雅思小作文因?yàn)楸容^模式化，相對來說用錯(cuò)詞的情況也少一些。提醒考生們在常見錯(cuò)誤方面應(yīng)注意：在談及價(jià)位時(shí)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(cuò)誤在“比較與對比”搞不清楚，所以出現(xiàn) ‘compare’與 ‘contrast’ 的使用錯(cuò)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(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 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(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。。?！保杏涍@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。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(dòng)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(huì)出現(xiàn)錯(cuò)誤。但是對于與動(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。所以黑體處應(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, 這里提醒您，“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.

等等，請注意平時(shí)仔細(xì)積累。