摘要：对英语语言(句子)结构的深入了解和掌握也是加速并提升英语语言输出质量的重要而有效地手段。本文试图通过对英语句子结构进行简化与扩充两种手段的梳理来揭示英语复杂语句的内在规律，从而帮助学生提高有效处理语句的能力。
关键词：句子；结构；信息；简化；扩充
        如何有效地提高学生英语信息的素养是英语教学应该关注的重要目标。《课程标准》中对八级阅读技能中一项要求是：能通过分析句子结构理解难句和长句；八级语言技能目标中关于写的要求：能写出连贯且结构完整的短文，叙述事情或表达观点和态度；八级语言知识目标中对语法的要求：学习、掌握基本语篇知识并根据特定目的有效组织信息。针对如何达到上述三项目标中共同提到的语言结构和语句信息的能力要求，本文试图通过对英语句子结构进行简化、扩充，以达到梳理语句，揭示英语较为复杂语句内在规律为目的，从而帮助学生在阅读和写作时有效地处理句子。
        一、对英语句子基本结构的认知
        句子是一个结构独立和完整的语法单位。弄清句子的线性与层次性有助于更加规则、清晰地运用语言。oxford advanced dictionary of current english (as hornby)中给出的二十五种verb patterns已经比较全面地对含有动词的常见句型进行了详细归类。我们可以把这二十五种句型简化成以下四种：
        1. s + be + subject complement / adjunct 
        2. s + vi +…adjunct
        3. s + vt + object + adjunct
        4. v.+ object + adjunct
        除去多出现在口语中的祈使句外，纵观英语各种书面语句式实际上大多属于前三种类型，或者说大多句型都是在此三种句型的基础上进行扩充的。由此，我们有理由相信，让绝大多数学习者掌握好最基本的三种句型从而有效地掌握符合句法规则的语句应该是可以实现的。
        二、三种句型在复杂（长难句）句的例证
        丰富多彩的各式句型实际上是建立在以上三种最基本的句型之上的变化。例如：
        1. whatever great achievements the future may have in store for china, it is likely that many of them will be born in northwestern beijing. (p3, sefc-sb2b)
        2. one of the mottos for the park - “relying on science, technology and knowledge to get increase economic power” -makes it clear that science and business can and must work together to build the future.
        3. in 2000, chinese scientists announced that they had completed their part of the international human genome project, proving that chinese scientists are among the world’s best. (p7, sefc-sb2b)
        4. the breakthrough, made by scientists in shanghai, gives hope to cancer patients all over the world and makes china one of the world leaders in the battle against the deadly disease. (p7, sefc-sb2b)
        通过以上句型的分析，我们很清楚地看到三种基本句型的核心要素就是--s, -v和-object 或adjuncts。从例句中我们不难看出，再长再难的句子都是围绕这三要素进行展开的，本文把这种规律称作核心要素中心原则（the principle of core-element center）。下面就这一原则在句子信息的扩充和简化方面的运用做一梳理。
        三、扩充
        对句子进行扩充特别适用于书面表达。一方面，学习者在进行书面表达时，不仅为了使句子传递出更多的必要的信息量，而且要使得语篇不至于过于松散，往往需要对句子进行加工处理。比如，
        1. if you are looking for a winter adventure and want to try some of the finest and most challenging skiing in the world, you should try a visit to kitzbuhel. 

        主句为“  ”部分,“__”为第一次扩充、“   ”为第二次扩充、“  ”为第三次扩充，以此类推。下同。
        2. the spaceship, carrying astronauts zhaizhigang, liu boming and jing haisheng, then moved into orbit at altitude of 343 kilometers, which is the third time for china’s manned spacecraft travel since 2003.
        3. however, the important thing we should remember is to treasure and protect mars, avoiding turning it into another “earth”.
        根据对以上例句的解析，我们可以清楚地把这种句子扩充的形式归纳成以下三种：
        第一种，加词扩充。
        如，monica is a pretty american girl. 
        the people there all like walking on foot.
        unexpectedly, he left his lovely daughter and his beloved wife.
        第二种，加短语扩充, 包括介词结构、非谓语在内的各种短语。如，monica is a girl with a pretty face and a pair of big eyes. 
        all the people there, young or old, quite like walking on foot .
        he left his wife and daughter without a single word.
        第三种，加句子扩充。
        nobody knows why he left his beloved wife and his lovely daughter unexpectedly, which even puzzles the police a great deal.
        everybody can see monica is a girl with a pretty face and a pair of big eyes.
        it is quite strange that all the people there, young or old, quite like walking on foot however far they will go.
        如果学习者掌握了以上三种扩充方法，并在进行书面表达时有意识地多加练习一段时间过后，丰富的、多变式的语句就会轻松地跃然纸上。
　　四、简化
　　对句子进行简化处理特别适用于阅读理解，尤其是对长句的理解。学习者遇到长句难句时往往会出现阅读的心理障碍。如果学习者掌握了对长句的简化处理手段的话就比较容易解决这一问题了。
　　对句子进行简化处理实际上就是剥去加在主句身上的层层外衣。这是一种有效的阅读技巧，一旦掌握了这种技巧，阅读者就会临危不乱，从容应对繁杂信息。
　　例如，2009年高考全国卷（二）完形填空题中的一个句子：i’ve discovered i possess a large number of different talents and skills that i never would have thought were within me had it not been for my being open to trying new opportunities.
        该句传递的信息有：1. what have the writer discovered? 2. what were within him (that the writer would never have thought)? 3. why can the writer discover he possesses a large number of different talents and skills? 要想使自己成为一个阅读能力训练有素的学习者，那平时就得经常多读长句难句，如上所示，多练习自我提问，因为提问是思维训练的一种高级形式，提问能提高对信息的处理能力和捕捉能力。只要意识到这一方法，阅读时主动地加以运用，一段时间过后就会熟能生巧，就会自然形成一项稳定的阅读能力。
        掌握以上两项技能对于学习者来说不是什么困难的事情，这样轻巧而又有用的技能对提高学习者的信息处理素养无疑是有价值的。当然，能这样清楚地解剖句子的信息是必须建立在具备扎实的基础知识的前提下才能做得到的。
参考文献：
[1] 陈琳.英语课程标准解读〔m〕.北京：北京师范大学出版社，2002.
[2] 何兆熊.现代语言学[m].北京：外语教学与研究出版社,1999.