7. Mix It Up with Active and Passive Voice

主動語態(tài)和被動語態(tài)混合在一起

In many English sentences, the subject is the one performing the action described by the verb of the sentence. This is called “active voice.”

在許多英文的句子里,，句子的主語是動作的執(zhí)行者。這就是主動語態(tài)

While the children played a game in the backyard, their dad prepared dinner.

孩子們在后院玩游戲的時候,，他們的爸爸在準備晚飯,。

In other instances, the subject is being acted upon. Someone else is performing the action! This is “passive voice.”

在其他的情況下，主語是被執(zhí)行者,，其他人在完成這個動作,。這就是被動語態(tài)。

While a game was played by the kids, dinner was prepared by their dad.

孩子們在后院玩游戲的時候,，他們的爸爸在準備晚飯,。

This sentence also has two clauses, and both of them are written in the passive voice: the game was played (by the kids) while dinner was prepared (by their dad).

句子由兩部分組成，兩部分都包含著被動語態(tài)：游戲由孩子們來玩,，晚飯由爸爸來做,。

While it’s recommended to use passive voice sparingly, you should know how to recognize and use both active and passive voices.

我們推薦偶爾使用被動語態(tài)，但是你應該明白如何讓辨認并且使用主被動語態(tài),。

A good mix of active and passive verbs will make your English, especially written English, varied and colorful. Don’t be afraid of combinations!

同時使用主被動語態(tài)尤其是你的書面英語富有變化且多彩,。要勇敢地把主被動語態(tài)結(jié)合在一起使用。

8. For Collective Nouns, Context Is Everything

對于集合名詞,，語境決定一切

Sometimes, a singular noun represents a group of people or a collection of things. Should it take a singular or a plural verb? Is family singular or plural? Is government plural or singular? How about crowd or flock? These types of nouns are known as collective nouns. You’ll treat them differently depending on context.

有時候,，一個單數(shù)的名詞代表著很多人或者很多事物。那么這種情況下,，謂語動詞應該采取單數(shù)還是復數(shù)呢,？family是單數(shù)還是復數(shù)呢？government是單數(shù)還是復數(shù)呢,？crowd和flock呢,？這類名詞被叫做集合名詞。對待這類詞應該視語境而定,。

First, consider whether you’re operating in British English or American English. In American English, collective nouns typically take a singular verb. For example:

首先,，要考慮你正在處理的是英式英語還是美式英語。在美式英語中,，集合名詞的謂語動詞多用單數(shù)形式,。例如：

My family loves me a lot.

我的家人很愛我。

The American government is voting on this issue today.

美國政府今天將就這個問題投票。

There are two important exceptions that you’re likely to encounter in casual conversation: police and people. Police and people always take a plural verb.

在日常的交流中,，你還會遇到兩個重要的特殊集合名詞：police和people,。police和people的謂語動詞通常才用復數(shù)形式。

The Boston Police make reports on the matter.

波士頓警察正在就這個問題作報告,。

People are starting to wonder what’s going on.

人們想知道發(fā)生了什么,。

However, in British English, collective nouns may take a singular or a plural verb, depending on the rest of the sentence. If the collective noun represents a group acting as one unit, it takes a singular verb. If the collective noun stands for several individuals or things acting independently, it takes a plural verb. For example:

然而，在英式英語中,，集合名詞的謂語動詞既可以采用復數(shù)形式,，也可以采用單數(shù)形式，這要視句子中的其他成分而定,。如果集合名詞代表一群人但卻以一個整體出現(xiàn),，那么謂語動詞使用單數(shù)。如果集合名詞代表幾個個體或者一些事物以單獨的形式出現(xiàn),，那么謂語動詞采用復數(shù)形式,。例如：

My family are all coming to the wedding. (“Family” stands for several different people who’ll arrive at the wedding, not necessarily together.)

我的家人都來參加婚禮了。（family代表不同的人,，他們將來參加婚禮,，但是不是必須同時到達。）

The staff disagree on the deadline for the project. (The staff are employees who have different opinions about the project deadline.)

員工們對于這個方案的最后期限意見不統(tǒng)一,。（staff是不同的雇員,，他們對于方案的最后期限有著不同的看法。）

9. Always Use Complete Sentences, Not Sentence Fragments

使用完整的句子而不是句子片段

The most basic sentence in English has two elements: a subject and a verb.

英語中最基本的句子有兩個成分：主語和謂語,。

She sings.

她唱歌,。

I write.

我寫作。

Having a subject and a verb is the minimum requirement for English sentences. If either of those is missing, the sentence isn’t complete. Sentence fragments shouldn’t be used alone.

在一個英文句子中,，主語和謂語是最基本的存在,。兩者中的任何一個丟失，句子都不是完整的,。句子片段不能夠單獨使用,。

Make it a rule for yourself to always write in complete sentences. Check if there’s a subject and a verb in your sentence. If not, insert one! Connecting sentence fragments into more complex sentences will make your English speech and English writing correct and varied.

寫完整的句子應該成為你為自己制定的規(guī)則。寫好之后要檢查句子里是否有主語和謂語,。如果沒有,，要補充上。把句子片段連接起來組成更加完整的句子會使你的英文演講和英文寫作富有變化且正確,。

10. Learn Some Question Tags to Simplify Your Life

使用反義疑問句使生活更加簡單

You know those short questions that sometimes get added to the end of a sentence, don’t you? These are called question tags, and they’re neat, aren’t they? They can make your life easier, especially in an English conversation, because they allow you to easily turn statements into yes or no questions.

你認識那些放在句尾短的疑問句吧,，是不是？他們被稱作反義疑問句,，這些句子很簡潔,，不是嘛,？使用他們能夠使生活更加簡單，尤其是在使用英語交流的時候,，因為他們能夠把你的陳述很容易的轉(zhuǎn)化成帶有yes或者no的問題,。

The rule for forming a question tag is simple: if the main verb of the sentence is positive, the question tag takes its negative form. If the main verb of the sentence is negative (has “not” in it), the question tag takes its positive form. A question tag will always conform to the main verb of the sentence.

反義疑問句的使用規(guī)則很簡單：如果主句謂語動詞是肯定的，那么反義疑問句的謂語動詞就用否定的形式,。如果主句謂語動詞是否定的（句子中含有not）,反義疑問句的謂語動詞就采用肯定的形式。反義疑問句的謂語動詞常與逐句地謂語動詞一致,。

She forgot her lunch, didn’t she? or She didn’t forget her lunch, did she?

她忘記吃午飯了不是嘛,？或者她沒有忘記吃午飯，是嘛,？

However, here’s another thing to remember: if the main verb of the sentence is “I am,” the question tag that corresponds is “aren’t I.”

這里我們還需要記住另一個規(guī)則：如果主句的主語和謂語是“I am”,那么反義疑問句相應的形式就應該是“aren’t I ”,。

I am going to have to change my plans, aren’t I?

我不得不改變我的計劃，不是嘛,？

If you don’t feel like using a contraction to form a negative question tag, be careful with the placement of “not.”

如果你不想使用縮寫形式的反義疑問句,，要額外注意not的位置。

She forgot her lunch, did she not?

她沒有忘記吃午餐,。不是嘛,？

11. Feel Free to Use Dangling Prepositions

自如地使用懸垂介詞

Whenever a preposition gets separated from its object in the sentence (or when it doesn’t have an object at all), it becomes a dangling preposition.

當介詞在句子中與它的賓語分開使用時（或者它根本就沒有賓語時），它就變成了懸垂介詞,。

Whom are you talking to?

你在跟誰說話,？

You can come downstairs; there’s nothing to be afraid of.

你可以下樓，沒什么可害怕的,。

You may encounter native English speakers who believe it’s incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition. However, dangling prepositions aren’t a grammatical error.

你可能會遇到一個以英語為母語的人,，他認為以介詞結(jié)束一個句子是錯誤的。然而,，懸垂介詞在語法上并不是錯誤的,。

Actually, avoiding dangling prepositions may result in some awkward sentences!

事實上，不把懸垂介詞至于句尾還會引起句子的歧義,。

For example:

例如：

To whom are you talking?

你在跟誰說話,？

You can come downstairs; there’s nothing of which to be afraid.

你可以下樓，沒有什么好害怕的,。

These sentences are correct, but not very desirable. As long as you understand dangling prepositions and their grammatical rules, feel free to use them!

這些句子雖然是正確的,，但是說法卻不是非常可取,。只要你知道懸垂介詞并且明白他們的語法規(guī)則,，請自如地使用他們。

12. But Be Careful with Dangling Participles in Complex Sentences

在復雜句中小心使用懸垂分詞,。

Participles are often used to introduce a subordinate clause in a sentence.

在句子中,，分詞用來引出一個從屬的句子,。[/

Doing my homework, I noticed that a few of my notes were missing.

[cn]做家庭作業(yè)的時候，我發(fā)現(xiàn)我的幾個紙條不見了,。

That little girl, having dropped her ice cream, is crying uncontrollably.

那個女孩的冰淇淋掉了,，她正在嚎啕大哭。

在這些例子里,。分詞通常與主語相關,。他們描述主語執(zhí)行的動作或者說明主語的狀態(tài)。

上述的例子還可以開改寫成這樣,，他們的意思是相同的：

While I was doing my homework, I noticed that a few of my notes were missing.

當我正在做家庭作業(yè)的時候,，我發(fā)現(xiàn)我的紙條不見了。

That little girl has dropped her ice cream and is crying uncontrollably.

那個小女孩把她的冰淇淋弄掉了,，她正在嚎啕大哭,。

Dangling participles can cause problems for English learners; they can make it easier to forget or confuse the subject-participle relationship. A very common mistake many English learners make is to use a participle that doesn’t relate to the subject of the sentence.

懸垂分詞的使用對于英語學習者而言是一個大問題；他們會常常使我們忘記或者混淆主語與分詞之間的關系,。對于英語學習者而言一個常見的錯誤就是,，他們使用的分詞與句子的主語沒有關系。

Walking to the university, the rain started to fall, so he opened his umbrella.

走去學校,，開始下雨,，因此他帶了雨傘。

這個句子是錯誤的,！很明顯,，是他走去學校，而不是雨,。正確的說法應該是這樣的：

Walking to the university, he opened his umbrella, because the rain started to fall.

他帶著傘走去學校,，因為下雨了。

正如你所見,，在句子中,，懸垂分詞能夠引起令人困惑的語法錯誤，這就反映出了你的寫作功底有所不足,。與懸垂介詞不同,，我們應該盡量避免使用懸垂分詞。

在英語學習過程中,，你可能并不喜歡學習語法,，但是請不要灰心。一點一點進步,，一次弄懂一天就可以,，這樣你就會慢慢的熟練起來。在這12個語法小妙招里,，我們列出了英語學習者最常犯的錯誤,。祝你好運,！(滬江英語)