2007

Author: Hu Min
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: English learning can never be detached from the basics, and grammar is a crucial part of the foundation. Although the postgraduate English exam no longer includes purely grammar-focused sections, with only the "English Knowledge Application" question explicitly testing grammar, the indirect and deep-seated assessment of grammar is ubiquitous. It is well-known that the postgraduate English exam is challenging, and the demand for grammar proficiency is even higher. All language skills require a solid grammatical foundation, requiring candidates to use grammar knowledge accurately and skillfully. Therefore, the foundation of grammar not only cannot be weakened but must be strengthened. However, many candidates make a mistake during preparation by focusing on specific question types while neglecting the review of fundamental knowledge, driven by a desire for quick results, which often leads to difficulties and hinders progress. It can be said that studying without a foundation is like water without a source or a tree without roots. "How can the pond be so clear? Because it has a source of living water." According to the general principles of English learning, if candidates can strengthen their internal skills and build a solid language foundation, it truly means an enhancement of their abilities, allowing them to handle any changes in the exam with confidence. Therefore, candidates should not neglect the fundamentals for the sake of the superficial and should trace back to the root rather than just address the symptoms.
There are countless postgraduate English exam preparation books available, but none focus solely on explaining and guiding candidates on specific exam question types, while books dedicated to postgraduate English grammar are rare. This book was written in response to the needs of candidates, drawing on the author's extensive experience in learning, teaching, and researching English. It aims to help candidates fundamentally solve language problems, enhance their abilities, and pave the way for success in the exam. This book successfully achieves the following five unifications:
1. Grammar Explanation and Postgraduate Exam Questions: All examples in the book are derived from real exam questions, extracting the essence of language from past postgraduate exams and systematically summarizing them. Reviewing is the best way to look forward; studying this book allows candidates to fully immerse themselves in the language of postgraduate exam questions. Based on actual exam questions, the book omits language phenomena rarely tested in the exam and avoids overly simple grammar rules, focusing on the key and challenging aspects of postgraduate English in each chapter.
2. Morphology and Syntax: Morphology is micro-grammar. For words, it is not enough to know their pronunciation, spelling, and meaning; one must also grasp their collocations, modifications, references, and logical relationships with other words, known as interword relationships. Only by understanding these relationships can one truly master and skillfully use a word. Syntax is macro-grammar, primarily involving the arrangement of overall sentence structure, the connection between sentences, the combination, cohesion, and logical relationships. English expresses content through form. Every sentence uses specific sentence patterns, and many sentences with coordinate or subordinate relationships are combined into complex sentences through connecting devices. Morphology is the rule of word choice, while syntax is the rule of sentence construction. Verbs with the most variations, prepositions and adverbs with strong word-formation abilities, as well as various idiomatic expressions, are the focus of the morphology section, while conjunctions, clauses, comparative sentence patterns, and other common sentence patterns are the core of the syntax section.
3. Standardization and Flexibility of Language: English expression cannot be arbitrary; it must conform to linguistic habits and grammatical requirements. At the same time, English also has a degree of flexibility. Some expressions are not mandatory but can achieve the same result through different means. This book is not rigidly bound by traditional rules but faithfully reflects the actual use of language and provides various alternative expressions.
4. Theory and Practice: In addition to explanations for each chapter, there are "classic exam questions" related to the content of the chapter, divided into objective and subjective types. Objective questions are multiple-choice, while subjective questions are English-Chinese translation. These are two question types that have been used throughout the history of the postgraduate exam and are still in use today. Through practice, grammar knowledge is gradually internalized in a subtle way. The "Question Analysis" section provides detailed guidance on each question, clarifying doubts and offering solutions.
5. Grammar and the Three Major Postgraduate Exam Subjects: This book goes beyond simply discussing language rules; it does not just talk about grammar but uses grammar as an entry point to comprehensively improve candidates' reading, writing, and translation skills. The reading passages in the postgraduate English exam are characterized by diverse expression methods and a concentration of complex sentence structures, which are often a source of headaches for candidates. Therefore, in addition to focusing on the three types of clauses, the book also highlights discussions on inversion, ellipsis, and emphasis. The final chapter is dedicated to the expansion and analysis of sentence structures, selecting complex and lengthy sentence structures from postgraduate exam questions to help candidates familiarize themselves with the characteristics of postgraduate English sentence structures, provide the correct approach to analyzing and understanding them, and thus enhance their ability to handle long and difficult sentences.
Combining the specific requirements of the postgraduate exam and starting from the perspective of actual language use, this book opens up thematic discussions, pointing out typical problems caused by the influence of Chinese expression habits and thinking patterns, and identifying common expression errors, such as "agreement between pronouns," "redundant pronoun reference," "tense consistency," and "logical relationship between participles and the subject of the sentence." To strengthen candidates' translation skills, the book also reveals the prominent features that distinguish English from Chinese from a comparative linguistic perspective and arranges translation exercises related to specific grammar points, such as "the translation of the conjunction 'before'," "the translation of the passive voice," "the translation of relative clauses," and "the translation of appositives," as well as translation exercises at the end of each chapter. "Special Tips" are scattered throughout the book, pointing out typical problems candidates encounter when using English, answering common questions, providing targeted solutions, offering guidance, analyzing errors, and clarifying misunderstandings.
Winter has ended, and spring is approaching. May the publication of this book bring a gentle breeze of hope to all candidates. Wishing all students success and smooth progress on their postgraduate exam journey.
At the time of writing this book, I am grateful to Mr. Hu Min, President of Beijing New Channel School and a renowned English education expert, for his support and encouragement to the author. I also thank the experienced postgraduate exam preparation expert, Chen Caixia, for her planning of this book and the guidance she provided to the author.
(Note: The translation adheres to the original text, with Chinese content translated into English and the original line breaks preserved.)