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从一道高考试题看when的主要用法
作者:陈勤保
来源:《广东教育·高中》2015年第12期
先请看2015年高考英语广东卷的语法填空第20小题原题:
One day, the cow was eating grass 20 it began to rain heavily.
此题的参考答案为when。此处的when用作并列连词时,意为“and just then”,其后的分句常含有“出乎预料,来得突然”之意,谓语动词也往往是短暂性的动词。而前一个分句的谓语动词则常常用过去进行时或“was/were about to do”结构,when连接的分句谓语常用一般过去时,且常有suddenly, all at once等词语。又如:
(1)The children were running to move the bag of rice when they heard the sound of a motorbike. 孩子们正跑去搬那袋大米,突然听到了摩托车声。
(2)I was about to leave the school when it suddenly began to rain. 我正准备离开学校,天突然开始下雨。
此外,when作并列连词,还有以下几种用法:
1. when在问句中用作并列连词时,通常设问表示“责备”或“提示”,故往往不作回答。这时,when从句中常有suddenly等词语。例如:
(1)What were you doing when she suddenly left?她突然离开了,当时你在干什么?
(2)Was he doing his homework when his father suddenly came in ?他父亲突然进来了,当时他在做作业吗?
2. when用来表示过早发生某事(常可译为“还没(刚刚)…… 就”。例如:
(1)I had just eaten my supper when my friend called to invite me to dinner. 我刚刚吃完晚餐,突然朋友打电话来约我吃饭。
(2)I had not been reading for half an hour when I heard steps outside. 我刚刚看了半个小时的书就听到外面有脚步声。
(3)I had hardly started out when it began to rain. 我刚一出门,天就开始下雨了。
4. 表示条件(意思接近“在……情况下”)。如: