文法資料
文法資料(grammatical information)就是較詞類更進一步提供一個字在句子裡該出現在什麼地方,會跟什麼其他的字出現,以什麼句型出現等的資料。通常這些資料出現於釋義之前,有的辭典會把這些資料放在例句的前面或者後面。
一般說來,給母語人士使用的辭典只提供簡單的文法資料,如vt, vi, n, adj, pro, interj,
prep, adv,但是學習辭典則提供非常詳盡的文法資料,如名詞至少還分可數名詞和不可數名詞,動詞不光是分及物動詞和不及物動詞而已,還要說明它們可跟什麼樣的句型出現。其目的就是要幫助學習者去寫或說正確的外語。學習辭典這方面的資料最明顯的在於名詞、形容詞、動詞 。
名詞常見的文法資料計有如下幾種:
文法資料
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例子
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1. 可數與否
[C] = countable 可數
[U] = uncountable不可數
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information, furniture, freedom不可數
dictionary, soldier, mountain可數
paper當「紙」不可數,當「報告」或「報紙」可數如:I need more paper to write down
my answers. He presented two papers at the conference. I read two papers
every day.
hair指整體時不可數,指個別時可數,如:Her hair is beautiful. There
are several blond hairs on his shoulder.
correction指動作或過程時不可數,指具體的改正時可數,如:I
don’t like his correction of my paper. He made several corrections on my
paper.
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2. 當主詞時,後面接單數或複數動詞
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trousers [+ plural]: His
trousers look good on him.
police [+ plural]: The police
are looking for the murderer.
committee [+ singular / +
plural]: The committee is / are having a meeting.
physics [+ singular]: Physics
is difficult for me.
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3. 前後跟哪一個介系詞
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on impulse: She decided to
watch a movie right now on impulse.
alternative to: They are trying
to find a better alternative to the present health care system.
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4. 可否接that引導的同位語名詞子句
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thought [+ that]: We tremble at
the thought that in the future humans might be reproduced just to collect
their organs.
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5. 可否接疑問詞引導的子句或片語
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doubt [+ wh]: There is no doubt
who should be responsible for the accident and step down.
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跟形容詞有關的文法資料常見的有如下幾種:
文法資料
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例子
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1. 屬於三種形容詞位置的哪一種
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main [attrib]或 [名詞前]:
This is the main idea of this essay.
alone [pred]或 [述語用法]: He lives alone in the woods.
elect [postpositive]或 [名詞後]:
The president elect will swear in on May 20.
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2. 後面可接哪一個介系詞
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devoid [+ of]: Life devoid of
hope is meaningless.
identical [+ to]: His voice is
identical to the caller’s on the phone.
sympathetic [+ with]: He is
sympathetic with the poor.
desperate [+ for]: In this new
city he is desperate for a friend.
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3. 可否接that引導的子句
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sure [+ that]: I am sure that
he will return by seven.
pleased [+ that]: He is pleased
that his team has won the game.
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4. 可否接疑問詞所引導的字句或片語
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sure [+ wh-]: Nobody is sure
who will be their new teacher.
surprised [+ wh-]: You will be
surprised what he has been trying to do to you.
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跟動詞有關的文法資料常見的如下:
文法資料
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例子
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適用句型
(太多不能逐一列舉)
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dictate sth to sb: She is
dictating a letter to her secretary.
dictate [+ to]: John likes to
dictate to his children.
dictate [V + wh-]: The
agreement dictates how the money should be spent.
dictate [V + that]: The custom
dictates that men should wear suits in the office.
mind [V + n]: I don’t mind the
noise.
mind [V + Ving]: He doesn’t
mind working overtime.
mind [V + wh-]: I don’t mind
what they think about me.
mind [V + that]: She doesn’t
mind very much that he doesn’t come.
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有些學習辭典甚至提供更多的文法資料,最詳細的就COBUILD。在2006第5版裡,它除了名詞分成17類之外,連代名詞也都提供詳細的文法資料。它列了不少別的辭典沒有的名詞類別,其中有些很有用,如N-VOC(指可當稱呼語vocative用的名詞,如president), N-TITLE(指可當頭銜用語的名詞,如professor);有些則似乎顯得多此一舉,如N-IN-NAMES(如cottage)。
文法資料的多寡當然重要,可是文法資料以什麼符號標示,符號是否淺顯易懂也很重要。現在的學習辭典的文法資料的符號是越來越透明清晰了。在以前,包括OALD3及更早的版本,或LDOCE1,動詞的句型符號往往夾雜數目字,如VP6A或T6,讀者每次都必須翻到辭典前頭去查看使用說明,才能知道這些符號的意思和用法。可是,現在的學習辭典替讀者設想,將含有數目字的符號都改成較透明易懂的符號了,像T6就改成[+ that]。
即使現在的學習辭典的文法符號都比以前透明清晰了,可是彼此之間的透明化程度還是有高低的差別。我們現在利用main這個形容詞和consider這個動詞的一個句型,來比較五本學習辭典在標記這兩個字的文法符號有什麼不同。
學習辭典
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main
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consider
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OALD8
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[only before noun]
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[T]
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COBUILD5
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det
ADJ
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V n n/adj
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Random
House Webster’s Dictionary of American English, 1st edition
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[before
a noun]
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[~ + obj + adj]
[~ + obj + noun]
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文馨當代英漢辭典,或新世紀英漢辭典
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沒有任何符號
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[+ 受詞 + 補語]
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上表中main這個字的文法標示依其透明清晰度從高到低的順序如下:
1.
[before a noun]或[only before noun]
2.
det ADJ
3.
沒有任何符號
而consider的相同順序為:
1 V n n/adj 或[V
n.adj] [Vn.n]
2. [~ + obj + adj], [~ + obj +
noun]
3. [+受詞 + 補語]
4. [T]
上表中main裡的符號,科林斯的det ADJ這個符號,非常少見,恐需看了它的前頭的說明才能明白這個符號所代表的意義。在consider這動詞的文法符號上,V n n/adj 或[V
n.adj] [Vn.n] 的符號都有可能與所謂的雙賓動詞(如buy等需二個受詞的字)混淆在一起。藍燈書屋與文馨的文法符號,因為用到受詞或補語的概念,不見得每個讀者都會知道,所以對文法稍弱的人可能就會有問題,而 [T]的符號則讀者需要知道是代表transitive[及物動詞],又需要知道及物動詞後頭需有受詞,所以對英文文法概念不是很好的人,應該會造成一點困擾。
當然對辭典的高階使用者而言,目前辭典的文法標記都算很清楚,彼此之間的差異並不是很大,更重要的是辭典是不是盡可能把所有的文法資料都表示出來。舉上述dictate為例,優良的辭典應該列出來這四種句型:dictate sth (to sb); [V + to]
(especially passive); [V + wh-]; [V + that]。
~以上資料取自此書:
《英文辭典與學英文》
~ISBN-13:
978-1-62503-039-9
~Amazon,金石堂,三民書局發售中
~版權所有,但是此篇歡迎轉載分享
~條件是所有連結必須一併出現
英文辭典與學英文(繁體中文版)
金石堂書店(中、港、澳台)http://www.kingstone.com.tw/book/book_page.asp?kmcode=2018000026317&lid=search&actid=wise
三民書局(學術界、圖書館)http://www.sanmin.com.tw/page-product.asp?pid=142170&pf_id=99E155T7U109v88Y102B68j104D122eBSnOFm1496TkX
英文辭典與學英文(簡體中文版)
金石堂書店(中、港、澳、台)http://www.kingstone.com.tw/book/book_page.asp?kmcode=2018000026447&lid=search&actid=wise
三民書局(學術界、圖書館)http://www.sanmin.com.tw/page-product.asp?pid=142170&pf_id=99X155K7y109s88A102e68k104h123WMExJIu440LgW