托福备考：如何理解“Sentence”和”Clause”？
1
单句的理解能力
很多同学在做阅读理解时往往会与一个句子狭路相逢，因为他知道答案就出自这个句子。所以这个时候对于单句的理解能力就显得尤为重要，特别是这些句子中有相当多比重的长难句。
要想快速理解长难句是有方法的，但这些方法基于一个前提：就是我们要明白什么是一个sentence，什么是一个clause。
比如同学们可以想一下你在进行阅读时是如何断句的，是凭感觉还是有规律可循；再比如从句算是“一个句子”吗？主句套着一个从句算是“一个句子”吗?又或是一个句号才算是”一个句子“？”分句“和”从句“有什么区别？好了，不必这么复杂，记住这两个单词即可：
A sentence is a group of words when they are written down, begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark. Most sentences contain a subject and a verb.
A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb, and forms a sentence or part of a sentence.
从以上对于sentence和clause的英文定义中我们可以得出两个重要结论：
1 sentence = 句号处即终结，通常有一套主谓宾
1 clause = 有且只有一套主谓宾
【简单句】
1 sentence
1 clause
简单句之所以简单，与长度无关，而是因为它只有一套主谓宾。为了便于理解你可以认为此时：1 sentence也是1 clause
He runs fast. 主谓
We sang songs together. 主谓宾
The weather seems cloudy. 主系表
The company gave her a bonus. 主谓双宾语
He appointed her the new manager. 主谓宾补语
【并列句】
1 sentence
N clause（N≥2）
两个及两个以上的简单句通过并列连词链接就叫并列句。为了便于理解你可以认为此时：
1 sentence包含N clause，且clause之间的地位是平等的。
The air is thin, and we have to rest several times on the short hike from camp.
It is a hard work, but the young people working at the shelter think it is worth it.
Have you had any bad experience online, or do you have some good advice for staying safe?
The bridge was closed to motor traffic, so people could enjoy a walk across it.
【复杂句】
1 sentence
N clause（N≥2）
两个及两个以上的简单句通过从属连词链接就叫复杂句。复杂句，也叫主从复合句，顾名思义即clause之间地位不平等，有主次之分，这个重要一些的clause也被叫做main clause即”句子主干”。
This is the reason why he is late today.
main clause
It all depends onwhether it will be fine next week.
main clause
He liked drawing when he was a child.
main clause
2
区别sentence和clause的意义何在？
1.快速对长难句进行断句：阅读遇到长难句时首先要找断句位，有多个谓语出现意味着出现了多个clause；
2.快速检查语法错误：写句子时如果出现了多个谓语就要检查是否有相应数量的clause与之匹配。
以下是选自托福阅读中的一个sentence，同学们可以试着分析一下其中有几个clause，有没有main clause?
Amid rumors that there were prehistoric mammoths wandering around the unknown region and that somewhere in its wilds was a mountain of rock salt 80 by 45 miles in extent, the two captains set out.
通过阅读我们可以知道：该句共有3个clause，其中一个是main clause。
Amid rumors that there were prehistoric mammoths wandering around the unknown region and that somewhere in its wilds was a mountain of rock salt 80 by 45 miles in extent, the two captains set out.
clause1: there were prehistoric mammoths wandering around the unknown region
clause2: somewhere in its wilds was a mountain of rock salt 80 by 45 miles in extent
clause3: the two captains set out (main clause)
有传言说，史前的猛犸象在这一陌生的区域活动，而且在这一区域的某个地方有一座巨大的盐石山，其面积达80英里长50英里宽，从这里开始两位上尉出发了。
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