2014年4月6日 星期日

關係子句2─分詞子句和關係子句的關係

我們都將關係子句和分詞子句分開學,但其實學生應該先學關係子句才學分詞子句,因為兩者有關係,但一般人不知道。

首先,需知道關係子句有分限定性和非限定性。限定性關係子句是:The man who wears a black jacket is my father. 非限定性關係子句是My father, who has retired, likes eating black food.如讀者不明兩者分別,可參看我之前介紹關係子句的文章。

分詞子句,可以將上面第一句變為:The man wearing a black jacket is my father. 而第二句成為Having retired, my father likes eating black food.

為何要把分詞子句與關係子句合起來談?因為一般教師都說不出兩者闗係。首先,說不出兩種分詞子句的分別,只會說The man wearing a black jacket is my father.這句的主語The man有現在分詞(present participle)做後置修飾語 ,而另外一種Having retired, my father likes eating black food.中的having retired是分詞構句,但理不清兩者分別有限定性(defining)和非限定性(non-defining)的意義。而這種意義其實就是由關係子句而來。因此我說句構教學應由關係子句教起,再在關係子句旳基礎上,解釋分詞子句與關係子句的異同。

當然,我明白,分詞子句不是只有這一種。例如:Eating nothing in the morning, he felt hungry. 這句的分詞子句Eating nothing in the morning的確有其非限定意義,但更加重要是表達子句和主句的關係─因果關係。 其他關係包括:時間關係,像:Having finished the homework, he took a break. (他剛做完功課,便休息一下。)


最後一句,為何有關係子句之餘又有分詞子句?因為分詞子句比關係子句更加正式(formal)

在回家路上我遇見叔叔.

李正凡老師的《秒殺英文法》,有提到寫作上必用的句型。其實這也不算很新鮮的論點,香港不少補習天王也會教學生作文要用上不同句型,例如我教過的Band 1學生都會問我關於倒裝句(Inversion)的問題。這一套必用句型理論,也是我寫這個blog的原因,就是介紹不同句型,幫學生改善英文作文。

第一種必用句型,一般英中中三教現在分詞和過去分詞時老師會講解的,就是分詞片語。結構是:

V-ing(現在分詞)/V-ed(過去分詞)…, Subject + Verb….

例句:Walking to school, I met my uncle.
   Punished by the teacher, he stayed after lessons.

這種結構中的分詞片語(participle phrase),是學生最難掌握的地方。通常學生未必掌握的,是不知道究竟用現在分詞(即V-ing,還是過去分詞(V-ed。其實用現在分詞還是過去分詞只取決究竟那動詞是主動還是被動,主動便用V-ing,被動用V-ed。學生感到困難的,是混淆了主動被動式和時態,他們總是覺得V-ing就是現在式,V-ed就是完成式。根本主動被動和時態是兩件事。事實上我們稱分詞為Verbals(動狀詞片語),或是Non-finite Verbs(非限定動詞),意思就是這些動詞不含時態。非限定動詞有三種:infinitive (不定詞,gerund(動名詞),和分詞。因此,決定這種分詞片語用V-ing還是V-ed,根本不用考慮時態。


下次再繼續介紹五大必用寫作句型。

係無用的

即使不...也

即使不...也...

It was at the very best, exploitative and thoughtless treatment, if not animal cruelty.

It is hard, if not impossible, to snub a beautiful woman.

I like most of, if not all, of those paintings.

if not + N/Ving =  即使不(到xxx的程度), 也....
 

It was, at the very least, exploitative and thoughtless treatment, if not
animal cruelty.
 

就算不到動物虐待的程度, 這也最起碼是剝削且有欠體恤的對待.  
 


另例:
It is hard if not impossible to snub a beautiful woman.
要冷落一位美麗的女人, 縱非不可能也是很困難的. 

  (註: if not impossible前後常加逗點)

It is rare, if not 
impossible, to find an individual who will proclaim themself
a proud hipster.
要找一個會宣稱自己是驕傲行家的人, 縱非不可能也是鳳毛麟角的.

It is equally if not more important to consider the failure cases.
對諸多失敗案例加以考量, 就算不是更重要也是同等重要的.
  (註: if not more前後常加逗點)

most + 複數N, if not all  = 若非全部, 也是大部份
I like most if not all of those paintings,
我喜歡那些畫作, 就算不是全部也是大部份.
 


source: http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qid=1511050302923

咁啱...

It happened that…是英语中一个很有用的句式,其意为“碰巧……”。句首的 it 可视为形式主语。如:
It happened that the ferry service was canceled. 碰巧渡船服务取消了。
It happened that her parents were both out.  有时刚好她父母会同时不在家。
It happened that the harvest was bad that year. 恰好那年收成不好。
It happened that I had driven that kind of car before. 碰巧我过去曾开过那种汽车。
It happened that I was standing next to him when he collapsed. 他倒下的时候我恰巧站在他旁边。
类似的结构还有:it chanced that如:
It chanced that the man was a doctor. 那男人碰巧是位医生。
It chanced that she was in when he called. 他打电话时碰巧她在家
It happened / chanced that she spoke fluent Swahili. 偏巧她很会说斯瓦希里语。
为加强语气,so 常与 happen / chance 连用。如:
It so happened / chanced that I’d met her a few years before. 碰巧我几年前见过她。

少了十倍

decrease n times/n--fold (14) 

decrease by n times(15) 

decrease by a factor of n(16) 

以上三式均譯為:減少到1/n[或:減少(n-1)/n]。 
decrease常被reduce, shorten, go/slow down等詞替代。 

Eg. Switching time of the new-type transistor is shortened 3 times. 
新型電晶體的開關時間縮短了1/3(即縮短到2/3)。 

Eg. When the voltage is stepped up by ten times, the strength of the current 
is stepped down by ten times. 
電壓升高9倍,電流強度便降低9/10(即90%)。 

Eg. The equipment reduced the error probability by a factor of 5. 
該設備誤差概率降低了4/5。

減少了5/6

There is a n-fold decrease/reduction… 
應譯為:減至1/n [或:減少(n一1)/n]。(17) 
這個句型還有其他一些形式, 

Eg. A rapid decrease by a factor of 7 was observed. 
發現迅速減少到1/7。 

Eg. The principal advantage of the products is a two-fold reduction in 
weight. 
這些產品的主要優點是重量減輕了1/2。 

忽然想起


...無道理


There is no point in ...

參考: http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic24874.html

信的格式化結語

I greatly appreciate your help.

I hope to hear from you soon.


We very much look forward to your participation in this worthwhile activity....

I also enclose the ... for your reference.

牛津詞典:

I would be grateful if you could send the completed form back as soon as possible.I would be most grateful if you would keep this matter confidential.

http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/grateful

Please do not hesitate to contact.... at ...(email) or on (telephone)

 I am more than happy to be of asistance." or "I am happy to be of assistance."
It means 'More than happy' means 'very, very happy', 'ecstatic'. 

引起你對...的注意

I am writing to bring to your attention a serious issue I had in your establishment last week

I refer to the letter by Wyss Yim ("Level of carbon dioxide is not bad", January 15)..

忽視缺點


   Sample 2

Question
You read a news article entitled New blood to our education system, in which the writer put forward an idea of importing more Mainland students to Hong Kong. You think it is an important policy so you write a letter to the newspaper discussing its advantages and disadvantages. End the letter with your own view. Sign the letter P. Tam.

Letter:

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to an article entitled New blood to our education systemThe writer proposes that we should import more Mainland students to Hong Kong. But what effects would this policy bring to society?

One big advantage of having more Mainland students in Hong Kong is the facilitation of cultural exchange between the two places. When students have more chances to meet young people from the Mainland, they would surely understand life there more. Likewise, the experience can open the eyes of the Mainland students.

Another benefit of this is that the general standard of Hong Kong students can be raised. By admitting outstanding Mainland students, we can have more role models for local students. Students can also learn from each otherlearning habits.

Despite all these, we should not overlook the drawbacks of this proposal. To begin with, this would definitely increase the workload of teachers. Imagine you were a teacher and there were a few Mainland students in the class. What would you have to do to meet their needs? Of course, there is a lot to work on to help these new students catch up with others.

Another point is whether it is wise to put extra pressure to students in Hong Kong. Our education system is highly competitive and exam-oriented. Implementing this policy is like having our students to compete with all the top students from the Mainland.

Clearly, then, we have to examine the possible outcomes of this proposal carefully before carrying it out. Nevertheless, it we can relieve the impact brought by this practice, having more elite students in our schools is a good phenomenon in our society.

Yours faithfully,

P. Tam

白宮發言人

Examples of Metonymy

Metonymies are frequently used in literature and in everyday speech. A metonymy is a word or phrase that is used to stand in for another word. Sometimes a metonymy is chosen because it is a well-known characteristic of the word.

One famous example of metonymy is the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword," which originally came from Edward Bulwer Lytton's play Richelieu. This sentence has two examples of metonymy:

The "pen" stands in for "the written word."
The "sword" stands in for "military aggression and force."



Metonymy: Stand-Ins for Other Words
A Word Functioning as a Metonymy

Understanding the context of a metonymy is important. For example, the word "pen" is not always standing in for the written word; often, it just refers to the physical object of a pen.

The examples below include both the metonymy and the possible words for which the metonymy would fill in:

Crown - in place of a royal person
The White House - in place of the President or others who work there
The suits - in place of business people
Dish - for an entire plate of food
Cup - for a mug
The Pentagon - to refer to the staff
The restaurant - to refer to the staff
Ears - for giving attention ("Lend me your ears!" from Mark Antony in Julius Caesar)
Eyes - for sight
The library - for the staff or the books
Pen - for the written word
Sword - for military might
Silver fox - for an attractive older man
Hand - for help
The name of a country - used in place of the government, economy, etc.
The name of a church - used in place of its individual members
The name of a sports team - used in place of its individual members
While these word examples provide a good example of what a metonymy is and how it functions, sentence examples will further help to explain the use of this figure of speech.

Sentences Using a Metonymy

These sentences will further enhance your appreciation and understanding of metonymies. The metonymy is underlined.

We must wait to hear from the crown until we make any further decisions.
The White House will be announcing the decision around noon today.
If we do not fill out the forms properly, the suits will be after us shortly.
She's planning to serve the dish early in the evening.
The cup is quite tasty.
The Pentagon will be revealing the decision later on in the morning.
The restaurant has been acting quite rude lately.
Learn how to use your eyes properly!
The library has been very helpful to the students this morning.
That individual is quite the silver fox.
Can you please give me a hand carrying this box up the stairs?
The United States will be delivering the new product to us very soon.
Saint Thomas will be coming to the soup kitchen to help out next Sunday after Mass.
The Yankees have been throwing the ball really well, and they have been hitting better than they have been in the past few seasons.
Purpose of a Metonymy
As with other literary devices, one of the main purposes of using a metonymy is to add flavor to the writing. Instead of just repeatedly saying, "the staff at the restaurant" or naming all of the elements of a dinner each time you want to refer to the meal, one word breaks up some of that awkwardness.

Using a metonymy serves a double purpose - it breaks up any awkwardness of repeating the same phrase over and over and it changes the wording to make the sentence more interesting.

你可否告訴我...

Would you please inform us when we can expect the [delivery of our order of March 14 (Order No. 500-1) for parts for the Rapple Computer?

有幾點發揮得幾好

今年出去MARK會考WRITING以下是我的學習:

(每part最高6分,共四part: content, language, organisation, genre.最高24分)

1.關於 marking scheme

Content可以俾的COMMENT:

-interesting article. Fulfils tasks completely. Imaginative anecdote. (6)

-variety of points well developed. Relaying personal experience. But lacks real interest/ humor of magazine article (5)

-fulfils tasks. Clear premise established. Ends clearly. Lack real interest/humor for magazine(5)

-fulfils tasks-personal experience leading to conclusion-lacks in real interest/humor of mag article (4)

-variety of points well-developed. All relevant except 2nd last para. (5)

-limited no. of points-partially developed.generally relevant but just of good points-no real personal change. (3)

-irrelevant para. There are ideas in ..but limited and not related to personal change. (2)

-premise of tasks set up by coping prompt. (2)

-difficult to judge. (1)

-inadequate but have 2 or 3 very rudimentary prompts, therefore more than 0. (1)

LANGUAGE可以俾的COMMENT:
-grammatical errors, but slips. Impressive control of wide variety of structures and phrases. Use of vocab for deliberate effect. (6)

-some sophisticated lexis(). Some repetition. One sentence difficult to understand. (5)

-good use of phrases, but quite frequent errors(4)

-quite frequent errors-switch in tenses affects understanding. Good vocab but not really sophisticated to get five. (4)

-quite frequent errors, but at no point affecting understanding. Vocab tends to be used accurately. (4)


-struggle to make sense of most sentences. V. frequent errors, occasionally good phrase. (3)

-extremely simple repetitive structures, frequent errors but don’t’ affect understanding. Vocab simple. (2)

-even simple sentences have errors very often affecting understanding. Occasional good vocab. (2)

-language severely hamper understanding but occasional easily understandable part, so not 0. (1)

-a series of phrases. No real evidence of ability to construct sentence. (0)

Organisation可以俾的comment:
-overall structure excellent. Additional coda(結尾). Good use of reference nouns and demonstratives. (6)

-overall structure clear. Some good communicate use, but repetitive. Faulty pronoun. (4)

-overall structure good. Some faulty connectives. (4)

-good intro- set up premise. Overall clear chronological structure. Paragraph 5 a bit illogical. Text unfinished. (4)

-discernable paras: intro, body and conclusion. Attempts at topic sentences. Limited connectives used. (3)

-heading generally helps but last one faculty. There is intro and conclusion. Within paras like unconnected sentences. (2)

-intro but vague. Limited use of connectives. (2)

-there are 3 paras. Attempts of connectives. Within para very difficult to understand connectives between sentences. (1)

-a series of notice-like phrases.(0)

GENRE可以俾的COMMENT:
-read like article. Tone informal. Reference to audience and to self. Use of hyperpole (誇張手法) (6)

-strong personal account, but no real indication that this is more an essay than an article (4)

-Reasonably convincing. Direct reference to readers. Interactional, but sometimes inappropriate. (5)

-some seen mga feature-including reference to ……(4)

-overall str. and paras. Clear-though rather simplistic. Some good connectives, other cohesion faulty. (4)

-quite personal. But little evidence of candidates doing anything more than normal essay. (3)

-no real awareness of audience. Though use of headings appropriate. (2)

-no awareness of audience or text type. But rest reads like article more than letter, so 1 or 0. (1)

-no real attempt to create mag article. But does establish role, so not 0. (1)

-no discernable features or audience awareness for us to understand. (0)

2. 關於改卷進度

大致上, 1小時可改到20有時快,可改到30但多過30準確度會低些.

3. Good vocab

-affiliate themselves with  (
-unfortunate never comes singly
-a range of
-out of blue
-prerequisite
-in retrospect
-all too (used before an adjective or adverb to emphasize a negative meaning
e.g. The holidays flew by all too quickly. )
-embark on (start sth new)
-call a spade a spade (to say the truth about something, even if it is not polite or pleasant )
-admittedly
-permeate (e.g. Dissatisfaction with the government seems to have permeated every section of society. )
-in hope of
-there is no exaggeration to say …
-ubiquitous (seeming to be in all places)
-irrespective of (without considering; not needing to allow for)
-by and large (when everything about a situation is considered together
e.g. There are a few small things that I don't like about my job, but by and large it's very enjoyable. )
-keep abreast of (to make sure you know all the most recent facts about a subject or situation e.g. I try to keep abreast of any developments.)
-worse still 更糟糕的是
-heighten (to increase or make something increase, especially an emotion or effect
)
-to name a few=for example
-formidable 可怕的 (a formidable task)
-to my despair
-mesmerize (to have someone's attention completely so that they cannot think of anything else )

4. Common grammar mistakes

-we no need to X (we need not/do not need to)
-feel boring X(feel bored)
-discuss aboutX (discuss)
-it was trouble X(it was troublesome)
-feel exciting X ( feel excited)
-give up to buy X (give up buying)
- I won’t late X ( I won’t be late)

5. common spelling mistakes

-image X(imagine )
-nowaday/ now a days X(nowadays)
-I thing that X (I think that)
-sizes X (sides)
-fine X (fine)
-loss e.g I loss a mobile phone. X(lose)
-vedio X (video)
-frist X (first)
-cheat X (chat)
-surface X( surfing)
-contect X (contact)
-convenience X (convenient)
-text X (test)


-readed X (read)

立即採取行動改善情況




u           Example 1:

Question:
One day, you read an advertisement for a newly opened fitness club, Burn Fat Gym, in a magazine. It said the club was the largest fitness centre in Hong Kong, and had first-class equipment and professional trainers. You were eager to slim down so you joined the club the next day. During your first visit, however, you found that the club was not spacious, the facilities were poor, and the trainers were neither professional nor helpful.

Now write a letter of complaint to the editor of a local newspaper. Sign your name Chris Wong. Do not write any address.

Sample letter:

Dear editor,

I am writing to complain about Burn Fat Gym. I joined the club because of its advertisement on a magazine, saying it was the largest fitness centre in Hong Kong with first-class facilities and professional trainers. Last week, when I visited the club, however, I was extremely disappointed to find that it did not live up to its promises.

First, the centre was not as spacious as I had expected. It was only about the size of half of a basketball court. To the best of my knowledge, its size was not even comparable to that of mid-scale fitness centres in Hong Kong. The lack of space resulted in serious overcrowding and I ended up wasting most of my time waiting in line for the facilities.

Equally disappointing was the facilities. Instead of being first-class, they were poor and inadequate. Some basic fitness facilities such as treadmills and rowing machines were not found in the gym. There were only five cycling machines, which were all occupied at that time, a few rusty dumbbells and some filthy yoga mats scattered on the floor.

My last complaint concerns the professional trainers. When I consulted one of the trainers about how to train my muscles with the dumbbells, he told me bluntly that I was overweight and lifting weights would not help. He then recommended I should join a fitness programmer which cost over $10,000. When I said I needed time to think about it, he scorned me and turned away. I felt deeply humiliated.

I hope the club would stop placing misleading advertisement and take immediate actions to improve the situation.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Wong

u           Example 2

Question
You had bought a white leather handbag from a famous chain store. After using it for 2 months, it was torn and you took the bag to the store for free repairing while it was still under warranty. You were told that the bag would be repaired after a month, but you still couldnt get it back after two months. You went back to the shop, and found that the bag was finally sent back, but without any repair. Besides, you are also totally dissatisfied with the false promise of the staff who claimed to call you back when there was any news about the bag.

Write a letter of complaint to the Sales Manager of the chain store to make complaints on the case. Sign your letter Mary Lam. Dont write any address.

Sample letter:

Dear Sir,

I am writing to complain about the poor standard of services of your company. I took a white leather bag to your store for repair but I still cannot get it back after 2 months.

The first thing that concerns me is the poor quality of your product. I have never expected that a leather bag would be torn after merely 2 months of normal everyday uses. It is totally contradictory to what I heard from your staff about the good quality and durability of the products of your company.

Another thing that I would like to complain is the poor follow-up contact of your retail store staff with your customers. I am totally clueless on why your staff would claim to call me for any news about the bag if they had no intention to do so. I feel I was cheated, and my precious time wasted.

My final complaint is about the poor coordination between your retail store and the factory. I am totally puzzled why my bag was sent back to the retail store without any repairing. I would have considered not to have it repaired if I had known that it would taken such a long time.

I have totally lost confidence in your company. I insist that you look into the matter and give me an apology. Besides, I demand that you repair and return my leather bag as soon as possible, or refund me for what I have paid if the bag can no longer be repaired.

Please do take actions and respond to my complaints. Otherwise, I cannot but take this matter to the Consumer Council. Thank you for your attention.

Yours faithfully,


Chris Wong

Other ways to start a complaint letter:
u           I would like to draw your attention to....
u           I am writing to express my dissatisfaction at....

The beginning sentences for the Body:
u           My first complaint is...
u           Another thing that concernes me is...
u           The final thing that makes me dissatisfied is...

Ending for the complaint letter:
u           I would like you to refund the full price that I paid...
u           I demand that you replace a new one to me....
u           If you don't do so, I shall take this matter to the Consumer Council....
u           Unless you give me an explanation for the matter, I shall write a letter about this to the newspaper.

讀萬卷書不如行萬里路

題目: say whether you agree or disagree with the following:

People do not need to travel to other places. They can stay on the Internet and on TV from their own home.
 (400 words)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the proverb goes, "He that travels far knows much". Even though we can have access to different kinds of information on the Internet and television with no geographical limit, travelling around the world still has its merits.

Despite the invention of the Internet and TV, people still need to travel to see other places because the impression will be far more long-lasting. Do you still remember the content of the TV programmes you watched last week? I bet your answer will be “no” because every day we received loads of information which exceeds our learning capacity. Yet, you might still remember your journeys to other countries a few years ago. That proves experience gained through travels is usually more impressive than knowledge acquired from the TV or the Internet.

Secondly, travelling contains other benefits that cannot be found just by seeing the world on the Internet and TV. For example, you might be able to make new friends of diverse backgrounds and cultures during your trip. Through having conversations with the local people, you might become more capable of conveying messages in languages other than your mother tongue. You can broaden your horizons by “feeling” how enormous the world is compared to your homeland. Learning can be done with the aid of new technology but should never be confined to that.

Last but not least, neither can the Internet nor the TV include all details and every aspect of a place, let alone all corners of the globe. Those “selected scenes” or information produced by others are only a tiny part of the region. There are often more for you to discover. And even if two people pay a visit to the same spot, they may have different yields (收獲). Instead of obtaining information passively, why not take the initiative to explore by yourself? And if no one is going to travel, who will be the one to spread information on the Internet?


In conclusion, travelling around and surfing the Internet are both ways to learn about the world. Yet, we should bear in mind that they are not substitutes but more like complements.

我寫信來表達對...的關注

useful sentence patterns and expressions

Expressing your own opinion

1. I am writing to express my concerns about..
2. I am concerning..
3. I am writing to express my view on...

Responding to another reader
1. I refer to the letter from ... about...
2. I would like to reply to the letter from ... about
3. I am writing in response to... (someone's) letter dated..(date) in which the reader mentioned that...

Lodging complaints and expressing dissatisfaction

I am writing to complain about...

Expressing agreement

I totally agree with...(the reader's ) point about...

Expressing disagreement

I am afraid I can't agree with ...(the reader's ) point about...

Ending

I hope that..
I strongly believe that...
I hope this letter will....

係時候XX了.

希望你會考慮我的建議.


Sample

Question:
The Principal of your school wants students to help protect the environment by reducing the amount of waste at school. You are Hugh Cheung, the President of the Environmental Protection Club. Write a proposal of about 250 words to the Principal recommending ways to cut the amount of rubbish produced at school.

Dear Principal,

A Proposal on Ways to Cut Waste at School

Our Environmental Protection Club is very much concerned about saving the Earth. To achieve this, we would like to recommend two things students may do to reduce the amount of rubbish produced at school.

1.        Conserving Paper

The first step to cut waste is to conserve paper of all kinds. For example, students should use both side of writing paper and use it only when necessaryBesideswe suggest a tray be placed in each classroom for accumulating one-sided paper. Instead of using new paper, students should make good use of the single-sides paper for note-taking or other informal purposes. Apart from saving writing paper, we recommend that students should also conserve toilet paper. This can be done by using hand dryer instead of paper towels after washing their hands.

2.        Using Reusable Food and Drink Containers

Another way to reduce waste is to ask students to avoid non-recyclable food and drink containers. We suggest students bring water in reusable bottle from home rather than buying bottled drinks at school every day. The same can be done for lunch boxes. Students should consider bringing their own lunch boxes and choose dine-in if they go out for lunch, instead of having take-away in paper and non-reusable containers.

Thank you very much for your attention and I hope you can take my proposal into consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Cheung
The President
Environment Protection Club


Notes:

Other ways to give suggestions
l           I propose subject+bare infinitive
l           I recommend ..
l           I suggest
l           It would be sensible/ beneficial/ advantageous to . / if  past tense


l           Subject + should consider gerund

也是同樣( 如果不是更加) 重要

The growth of internet technology means that the smallest companies can research, market, and advertise a presence, sell a product, or recruit across borders as easily as, if not more so than, the big players.

see: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1819780

But in fact, it is just as important, if not more so, because there is no way to replace the impact of one person talking directly to another person.

XX是一個絕好的意見.

XX帶來的可怕後果有好幾個.

[中文動詞:帶來>>>>>>preposition: of ]

1. There are a number of depressing /dreadful consequences of + 行為

e.g. There are a number of depressing consequences of online dating.

2. Perhaps the most serious/ detrimental /disastrous effect is...

e.g. Perhaps the most serious effect is Internet fraud.

3. Who know what (the long-term) effects will be upon + 受影響者?

e.g Who know what long-term effects will be upon children who are abused in prolonged period?

XX可解釋XX的現象.

Sentence patterns to express reasons

1. There are probably many causes/reasons for ...+現象

e.g. There are probably many reasons for the popularity of video games among teenagers.

2. +(cause)  can account for + 現象

e.g. Lack of parental care and heavy academic pressure can account for the significant growth in the number of teenage suicide. 

3. Among the most convincing reasons cited by people for the + 問題 is...

e.g. Among the most convincing reasons cited by people for the marked increase in the number of obese children is the popularity of junk food. 

當談及.../一提到...