在写作过程中,写作者要注意的一种语言错误是串句(Run-on Sentences)。这是写作时最常出现的错误之一,即将两个独立的句子错误地连在一起,之间用逗号隔开或没有任何标点符号;或者把连接副词(conjunctive adverbs)当成连接词,使得句子之间没有间断,界限不清,这就出现了串句,也叫不间断句子。 (一)串句分析 串句一般有三种情况:
1.溶合句(Fused Sentences) 两个句子放在一起,中间既无连接词,也无标点符号。例如: —Juan speaks both Spanish and English his family moved to the U.S.from Mexico eight years ago. 改正:把两个句子分开,或者加上所需的连接词和标点。例如: —Juan speaks both Spanish and English.His family moved to the U.S.from Mexico eight years ago. 胡安既讲西班牙语又讲英语。他全家八年前从墨西哥迁到美国。 —Juan speaks both Spanish and English because his family moved to the U.S.from Mexico eight years ago. 胡安全家八年前从墨西哥迁到美国,所以他既讲西班牙语又讲英语。 2.逗号切割句(Comma Splices) 两个或两个以上的句子简单地用逗号连接在一起,无法清晰、准确传达句子之间的内在联系。如: —John's great-grandfather used to hunt bison on the prairie,John still owns the hide of one of these animals. 改正:把句子分开,或用分号代替逗号,或用连接词。例如: —John's great-grandfather used to hunt bison on the prairie.John still owns the hide of one of these animals. —John's great-grandfather used to hunt bison on the prairie;John still owns the hide of one of these animals. 约翰的曾祖父曾经在草原上狩猎野牛;他现在还留有一张野牛皮。 —John's great-grandfather used to hunt bison on the prairie,and John still owns the hide of one of these animals. 约翰的曾祖父曾经在草原上狩猎野牛,并且他现在还留有一张野牛皮。 3.纠缠的句子(Tangled Sentences) 句中没有标点符号,句子结构处于混乱的状态。
病句:Gloria went to the supermarket was selling wild rice on a special sale. 改正:Gloria went to the supermarket.There was a special sale on wild rice. 格罗利亚去了超市,那里有野生大米特卖。 (二)串句的改正方法 改正串句主要有四种方法: 1.使用句号和大写字母 改正串句的一种方法是在两个或两个以上完整的意思之间使用句号,并将句首字母大写。例如: —Human nature is seldom as simple as it appears,hasty judgments are therefore often wrong.(误) —Human nature is seldom as simple as it appears.Hasty judgments are therefore often wrong.(正) 人类的本性很少如其所表现出来的那么简单,因而草率的判断往往是错误的。 说明:当几个意思之间联系并不密切,或者用其他方法会使句子太长时,使用这种方法最好。然而在两个很短、联系较为密切的句子之间使用句号来改正串句,可能会使两个句子表意较弱。