例句1:
A desire to throw over reality a lightthat never was might give away abruptly to the desire on the part of what wemight consider a novelist-scientist to record exactly and concretely thestructure and texture of a flower.
這個句子里出現的動詞有throw, was, might give, mightconsider和record等。
首先,動詞不定式不能作謂語,去掉throw和record;
was 后不能緊跟情態(tài)動詞,所以was和might give應屬不同的句子,往前看我們發(fā)現that never was 形成S+V格式,且緊跟著名詞light后,再根據句意判斷可知that never was 為a light的后置定語從句;
稍作判斷可知to throw over reality a light 為不定式做A desire的后置定語,此時吧它的不定式后置定語及a light的后置定語拿掉可得到簡化結構:A desire might give awayabruptly to the desire…。Abruptly顯然修飾動詞短語give away。至此我們得到a desire(S)+might giveaway(V)+the desire(O), 經過這樣的簡化,整句主干已經得到;
至于might consider, 明顯和它前面的we組成S+V格式,這個從句跟在on the part of 后面做整句賓語the desire的后置定語從句
縱觀整句,主語謂語后都跟了較長的定語成分,造成我們判斷它們終結位置的困難。而動詞的修飾成分一般較短,由它們入手更容易理清句子的各個部分。
例句2:(提示:作語法分析前請排除生詞)
Thus, what in contrast to the Puritancolonies appears to Davis to be peculiarly Southern- acquisitiveness, a stronginterest in politics and the law, and a tendency to cultivate metropolitancultural models- was not only more typically English than the cultural patternsexhibited by Puritan Massachusetts and Connecticut, but also almost certainlycharacteristic of most other early modern British colonies from Barbados northto Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
這個句子較長,但從動詞入手可我們迅速提取到主干。
首先忽略不定式(tobe , to cultivate),這個句子里出現的動詞僅有appears,was, exhibited;
appears前的in contrast to the Puritan colonies是較易識別的比較狀語,所以這部分可以還原成whatappears to be peculiarly Southern to Davis in contrast to the Puritan colonies,這樣what appears 形成S+V結構;
was not only ...butalso可以看成是系表結構,其中兩組表語并列;
exhibited 后面有介詞by,而前面沒有小級別be動詞(稍作分析可知was非exhibited的be動詞),于是exhibitedby Massachusetts and Connecticut 為過去分詞作thecultural patterns的后置定語。
這時我們可確定was為全句謂語動詞。注意到butalso后的of most other early modernBritish colonies…and New Hampshire作characteristic的后置定語,其中fromBarbados north to Rhode Island and New Hampshire作colonies的后置定語;
最后,我們來看主語。whatin contrast to the Puritan colonies appears to Davis to be peculiarly Southern 中包含了S+V格式,為明顯的主語從句。acquisitiveness,a strong interest in politics and the law, and a tendency to cultivatemetropolitan cultural models 三個并列的結構形成了主語從句的三個同位語。這一點很罕見,我們見到的大多數同位語跟在名詞后。
這個句子稍繁雜之處在于我們的閱讀過程被主語后的連續(xù)三個同位語打斷,且表語部分有稍多的修飾成分。但只要我們從分析動詞入手,挑出整句謂語動詞,整句的主謂以及主干就會清晰顯現。