WORDVICE英文編修潤稿

常見的英文文法錯誤
最常見的五種是:

限定詞: 置於名詞之前，限定名詞的意函。限定詞包含冠詞(a, an, the)、this、that、every、each、which與that。問題最常發生於判別什麼時候該用哪一個限定詞。

介系詞: 置於名詞或代名詞之前來表示在同個句子或子句中單字間的關係。介係詞最難搞的就是它沒有太多規則可以遵循，如果不確定該如何使用的時候，建議利用下列我們提供的工具來檢查喔!

主詞動詞一致性: 單數主詞需要單數動詞；複數主詞需要複數動詞。當主題是包含介詞短語的名詞短語時，最常見的問題就是出現。問題常出現在名詞片語為主詞且包含介系詞片語的時候。

動詞型態: 有原形動詞、不定詞(to+原形動詞), 第三人稱單數動詞(動詞+s)、現在分詞(動詞+ing)、過去簡單與過去分詞。有些動詞的型態比較少，反觀”be”動詞有八個型態。動詞型態混亂的主要來源是使用錯誤的分詞和過度使用現在分詞(動詞+ing)。

動詞時態轉換: 問題時常發生於在某一時間點討論一個主題但卻在同一個子句中使用兩個以上的動詞時態。同一個句子中應該要維持同一時態，否則須另外寫一個新子句或句子來避免句子時態混亂。

下列圖表列出英文寫作分析報告中各類文法錯誤頻率

如上圖所示，限定詞相關的問題高達60%，其中冠詞使用為大宗。
為什麼冠詞是最常見的文法錯誤呢?
冠詞雖然不怎麼令人注意，但在句中卻有著重要的作用。對於許多英文是第二語言的人來說，母語中可能沒有類似冠詞的用法，所以可以理解在寫作中或對話時使用判別冠詞會是很大的問題。但冠詞的問題已經比歐洲其他還有性別分類的冠詞簡單多了。
除了因為語言不同而不熟悉冠詞作用之外，還有另一個可能的原因是因為不確定接在冠詞後面的名詞是否為可數。雖然有許多例外，但大部分的冠詞使用都還是根據名詞的可數不可數來決定。想知道更詳細的冠詞使用判別，請參考如何正確使用冠詞(a, an, and the)?

冠詞的重要性
冠詞能夠限定出名詞的性質，就這一到三個字母能夠顯現出額外的意思，是否很驚奇呢? 為了讓大家更清楚冠詞的作用，下面是一則小範例。
假設你告訴朋友你想買車，可以說: “I really want a car” 或 “I really want the car.”，但你要先決定是想買任何一台車(a car)還是特定某台車(the car)。如果你選了後者，但跟朋友並不知道是特定哪一台的話，他可能會產生疑問。因為你並沒有將”the car”的詳細資訊與他分享過，導致朋友無法理解the car是哪一台車。同樣的，如果你選擇了前者”I really want a car”，你的朋友一樣還是會狐疑。
這時候有兩種方式解決: (1) 先說”I really want a car”，接著再用”the car”當主詞開啟下一個句子並詳細介紹是哪一台或(2) 選擇”I really want the car”然後用限定子句來詳細描述你想要的那台車。舉例:
(1) I really want a car. In fact, I want one exactly like the car I saw parked in front of Joe’s house yesterday.

(2) I really want the car I saw parked in front of Joe’s house yesterday.
如何修改常見的文法錯誤?
1. 誤用限定詞

冠詞

決定使用哪個介系詞前，先找出名詞為可數還不可數，然後照著附檔與文章（如何正確使用冠詞）的規則。可簡單分成以下:

• If you have a noun + prepositional phrase that pinpoints one specific noun, use “the” in front of the noun.


• If you introduce a specific noun for the first time, use “a” or “an,” followed by “the” for subsequent mentions.


• If you mean “any” of that noun, use “a” or “an.”


• If you mean “all” members of that noun class (each and every one, generally), then, for countable nouns, use the plural + no article. For uncountable nouns, use the singular + no article.


• If you mean a category as a whole (and not each and every member of that category), use “the.”

可數名詞:

✗ The apple is delicious. → ✓ Apples are delicious.

✗ I read the new book. The book was fascinating. →  ✓ I read a new book. The book was fascinating.

不可數名詞:

✗ The water is healthy for you. →  ✓ Water is healthy for you.

✗ I bought the water yesterday, and now I will put the water in the fridge. →  ✓ I bought water yesterday, and now I will put the water in the fridge.

指示形容詞 (This/That/These/Those)

使用指示代名詞當作主詞時須小心是否有指示不清楚的情況出現。

規則

this + singular noun (something nearby or recently mentioned)

that + singular noun (something “over there”)

these + plural noun

those + plural noun

範例

✗ This is good for you. →  ✓ This exercise is good for you.

✗ We should adopt a new policy. That policy would help us streamline operations. →  ✓ We should adopt a new policy. This policy would help us streamline operations.

✗ That would make her happy. →  ✓ That promotion would make her happy.

✗ Cats are feisty. Those animals are very independent. →  ✓ Cats are feisty. These animals are very independent.

✗ What do you want to do with these boxes over there? →  ✓ What do you want to do with those boxes over there?

Other vs. Another

“other” 和”another”來指其他替換選項，點擊下列圖片來看看怎麼使用。另外”other”與”another”的不同在於選項的數量。

• ✗ I have two books left. Take this one. Thanks, but I want the another. →  ✓ I have two books left. Take this one. Thanks, but I want the other one.

想參考其他範例，可以參考以下連結:

• Education First


• Pearson Edurite

2. 用錯介系詞

介系詞是個蠻棘手的文法，好消息是通常你可以用動詞來替換掉介系詞片語! 當你需要使用建立關係的單詞時，這裡有幾個技巧:

• 慣用語中的介系詞是固定的:這一類都沒有遵循介系詞的規則，如果不太確定的話，可以利用Merriam-Webster’s來檢查喔


• 不要連續用兩個介系詞:口語上常這樣沒有關係，但在寫作上必需要避免。例如: “I had to get off of the train.” → “I got off the train.”


• 點擊頁面上方的附檔可以查看常用介系詞列表 (包含一般常見意義與句子)

以下是由Grammar.net製作的圖片，介紹了14對容易混淆的介詞差異

也可以使用像Google Book’s N-gram Viewer，其涵蓋了1800年到2000年的所有書本內容，並計算各詞語發生的頻率。如果你對於介系詞的使用有疑慮，輸入該片語的不同變形（用逗號分開）後點擊”enter.” 該片語的使用頻率就會以圖表呈現，而應該要選擇2000年最常被使用的片語（除非你想使用特定年代的語言）。下列是範例”to conduct research on,” 來搜索動詞介系詞。

想參考其他資源，可以點擊以下連結:

• Englishgrammar.org


• Grammar.net


• Google Book’s N-gram Viewer

3. 主詞動詞一致性

也就是動詞必須與主詞的單複數一致。問題常發生於主詞含有介系詞片語的時候，記得動詞必須與介系詞前的名詞單複數一致。

• ✓Noun1 + Preposition + Noun2 + Verb that agrees with Noun1


• ✗ The way in which we communicate with others have changed dramatically. → ✓ The way in which we communicate with others has changed dramatically.

想參考其他資源，可以點擊以下連結:

• Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL)


• Grammarbook.com

4. 動詞型態:

兩個最常發生的錯誤是使用錯誤分詞與過度使用現在分詞。

錯誤分詞

• 留意不規則動詞，有任何疑問可以利用Merriam-Webster來確認是否拼寫正確。


• 美式英文與英式英文在特定動詞分詞的拼寫上不太一樣，例如:美國使用”learned”而英國則使用”learned”和”learnt” 。

過度使用現在分詞

• 使用現在簡單式來描述一般事實、習慣和某物的狀態。
  
  ✗ The sun is always rising in the east. → ✓ The sun always rises in the east.


• 現在進行式 (verb+ing)用來描述暫時性動作和表示等等想要做的事。當你想要說明在某個動作的進行過程中也發生另一件事情時，可以使用現在進行式。
  
  ✗ I visit my sister this week. → ✓ I am visiting my sister this week.

想參考其他資源，可以點擊以下連結:

• Wordvice 動詞時態分析


• Grammarly verb forms


• EF Education First verb tense review


• John Jay College, CUNY’s overview of English verb tenses

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) verb tense overview

5. 動詞時態轉換

在同一子句中的動詞必須使用同樣的時態，如果混用動詞時態則可能讓讀者感到疑惑。

• ✗ Joe watched the movie and laughs out loud. [Joe finished the movie and is now laughing? This sentence doesn’t make sense, right?] → ✓ “Joe watched the movie and laughed out loud,” [Joe completed these actions, and logically, did so at the same time] or “Joe is watching the movie and is laughing out loud” [Joe is currently performing these actions simultaneously].

談到特定主題 ，重複確認副詞子句或句子的動詞時態。

• ✗ Joe eats chocolate whenever he got upset. → ✓ “Joe eats chocolate whenever he gets upset,” [Joe currently has this habit] or “Joe ate chocolate whenever he got upset” [Joe no longer has this habit].

有時候混用時態也是合理的，例如你在表示一個動作的發展時。

• ✓ I am editing the book that I wrote. [Naturally, to edit a book, it must already be written.

想參考其他資源，可以點擊以下連結:

• Grammarly


• Daily Writing Tips

希望以上的說明能夠讓你了解如何修改寫作中的文法錯誤，如果有不清楚的地方可以在下方留言，我們會再更新喔。修改的時候，建議一次專注在一個方面，例如時態，不要同時想要改時態又要改介系詞，這樣容易兩頭空喔。
需要英文編修，就找Wordvice。

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語言是人類思維的載體，語言表達本質上是一種思維的表達，所以對英語非母語的學習者來說，要有學習英語思維的意識。思維是有規律可循的，這種思維規律其實就反映在語法上。我們要向學習英語思維，就必須要理解語法使用。同樣的道理，要向準確掌握英語語法，我們也要把握住英語思維方式的特點。我們的漢語思維與之大不不同，這就導致我們中國學習者身上，存在著很多相同的錯誤。在今天的這篇文章裡，小霍給大家講講其中最常見的五種語法錯誤，我們一起對照一下自己有沒有犯過吧。

 

不管是寫期刊論文、學位論文或是其他學術文章，切中要點的句子最能有效傳遞訊息給讀者。我們整理出三篇減少字數技巧，這篇將介紹如何刪除冗字和填充字，你平常習慣使用填充字嗎？那就不要錯過本篇內容！想了解其他兩篇關於刪減字數技巧的文章，歡迎查看修改動詞名詞化和消除介詞。
 
為什麼英文寫作應避免填充字
填充字是許多作者有意或無意使用的不必要的詞，填充字無助於闡明觀點或論點。 通過閱讀本文，我們希望作者能意識到無意義的填充字對寫作有多大的影響。 如果你想寫出更有力的句子，一起看下去！
 
刪除填充字 & 冗詞
我們寫作上習慣使用太多無意義的填充詞，大多數都是從口語中養成習慣再影響到寫作。
什麼是填充字(filler words)？
填充字在句子裡只有「佔位置」，完全沒有任何功用。既然填充字沒有任何實質意義，為什麼會常常使用？因為人們時常不自覺的將說話的方式套用在寫作上。拿我們部落格舉例好了，我們以對話的方式來寫文章是為了讓讀者理解，我們不用擔心字數限制也希望透過輕鬆地敘述風格讓讀者了解英文寫作建議，可是學術寫作上的用字則不能有過多的冗言贅字，必須要精確。
一般寫作和學術寫作都應避免填充詞與不必要的單字、片語
來看看以下句子，你能找出句中的填充詞和冗詞嗎?

There is an octopus sitting on top of my car.

This is actually an interesting question.

In order to apply the new method to our entire system, perhaps we should perform a local test.

句子語法都沒錯，可是可以更精簡喔

There is an octopus sitting on top of my car. [10 字]

This is actually an interesting question. [6 字]

In order to apply the new method to our entire system, perhaps we should perform a local test. [18字]

來看看精簡後版本

An octopus is sitting on my car. [7 字]

This question is interesting. [4 字]

We should perform a local test before applying the new method to our system. [14 字]

果然精簡很多吧!刪除填充詞可以有效縮減字數，平均比例是25-30%的句長喔。假設我們把這比例放到論文上來看，單單刪掉填充詞就成功”瘦身” 25-30%。
如何找出並修改填充詞?
為了加強你的寫作和修改技巧跟節省你的時間，我們在下方列出了常見的填充詞與或不必要的單字/片語，同時也提供了適合大部分情況的修改建議，當然你也可以照自己的其他方式修改。

填充詞或不必要的單字/片語	修改建議	範例
A… then B… [chronological relationship]	Use the structure “A… and B…” Sometimes, readers can understand sequences because of causality implied in the sentence’s context.	Joe ran up the hill then fell back down. → Joe ran up the hill and fell back down.
Absolutely, Certainly, Completely, Definitely	Delete. In most cases, the verb accompanying these adverbs imply 100% unless otherwise qualified.	We absolutely agree with that theory. → We agree with that theory.
All of the	Use “all the.”	All of the cells ruptured. → All the cells ruptured.
As to whether	Use “whether.”	He was uncertain as to whether he would attend the event next week. → He was uncertain whether he would attend the event next week.
At all time	Delete. If you state a general fact, it is always true unless you qualify it otherwise.	You must follow these rules at all times. → You must follow these rules.
Commonly	Delete. Since “commonly” implies a general statement, it’s unnecessary to use when your statement is a general fact.	People once commonly believed that the sun revolved around Earth. → People once believed the sun revolved around Earth.
Due to the fact that	Use “because” or restructure the sentence using stronger verbs.	Due to the fact that we have limited resources, we will need to ration our daily intake. → We must ration our daily intake because of limited resources. OR Limited resources require us to ration our daily intake.
For all intents and purposes	Delete.	For all intents and purposes, this project will be run by the Zurich office. → This project will be run by the Zurich office.
For the purpose of	Use “to” + verb.	For the purpose of creating a new cohort, we would like to… → To create a new cohort, we would like to…
Has the ability to	Use “can.”	Jackson has the ability to mesmerize an audience with his charm. → Jackson can mesmerize an audience with his charm.
I/we believe; In my/our opinion	Delete unless it would become unclear that the sentence reflects your thought alone. For example, if you are describing other people’s thoughts and want to contrast those ideas with your opinion, you may wish to use these fillers. However, use them sparingly. In most cases, you can avoid the filler, as shown in the second example in the next column.	In our opinion, our results are inconclusive. → Our results are inconclusive.Scientists believe that water once flowed on Mars; however, we believe this theory is unlikely because… → Scientists believe that water once flowed on Mars; however, this theory is unlikely because…
In spite of the fact that	Use “despite” or “although.”	She agreed to volunteer for the event in spite of the fact that she was busy with other work. → She agreed to volunteer for the event although she was busy with other work.
In terms of	Delete and restructure or use “about” or “regarding,” depending on the context.	We can agree with you in terms of the proposed timeframe. → We agree with your proposed timeframe. In terms of price, we would like to request a discount. → Regarding price, we would like to request a discount.
In the event that	Use “if.”	In the event that you can’t meet the deadline, please contact us immediately. → If you can’t meet the deadline, please contact us immediately.
In the process of	Use “while” or “when,” depending on the context.	In the process of starting a new business, I hired an assistant. → When I started a new business, I hired an assistant
In order to	Use “to.”	In order to advance to the next level, we must pass this exam. → To advance to the next level, we must pass this exam.
It is important to note	Delete. If it wasn’t important, you wouldn’t be writing it, right?	It is important to note that inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally. → Inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally.
It is possible that	Use “can,” “could,” “may,” or “might,” depending on the context.	It is possible that the show will be canceled due to inclement weather. → The show could be canceled due to inclement weather.
Just, Really, Very, Even	Delete.	He really loves winter, especially when it snows. → He loves winter, especially when it snows.
Needless to say	Delete.	Needless to say, the project will end tomorrow. → The project will end tomorrow.
That	Delete unless it is essential for making the sentence clear.	She believed that he was innocent. → She believed he was innocent. She liked the house that sat on top of the hill. → She liked the house that sat on top of the hill. [“That” is essential to explain which house.]
The fact that	Delete and restructure.	Mary hated the fact that she had to work on Mondays. → Mary hated working on Mondays.
There/Here/It is…There has/have been…	Delete and restructure to create a stronger active subject/verb. These phrases distract from your sentence’s main point.	There have been many discussions among the scientific community about ethical boundaries in gene-splicing research. → The scientific community has frequently discussed the ethical boundaries in gene-splicing research.
With regard/reference to	Use “regarding” or “about,” depending on the context. You can also rearrange your sentence to eliminate the “with regard to”/”regarding” phrase.	With regard to your previous questions, we will answer them during our meeting later today. → Regarding your previous questions, we will answer them during our meeting later today. OR We will answer your previous questions during our meeting later today.

除了以上的內容，你是否還有想到其他常使用的填充詞呢?
如果你想要試試看是否自己了解了以上內容，可以試試以下的練習。

In the end, we’d like to choose option A.

We just need to move on to the next task; otherwise, we’ll really run out of time.

While we believe this project can be completed in three months, in order to do so, we will need to incur additional costs.

In the event that I don’t make it on time, please start without me.

With reference to the new project, it is possible that we will start next month.

It is important to note that you can apply to the program at any time you want; however, due to the fact that we admit participants on a rolling basis, we may have no room left if you wait too long.

 
 
 
 
解答:

We’d like to choose option A.

We need to move on to the next task; otherwise, we’ll run out of time.

While this project can be completed in three months, to do so, we will need to incur additional costs.

If I don’t make it on time, please start without me.

We can start the new project next month.

You can apply to the program at any time; however, if you wait too long, we may not have any room because we admit participants on a rolling basis.

延伸閱讀
論文字數超過限制時，該如何縮減?

教你如何縮減英文字數: 消除介系詞
需要英文編修，就找Wordvice。

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為了應付大量的英文寫作，大家都會使用英文檢查軟體來排除基本錯誤，而這些軟體現在都做得不錯，但是語言是活的而機器是死的。我們也許每一個字都拼對了但其實用錯了地方或同音異意詞而不自知，軟體也很難檢查出來。
以下整理了最容易讓人混淆的20組英文單字搭配圖片讓你更好理解。

研究人員在掌握了初步的英文寫作技巧后，基本能夠寫出句子結構清晰、語法正確的論文。 但是，對比英文母語語言編輯修改後的文稿，有時仍然感覺英文用詞欠佳或不夠地道流暢。 想要解決這些問題，就必須從高級寫作技巧上系統地總結問題出現的原因和糾正措施。

 

大家好，我們是Wordvice英文編修公司。
還沒看過第一篇英文標點符號該怎麼使用一次報你知的人，可以先去看看，第一篇介紹最常用的逗號等，這一篇要介紹也常用的標點符號。