掌握好表达原因的结构是十分重要的,几乎所有的写作试题都要求写原因或可以写原因。在大学英语四、六级考试中,写作的文体基本上是议论文,而议论文的基本模式是摆事实、讲道理,讲道理就是说明原因。写作测试的文体决定了表达原因结构的重要性。
英语中用来表达原因这一概念的结构有多种。我们可用as , because, since, seeing that, considering that, now that, not that……等词组引出表示原因的从句。例如:1. Now that we have seen these great achievements with our own eyes, we feel more proud than ever of our country. 2. Professor Liu is strict with us because he wants us to make rapid progress. 3. Since we live near the sea, we enjoy a healthy climate. 4. Pollution is still a serious problem, not that we don't have the ability to solve it, but that some people have not realized the consequences of the problem.我们还可以借助某些词语用简单句表达原因结构。例如:1. The reason for this change is quite obvious. 2. Diligence is the key factor of success. 3. Idleness is the root of all evils. 4. He was ashamed to have made the mistake.(=He was ashamed that he had made the mistake. =He was ashamed because he had made the mistake.)
除了上述的例句外,英语中还有很多或易或难的表达原因的结构。我们在进行写作训练的时候,不能满足于一知半解,要讲究书面语言的正确性和准确性。比如,because是最常用的引导原因从句的连词,语气最强,表示直接的原因,若because置于句首,后面的主句不能再用so.用as引导的原因从句语气较弱,所说明的原因是附带的,而since表示的原因暗示着是稍加分析之后才能推断出来的原因。