在英语中,有些句子在不同的上下文中具有不同的语义,原因在于对句子的某个成分可以做不同的解释,因此就会影响学生对内容的理解。在中学阶段这种结构上的歧义常见的有以下几种：
一、从句
1. if引导的从句
Write and tell me if you can come.
●如果你能来,来信告知。=If you can come, write and tell me.
●来信告知是否你能来。=Write and tell me whether you can come.
2. when, before引导的从句
How do you know when there is wind?
●你怎么知道什么时候有风呢? (宾语从句)
●有风的时候,你怎么知道呢? (状语从句)
3.比较简单状语从句的简略形式
(1) She loves the cat more than her husband.
●她比她丈夫更加爱猫。=She loves the cat more than her husband loves the cat.
●她爱猫甚于爱她丈夫。=She loves the cat more than she loves her husband.
(2) I like English as much as my daughter.
●我和我女儿同样喜欢英语。=I like English as my dau ghter does.
●我喜欢英语如同我喜欢女儿一般。=I like English as much as I like my daughter.
4.关系代词引导的定语从句
(1) She sang a folk song at the concert, which was a success.
●她在一个相当成功的音乐会上唱一支民歌。(定语从句修饰the concert)
●她在一个音乐会上唱一支民歌,获得了成功。(定语从句修饰整个句子)
(2) It is the book that I bought last week.
●这是我上星期买的那本书。(that引导定语从句)
●我上星期买的正是这本书。(It is…that…强调句型)
二、短语
1.分词短语或分词
(1) Do you notice the old man smoking?
●你注意到那位老人在抽烟吗? =Do you notice that the old man is smoking?
●你注意到那位抽烟的老人吗? =Do you notice the old m an who is smoking?
(2) He found a boy hidden behind the door.
●他发现躲在门后的一个男孩。=He found a boy who was hidden behind the door.
●他发现一个男孩躲在门后。=He found that a boy was hidden behind the door.
2.动词不定式短语或动词不定式
(1) The police were told to stop drinking by midnight.
●警察奉命在午夜时阻止他人喝酒。=The police were told to stop other people from drinking by midnight.
●上级命令警察在午夜时不准喝酒。=The police were told to stop their own drinking by midnight.
(2) He wants a girl to do housework.
●他要一个做家务的女仆。(不定式短语作定语)
●为了做家务,他要一个女仆。(不定式短语作状语)
3.介词短语
I saw her in the library.
●我在图书馆看见了她。(介词短语做状语)
●我看见她在图书馆。(介词短语做宾补)
三、现在进行时和将来完成时
President Bush is visiting that country.
●布什总统要访问那个国家。
●布什总统正在访问那个国家。
四、否定句
1. I didn’t go because I was afraid.
●我并不是因为害怕而去的。
●我因为害怕而没去。
2. I was not listening all the time.
●全部时间我都没听。
●我并不是全部时间都在听。
五、副词
He told me yesterday he had been to the library.
●昨天,他告诉我他去了阅览室。
●他告诉我他是昨天去了阅览室。
