if用法常见易错点探究
2021-11-10湖北
湖北 王 锋
英语中的if 一般当作连词使用,意思是“假如,是否”,可以用来引导条件状语从句或宾语从句。当if 引导条件状语从句时,其意为“如果,假若,倘若”等;当if引导宾语从句时,其意为“是否”,此时if 的用法及意思与whether 颇为相似,在有些情况下if 与whether 可互换。虽然if 的拼写、汉语意思及用法看起来相对简单,但是在平时的英语教学中,笔者发现学生在涉及if 的用法的试题上容易出错。学生的错误一般体现在:引导宾语从句时if与whether 的混淆;引导真实条件句时if 与unless 之间的误用;if 引导真实条件句时主从句的时态误用;if 引导非真实条件句时主从句谓语动词形式不匹配;对含有if 的复合连词引导复合句的用法掌握不牢以及在if 在省略句中的用法上出错。笔者试图结合近几年高考英语真题和平时的教学实际,对有关if 用法的典型试题进行分析探究,希望能够对广大教师的教学和莘莘学子的学习有所帮助。
一、引导宾语从句时if 与whether 的误用
【高考链接】[2021年1月浙江卷,语法填空]BMI is an internationally recognized measurement tool that/which gives an indication of ____ someone is a healthy weight.
【答案及解析】whether。句意:BMI 是一种国际认可的测量工具,它可以显示出一个人是否有健康的体重。本题考查的是当介词of 后的宾语从句表示“是否”时,只能用连接词whether 而不能用if。故填whether。
【错因分析】有的学生可能只根据汉语意思“是否”而不假思索地填if,或者因为不知道引导宾语从句时if 不完全等同于whether 而出错。
【方法点拨】英语连接词if 和whether 都可以用来引导宾语从句,虽然两者引导宾语从句时都有“是否”的含义,但是它们不完全等同。在有些情况下if 和whether 可以互换:在及物动词后面的宾语从句中,当宾语从句中不含or (not)或者if/whether 不与or not 直接连用时,if 与whether可以互换,如:I don’t care if /whether Mary comes or not.我不在乎Mary 来不来。以下几种情况下if 与whether 不能互换:①当宾语从句与or not 直接连用时只能用whether,如:I don’t care whether or not Tom will attend my birthday party.我不在乎Tom 是否参加我的生日聚会。②在不定式前只能用whether,如:Lily can’t decide whether to stay herself.Lily 不能决定是否留下。③作介词宾语时只能用whether,如:[2021年6月浙江卷,阅读理解C 篇,28]The new study focused on whether dogs can make sense of human faces.这项研究关注的是狗是否能理解人的面部表情。④在discuss等少数动词后只能用whether,如:They discussed whether they would change the plan.他们讨论是否应该改变计划。⑤if 只能引导名词性从句中的宾语从句,而whether 可以引导宾语从句、主语从句、表语从句以及同位语从句。如:Whether Jim will come is a question.(主语从句)Jim 来不来是一个问题。The question is whether Jim will come.(表语 从 句)问题是Jim 来 不 来。I have no idea whether Jim will come.(同位语从句)我不知道Jim 来不来。
二、引导真实条件句时if 与unless 的误用
【高考链接】[2021年6月浙江卷,完形填空,改编,语法填空]My mother is 92.____ I have to be out of town, each week I take my mother to do her shopping and visit the doctor, providing company and transportation.
【答案及解析】Unless。句意:我母亲已经92 岁了。除非我必须出城,否则每周我都带她去购物和看医生,为母亲提供陪伴和交通工具。本题考查unless(=if not“如果不”)引导的条件状语从句。认真分析句子结构及句意可知,本句是一个条件状语从句,设空处意思是“如果不,除非”。故填Unless。
【错因分析】部分学生可能因为不能正确区分在条件状语从句中if 与unless 的区别或者不能正确理解句意而误填if。
【方法点拨】在真实条件句中,能否正确区分if 与unless 是学生经常感到棘手的问题。一般来说,unless (=if not)是“除非,如果不”的意思,本身为否定含义,句子中不能再有否定词。此外,if 可以用来引导非真实条件句表示虚拟语气,而unless 不能用于非真实条件句。如:You will fail the exam unless you study hard (=if you don’t study hard).除非你努力学习,否则你考试会不及格。[2019年天津卷,单项填空,13]Tom is so independent that he never asks his parents’ opinion unless he wants their support.Tom 如此独立以至于他从来不征求他父母的意见,除非他想要他们的支持。我们知道,if 是引导条件状语从句最常用的连词,而除if 外,还有几个连词和短语也可以引导条件状语从句,如unless “除非,如果不”,so/as long as “只要”,in case“如 果,假使”,on condition that“条件是”,suppose/supposing (that) “假设,如果”,provided/providing (that) “如果”等,学生也要牢固掌握这些连词和短语的意思及用法。
三、引导真实条件句时有关if 其他方面的常见易错点
【高考链接】[2021年1月浙江卷,“七选五”,改编,语 法 填 空] If there ____ (be) three lines in the store, delays
will happen randomly at different registers.
【答案及解析】are。句意:如果在商店的结账处排有三队,那么延迟会随机地发生在不同的结账处。本题考查if 引导真实条件句时,如果动作是将来发生的主从句的时态搭配问题。根据if 引导条件状语从句“主将从现”的原则可知,从句应该用一般现在时,且从句主语three lines是复数。故填are。
【错因分析】有的学生可能一看到主句的谓语动词是will happen,就认为从句谓语动词的时态应该与主句的时态一致而误填will be。
【方法点拨】if 引导真实条件句时,主句和从句的时态问题是学生的易错点之一。一般来说,在if 引导真实条件句的情况下,当主句和从句都是一般将来时的时候,条件状语从句的谓语动词用一般现在时代替一般将来时,或用一般过去时代替过去将来时,如:I will have a picnic if it doesn’t rain tomorrow.如果明天不下雨我将去野炊。Mary said that she would attend my birthday party if I invited her.Mary 说如果我邀请她,她就会来参加我的生日聚会。另外,当if 引导真实条件句时,有时if 条件句可以转换为独立主格结构,如:If weather permits, we will go hiking in the mountain this weekend.= Weather permitting, we will go hiking in the mountain this weekend.如果天气允许的话,我们本周末将去山里徒步旅行。学生还要注意:当if 引导真实条件句时,有时if 条件句可以与其他表示条件关系的句型转换,此类句型为“祈使句+and/or/otherwise+简单句”。如:Look them up in the dictionary, and you will find out such examples.= If you look them up in the dictionary, you will find out such examples.如果查字典,你就会弄清楚这样的例子。She has to have the operation, or she will die.= If she doesn’t have the operation, she will die.她必须进行手术,否则她会死的。
四、if 引导非真实条件句(表虚拟语气)时的常见易错点
【高考链接】[2021年新高考Ⅰ卷,阅读理解A,改编,语法填空]If I ____(have) to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel.
【答案及解析】had。句意:如果我只能推荐一个在罗马居住的地方,那就是黄色旅馆。本题考查if 引导非真实条件句表虚拟语气的用法,根据主句谓语动词“would be”可知,从句谓语动词应该用一般过去时。故填had。
【错因分析】如果学生没有牢记当if 引导非真实条件句表虚拟语气时(与事实相反或愿望等),主句和从句的谓语动词的相应形式,那么就不能正确解答此类试题。
【方法点拨】if 引导非真实条件句表虚拟语气时,主句和从句的谓语动词的变化规则如下表:
时间 从句 主句与现在事实相反 动词过去式(be 动词用were) would/should/could/might+动词原形与过去事实相反 had+过去分词 would/should/could/might+have done与将来事实相反 动词过去式/should+动词原形/were to +动词原形 would/should/could/might+动词原形
如:If I were you now, I should seize the opportunity.如果现在我是你的话,我就会抓住这个机会。If I had been you then, I should have seized the opportunity.如果当时我是你的话,我就会抓住这个机会。If I were/should be/were to be you tomorrow, I should seize the opportunity.如果明天我是你的话,我就会抓住这个机会。此外,学生还要注意,有时if 引导的是混合虚拟语气(也叫错综时间条件句),即主句和从句表示的时间不同,这时动词的形式要根据表示的时间来调整,如:If Tom had followed my advice, he would be better now.如果Tom 当时听了我的建议,那么他现在就会好一些了。如果if 引导的虚拟条件句的从句中含有were/had/should,可以将if 省略,直接将were/had/should 提到主语前。如If the sun were (=Were the sun ) to rise in the west, I would not change my mind.即使太阳从西边出来,我也不会改变我的主意。if 引导的虚拟条件句也可转换为由with/without/but for 等构成的含蓄条件句,如:If there were no water (=Without water), man couldn’t live on the earth.要是没有水,人类就不可能在地球上生存。
五、if 与其他词一起构成复合连词引导复合句时的易错点
【高考链接】[2021年6月浙江卷,阅读理解A,改编,语法填空] Even ___ he often felt he would be discovered to be a no-talent, he moved forward, gaining a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse and making his first television appearance a few years later in 1948.
【答案及解析】if/though。句意:即使他经常觉得自己是个没有天赋的人,他还是持之以恒,不断进步,获得了去社区剧场的奖学金,并在几年后的1948年首次在电视上亮相。本题考查even if/though 引导的让步状语从句。故填if/though。
【错因分析】部分学生可能由于不知道even if/though“即使,尽管”可以引导让步状语从句而不能正确解答此题。
【方法点拨】if 通常用来引导条件状语从句和宾语从句,但是学生也要注意有时其他英语单词与if 一起构成复合连词可以引导复合句。如even if/though “即使,尽管”引导让步状语从句,含假设性,表示表述的不一定是事实,有时带有强调的意味,语气较强。如:[2021年3月天津卷,阅读理解D] There is something to be said for being a generalist, even if you are a specialist.即使你是一个专家,成为一个多面手也是有好处的。此外还有as if/though“好像,仿佛”引导方式状语从句,如:[2020年全国卷Ⅱ,阅读理解D] I always read, using different voices, as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it! 我总是用不同的声音阅读,就好像我用自己的声音把故事表演出来一样,他们很喜欢。as if/though“好像,仿佛”也可以引导表语从句,如:This meat tastes as if/though it has already gone bad.这肉尝起来好像已经坏了。学生应注意as if/though 引导的从句可以用虚拟语气,但如果从句所陈述的情况很可能实现就用陈述语气。另外,what if...句式用来表达“要是……会怎么样呢?”是固定搭配,此时what if...= what would happen if...“要是……会怎么样呢?”如:[2020年全国卷Ⅰ,完形填空]What if later in life they come to a metaphorical door, like an opportunity(机会)of some sort, and instead of opening the door and taking the opportunity, they just stare at it and wonder, “What if it isn’t a door? ”That is,“What if it isn’t a real opportunity?”如果在以后的生活中他们遇到一扇比喻意义上的门,就像某种机会,但他们不是去打开门抓住机会,而只是盯着它,想知道“如果这不是一扇门,会怎么样呢?”也就是说,“如果它不是一个真正的机会会怎么样呢?”
六、if 用于省略句中的常见易错点
【高考链接】[2021年3月天津卷,阅读理解A,改编,语 法填空]As part of the package, initial and follow-up training sessions are provided and accommodation is available if ______(require).
【答案及解析】required。句意:作为一揽子计划的一部分,我们会提供初步和后续的培训课程,如果有需要,我们还提供住宿。本题考查if 引导条件状语从句的省略用法,完整句子应为if it is required。故填required。
【错因分析】学生如果没有掌握状语从句的省略这一用法,就可能误填requiring 等。
【方法点拨】一般来说,在表示时间、条件、让步、方式等状语从句中,如果从句的主语与主句的主语一致,或者主语是it,并且从句谓语动词含有be 动词时,常将从句主语和be 省略,即构成“从属连词+动词ed/动词ing/动 词 不 定 式/形 容 词/副 词 等”。如:If (it is ) possible, send me a message tomorrow.如果可能的话,明天给我发个短信。Take the dictionary with you, if (it is) necessary.如果有必要,把这个词典带上。此外,还可以用so/not 代替上下文内容,构成“if so/not”省略句,如:[2021年3月天津卷,阅读理解A] Would you like the opportunity to earn extra cash close to home? If so we have a vacancy in our team which would suit you.你想要个在家附近赚外快的机会吗?如果想要,我们团队有一个空缺适合您。Do you like this watch? If not, choose what you like.你喜欢这个手表吗?如果不喜欢,随便选择你喜欢的。
英语单词if“如果,假设,是否”常用来引导条件状语从句和宾语从句(位于及物动词后面),虽然if 的意思和用法看起来很简单,但是以下几点加大了学生对if 用法掌握的难度:宾语从句中if 与whether 的区别与联系;真实条件句中if 与unless 的区别以及主从句中谓语动词的时态问题;if 引导非真实条件句中虚拟语气主从句动词的搭配规则以及含有if 的复合连词引导其他复合句的用法等等。不管怎么样,笔者坚信只要学生牢记连词if 的基本用法,再结合与if 用法相关的习题认真思考、分析、归纳和总结,就能正确解答含有if 的各类试题。
The peony, boasting bright colors and an elegant appearance, is a symbol of peace and prosperity and thus recognized as “king of the flowers” in China.Peonies are bred and grown in many parts of the country.Over the centuries, numerous poems and paintings have been created to praise the flower.Peonies were particularly popular during the Tang Dynasty, when they were extensively cultivated in the imperial gardens and praised as the national flower.In the tenth century, the ancient city of Luoyang became the center for peony cultivation, a position it still holds today.Nowadays, thousands of tourists from home and abroad flock to Luoyang for the annual Peony Festival to both admire the unique beauty of the city’s peonies and explore the history of the ancient capital of nine dynasties.
The lotus flower, one of China’s famous flowers, has been deeply loved by Chinese people.Lakes and ponds in many parts of China are suitable for the growth of lotus plants.The lotus flower, which is bright in color, blooms in the early morning and closes at night in summer, with the flowering lasting up to two or three months, attracting visitors from all over the country.The lotus has multiple uses, including purifying water, reducing pollution and improving the environment, as well as greening water surfaces and beautifying gardens.The flower is characterized by its abilities to tolerate intense sun exposure and emerge pure and clean from the murky water, thus symbolizing purity and elegance.So it is often used as a metaphor for a person’s noble character and has been a main subject for poets and painters throughout history.Places with lotus flowers in full bloom are also frequented by many photography enthusiasts.
(摘编自网络,有删减)