英语写作中的常见误区与克服方法
写作在英语学习中是培养和提高语言能力的有效手段，它有助于巩固和掌握所学词汇、语法等语言知识，有助于训练直接用所学语言进行思维，有利于提高驾驭语言的能力。英语写作中的常见误区有哪些呢?又有什么克服方法呢？
通常说来，重复是语言之大忌(当然作为修辞手段的重复例外)，几乎所有的语言都力求简练、简洁，避免单调乏味、拖泥带水。而在作为外语的英语写作中我们经常发现，对一个词、词组、句子结构、概念等的漫不经心和无可奈何的重复现象屡见不鲜，致使语言显得冗长、累赘。通过对高中生和大学生的部分作文加以分析，我们可以将这种不当或不必要的重复分为以下两种类型：语言形式上的重复和语言信息的冗余。
语言形式上的重复是指在文章中反复使用同一个词、词组或句子结构;所谓语言信息的冗余是指某一信息点以同一种或不同形式反复出现。在此仅举一例加以说明：在一篇 “Who Is Your Idol”的调查报告中，学生这样写道：The other day, we did a survey on “Who Is Your Idol”. Boys and girls have different opinionson it . 接下来写道：50% of the girls choose film stars and TV stars as their idols while 48% of the boys choose sports stars as their idols. 上述描写中的黑体字choose 重复就属于前者，而其它的黑体字部分就属于后者。
笔者就此问题在学生中进行了广泛的调查，通过细致的研究与分析，将这类错误的原因归纳如下：一是学生的语言量不足，语言贫乏;二是学生出于自己理解与表达习惯及某种程度上的汉语干扰而导致的有效避免这类重复的主观意识不强，写作时随意表达的成分过重。鉴于上述原因，笔者认为在具体的教学、指导与训练中，应根据英语中有效避免不必要的重复的两种常见手段，从以下几个方面着手加以改进：
一. 替代：替代是英语中最常用的有效避免重复的方法与手段，主要包括以下几个方面：
一)同义词和同义句型的使用：
英语中存在着大量的同义词和表达同类内容的不同句型，这就为有效避免重复提供了物质条件，使避免重复成为可能。比如表达意见和看法的词有think, consider, find, feel等等;句型有think that…, thinkconsider it +adjn (to dothat…)等等。这类表达方式在各种教材中都有大量的经典范例。现以人教版高三英语为例加以说明：
1.1)There are many different varieties of bee.
2)Among the different kinds of bee, it is the honey-bee that has interested scientists most….
2.1)After working with bees for many years, Professor von Frisch was puzzled by something again and again.
2) It repeated these circles over and over again .
3) It kept repeating the “steps” over and over.
3.1) Things were clear now. It was evident that the circle dance told the bees about the location of the feeding place. It was also apparent that the wagging dance sent another message about the feeding place.
2) So another astonishing fact came to light.
以上三组例句选自于人教版高三英语第三册第十四单元“The Language of the Honey-bees”，不难看出其中的黑体字部分就是通过同义词的使用而有效的避免了不必要的重复。
le react to advertisements in different ways. Some people find ads useful and entertaining; others think that they are annoying. Defenders of ads say that ads help us make informed choices as consumers by introducing good quality products. On the other hand, critics sometimes accuse companies of using ads to mislead us by making us believe that a certain product is better than it really is or that we will be happier if we buy it.
仔细阅读人教版第五单元“Advertising”中的这段文字，我们可以发现作者在表达不同的意见和看法时，除了使用近义词如find，think，say，accuse的手段避免了重复外，句型结构的变化也是很值得研究和借鉴的，如find ads useful，think that，accuse companies of…。
二)代词替代：即用代词替代上文或下文中出现的名词、词组或句子：
slation from English to Chinese is not so easy as that from English into French.(英译 汉不如英译 法容易) (用that替代前文中的translation)。
still have many failings . We are not afraid to admit them and are determined to get rid ofthem. (我们的毛病 还很多。我们不怕说出自己的毛病 ，我们一定要改正自己的毛病 。)(用them替代failings)
3.Ours is still a very poor country . (我们的国家现在还是一个很穷的国家。)(用ours替代后文中的country。)
上述情况英汉两种语言存在着较大差异，重复是汉语常用的手段，而英语中则常用代词替代。学生写作时往往容易受汉语的干扰而犯简单机械性重复的错误。
三)名词替代：常见的名词替代主要指表示“种”与“类”的名词之间的替代关系。如：
The cattle became tired and weak. The animals dragged their legs, too weak to pull their burden, and their tongues hung out in desperate need of water. Yet, our water supply was so low that we dared not share it with the beasts .
上述例句中，animals(动物)是“种”概念，beast(兽，尤指四足兽)是“类”概念，是animal的一种;而cattle(牛)也是“类”概念，是beast中的一类。
四)动词替代;即用代动词do、do thisitthat、do so、so do I 、Neither do I 等代替前文中的谓语动词。如：
ver, we actually learn a foreign language much faster than we do our mother tongue.
2. …in other words, you were studying the language all day long ! You did this for five years,…
3. You should help him since you have promised to do so .
promised us that he would do his best to help us, and he did .
don`t want to go to the cinema tonight, neither do I.
6.I like reading novels, so does he.
五)分句性替代：即用so或not来替代that从句或与if连用替代上文中某一句的内容。如：
le believe that the American team will win the football game. Peter thinks so , but I believe not .
2.I`ll probably see you on Sunday; if not , it will be Monday.
3. Does the President intend to go to Moscow? And if so , when?
二：省略：省略是英语中的又一种常见的有效避免重复的重要手段，其种类繁多，用法灵活，概括起来主要包括以下几个类型：
一)句法省略：英语中的由when、while、whenever、till、until、once等引导的时间状语从句、if、unless等引导的条件状语从句、although、though、no matter wh及wh+ever等引导的让步状语从句中都有大量的省略句。只要主从复合句中主语是一致的或从句为it is necessary, it is possible，且从句中的谓语部分含有be动词，我们就能将从句中的主语和谓语部分的be动词予以省略。如：
(he was) at college , he often went to the library.
2. While (you are) crossing the street , look out for cars.
3. You can turn to him for help when (it is) necessary .
4. Don`t leave unlessuntil (you are) told to .
5. Even if all professors in universities and research institutes could devote all their time to the study of nature, their contribution, although important , would still be quite small.
6. …each contribution----no matter how small ----can help make a difference.
二)上下文省略：这是英语口语和书面语中都非常普遍而又极其重要的省略原则，根据上下文，在意义清楚不至于产生歧义或误解的前提下，我们通常将下文中重复的部分予于省略。如：
is hotter in Nanjing than in Shanghai.(从句中主系表全部省略，只保留地点状语。)
英语中的比较状语从句中经常使用省略结构。
2. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. (省略了后两句中的are。)
will go to Africa for their holidays, but I don`t know when .(从句内容全部省略。)
由wh+引导的宾语从句和表语从句，在上下文意义明确的情况下，通常将从句的内容全部省略，只保留连接词wh+。
4. I didn`t expect to see you in this state, any more than you me.( 省略了didn`t expect)
5. I will do all I can to help you. (省略了do)
6. When I arrived at the station, I looked around but saw nobody. (根据上下文，将looked around用作不及物的短语动词，避免了重复使用the station。)
有效避免重复，力求语言简练是语言表达的一条基本原则，它普遍适用于口语和书面语的各种文体。其手段灵活多样，本文只是略举几例加以说明，远远不能涵盖所有内容，语言学习者只有在具体的语言使用过程中通过不断的学习、反思、总结、运用，才可能真正掌握并熟练运用这些原则与技巧，最终提高自己的语言表达水平和语言运用能力。
