2012年12月英语四六级写作技巧之切忌过于依赖从句
关于"but"的用法
中国人喜欢使用"but"从句：同中文一样，在英文中这也是连接两个短句的简单方法。要避免单一的"but"从句，可以考虑采用以下这些变化形式：
Plain: The children at school were familiar with many games, but Li Hua had never even heard of them.
Interesting: The children at school were familiar with games Li Hua had never even heard of.
Plain: The room was silent, but suddenly there was a clap of thunder outside.
Interesting: The silence of the room was broken by a sudden clap of thunder outside.
Plain: They were passionate lovers not only onstage but also off stage.
Better: They were passionate lovers onstage and off.
Plain: Outside the cinema, she lit a cigarette, not necessarily because she had a desire to smoke, but because she felt the need for warmth.
Better: Outside the cinema, she lit a cigarette, as much from the need for warmth as from any desire to smoke.
Plain: It was meant to be a brief kiss, but it turned into a long, lingering one.
Interesting: What was meant to be a brief kiss turned into a long, lingering one.
Plain: Music lightens life, but literature deepens it.
Interesting: Music lightens life; literature deepens it.
Plain: The film "Chariots of Fire" is about some young runners, but it is more than just that.
Interesting: The film "Chariots of Fire" is much more than just a story of young runners.
Plain: It is not his height but his weight that prevented him from competing in the race.
Interesting: His weight, not his height, prevented him from competing in the race.
Plain: Susan seemed unsuitable for the part, but she turned out to be the best actress in the production.
Interesting: Susan seemed unsuitable for the part, yet she turned out to be the best actress in the production.
Plain: Old Wang is often described as a happy-go-lucky person, but the last half hour of the hike home he was interested in nothing but a bath and a bed.
Interesting: Old Wang, an otherwise happy-go-lucky person, thought of only two things the last half hour of the hike home: a bath and a bed.
中国人喜欢使用"but"从句：同中文一样，在英文中这也是连接两个短句的简单方法。要避免单一的"but"从句，可以考虑采用以下这些变化形式：
Plain: The children at school were familiar with many games, but Li Hua had never even heard of them.
Interesting: The children at school were familiar with games Li Hua had never even heard of.
Plain: The room was silent, but suddenly there was a clap of thunder outside.
Interesting: The silence of the room was broken by a sudden clap of thunder outside.
Plain: They were passionate lovers not only onstage but also off stage.
Better: They were passionate lovers onstage and off.
Plain: Outside the cinema, she lit a cigarette, not necessarily because she had a desire to smoke, but because she felt the need for warmth.
Better: Outside the cinema, she lit a cigarette, as much from the need for warmth as from any desire to smoke.
Plain: It was meant to be a brief kiss, but it turned into a long, lingering one.
Interesting: What was meant to be a brief kiss turned into a long, lingering one.
Plain: Music lightens life, but literature deepens it.
Interesting: Music lightens life; literature deepens it.
Plain: The film "Chariots of Fire" is about some young runners, but it is more than just that.
Interesting: The film "Chariots of Fire" is much more than just a story of young runners.
Plain: It is not his height but his weight that prevented him from competing in the race.
Interesting: His weight, not his height, prevented him from competing in the race.
Plain: Susan seemed unsuitable for the part, but she turned out to be the best actress in the production.
Interesting: Susan seemed unsuitable for the part, yet she turned out to be the best actress in the production.
Plain: Old Wang is often described as a happy-go-lucky person, but the last half hour of the hike home he was interested in nothing but a bath and a bed.
Interesting: Old Wang, an otherwise happy-go-lucky person, thought of only two things the last half hour of the hike home: a bath and a bed.
