在下面这段和产业买卖有关的英文里,存在着 4 个错误。你看得出来吗?
“If you have the intention to sell your flat. Please don’t hesitate to call us, we’ll offer you hightest selling price.”
第一个错误是句型形式“have the intention to sell”的错误;正确的形式是:intend to sell 或 have the intention of selling.
另外两个错误和标点符号有关。一个是在副词分句后面不该用句点而用;另一个是应该用句点的地方而不用。
“If……flat”是条件副词分句,不可独立生存,必须依赖后头的主句“please……us”,才可以成为完整的复杂句(complex sentence)。这样一来,主句前面的句点,就要改成逗号(,)了。
另外一个错误是两个主句之间既没有句点也没有连接词,而只有逗号;这种错误叫 run-on sentence:
“……, please don’t hesitate to call us, we……”
这个句子里的逗号(,)要改为句点(。)才对:
“……。Please don’t hesitate to call us. We……”
不用句点也可以,但要用恰当的连接词,如:
“……, please don’t hesitate to call us, as we’ll offer you……”
谈了 3 个错误,现在来谈最后一个错误,就是定冠词( definite article)的消失:
“We’ll offer you highest selling price.”
习惯上,最高级形容词(the superlative degree of adjectives)前面要用定冠词 the.因此,这句话要改为:
“We’ll offer you the highest selling price.”
必须使用定冠词的例子
接下来,顺便把其他必须用定冠词的场合列下,作为参考。
㈠ 表示世上唯一的事物,如:
① the sun; the earth; the sky; the North Pole
㈡ 当一个名词被再次提起时,如:
② A car knocked against a tree. We can still see the mark on the tree made by the car.
㈢ 当名词后面有个修饰作用的短语或分句时,如:
③ The girl in red is my sister.
④ The thief who stole your wallet yesterday was arrested.
㈣ 加在某些形容词前面,以表示某类人或事,如:
⑤ The rich often get richer and the poor, poorer.
⑥ The doctor lost no time in giving help to the injured.
⑦ Don’t expect the impossible.
㈤ 加在某些山川、河流、岛屿、国家名称之前,如:
⑧ the Alps; the Thames; the British Isles; the Philippines; the Atlantic Ocean.