语法代号由两部分组成,即大写英文字母和阿拉伯数字。大写英文字母代表句型代号,阿拉伯数字代表这个句子的成分形式,例如:Whether his experiment will be successful remains to be seen.的语法代号为S6VC3,表示本句使用的句型为主—动—补句型(句型代号SVC),其中主语S的形式是wh-从句,由阿拉伯数字6表示,补语C的性质是带to的不定式,由阿拉伯数字3表示。
把句型代号和形式代号结合起来就构成了语法代号,其好处是学生不仅注意到该词、词组或分句在句中所作的成分,而且对所作成分的语法形式也更加清楚,但是并不是每个句子成分都要标上阿拉伯数字,只把需要注意的成分标出即可。样卡1:We chose him king.(SVOC1); We found him greatly changed.(SVOC7); The rich are not always kind to the poor.(SVC8); The girl looks twenty.(SVC1); Heat makes gases expand. (SVOC2); I finished reading it. (SVO4); It is quite clear that he is still alive. (S5VC8)。
一般情况下,只要分析出句子的主要成分S、V、o、O、C即可,但有时为了更清晰地了解某个句子的结构,也可以标出名词修饰语NM和状语A。样卡2:This is the most expensive hotel in New York. (SVCA9); It’s time to go to bed. (SVCNM3,It=真正主语) We met at the same place where I saw him last. (SVA9NM6,定语从句) How well do you understand my English? (A9SVO1)。
这种语法代号在比较同一单词的不同用法或不同单词的用法时非常方便。样卡3:She found her keys. (SVO1,找到); He found that it didn’t really matter. (SVO5,发现); Jenny found the gadget extremely useful. (SVOC8,发现); We found the car in good condition. (SVOC9,发现)。通过以上的语法代号,我们可以非常清楚地看出动词find用作及物动词时所使用的句型以及语法结构。样卡4:辨析动词say, tell, speak和talk:He said he wanted to go to town. (SVO5,说); I could easily tell that she was a newcomer. (SVO5,辨别); She told us a story. (SVoO1,告诉); They are no longer speaking. (SV,说话); He speaks German. (SVO1,讲……语言); We talked for hours. (SVA9,谈话)。
学生熟练掌握了这套语法代号之后,不必把每个成分都标出来,只需标出需要留意的成分即可。样卡5:He wetted the bed last night. (SVO1,vt. 弄湿); His strange behavior is the talk of the town. (C1,n. 话题); This is a pool alive with trout. (NM8,后置定语)。
短语动词也可以制作成这样的卡片。样卡6:The train slowed down. (SV, v. + adv. = vi.); She slowed the car down. She slowed down the car. (SVO1, v. + adv. = vt., O = n.可以放在v.和adv.中间或后面); She slowed it down. (SVO1, v. + adv. = vt., O = pron.只能放在v.和adv.中间); Have you looked ahead to what you’ll be doing in five years’ time? (SV, v. + adv. = vi.) If I get into trouble, I could always count on Rusty. (SVO1, v. + prep. = vt.) Nothing can make up for the loss of a child. (SVO1, v. + adv. + prep. = vt.)
以上这些句子都是使用陈述语序的完整句子,如果遇到特殊句型如倒装、强调、省略等要根据情况作相应的调整,例如:Under no circumstances should you lend him money. (A9SVoO,否定词提前引起部分倒装); It was in this room that I gave birth to Linda seventeen years ago. (A9SVO,强调句型,强调状语); The earth attracts the moon and the moon the earth. (SO,省略谓语动词attracts)。