曾有人说过,老外眼中句子分为3个档次,最差的是主动句,较好的是被动句、倒装句等,最好的是nominalization(名词化)的句子,因为这样的句子最学术最适合写论文。和出国留学网小编一起来看看巧用名词化表达提升托福写作水平。
简单说,名词化即是动词或形容词被用作名词的现象。比如动词转成名词:discovery→discovery, move→movement, refuse→refusal;再比如形容词转成名词:careless→carelessness, difficult→difficulty, intense→intensity。
在以下四种情况里我们可以合理将句子名词化表达:
1. 谓语动词的宾语部分
原句:I do not know either what she meant or what he intends.
名词化:I do not know either her meaning or his intentions.
2. 结合被动形式
原句:If people decide without enough persuasive information,...
名词化:If a decision is made without enough persuasive information,...
3. 取代诸如从句中“the fact that”的用法
原句:The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed the jury.
名词化:My denial of his accusations impressed the jury.
更好的名词化:
a. When I denied his accusations, I impressed the jury.
b. In denying his accusations, I impressed the jury.
4. 名词化部分用在there is/are的后面
原句:We demand that the government stop taxing entertainment.
名词化:There is a demand for an end to taxation on entertainment.
原句:The floods considerably eroded the land.
名词化:There was considerable erosion of the land from the floods.
而以下的这些名词化表达则显得画蛇添足,并无必要:
1. 名词化部分跟在动词后面
原句:The police conducted an investigation into the matter.
改后:The police investigated the matter.
2. 名词化部分作为主语
原句:Our discussion is concerned with a tax cut.
改后:We discussed a tax cut.
3. 连续进行名词化
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.
4. 连接部分名词化
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.
各位TOEFLer在托福写作备考中,可以结合具体文章需要,进行名词化表达的尝试,合理巧妙地使用可以有效提升我们的托福写作水平。
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