中英文語言存在文化差異,英語中動詞名詞化的使用非常常見,然而,由于思維方式的原因,對于中國學(xué)生來說,在寫英語作文的時候,名詞化并不是想象中的那么容易。擅用名詞化不僅體現(xiàn)了你的新托福寫作水平,更是一種思維方式。

曾有人說過,老外眼中句子分為3個檔次,最差的是主動句,較好的是被動句,倒裝句等,最好的nominalization(名詞化)的句子,這樣的句子最學(xué)術(shù)最適合寫論文。

如果在托福寫作中,如果能見到一些名詞化的句子,必將為自己的托福寫作沖刺高分帶來幫助。

有人更是戲說道,老外眼中句子分為3個檔次,最差的是主動句,較好的是被動句,倒裝句等,最好nominalization(名詞化)的句子,這樣的句子最學(xué)術(shù)最適合寫論文。那么面對這樣的差異,我們需要重新審視我們寫作中的思維方式,做到如何恰到好處又不“畫蛇添足”。

簡單說,名詞化即是動詞或形容詞被用作名詞的現(xiàn)象。比如動詞轉(zhuǎn)成名詞:discovery->discovery, move->movement, refuse->refusal,又比如形容詞轉(zhuǎn)成名詞:careless->carelessness, difficult->difficulty, intense->intensity。那么什么情況下,我們需要進(jìn)行名詞化呢?

A 謂語動詞的賓語部分

原句:I do not know either what she meant or what he intends.

名詞化:I do not know either her meaning or his intentions.

B 結(jié)合被動形式

原句:If people decide without enough persuasive information,...

名詞化:If a decision is made without enough persuasive information,...

C 取代諸如從句中“the fact that”的用法

原句:The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed the jury.

名詞化:My denial of his accusations impressed the jury.

更好的名詞化:a. When I denied his accusations, I impressed the jury.

b. In denying his accusations, I impressed the jury.

D 名詞化部分用在there is/are的后面

原句:We demand that the government stop taxing entertainment.

名詞化:There is a demand for an end to taxation on entertainment.

原句:The floods considerably eroded the land.

名詞化:There was considerable erosion of the land from the floods.

然而,有些時候,在我們的新托福寫作方式中認(rèn)為理所應(yīng)當(dāng)使用“名詞化”時,老外認(rèn)為是沒有必要的。比如:

A 名詞化部分跟在動詞后面

原句(名詞化“冗余”):The police conducted an investigation into the matter.

改后:The police investigated the matter.

B 名詞化部分作為主語

原句:Our discussion is concerned with a tax cut.

改后:We discussed a tax cut.

C 連續(xù)進(jìn)行名詞化

原句:a. First, she reviewed the evolution of the dorsal fin.

b. There was a first a review of the evolution of the dorsal fin.

改后:First, she reviewed how the dorsal fin evolved.

D 連接部分名詞化

原句:Their cessation of hostilities was because of their personnel losses.

改后:They ceased hostilities because they lost personnel.

原句:The instability of the motor housing did not preclude the completion of the field trials.

改后:Even though the motor housing was unstable, the research staff completed the field trials.