2008 Graduate Entrance Exam English Grammar Breakthrough

Author: Hu Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: English learning can never be detached from the basics, and grammar constitutes a vital part of the foundation. Although the postgraduate English exam no longer includes purely grammar-focused questions, only the "English Knowledge Application" section explicitly tests grammar, the indirect and deep-seated assessment of grammar is omnipresent. As is well-known, the postgraduate entrance exam for English is challenging, and the demand for grammar proficiency is even higher. All language skills require a solid grammatical foundation, demanding that candidates accurately and skillfully apply grammatical knowledge. Therefore, the grammatical foundation not only cannot be weakened but must be strengthened urgently. However, many candidates fall into a misconception during preparation—focusing on specific question types while neglecting foundational knowledge, driven by a desire for quick success, which often leads to difficulties and hinders progress. It can be said that studying without a foundation is like drawing water from a well without a source or planting a tree without roots. "How can the pool be so clear? Because it draws from the living spring." According to the general principles of English learning, if candidates can strengthen their internal skills and solidify their language foundation, it truly signifies an enhancement in ability, enabling them to remain victorious regardless of how the exam evolves. Thus, candidates should not abandon the root for the branch but trace back to the source, not just address the symptoms but remove the root cause.
There are countless postgraduate English exam preparation books available, but none focus solely on grammar, with only a few dedicated to the subject. This book was written in response to the needs of candidates, drawing on the author's extensive experience in learning, teaching, and researching English, aiming 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 Unified: All examples in the book stem from exam questions, systematically summarizing the linguistic essence of past postgraduate tests. Review is the best prospect; studying this book immerses candidates in the language of the exam. Based on actual test questions, it omits rarely tested linguistic phenomena and avoids overly simplistic rules, focusing on the key and challenging aspects of postgraduate English.
2. Morphology and Syntax Unified: 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—i.e., 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 sentence structures, the coordination, connection, and logical relationships between sentences. English expresses content through form. Every sentence uses specific patterns, and many complex sentences with coordinating or subordinate relationships are formed through connecting devices. Morphology governs word choice, while syntax governs sentence construction. The most versatile verbs, highly polyvalent prepositions and adverbs, and various idiomatic expressions are the focus of the morphology section, while conjunctions, clauses, comparative structures, and other common patterns are the core of the syntax section.
3. Normativity and Flexibility of Language Unified: English expression cannot be arbitrary; it must adhere to linguistic conventions and grammatical requirements. At the same time, English also has a degree of flexibility. Some expressions are not mandatory but serve the same purpose. This book is not rigidly bound by traditional rules but faithfully reflects actual language use and provides various alternative expressions.
4. Theory and Practice Unified: Beyond each chapter's explanations are "Classic Exam Questions" related to the chapter content, divided into subjective and objective types. Objective questions are multiple-choice, while subjective questions are English-Chinese translation. These two question types have been used throughout the history of the exam and remain in use today. Through practice, grammar knowledge is gradually internalized in an implicit manner. The "Question Analysis" section provides detailed guidance on each exam question, clarifying doubts and offering solutions.
5. Grammar and the Three Core Postgraduate Exam Skills (Reading, Writing, Translation) Unified: This book goes beyond simply discussing linguistic rules; it does not just talk about grammar for grammar's sake but uses grammar as a starting point to comprehensively improve candidates' reading, writing, and translation skills. The reading passages in the postgraduate exam are characterized by diverse expressions and concentrated complex sentences, which candidates often find challenging. In light of this, the book not only emphasizes the three types of clauses but also highlights phenomena such as inversion, ellipsis, and emphasis. The final chapter is dedicated to sentence expansion and analysis, selecting complex sentences from exam questions to help candidates familiarize themselves with the sentence structures of postgraduate English, providing correct approaches to analyze and understand them, thereby enhancing their ability to handle long and difficult sentences.
Combining the specific requirements of the exam and starting from the perspective of actual language use, the book explores specialized topics, pointing out typical issues caused by the influence of Chinese expression habits and thought patterns, such as "agreement between pronouns," "redundant pronoun reference," "tense consistency," and "logical relationships between participles and sentence subjects." To strengthen translation skills, the book also analyzes the prominent differences between English and Chinese from a comparative linguistic perspective and arranges translation exercises for relevant grammar topics, such as "Translating the conjunction 'before'," "Translating the passive voice," "Translating relative clauses," "Translating appositives," and translation exercises at the end of each chapter. "Special Tips" scattered throughout the book address typical issues candidates encounter when using English, answer common questions, provide targeted advice, expose errors, and clarify misunderstandings.
Winter has passed, 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 path to the postgraduate entrance exam.
At the time of writing, 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 extend my thanks to the experienced postgraduate exam preparation expert, Ms. Chen Caixia, for her planning and guidance in the creation of this book.