陳國詩的英文分享平台

英文中的不完整句FRAGMENTS

一個英文句子如果缺少主詞或動詞（也不無可能兩者都缺），就叫做fragment。但既然已經不完整，或許就不應該稱為句子，該改稱字組或字串。

•Is a good idea to do volunteer works. （缺主詞）

•Students never too busy to help others. （缺動詞）

要特別注意的是，一定不能以句子長短來判定它們的完整與否。以下幾個句子都很短，卻不是fragment：

•Look!

•Stop that!

•Listen carefully!

•Birds fly.

以上各句中，1-3句是省略主詞you的命令句或祈使句，最後一句的fly可以不需要受詞（鳥能飛），所以全部沒問題，都是對的句子。不過，下面這些句子就不一樣摟！它們雖然比先前的句子明顯長很多，卻不完整，其中有的還是主、動詞都沒有呢！真的！

1. A teacher who is liked by all of her students and whose ways of teaching are recognized by all of her colleagues. (22 words)

這個字組缺的是包括動詞在內的述語部份。A teacher是主詞，其後是兩個修飾 teacher的形容詞子句。其中一個是who is liked by all of her students，另一個是whose ways of teaching are recognized by all of her colleagues。只要補足述語，句子就能完整。方法很多，只要結構正確、文意合理就行。例如：

•...may not be quite available.

•...should get a prize for such excellence.

•...can feel proud of herself.

2. Who you saw on the street yesterday is my father. (10 words)

這是和第一句相反的情況。述語有了，是句末的is my father。可是，形容詞子句 Who you saw on the street yesterday該有個修飾的對象（也就是主詞）不見了。 完整句子的方式很簡單，只要加個主詞就可以：

•The man who you saw on the street yesterday is my father.

3. Among all the poems written by the poet who has been considered to be the literary genius. (17 words)

就是前面提過主、動詞都沒有的字組。它儘管長，但其實就只是一個類似in the tree、on the desk或under the car等一類的介系詞片語。Among the poems是這個片語的核心字串，written by the poet是過去分詞片語，修飾poems。接著從who到最後這一大串又是修飾poet的形容詞子句。由此可知，假如in the tree、on the desk、under the car是沒有主詞和動詞的介系詞片語，among all the poems當然也是。完整句子的方式同樣很多：

•..., I like this one best.

•..., this one is the worst.

•..., only two or three concern love.

4. Although he was handsome, got a very good job, and had a rich, beautiful wife. (15 words)

這是我的英文寫作課中出現頻率頗高的fragment。相信多數人都知道當寫一個由 When...、Because...、If...、Although...等所引導的附屬子句時，子句之後或之前得有主要子句。如果附屬子句在前，後面需有逗點；要是主要子句在前，則需一路把句子寫完再加句點。但當我們寫了一個長長的附屬子句時，往往會不自覺地用句點結束句子。所以，上句的解決方式有：

•..., John desired more.

•..., the young man was not happy.

•..., John was quite worried about his health and thought that he might die young.

另外，有時我們的文章其實該有的都有，但就是因為標點錯誤而造成fragment。例如：

•Incorrect: The boy got punished by the teacher. Because he was late for school again.

•Incorrect: Because he was late for school again. The boy got punished by the teacher.

第一例是主要子句+附屬子句的結構，改正方法是去掉teacher後面的句點，用小寫的because：

•Correct: The boy got punished by the teacher because he was late for school again.

第二例反過來，是附屬子句+主要子句的句型。這時，需把again後面的句點去掉，加逗點，the boy小寫：

•Correct: Because he was late for school again, the boy got punished by the teacher.

5. Late in the evening walking with her dog on the main street that was very crowded and had many large shops. (21 words)

印象中這種錯誤在我的教學經驗中不常出現，可能因為多數人對分詞構句不夠熟悉 ，因此不敢輕易使用。這種保守也許是對的。因為即使我們知道應該在這個分詞片語之後加一個主要子句，也還得考慮子句的主詞和現在分詞walking所隱含的主詞是否一致的問題，如果兩個主詞不一致，句子依舊是錯的。所以，保守一點的確比較好。

另一方面，既然這是可能的fragment，所以還是值得稍做說明。字組中有個人在走路，而且確定是女性（with her dog），that was到最後又是一個長長的形容詞子句 ，修飾street。沒啦！這位女性是誰？處此情境她的心情又如何？等等這些，我們都不得而知。完整的方式有：

•..., the girl felt very lonely.

•..., Helen did not know where to go.

•..., the old lady hoped that she could find her son.

由於分詞構句前後的主詞需要一致，因此如果我們這麼加就不對：

•..., a little boy was looking everywhere to find his mother.

相信聰明的讀者一定猜得到，縱使我們不知道誰是字組中真正的主詞，但至少一定是女性，怎麼也不可能變成a little boy。

顯然，上面的例子中有的結構並不好。所以這麼舉例，刻意把句子寫長，是想讓大家充份了解絕對不是句子寫長了就好、就沒問題，很多時候是恰恰相反的。就算沒有fragment，長句也容易因拖泥帶水或語意不清而大減力道。當然，也不能一直寫短句，長短適度交錯才有節奏和美感，只不過寫長句時得分外小心就是。