Book Note 5 on《中式英语之鉴》

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Reader: 赵悦
Reading Time: 2天
Reading Task: Chapter 9-10
Summary of the Content:
Chapter 9: The Placement of Phrases and Clauses
This chapter focuses on the critical role of phrase and clause placement in English writing, especially for Chinese learners who often transfer Chinese syntactic habits. It highlights two main aspects:
Adjunct Placement: Unlike Chinese, where adverbial phrases typically precede verbs, English has specific rules for placing adverbs, prepositional phrases, and adverbial clauses. For example, in English, short adverbs of manner usually come after the verb or object (“she sings beautifully”), while in Chinese, they precede the verb (“她优美地唱歌”). Misplacement can cause ambiguity, such as “He left the book on the desk in the morning” vs. the clearer “In the morning, he left the book on the desk”.
Relative Clause Placement: Chinese tends to use 前置定语 (pre-modifying attributes), while English relative clauses (both restrictive and non-restrictive) must closely follow the noun they modify to avoid confusion. The chapter provides examples like correcting “A man appeared on the stage who was wearing a black suit” to “A man who was wearing a black suit appeared on the stage” to maintain clarity.
Chapter 10: Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifiers occur when a modifying phrase (e.g., participial, gerund, or infinitive phrases) doesn’t clearly relate to the sentence's subject, a common pitfall in Chinglish.
Key points include:
Identifying Danglers: Phrases like “Looking out of the window, the garden was beautiful” are flawed because “the garden” can’t perform the action “looking”. The issue arises from missing or ambiguous logical subjects in modifiers derived from Chinese, which often omit subjects in similar structures.
Correcting Danglers: Solutions include revising the subject to match the modifier (“Looking out of the window, I saw a beautiful garden”) or converting the modifier into a clause (“When I looked out of the window, the garden was beautiful”). The chapter emphasizes that English requires strict subject-modifier agreement, unlike Chinese’s more flexible subject-omission patterns.
Evaluation:
Practical Relevance: The chapters directly target Chinglish issues by contrasting English and Chinese syntax, making them invaluable for translators and learners. The abundant real-life examples (e.g., from official documents) illustrate common mistakes clearly.
Systematic Analysis: By categorizing problems into adjunct placement and dangling modifiers, the author provides a structured framework to identify and fix errors, helping learners build syntactic awareness rather than memorizing isolated rules.
Cross-linguistic Insight: The comparative approach explains why Chinglish errors occur (e.g., Chinese’s topic-prominent structure vs. English’s subject-prominent structure), enhancing understanding beyond surface-level corrections.
Scope Restriction: While the focus on phrases/clauses is deep, it briefly touches on broader discourse-level placement issues (e.g., paragraph structure), which could further aid advanced learners.
Reflection:
Personal Learning Takeaways
As a learner who often defaults to Chinese word order, these chapters were eye-opening. I realized my tendency to write “In the room, there are three students reading books loudly” (with misplaced adverbs) instead of “In the room, three students are reading books loudly”. Now, I consciously check:
Modifier Proximity: Ensure adjectival / adverbial phrases/clauses directly relate to their modified words, asking: What does this modifier describe? Is it physically close to it?
Subject Consistency: When using participial phrases (e.g., “After finishing the work,...”), confirm the sentence subject (e.g., “I”) is the implied doer of “finishing”, avoiding danglers like “After finishing the work, the report was submitted” (should be “After finishing the work, I submitted the report”).
Application in Writing
Going forward, I will:
Proofread for Placement: Use a “modifier checklist” (adverb / clause position, relative clause attachment) during revision.
Translate Consciously: When translating from Chinese, actively restructure sentences instead of literal word-for-word conversion. For example, converting the Chinese “为了通过考试，每天都学习” (literally “To pass the exam, every day studies”) to the English “To pass the exam, I study every day” by adding a clear subject.
Read Aloud: Listen for awkward phrasing, as misplaced modifiers often sound unnatural in English, a strategy the chapter implicitly supports through its emphasis on clarity and idiomatic usage.
These chapters reinforce that mastering English syntax requires not just memorizing rules, but internalizing its structural logic ---- an ongoing process that demands cross-linguistic vigilance. By addressing placement and dangling issues, I feel more equipped to bridge the gap between my native Chinese and target English, moving closer to natural, effective expression.

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内容非常丰富，举了很清楚的例子，让我对这一板块的表达有了更深的体会，特别是converting the Chinese “为了通过考试，每天都学习” (literally “To pass the exam, every day studies”) to the English “To pass the exam, I study every day” by adding a clear subject.这一部分，通过读书本的内容和同学的分享，我更加明白了Use a “modifier checklist”  during revision.的内涵