he entered the classroom when the teacher began his lecture.
After the war, a new school building was put up where there had once been a theatre.
战争结束后,一幢教学楼在曾经是家剧院的地方建了起来。
You should make it a rule to leave things where you can find them again.
He didn’t hear the knocking at the door because he was listening to the radio.
As he didn’t know much English, he got out his dictionary and looked up the word.
John may phone tonight. I don’t want to go out in case he phones.
约翰今晚可能打电话来,我不想出去,以防万一他打来电话。
I’ll leave him a message so that he will know where we are.
They worked hard, so that they finished their work ahead of time.
He gave me such good advice that I finished the task ahead of time.
他给我提出了如此好的建议,以致我都提前完成了任务。
I wonder if she will help us but I think if she helps us we’ll be able to complete the work ahead of time.
我不知道她是否会帮助我,我想,要是她帮助我的话,我就能够提前完成这个工作。
I’ll lend you my dictionary on condition that you bring it back in two days.
The heart transplant is not done nearly as often as it was ten years ago.
They will produce 20% more computers than we did last year.
All plants need air as they need water.
They talked so much as though/if they had been friends for years.
Although he is considered a great writer, his works are not widely read.
尽管他被认为是个伟大的作家,但他的作品并没有广泛地被阅读。
If we work with a strong will, we can overcome any difficulty, however great it is.
如果我们意志坚强,无论困难有多大,我们都能战胜它。
Youngest as he is in our class, he sings English songs best.
分析句子的第一步就是了解英语句子的基本结构,然后才能对复杂的句子结构进行分析。
而复杂的句子结构的产生主要有两种方式,即添加附属成分(包含非谓语形式)和使用大量的(clauses)分句。具体方法如下:
1、带有较多附属成分的简单句。简单句的主干部分主谓(宾)可以是多个并列的主语、谓语或宾语,主谓(宾)可以有多个附属修饰成分(定语、状语和同位语等),还可能有插入语等。如:
Having chosen family television programs and women’s magazines,the tooth paste marketer,for instance,must select the exact television programs and stations aswell as the specific women’s magazines to be used.
【解析】 在这个有30多个词的简单句中,句首用了现在分词的完成式Having chosen family television programs and women’s magazines作时间状语,动词chosen后有并列宾语family television programs and women’s magazines;the toothpaste marketer是主语,中间for instance是插入语,must select是谓语,the exact television programs and stations aswell as the specific women’s magazines是三个并列宾语;句末不定式to be used修饰宾语the exact television programs and stations as well as the specific women’s magazines。
【理解】例如,决定选择家庭电视节目和妇女杂志后,牙膏经销商还必须挑选出要用的确切的电视节目和电视台,以及那些具体的妇女杂志。
2、含有多个分句的并列句。通过标点符号和并列连词分解出每个分句,变成简单句来理解。如:
Discrimination(歧视) isn’t their only concern;almost everyone testing positive for the Huntington’s gene(基因)develops symptoms(症状)during middle age, and doctors can do nothing to help.
【解析】三个分句均为简单句,分别用分号和and连接。第二个分句用动名词短语almost everyone testing positive for the Huntington’s gene(基因)做主语,develops是谓语,symptoms(症状)是宾语,during middle age是时间状语。
【理解】担心受到歧视并不是他们唯一的忧虑,几乎所有遗传性亨廷顿病基因检测呈阳性的人在中年时症状都会显现出来,而医生对此却无能为力。
3、含有多个分句的主从句。首先要找出主句,然后根据从属连词分解出不同种类的从句,按层次理解。如:
His journey to the e-mail hell began innocently(无知地) enough when, as chairman of Computer Associates International,a software company,he first heard how quickly his employees had accepted their new electronic-mail system.
【解析】His journey to the e-mail hell是主句的主语,began是谓语,innocently(无知地) enough是方式状语,连词when引导时间状语从句,主语是he,其前as chairman of Computer Associates International,是he的同位语,a software company是Computer Associates International的同位语;heard是谓语,how是连词,引导宾语从句(感叹句结构)how quickly his employees had accepted their new electronic-mail system.做谓语动词heard的宾语。
【理解】他在电子邮件的地狱之旅是糊里糊涂开始的。作为国际计算机联合公司这家软件公司的董事长,他当时还是第一次听说他的雇员们是多么快地就接受了他们公司新的电子邮件系统。
4. 复杂分句结构。在各个分句之间,并列中有主从关系,主从中有并列关系,就构成了复杂分句结构。分析复杂分句结构的关键是抓住主干成分(主谓结构)和连词,分析分句之间的逻辑关系,遵循由主到从的理解顺序,把复杂的句子变成简单句来理解。如:
However,those of us who are parents of children in this age group know that such offers are relatively rare and that many liberal-arts students(文科生) graduate with the belief that the prospective(预期的) workplace may not have a place for them.
【解析】However是插入语,those of us是主句的主语,其后由关系代词who引导定语从句who are parents of children in this age group修饰主语;know是主句的谓语,其后连词that … andthat引导两个并列的宾语从句that such offers are relatively rare and that many liberal-arts students(文科生)graduate with the belief;在第二个宾语从句中the belief之后是连词that引导的同位语从句,说明the belief的具体内容。
【理解】然而,我们这些有这个年龄段孩子的家长们都知道,这样的机会少得可怜;我们也知道,许多文科毕业生认为未来的就业市场没有他们的一席之地。
5. 省略、倒装和分隔现象。阅读理解中常常会出现省略、倒装和分隔现象。省略结构可用补全法,即把缺的句子成分补充出来;倒装结构可用还原法,即把语序还原成正常的语序;分隔结构可用归位法,即把分隔的内容放回到所修饰的词后面。如:
Having collected and evaluated the information, I help other scientists to predict where lava from the volcano will flow next and how fast.
【解析】主句的主语是I,其前Having collected and evaluated the information是现在分词的完成式做时间状语;谓语是help,宾语是other scientists,不定式短语to predict where lava from the volcano will flow next and how fast.是宾语补足语,在不定式短语中,动词后由连词where…andhow 引导两个宾语从句,第二个宾语从句是感叹句,用了省略结构,补充完整为how fast lava from the volcano will flow。
【理解】搜集和评价这些信息之后,我帮助其他科学家预测接下来火山的熔岩会流向何处,以及流速有多快。
Today it is not unusual for a student,even if he works part time at college and full time during the summer,to have$5,000 in loans(贷款) after four years — loans that he must start to repay within one year after graduation.
【解析】分析本句应抓住其关键结构:it is not unusual for a student to have $5,000 in loans after four years。it是形式主语,动词不定式的复合结构for a student to have $5,000 inloans(贷款) after four years是真正的主语,不定式的逻辑主语a student。要注意not unusual是双重否定,实际表示肯定含义。特别要注意连词even if让步状语从句even ifhe works part time at college and full time during the summer被插在不定式结构中,产生了分离现象,增加了考生的理解难度。只需把让步状语从句放回到句首,理解难度就不大了。另外,破折号后loans是同位语,that是关系代词,引导定语从句that he must start to repay within one year after graduation修饰先行词loans。
【理解】一个学生即使在上课期间做兼职工作,在暑假期间做全职工作,四年下来他仍会欠下5,000美元学费贷款。而这笔钱必须在毕业后一年内开始偿还。这样的事现在已经是很平常了。
1、句首的并列连词and、or、but、for通常起承上启下的作用,不要将他们归入后文的句子结构分析;
6、在分句多的句子中,注意分句中又包含分句的现象;
7、非谓语动词短语在句中作次要成分(定语和状语)时又带着自己较长的从属成分,尤其是状语从句或宾语从句时的结构分析;
8、在有多个分句的复杂句子结构中,状语(单个词、短语或从句)究竟是全句的修饰语还是某个从句或某个词语的修饰语。