省略
1 如何理解and, as in café life today?
1 如何理解and, as in café life today?
有一读者问： 《英语沙龙》有这样一个句子：
(1)...life in Greece was a public one and, as in café life today, friends entertained one another at the agora meeting places.
我对句中的and, as in café life today不甚了解，请剖析一下。
等立连词and在此用以连接两个分句；as in café life today是第二个分句的一部分，用作比较状语，其义为“就像今天坐咖啡馆一样”。café life与前面的public one （=public life）相对应。如进一步做语法分析，as是一连词，用以引导一省略结构(as后省去了as they do)。这种“as+介词短语”省略结构在英语里常可见到，再如：
(2)Keep shoes on plastic racks piled on top of each other, as in a shop.
(3)As with his earlier movies, the special effects in his latest film are brilliant.
2 as wonderful何意？
有一读者问： 有一道选择题：
(1)— What do you think of the concert?
— I really enjoy it. I didn't expect it was_____wonderful.
A. as B. more C. most D. very
答案是A，as是何用法？
这里的it was as wonderful之后省去了as I had thought。这种as的用法应引起中国学生的注意。前一个as是一副词，后面省去的as是一连词。再如：
(2)He has as many books. （as many books后省去了as I have）
(3)She is as beautiful. （其后可能省去了as her sister）
(4)This fish is twice as big. （其后省去as that one）
(5)I like this jacket better than that one, but it costs twice as much. （其后亦省去as that one）。
3 is all = that is all
有一读者问： 有这样一个句子：
(1)You stand up to them is all.
这个句子如何分析呢？
这是一个很口语化的句子。规范的说法应该是：
(2)You stand up to them. That is all. （在口语中That is all.往往省去that）
4 I think not. = I don't think so.
有一读者问： 有一道选择题：
— I'm afraid we'll lose the game.
— I _____.
A. think not B. don't hope so
C. hope not D. am afraid do not
我认为A，C均对，但答案是C，为什么？ I think not不是相当于I don't think so吗？
是的，A与C皆可入选。I think not与I don't think so同义（但在口语中似乎更常用后者），都可以用。但只可说I hope not，不可说I don't hope so，也不可说I don't hope that...，应说I hope that...not...。
5 关于not that...结构
有一读者问： 有这样一段父子之间的对话：
(1)—What happened, is she pregnant?
—No.
—No, what?
—No, she isn't pregnant, not that it's your business.
not that是什么意思？其用法如何？应如何分析？
“not+that从句”结构常意谓“我并不是说(I do not say/mean/assert)”，用作独立句或非独立句，实例如：
(2)She ignored the common forms of behaviour. Not that she was rude.
(3)Not that I'd have told you everything — there are stories of spies... that I haven't even touched upon.
这种结构也常有“虽然不或尽管不”的含义，实例如：
(4)Not that it matters, but how did you spend the money?
(5)She hasn't written to me yet — not that she ever said she would.
(6)Where is she staying? Not that I care.
(7)If he stole the money — not that I think he did—it was a terrible crime.
(8)If he said so — not that he ever did—he lied.
not that...结构有时还有“然而不或其实不”的含义，上述你问到的对话中的not that...即一比较典型的一例，再如：
(9)She wouldn't tell me how much it cost, not that I was really interested. （not that 在此与really连用，其意相当于“其实并不”）
关于not that...结构的意义和用法，且如上述。现在让我们对not that...结构作一点语法分析。它显然是一省略结构。许多人认为not代表I do not say/mean/assert, that从句起一宾语的作用；但也有人认为not代表it is not, that从句起一种表语的作用，其例证如：
(10)What is he doing now? It is not that I care.
至于that在此是一连词，引导一名词性从句，似乎是没有争议的。
关于整个结构的功能问题，我们认为它是一种独立成分，可置于句首，如上述句（3）和句（4）；
也可作为插入语置于句中，如上述句（7）和句（8）；也可置于句末，如上述句（1）、（5）、（9）；也可以用作独立句，如上述句（2）和句（6）。
最后不妨提一下，并不是所有由not that（连词）引导的省略结构皆具有上述含义。请看下列两种常见的说法：
(11)Not that I dislike the work, but that I have no time. （Not that..., but that...意谓“不是因为……，而是因为……”）
(12)Not that I know of. （此句的意思是：就我所知，不是的。that 相当于 as far as）
6 she had to是一种省略结构
有一读者问： 有这样一句话：
She lied to us because she had to in order to get a job.
如何理解had to in order to? 是否犯有语法错误？
这里没有语法错误。had to是一省略结构，它等于had to lie to us。
7 这里的this one or that one是一种省略结构
有一读者问： 有这样一句话：
(1)Which is better, this one or that one?
this one or that one是否是which的同位语？或是一种独立结构？
上述句（1）是一种选择疑问句。Which is better是一特殊疑问句，this one or that one是is this one better or is that one better的省略结构。所以，上述句（1），正如一本权威著作所说，实际上是一特殊疑问句和一省略的选择疑问句的一种综合结构。再如：
(2)Which ice cream would you like, chocolate, vanilla or strawberry? （实际上相当于Which ice cream would you like? Would you like chocolate, vanilla or strawberry?）
8 关于the way he speaks
有一读者问： 有这样一道选择题：
(1)I don't like the way_________he speaks.
A. which B. how that C. what D. \
为什么选D?
the way是in the way in which的省略结构，可看作短语从属连词，常用在非正式文体中，再如：
(2)Do it the way you were taught.
(3)They don't write songs the way they used to.
亦可用the way that,如：
(4)I don't like the way that you laugh at her.
类似的短语从属连词还有the moment, the day等，实例如：
(5)I want to see him the moment he arrives.
(6)The day he returned home, his father was already dead.