英文中的陷阱:虚主语
爱思英语编者按:虚主语(dummy subject)是英语写作中需要避免的陷阱之一。 Writers, especially beginning writers, are often cautioned against using passive voice in their writing because its use slows down the pace. Another construction that can make your writing plod is the dummy subject. When we use the words it and there to begin a sentence without a referent (a noun the pronoun is referring to), we’re using a dummy subject. In this pair of sentences: “It” refers to the movie Fantastic Four 2. The pronoun has a referent. In this sentence, however: “It” has no referent, and is therefore a dummy subject. The same thing happens frequently with there: There are several ways in which you could begin. Dummy subjects are just one of many problems that weaken your writing by making it vague, fuzzy, and indefinite. The sentences above can be reconstructed with stronger, more definite subjects: Some experts warn that our oil reserves will be exhausted by 2050.
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