招生官一秒出戏的,往往不是故事,而是那句“看起来差不多”的英文。
一、先讲真话:为什么你的故事输给语法
再动人的成长故事,也扛不住一句 “I have became”。招生官在 8 分钟里要完成“情感共鸣+学术信任”双重 KPI,语言错误就像电影院突然亮灯,一秒出戏。更糟的是,多数错误并非“不会”,而是“以为对了”。下面这 12 颗雷,90% 的中国申请者至少踩中 5 颗,提前排雷等于白送自己一个“阅读流畅度”加分。
二、动词篇:时态、语态、情态,一个都不能飘
现在时滥用
错误:When I was five, I love dinosaurs.
瞬间剧透:作者时间感混乱。
正确:When I was five, I loved dinosaurs.
规则:叙事性文书除“通用真理”外,一律用过去时。
完成时“have became”家族
错误:I have became the youngest debate captain.
正确:I became / I have become.
记忆口诀:pp 后面跟原形,became 是过去式,不是过去分词。
被动语态“被”上瘾
错误:The award was won by me.
招生官读感:重点在 award,不是“我”。
正确:I won the award.
主动语态=主角光环;被动语态只留给“不知道谁做的”或“动作比人重要”的场景。
情态动词“would”滥用
错误:My parents would tell me to study hard every day.
歧义:听起来像“他们偶尔劝”。
正确:My parents told me to study hard every day.
除非你真的在描述“过去将来”或“重复习惯”,否则直接过去式。
三、名词篇:单复数、可数、抽象,别再“much people”
5. people 加 s
错误:There were many peoples cheering.
正确:many people.
people 本身就是复数;peoples 指“多个民族”。
不可数名词“ equipments”
错误:We bought new equipments.
正确:equipment(零复数)。
同理:information, advice, furniture。
抽象名词大写狂热
错误:I pursue Freedom and Justice.
正确:freedom and justice.
只有专有名词才配大写,别把核心价值观写成罗马帝国。
四、代词篇:指代模糊、性别一致、单复数抽风
8. they 突然空降
错误:When a student fails a test, they feel frustrated.
虽然口语可接受,但文书里出现 2 次以上就显随意。
升级方案:If students fail a test, they feel frustrated. 或 When a student fails, she feels frustrated.
which 前面没有逗号
错误:I joined the robotics club which won the championship.
正确:I joined the robotics club, which won the championship.
非限定性定语从句前加逗号,告诉招生官“这是额外彩蛋”。
五、介词篇:in/on/at 三连击,一厘米错位就露馅
10. on the summer
错误:I interned at a lab on the summer.
正确:in the summer.
口诀:in 包大段(月、季、年),on 锁具体(on Monday),at 最精准(at 3 pm)。
discuss about
错误:We discussed about the solution.
正确:We discussed the solution.
discuss 及物,自带“about”属性,再加 about 等于叠 buff 露怯。
六、形容词副词篇:good/well、hard/hardly 的塑料友谊
12. I did good / I felt badly
错误:I did good in the competition.
正确:I did well.
good 是形容词,well 才是副词;同理,I felt bad(情绪差),I felt badly(触觉失灵)。
七、中式英文“看起来差不多”的 5 组高频替身
丰富经验
错误:I gained rich experiences.
正确:I gained valuable / eye-opening experience.
experience 不可数,rich 修饰人,不修饰抽象名词。
开阔眼界
错误:broaden my eyesight.
正确:broaden my horizons.
eyesight 指视力,horizons 才是视野。
提高能力
错误:improve my ability.
正确:develop my skills / strengthen my ability.
ability 通常与 strengthen/sharpen 搭配,improve 接 skills 更自然。
首先
错误:at first, I was shy.
正确:first, I was shy.
at first 暗示“后来变了”,first 才等于“步骤”。
最后但同样重要
错误:last but not the least.
正确:last but not least.
固定短语,无需 the。
八、一键自检 3 步法:30 分钟把错误降到 0
朗读法:打印出来大声读,嘴比眼诚实,读到卡壳处 90% 有语法问题。
倒读法:从最后一句往前读,断掉“语义惯性”,专盯语法骨架。
工具+人工:先用 Grammarly 扫一遍,再把所有 flagged 地方手动核对,拒绝一键接受——工具分不清“its/it’s”的上下文。
故事决定招生官是否爱你,语法决定他们能否“毫无阻力”地爱你。排雷不是为了炫技,而是让你的真诚与光芒零损耗地抵达读者。当语言不再制造摩擦,招生官才能在 8 分钟里把情感分全部打给那个的你。
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