托福備考：寫(xiě)作中易用錯(cuò)的五類(lèi)詞匯

在托福寫(xiě)作中，有很多相似詞義的詞匯，其實(shí)在用法上大相徑庭，可是很多同學(xué)在托福寫(xiě)作詞匯的選擇上忽視了他們的具體運(yùn)用環(huán)境，從而造成表達(dá)錯(cuò)誤。下文為大家列舉了托福寫(xiě)作中容易用錯(cuò)的五類(lèi)詞匯，供大家參考借鑒。

一、compare與contrast的誤用

我們先從兩者的定義入手來(lái)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(gè)或多個(gè)事物的異同,而后者則側(cè)重于它們的不同。

看個(gè)例句：

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

前一句翻譯為：對(duì)比一下我們的情況與他們的情況會(huì)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(gè)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(huì)用錯(cuò)彼此了。

二、介詞使用錯(cuò)誤

1. 普通介詞的誤用

一般表現(xiàn)為固定搭配錯(cuò)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(cuò)誤看似無(wú)傷大雅,但在考官眼里就是影響順暢閱讀的,當(dāng)然會(huì)影響最終成績(jī)。解決的辦法簡(jiǎn)單而古老：把常見(jiàn)的固定搭配牢記于心,問(wèn)題自然就解決了。

2. “to”作為介詞的誤用

“to”最常見(jiàn)的用法是以動(dòng)詞不定式符號(hào)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(duì)于一些如walk to me, to the left等介詞to表方向等常見(jiàn)用法一般也不會(huì)出現(xiàn)錯(cuò)誤。但是對(duì)于與動(dòng)詞搭配的介詞to就會(huì)經(jīng)常犯錯(cuò)，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(dòng)名詞。所以應(yīng)改為“depending on”。“take to”的另一個(gè)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(huì)有prefer doing sth to doing sth/ prefer sth to sth else,“prefer to do sth rather than do sth”中的“to”可是真正的不定式符號(hào)。

類(lèi)似的常用用法請(qǐng)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.

等等,請(qǐng)注意平時(shí)仔細(xì)積累。

三、assume及claim使用不夠準(zhǔn)確

我們知道, think, assume, claim是議論文中常用引出觀(guān)點(diǎn)的動(dòng)詞。在實(shí)際作文中,同學(xué)們往往認(rèn)為幾個(gè)詞的意思是一樣的,完全可以代換,所以拿過(guò)來(lái)就用。甚至還有同學(xué)把consider也拿過(guò)來(lái)與之混用。我們首先還是從定義來(lái)看這幾個(gè)詞的不同：

Think:to have opinion or belief about sth. 翻譯為“認(rèn)為”,通常接賓語(yǔ)從句來(lái)表達(dá)比較確定的觀(guān)點(diǎn)。

Assume:to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it. 翻譯為“假設(shè)、假定”,是否有事實(shí)依據(jù)是不確定的。

Claim:to say sth is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it. 翻譯為“聲稱(chēng)”,用這個(gè)詞往往意味著不贊同緊跟其后的觀(guān)點(diǎn),所以很少用作‘I claim that…

Scientist are claiming a breakthrough in the fight against cancer, but in fact, …

所以‘It is claimed that’通常翻譯為“有報(bào)道稱(chēng)......” 和‘it is reported that ’的區(qū)別在于后者翻譯為“據(jù)報(bào)道”,往往代表著作者贊同報(bào)告的內(nèi)容.

Consider:to think about sth carefully, especially in order to make a decision. 翻譯為“考慮”,一般不用作引出觀(guān)點(diǎn),看個(gè)例子：

We are considering buying a new car.

所以,千萬(wàn)不要在托福寫(xiě)作的第一段（觀(guān)點(diǎn)表達(dá)段）就因?yàn)橛迷~把握不準(zhǔn)而導(dǎo)致對(duì)整篇文章的低分印象。

四、表“建議”的詞匯后面忘記用虛擬從句

這是摘自學(xué)生托福作文中的一個(gè)病句：

I suggest he continues his study instead of working after graduation from high school.因?yàn)?lsquo;suggest’翻譯為“建議”,所以后面的從句應(yīng)該用虛擬語(yǔ)氣,黑體部分應(yīng)該改為“(should) continue”所以考生一定要牢記以下常見(jiàn)表“建議”的詞匯,而且要記住這些詞接從句時(shí)要用虛擬語(yǔ)氣：Recommend, suggest, advise。

五、such as與for example的混用

我們知道,在表示舉例子的時(shí)候,such as與like是完全等同的,如：Wild flowers such as/like orchids and primroses are becoming rare.

但是同學(xué)們對(duì)于Such as、for example的把握還是不夠準(zhǔn)確。我們都知道,后者接句子前者接詞語(yǔ)表示舉例子。于是就有了下面的寫(xiě)法：

There is a similar word in many languages, such as in French and Italian.

這里的such as改為for example為好,因?yàn)?ldquo;in French and Italian”其實(shí)是“there is a similar word in French and Italian”的簡(jiǎn)化,所以要用for example來(lái)引出例證。再來(lái)看幾個(gè)類(lèi)似的例子：

It is possible to combine computer science with other subjects, for example physics.

類(lèi)似這樣的詞匯還有很多，大家在托福備考過(guò)程中，一定要多加總結(jié)和積累，有效區(qū)別這些詞匯。