职称英语考试:否定句式的常见错误分析
误:How not perfect the rules and regulations are!
正:How imperfect the rules and regulations are!
汉语中的感叹句可用否定式,如:多不光彩呀!多不容易呀!而英语中的感叹句不能用否定式,我们可用反义词或带有否定词缀的词来表示。
7、我认为这不值得一试。
误:I think this is not worth trying.
正:I don‘t think this is worth trying.
英语中表臆想、猜测的动词think, believe, fancy, expect, guess, imagine, suppose等,如果带有否定的宾语从句,宾语从句中的否定词通常提前,用来否定主句的谓语动词。尤其是think, 按习惯用法,否定词只能置于think前。
8、他来这儿不是为了求得我们的帮助。
误:He came here not to ask us for help.
正:He did not come here to ask us for help.
否定状语时,英语中的否定词一般不直接置于被否定词语前,通常置于谓语动词前。只有当两个部分加以对比时,即“不是……而是”时,否定词才可直接置于状语前。如:他来这儿不是为了求得我们的帮助,而是来给我们提供一些信息。He came here not to ask us for help, but to give us some information.即使在这一结构中,英语还是常把否定词置于谓语动词前。
9、他的设计肯定还没完成。
误:He mustn‘t have completed his design.
正:He can‘t have completed his design.
对比较有把握的推测,肯定句中用must,而否定句中用can‘t,对过去的推测,在must和can’t后接完成形式。