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1、English Idioms,Introductory,The simple definition of English idioms:special/different meaning,the sinew of language,reflecteg.Lilys grandpa has kicked the bucket.(kicked the bucket=died)Can everyone find a fat cat?(fat cat=the rich),Characteristics,Semantically opaque Function as a single unit of me
2、aning Structural invariability,Semantically opaque,eg.Metaphorical rather than literal a feather in sb.s cab(an honor and success)draw a blank(to fail to discover sth.after searching hard),Function as a single unit of meaning,Complete&unique meaning eg.fly in the ointment(a small annoyance that spoi
3、ls an otherwise pleasant situation),Structural invariability,Form:fixed eg.Lilys grandpa has kicked the bucket.kick the big bucket kick bucket kick the pail,X X X,Sources of English Idioms,Life:everyday life,agricultural life,nautical and military life,business life to keep ones shirt on Sports and
4、entertainment activities to keep the ball rolling,The Bible the apple of ones eye Literary works of masters to hoist with ones own Petard（咎由自取）Shangri-La(世外桃源）Fables,myths and legends to act the part of a Trojan Horse(里应外合）,Classification of English Idioms,Phrase idiomsClause idiomsSentence idioms,P
5、hrase idioms(惯用短语),Verb phrase idiomsNoun phrase idioms Adjective phrase idiomsPrepositional phrase idiomsAdverbial phase idioms,Verb phrase idioms,a v+an adv look up,put asidea v+a prep make for,get through a v+an adv+a prep do away with,Phrasal verbs(动词词组)Noun compounds,function,Noun compounds(名词复
6、合字),A gang of thieves did a break-in last night.The pilot made a smooth take-off.,n 闯入,n 起飞,Noun phrase idioms,Functions,As the direct object of a clause(直宾)He hated red tape(繁文缛节)As the complement of a clause（补语）As the object of a preposition（介词宾语）I dont have that much money on me not in hard cash(
7、现金)anyway,Adjective phrase idioms,As complement of a clause eg.I have just returned his loan,so Im all square with him at last.,Function,Prepositional phrase idioms,(a)as an adjunct modifying a verb(动词修饰语)eg.I cant help you,so youll have to do the same job under your own steam(b)as a complement(c)As
8、 a complement or adjunct Hes getting above his station(d)As a disjunct（插入语）(e)As a connecting phrase eg.You had better make it yourself in that case.,Function,Adverbial phase idioms,As adjuncts modifying verbs eg.The bullet flew as straight as an arrow towards the bird.,Function,Sub-grouping of phra
9、se,(a)flesh and blood(n+n)(b)free and easy(adj+adj)(c)toss and turn(v+v)(d)far and wide(adv+adv),TheTwoCommonestpatterns,n+n phrases,As complement2.As prepositional object（介词宾语）3.as attribute（定语）4.As adjunct（修饰语）eg.They had a bad quarrel and next day he left,bag and baggage,Adj+adj phrase,As the com
10、plement of a verb eg.Lucy is a free and easy（无拘 无束的）person.As an adjunct eg.We won the game fair and square（光明正大地）.,Clause idioms and Sentence idioms,Clause idioms Sentence idioms,1.Verb+Complement Pattern 2.Verb+Direct Object Pattern3.Verb+Direct Object+complement Pattern4.Verb+Indirect Object+Dire
11、ct Object Pattern5.Verb+Direct Object+Adjunct Pattern,1.Proverbs 2.Typical conversational expressions,Clause idioms,a).Adjective phrase Goerge would get even with the gang.乔治会报复这伙人的b).noun phraseMy uncle came a cropper when his horse refused to jump the last fence.当马拒绝跳过最后一个栅栏的时候，我的叔叔猛摔了一跤。,Bob hit
12、the hay soon after supper.Bob 在晚饭后不久就睡了,Clause idioms,a).Adjective phraseThe police caught John red-handed.警察将约翰当场拿下。b).Noun phaseHe has made his friends a nothing stock.他做了他朋友们的笑柄。,The company has sold you a real pup.那个公司欺骗了你。,I cannot make bricks without straw.我无法做无米之炊。,3.Verb+Direct Object+comple
13、ment Pattern,4.Verb+Indirect Object+Direct Object Pattern,5.Verb+Direct Object+Adjunct Pattern,Sentence idioms,1.Proverbs：Owing to the Bible,to Shakespeare and to other great writers of the past.Style:concise wittyDont count your chickens before they are hatched.Do not believe or expect that success
14、,victory,etc.iscertain untill it actually happens.不要过早乐观。,Sentence idioms,2.Typical conversational expressions Some of those habitual expressions may have an irregularor even a grammatically non-standard structure.Friday week Friday a week after next Friday.下周五Dear me!An expression of distress，disap
15、pointment,worried,surprise,etc.,Syntactic function of phrase idioms,1)A gift of gab-object of verb or preposition:He is remarkable with a gift of gab.:He has such a gift of gab.2)Red tape can be used as subject,object,complement.,Prepositional phrase idiom usage,Toms broken leg is on the mendHe hit
16、the ball on the nose,Transformation restrictions,(1)Change in Word ordereg.1)The electricity went off.-Off went the electricity.special case:Ill ring up Alice some time during the week.X Up Ill ring Alice some time during the week.,(2)alteration from active form to a passive form(verb phrases),speci
17、al case:feel for,fall into etc.Its easy to feel for people in need.Not:People in need to be felt for is easy.,Clause idiomsThe company sold you a real pup.You were sold a real pup there.-not:a real pup has been sold you.,Some clause idioms may be made passive with a meaning quite different from what
18、 it had in the active form.Eg.Joe hit the sack=joe went to sleepThe sack was hit by joe=joe struck the sack,Collocative restrictions,Example:do away withhabitual subject:government,ministry,board etc.Object:restriction,rule,tax,penalty,1.A bolt from the blue:Be,seem like,come like/as2.All set:(adjun
19、ct)be,feel,get,look,seem,its adjunct：To go,to leave,for a fine old time,to sign a document etc.,structual variabilitystylistic features,structual variability,Desipite the structual stability of idioms,sometimes idioms could do some slight changes.,A:Writers give a new twist to an old saying for rhet
20、orical effects.A horse of the same colour.Shakespeare a horse of another colour He is every other inch a gentleman.Rebecca every inch a gentleman,B:the replacement of synonyms come into blossom flower make a bolt dash for take pains trouble over,Besides nouns,adjectives,prepositions,adverbs and arti
21、cles of certain idiomatic expressions can be replaced in the same way.,put on a bold/brave/good face on break fresh/new ground have a soft/weak spot for take sth.seriously/hard/lightly,C:insertion of words Many idioms do permit free insertion of adverbs,adjectives,and intensifiers.be well off be ver
22、y/fairly well offbear ones cross bear a terrible/heavy crosstake pains take great/endless pains,D:deletion of words at the outs at outs pull the wires pull wires talk(cold)turkey talk turkey,Everything has two sides.the English idioms have structual stabilty and structual variability.Sometimes sligh
23、t changes will be better.,Stylistic featuresA:Most idioms are stylistically neutral or formal,but quite a number of them belong to informal spoken English.to churn out with the implication that quality is poor the salt of the earth elitethe last straw cant stand any more,B:A few idioms suggest a dig
24、nified and elevated tone,and are used on formal occasions.accord with match,be in agreement with;correspond(to/with)My information does not accord with what this report states.adress oneself to tackle,give ones full attention toThere are three points to which I will adress myself in this chapter.,C:
25、slangs cheese off make heartily sick or tired(of sth)kip out sleep in the open air Every night in summer,we kip out on the beaches.,stylistic features are constantly shifting,we should learn to use idioms as appropritely and effectively as we use English words.,Conclusion Brief introductionsources of English idiomsClassification of idioms phrase idioms clause idioms sentence idiomsSyntactic,structural and stylistic analysis of idioms,Thank You,
