一、compare與contrast的誤用

我們先從兩者的定義入手來看兩者的區(qū)別。Compare的定義為：to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different. Contrast的定義為：to compare two or more things to show the difference between them. 由定義不難看出前者側重于找到兩個或多個事物的異同，而后者則側重于它們的不同。

看個例句：

It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours.

前一句翻譯為：對比一下我們的情況與他們的情況會很有趣。

后一句的翻譯為：我們的情況與他們的情況有很大的不同，這很有趣。

再看一個引自OXFORD ADBANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY的例子：

There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West.

The company lost $7 million in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.

When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.

不難發(fā)現(xiàn)，Compare 翻譯為“ 與。。。相比”而contrast可譯為“明顯不同的是。。。”，切記這種翻譯方式就不會用錯彼此了。

二、介詞使用錯誤

1、普通介詞的誤用

一般表現(xiàn)為固定搭配錯誤，如常把provide sb with sth用成provide sb sth; be satisfied with用成be satisfied for等等，雖然這樣的錯誤看似無傷大雅，但在考官眼里就是影響順暢閱讀的，當然會影響最終成績。解決的辦法簡單而古老：把常見的固定搭配牢記于心，問題自然就解決了。

2、“to”作為介詞的誤用

“to”最常見的用法是以動詞不定式符號的形式出現(xiàn)的，所以同學們也已經習慣了 “to do”的固定搭配。對于一些如walk to me, to the left等介詞to表方向等常見用法一般也不會出現(xiàn)錯誤。但是對于與動詞搭配的介詞to就會經常犯錯：

如：

More and more students have taken to depend on their parents to make decision for them.

這里的 ‘take to’ means ‘to begin to do sth as a habit’ 其中 ‘to’為介詞，所以后面只能接名詞或相當于名詞的詞，如動名詞。所以黑體處應改為“depending on”。“take to”的另一個常用用法也需要牢記：

He hasn’t taken to his new school. (這里‘take to’ means ‘to start liking sb or sth’)

Prefer A to B中的 “to”也是介詞，會有 prefer doing sth to doing sth/ prefer sth to sth else, 這里朗閣海外考試研究中心提醒您，“prefer to do sth rather than do sth”中的“to”可是真正的不定式符號。

類似的常用用法請同學們牢記：

Be used to doing

Be accustomed to doing

See to doing

Adapt to doing

Adjust to doing

prefer doing sth. to doing sth.
三、assume及claim使用不夠準確

我們知道， think, assume, claim是議論文中常用引出觀點的動詞。在實際作文中，同學們往往認為幾個詞的意思是一樣的，完全可以代換，所以拿過來就用。甚至還有同學把consider也拿過來與之混用。我們首先還是從定義來看這幾個詞的不同：

Think: to have opinion or belief about sth.

翻譯為“認為”，通常接賓語從句來表達比較確定的觀點。

Assume: to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it.

翻譯為“假設、假定”，是否有事實依據(jù)是不確定的。

Claim: to say sth is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it.

翻譯為“聲稱”，用這個詞往往意味著不贊同緊跟其后的觀點，所以很少用作 ‘I claim that…

Scientist are claiming a breakthrough in the fight against cancer, but in fact, ….

所以 ‘It is claimed that’ 通常翻譯為“有報道稱。。。”。和‘it is reported that ’的區(qū)別在于后者翻譯為“據(jù)報道”，往往代表著作者贊同報告的內容，

Consider: to think about sth carefully, especially in order to make a decision

翻譯為“考慮”，一般不用作引出觀點，看個例子：

We are considering buying a new car.

所以，提醒您，千萬不要在雅思大作文的第一段（觀點表達段）就因為用詞把握不準而導致對整篇文章的低分印象。

四、表“建議”的詞匯后面忘記用虛擬從句

這是摘自學生作文中的一個病句：

I suggest he continues his study instead of working after graduation from high school.

因為 ‘suggest’翻譯為“建議”，所以后面的從句應該用虛擬語氣，黑體部分應該改為 “(should) continue”

提醒您，一定要牢記以下常見表“建議”的詞匯，而且要記住這些詞接從句時要用虛擬語氣：

Recommend, suggest, advise

五、such as與for example的混用

我們知道，在表示舉例子的時候，such as 與like是完全等同的，如：Wild flowers such as/like orchids and primroses are becoming rare.

但是同學們對于Such as、for example 的把握還是不夠準確。我們都知道，后者接句子前者接詞語表示舉例子。于是就有了下面的寫法：

There is a similar word in many languages, such as in French and Italian.

這里的such as改為 for example為好，因為“in French and Italian”其實是“there is a similar word in French and Italian”的簡化，所以要用 for example來引出例證。再來看幾個類似的例子：

It is possible to combine computer science with other subjects, for example physics.

最后，要提醒各位考生，在平時的寫作中絕對不能放過任何的模棱兩可，只有平時“斤斤計較”才能做到“寫作使人精確”。

更多信息請查看留學英語寫作