状语从句的省略

徐晓红

就状语从句而言，有时为了使语言言简意赅，常常将状语从句进行“简化”。状语从句的“简化”现象在口语中较为普遍，而且在高考中的复现率也较高。因此，有必要对状语从句的省略进行全面、透彻的了解。

状语从句同时具备下列两个条件时，从句中的主语和be动词常可省略：①主句和从句的主语一致，或从句主语为it；②从句主要动词是be的某种形式。例如：

She stood at the gate as if （she was） waiting for someone.

她站在门口好像在等人。

The woman teacher hurriedly left the classroom as though （she was） angry.

这位女教师匆匆忙忙离开教室，好像生气了。

The man， while （he is） over eighty， can walk faster than I.

这人虽年过八十，却比我走得快。

Dont speak until （you are） spoken to.

有人对你说话时你才说。

Be careful while （you are） crossing the road.

过马路时要当心。

When （it is） heated， ice can turn into water.

冰经过加热能变成水。

If （it is） possible， he will help you out of the difficulty.

如果可能的话，他会帮你摆脱困境。

You must attend the meeting unless （it is） inconvenient to you.

除非情况对你来说不方便，否则你必须出席这次会议。

另外，比较状语从句经常省略。例如：

Im taller than he （is tall）.

我比他高。

The higher the temperature （is）， the greater the pressure （is）.

温度越高，压力越大。

He has no money. If （he has） any，he will give us.

他没有钱，如果有，他会给我们的。

Some flowers shut up at night as if （they did this in order） to sleep.

有些花夜间收拢，好像为了睡眠一样。

在使用条件、让步、时间、地点、方式、比较或原因等类型的状语从句时，如果其中谓语部分含有to be的任何一种形式，而主语又与主句的主语相一致或主语为it时，为避免重复，使语言生动、自然、简洁，常可以省略从句的主语和谓语的部分，特别是动词be。这就是状语从句的省略。状语从句的"简化"现象常存在于以下几种状语从句中。

[条件状语从句的省略]

即主要由if，unless等引导的条件状语从句。例如：

She wont go to his birthday party unless （she is ） invited.

The news is quite important to us， if （it is） true.

但如果if引导的是表示假设的虚拟条件句，虽具备条件，也不能用于这类省略。这时如果if从句的谓语动词中含有were，had，should，则可以用倒装省略，即将were，had或should提到句首，而将连词if省略。例如：

Were it not for you， I would also go there with them.

Had you come here earlier， you would have met him.

Should it be fine tomorrow， we would go for an outing.

另外，当once作“一旦，一经”解释，连接时间或条件状语从句，其主语与主句的主语相同或其主语为it+be时，常省略从句中的主语或it+be。例如：

Once （it was） published， his work became famous for the absence of rhyme at the end of each line.

Once （you） lose confidence， you can never expect to do your work well.

例1 Unless to speak， you should remain silent at the conference.

A. invited B. inviting

C. being invited D. having invited

解析 A。“Unless to speak”是条件状语从句的省略，它们之间省略了you are， 原句可变为：Unless you are invited to speak， you should remain silent at the conference.

例2 If the same treatment again， he is sure to get well.

A. giving B. give

C. given D. being given

解析 C 。“If the same treatment again”也是条件状语从句的省略，它们之间省略了he is，原句可变为：If he is the same treatment again， he is sure to get well.

例3 The experiment shows that proper amounts of exercise， if regularly， can improve our health.

A. being carried out B. carrying out

C. carried out D. to carry out

解析 C。句子的主语是the experiment；谓语动词是shows；that引导宾语从句，宾语从句的主干是：proper amounts of exercise can improve our health；if regularly是插入的条件从句， 从句的主语是proper amounts of exercise， 此时应用it代替前面提到的主语， 条件句的主语与主句的主语一致， 并且含有is， 故省略了it is， 完整形式是：if it is carried out。句意：这项实验表明， 适当的运动， 如果有规律的进行， 能够有助于我们的身体健康。

[让步状语从句的省略]

即主要由though，although，however，whatever，even if，even though，no matter how/what引导的让步状语从句。例如：

Though （he had been） defeated many times， he didn't lose heart.

They worked very hard， though （he was） still rather weak.

与if引导的虚拟条件从句不能用这类省略一样，as引导的让步状语从句同样不能省略。不过如果让步状语从句由as引导时，从句中的表语（一般是形容词或名词）或状语必须提前到as前，构成倒装。如果作表语的是单数可数名词，则还须省略不定冠词。例如：

Poor as he was， he was honest.

Hard as he tried， he still failed.

Much as I like her， I wont marry her.

Child as he is， he can express himself in good English.

例4 She stopped to help the boy .

A. although being in a hurry

B. although be in a hurry

C. although be hurry

D. although in a hurry

解析 D。although是从属连词，故只能接从句，A选项不是从句，而是非谓语doing结构，故不能选。D选项是although接的从句，也是省略句，省略了主谓，补充完整是：although （she was） in a hurry。

[时间状语从句的省略]

即主要由when， while， as， before， after， until/till等引导的时间状语从句。例如：

When （he was） still a boy of ten， he started working to support himself.

Dont leave the machine till （you are） told to.

Ill let you know as soon as （it is） arranged.

但要注意，before和after虽然也可以用作连词引导时间状语从句，却不能用于这类省略主语和be的结构。例如：

The plan should be discussed once again before it is carried out.

上句不能改为：The plan should be discussed once again before carried out.但可以改为：The plan should be discussed once again before being carried out. 句中before不是连词而是介词，后面的being carried out是V-ing形式短语作介词的宾语，整个句子是简单句，而不是复合句。

例5 When ， the museum will be open to the public next year.

A. completed B. completing

C. being completed D. to be completed

解析 A。“When completed”是时间状语从句的省略，其之间省略了it is， 原句可变为：When it is completed， the museum will be open to the public next year.

例6 It shames me to say it， but I told a lie when at the meeting by my boss.

A. questioning B. having questioned

C. questioned D. to be questioned

解析 C。“when at the meeting by my boss”是时间状语从句的省略，其之间省略了I was， 原句可变为：It shames me to say it， but I told a lie when I was questioned at the meeting by my boss.

例7 When first to the market， these products enjoyed great success.

A. introducing B. introduced

C. introduce D. being introduced

解析 B。“When first to the market”也是时间状语从句的省略，其之间省略了they were， 原句可变为：When they were first introduced to the market， these products enjoyed great success.

例8 Children，when by their parents， are allowed to enter the stadium.

A. to be accompanied B. to accompany

C. accompanying D. accompanied

解析 D。when的后面省略了they are。因为children和动词allow构成被动关系，所以使用过去分词表示被动。句意：当孩子有父母亲陪伴的时候，他们是被允许进入体育馆的。本题考查是时间状语从句的省略，实际上可以把when也省略掉，就变成了非谓语动词中的分词做状语的用法。

[地点状语从句的省略]

即主要由where，wherever引导的地点状语从句。例如：

He is always ready to help others wherever （he is） needed.

You can add some words to your composition where （it is） necessary.

[方式状语从句的省略]

即主要由as，as if引导的方式状语从句。例如：

The old man sat at the corner alone， as if （he was） thinking of something.

English is not so difficult to learn， as （it is） generally supposed.

[比较状语从句的省略]

即主要由as， than等引导的比较状语从句。例如：

In winter it is much colder in Beijing than （it is） in Shanghai.

The project was completed earlier than （it was） expected.

Mary is not so shy as （she was） a year ago when I first met her.

[原因状语从句的省略]

即主要由because引导原因状语从句。例如：

He decided not to watch the foot ball match because （he was） not himself.

I forget to post the letter for you because （I was） too busy.

由此，不难发现，这些省略形式的状语从句大都以“从属连词+形容词（副词、介词短语、不定式短语、现在分词或过去分词）”构成的。省略后的句子不仅意思清楚，不会引起误解，而且结构紧凑，语言简练流畅，读起来明快生动。