酷兔英语

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垂悬结构

 所谓垂悬结构(The Dangling Construction)就是一个句子成分,如分词短语,不定式动词短语等,找不到被修饰的主语或被修饰的对象不合逻辑。垂悬结构是种错误的句法,应该避免。

  下面是三种常见的垂悬结构及其改正方法:

  ⒈垂悬分词或分词短语,如:

  ① Climbing up the hill, several boars were seen.

  这句子里的现在分词短语(present participial phrase)修饰主语"several boars"是错的;改正方法有二:

  (a)确定是逻辑主语,使句子变成"Climbing up the hill, the explorers saw several boars."

  (b)把现在分词短语扩大为副词分句(也称状语从句):"When the explorers climbed up the hill, they saw several boars/ several boars were seen."

  ⒉垂悬副词短语,如:

  ② After putting a shrimp on the hook, the fish began to bite.

  这句的副词短语(adverb phrase)和主语"the fish"有什么逻辑关系呢?真正的逻辑主语应该是"the fisherman"或"the angler"才对。改正方法和例①同:

  (a) After putting a shrimp on the hook, the fisherman found that the fish began to bite.

  (b) After the fisherman had put a shrimp on the hook, the fish began to bite.

  ⒊垂悬不定式动词短语,如:

  ③ To write well, a lot of practice is needed.

  ④ To be a loyal employee, a sense of belonging is a must.

  这两个句子的不定式动词短语(infinitive phrases)并不能修饰"practice"和"a sense of belonging",真正的主语必须是" 人",如:

  (a) To write well, one needs a lot of practice/a person has to practise a lot.

  (b) To be a loyal employee, he or she must have a sense of belonging.

  上述三类垂悬结构中,第一类发生的频率最高,必须注意。但是在下列三种情况下,分词短语是对的,它们并非垂悬结构:

  第一,独立结构(The Absolute Construction,见3月7日《中英合谈》)中的分词短语有自己的主语,所以不是垂悬结构。例如:

  ① Such being the case, we can go home now./...it is not wrong to call it a day.

  第二,当分词含有介词或连词性质时,它不需要逻辑主语,所以没有垂悬问题存在。例如:

  ② Owing to a lack of funds, the project has to be discontinued.

  ③ Provided that there is sufficient time, everyone can do the job better.

  第三,当分词短语是用来表示说话者的态度或意见时,也不需要逻辑主语,因此也不存在着垂悬问题。例如:

  ④ Judging from his facial look, the news must have been terrible.

  ⑤ Taken as a whole, there is nothing wrong with the logic behind that idea.


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