句子的连贯
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A. 句子的连贯
句子的完整性要求一句话必须，而且只能表达一个完整的意思，而一个完整的意思（思想）往往有几个不同的部分构成，各部分之间存在使它们能成为一个统一整体的语义和逻辑关系——修饰与被修饰关系、因果关系、对比关系、主次关系、转折关系等等。句子的连贯性（coherence）要求我们利用各种手段将各部分之间的关系明确地表达出来，使各个部分自然流畅的衔接在一起。这些手段包括：
1） 按各部分内容排列——如时间、空间顺序，重要程度等。
2） 用句法手段来表示——如利用定语、定语从句、同位语，利用并列句和复合句等。
3） 充分利用各种衔接词和过渡词来明确各种关系。
4） 利用其他手段，如重复、代词等。
例 1 Some adults think that explaining the reasons for their decisions to a child undermines
their authority, considering that a child who questions and discusses their decisions is cheeky.
例 2 If you want to change a person permanently, make sure that his thinking changes, and not
merely his behavior. If you change only his behavior, he won’t understand why he’s made the
change. It’s only superficial, and usually shortlived.
B. 写好句子的基本要素
如何写好句子，以达到准确无误地传递思想的目的，对文章的作者来说死对头紧要。下面本文就探讨一下英语句子的基本要素。
1． 简洁性（Conciseness）
莎士比亚有句名言：“言以简洁为贵”（Brevity is the soul of wit.）所谓简洁，就是语言凝练概括，简明扼要。在不影响准确、清晰表达的前提下，能简化的尽量简化，能省略的尽量省略，使信息尽可能快捷有效地传递。
1.1尽可能把从句变成短语，把短语变成单词。如（箭头后为改正过的句子。下同）
when I pushed the door open, I saw a group of young people. Pushing the door open, I saw a
group of young people.
此句用现在分词短语代替时间状语从句，更简短紧凑，干净利落。During the past forty years,
the population of China has been rising at a rapid rate.
根据介词短语at a rapid rate在句中的语法功能，完全可由单个副词rapidly取代，使句子文字洗练。
1.2避免不必要的重复，包括语义重复和同词重复。
She is attractive in appearance, but she is a rather foolish person. She is attractive, but rather
foolish.
原句前半句属于语义重复。用了attractive,无须再用in appearance；后半句属于同词重复。
The final result of the match is 2:1 for our team.
Result已含有final之义。
以上经过化简的句子，既保持了信息量大的优点，又避免了臃肿，达到以少胜多的效果。
2． 多样性（Variety）
一篇文章如果都是千篇一律的简单句，势必导致割裂句过剩和文体松散的结果。应该在准确表达思想的基础还照顾到句型多样化，以求既有丰富的内涵，又有优美的文字。英语句子的多样性主要是以下两个方面：
2.1句式变化的多样性
通过句子变换（transformation of sentence）,运用不同结构，选用不同句式来表达相同的内容，
使表意手段更为多样化。
1) 既可以用主动式也可以用被动式，如：
We certainly should make great efforts.
Great efforts are certainly required.
2) 既可以用肯定式也可以用否定式，如：
The lesson will be firmly rooted in our minds.
We will never forget this lesson.
3) 既可以是正常语序也可以是倒装语序，如：
One can’t learn anything until he rids himself of complacency.
Only when one rids himself of complacency can he learn something.
4) 某些成分既可以放在句子前面也可以放在后面，还可以放在中间，如：
With a car, people can get around freely.
People can get around freely with a car.
People, with a car, can get around freely.
5)既可以用简单句也可以用并列句或者复合句。一般说来，简单句、并列句和复合句各有功能。简单句简洁明快，措辞严谨，直截了当；并列句则表达同样重要的思想；复合 句信息量大，轻重有别，结构有枝有蔓，能体现出层次。使用什么样的句子应取决于实际需要，灵活选用。
2.2句子长度的多样性
长句得复杂思想的表达、严密的论证，但使用起来不够活泼简便。短句的特点是生动简洁，但容量较小，不利于表达复杂的语义内容。在具体语言活动中，最好长短句交替使用。这既体现了节奏上的要求，也是意义上的需要。请看下面这段文章：
When she returned to her office, she found a note from Mr. May under the door. He said he had
been waiting for her in the park but didn’t find her. He was sorry for that.
在这个段落中，长短句交替使用，语句跌宕起伏，音韵和谐，语言表达有张有弛，活泼而不乏凝练，紧凑而不显呆板。
3． 统一性（Unity）
一个句子不论长短，所表达的只能有一个中心明确且意思相对完整的内容。由于英语句子重形合，语法结构要完整，即一个句子必须有主语、谓语和其他必要的辅助成分，必须避免句子残缺不全。如：
1)The police helped him when his important documents were lost and he found them several days
later.
句子的统一性原则要求句子只有一个明确的中心。此句有两个中心the police和he,最好改为：He lost his important documents, but found them with the help of the police several days later.
2)For example, the increase in the cost of renting a house.
此句只有名词短语而无谓语动词，结构不完整，不能作为一个独立的句子来看待。就改为：For example, the cost of renting a house has increased.
3)Born in South China in the early fifties, he grew up to be a famous musician.
句子陈述的两项事实“生长在中国华南”和“成为著名的音乐家”之间的关系不密切，逻辑联系松散，给人以唐突感。不妨这样修改：
He was born in South China in the early fifties. In his childhood he liked to sing songs, later he
entered a conservatory. Finally he became a famous musician.
要获得句子的统一性，关键是写作时应围绕一个中心，保证句子中心思想的完整性。
4． 连贯性（coherence）
句子连贯性是指句子内部、句子之间条理清楚，前后连接贯通，成为一个紧密连接的整体。句子的连贯性包括两层含义：意义连贯和结构形式连贯。要做到这两点，就要有效地运用连词、代词及非谓语动词的各种形式，保持意群和结构的连续性，避免不必要的结构变化，句子成分脱节和指代不明。如：
1)Her voice was clear, deep and with resonance. Her voice was clear, deep and resonant.
并列结构必须是同类的结构并列。原句违反这一原则，破坏了句子成分的和谐和句式的优美对称。
2)My mother is a musician; therefore I have also chosen it as my profession. My mother is a
musician; therefore I have also chosen music as my profession.
代词起连接语篇的作用，它能体现句子之间的逻辑联系，上面句中it指代不明，模棱两可。
4)the basketball players were disappointed, caused by the sudden change of weather. The
basketball players were disappointed because the weather suddenly changed.
此句caused引出的分词短语与前半句没有意义联系，导致短语失去修饰对象而呈游离或垂悬状态，从而破坏了整个句子的逻辑连贯性。
5)fish were roasted by the boys on the end of long pointed sticks. Fish were roasted on the end of
long pointed sticks by the boys.
由于修饰语远离它所要修饰的成分，使句子容易引起歧义。改后的句子意思就明朗多了。
6)He was beaten and robbed, and then they left him to die in the gutter. He was beaten, robbed and
left to die in the gutter.
原句人称、语态不一致，句子的连贯性受到损害。
