博森GMAT名师唐于远老师关于GMAT语法题的论述--破车理论

难乎哉？不难也!“破车理论”让你对GMAT语法不再畏惧
作者:博森GMAT名师唐于远老师
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对于中国的GMAT考生们来说，语法题（Sentence Correction）往往是最难攻克的一道关卡。

很多考生历经千辛万苦，通过反复地理解做题方法和不懈地坚持模考练习，大幅提高了自己的逻辑、阅读做题能力，却依然不能在语法题上有所进步，而且自始自终解决不了对于语法题的心理阴影。

出现这样的情况，真的是因为GMAT的语法题难度非常高吗？
在回答这个问题之前，我们首先要来看一道高中语法选择题：
例题1： _______ is known to all, China will become an ______ and powerful country in 20 or 30 years’time.
A. it ….advanced
B. This ….advanced
C. As….advanced
D. That ….advancing
这是一道典型的高中语法题，他的正确选项是C，而给出的答案解析则是：“as做联系代词引导的非限制性定语从句”。

也就是说，在没有语感的情况下，如果你不知道“as” 这个介词能够作为联系代词来引导一个非限制性定语从句，如果你不知道这么一个生僻的语法点，你就不能把这道题做对。

我们再来看一道同样是针对高中生的SAT语法考题：
例题2：
By including pieces of cloth, newspaper, wallpaper, and other materials in his work, Picasso’s inno vation had an important influence on twentieth-century art.
A. Picasso’s innovation had an important influence on
B. this innovation of Picasso’s was important in its influence over
C. Picasso’s important innovative influence was on
D. Picasso was influential, with his innovation, over
E. the innovative Picasso was an important influence on
这是很有代表性的一道SAT语法题，正确选项是E，而错误的A、B、C、D选项都只有一个错误。

A、B、C选项都是错在主语和状语修饰的动作发起者不一致，而D选项错在短语“be influential over” ，
规范的固定搭配应该是“be influential on” 。

换句话说，考生只能通过每个错误选项唯一的那个差错点来排除每个错误选项，如果不能确定该错误点，就无法将其排除从而选出正确答案。

那么现在我们再来看几道GMAT的语法题吧：
例3：Although a surge in retail sales have raised hopes that there is a recovery finally under way, many economists say that without a large amount of spending the recovery might not last.
(A) have raised hopes that there is a recovery finally
(B) raised hopes for there being a recovery finally
(C) had raised hopes for a recovery finally being
(D) has raised hopes that a recovery is finally
(E) raised hopes for a recovery finally
解析：这个句子的主语“a surge” 是单数形态，而从后面的“many economists say” 也可以判断出整个句子的时态是一般现在时，所以A、B、C、E都明显不正确，故而得出答案为D。

这道题的正确选项完全不涉及任何特定的语法难点，考生只需具备基本的语法知识就能将所有的错误选项排除，从而得出正确选项。

例4：In late 1997, the chambers inside the pyramid of the Pharaoh Menkaure at Giza were closed to visitors for cleaning and repair due to moisture exhaled by tourists, which raised its humidity to such levels so that salt from the stone was crystallizing and fungus was growing on the walls.
(A) due to moisture exhaled by tourists, which raised its humidity to such levels so that salt from the stone was crystallizing
(B) due to moisture that tourists had exhaled, thereby raising its humidity to such levels that salt from the stone would crystallize
(C) because tourists were exhaling moisture, which had raised the humidity within them to levels such that salt from the stone would crystallize
(D) because of moisture that was exhaled by tourists raising the humidity within them to levels so high as to make the salt from the stone crystallize
(E) because moisture exhaled by tourists had raised the humidity within them to such levels that salt from the stone was crystallizing
解析：A选项有四个明显错误：“cleaning and repair” 只能作用于后面的“stone” 和“fungus” 而不能作用于“moisture” ，所以“due to moisture” 的因果关系错误；“which” 从句修饰对象错误；“its” 单复数形态与指代对像不一致；“such levels so that” 中的“so” 多余。

B选项有三个明显错误：“due to moisture” ；“its” ；“the stone would crystallize” 和“ fungus was growing” 不平行对称。

C选项有四个明显错误：“tourists were exhaling moisture”用过去进行时不合理；“which”；“them” 指代不明；“the stone would crystallize” 。

D选项有四个明显的错误：“because of moisture” 因果关系错误；“them” ；“so high as to” 用法错误；“make the salt from the stone crystallize” 和“ fungus was grow ing” 不平行对称。

这么一来，用排除即可确认E选项为正确选项。

例5：Building on civilizations that preceded them in coastal Peru, the Mochica developed their own elaborate society,based on cultivating such crops like corn and beans, the harvesting of fish and shellfish, and exploiting other wild and domestic resources.
(A) based on cultivating such crops like corn and beans, the harvesting of fish and shellfish, and exploiting
(B) based on the cultivation of such crops as corn and beans, the harvesting of fish and seafood, and the exploitation of
(C) and basing it on the cultivation of crops like corn and beans, harvesting fish and seafood, and the exploiting of
(D) and they based it on their cultivation of crops such as corn and beans, the harvest of fish and seafood, and exploiting
(E) and they based it on their cultivating such crops like corn and beans, their harvest of fish and shellfish, and they exploited
解析：这道题的4个错误选项也都不止存在一个错误：A选项中“such as” 被误写为“such like” ，而对文明三个基础的叙述也不平行；C选项除了“it” 指代对象模糊之外，还有两个平行对称的错误，第一个“and” 前后的语句结构不平行，后面的三个叙述也不平行；D选项中“they”、“it” 、“their” 指代不够精确，而其后三个叙述的平行问题也未解决；E选项则同时存在数个之前3个错误选项有的问题。

通过以上例举的题目我们可以得知，即使跟以高中生为考查对象的一些考试的语法题目想比，GMAT的SC题目也算不上难题。

实际上，从我们刚接触英语语法开始，我们经历过的所有包含语法题的考试（中考、高考、SAT、CET-4、CET-6）都从未包含过错误选项有不只一个错误的语法选择题。

在这些考试的语法题中，错误选项都只对应一个具体的语法点错误，对错误选项排除也都必须以某一特定语法知识为基础，且极少有利用基础语法知识就能选对的题目。

而在GMAT的语法题目中，却有很多错误选项仅仅依靠基础的语法知识（如单复数一致、时态一致、常用介词短语等）便可排除，除此之外，还有不少错误选项存在不止一个错误，如同一辆辆浑身上下到处都是毛病的破车，因此，我们大可不必对GMAT的语法题目谈虎色变。

由于很多GMAT语法题的错误选项有多个错误存在，“破车理论”就成为一个非常好的破解对语法题的恐惧的方法。

我们大可以把题目的选项当成五辆汽车，其中有四辆都是已经报废的破烂玩意儿，而只有一辆是完好无损的。

我们要证明一辆车是完好的，可能需要颇费一番功夫，首先得看外表，外表没问题了，还需要进去试一试，说不定还得来个十万公里的试驾才能保证这车100%没问题。

由此可知，挑出另外四辆破车才是选出好车的最简便快捷的方法。

甲车可能缺一个轱辘，乙车可能没了引擎盖，丙车可能有一个车灯是破的，这些就如同是语法题中的有基本语法错误的选项，只消看一眼就能排除掉了。

不过呢，也可能还有一辆丁车，它外表上看不出什么瑕疵，可当我们把车门打开往里边一座，却发现方向盘早不见了，这就类似于基本语法无问题但句子结构、意思表达上不正确的选项。

“破车理论”的实质，就是要求我们在面对SC题的时候，不要过度纠结于判断某一主观认可的选项是否完美，而要专注于发现问题，因为错误选项的问题可能很多且只需找出一个错误就能排除一个选项，weigh the odds，何乐而不为呢？
资料来源：博森英语GMAT名师唐于远人人网公共主页。