1.2 How do you identify the trunk in a long sentence? 如何识别长句主干 P1-7

P1 Now let’s look at Section 1.2 How do you identify the trunk in a long sentence? Since a trunk delivers the main idea of a long sentence, it is of great importance to identify the trunk in a long sentence. The following five strategies can enable us to identify the sentence trunk:

1. If a long sentence is preceded（以......为首） with a noun（名词）, a noun phrase （名词短语）or a nominal clause（名词性从句）,then this noun, noun phrase or noun clause is probably the subject.

2. If a long sentence is preceded with an adverbial clause（状语从句）, e.g. an adverbial clause of time, place, cause, concession （时间、地点、原因、让步状语从句）and so on, we shall skip the adverbial clause and identify the trunk in the rest of the sentence.

3.If a long sentence is preceded with an incidental adverbial（伴随状语）, e.g. a participle phrase（分词短语）, a prepositional phrase（介词短语）, an adjective phrase（形容词性短语）, with structure（with 复合结构）, absolute structure（独立主格） and so on, and the subject in the incidental adverbial agrees with the subject in the main clause, we shall skip the incidental adverbial and identify the trunk from the rest of the sentence.

4. A long sentence joined by coordinating conjunctions（并列连词） or such punctuation（标点符号） as and,but, or, so, etc. usually have a number of trunks. In this way, we might identify the trunks according to the logical connections of the conjunctions  or punctuation respectively.

5. If the sentence trunk is very short, we shall identify more facts and details from the long sentence’s modifiers, such as an appositive clause（同位语从句） or adverbial clause（状语从句）.

P2 Let’s take a look at the first example:

 These discoveries have led to the field (known as neuroeconomics), (which studies the brain’s secrets to success in an economic environment) (that demands innovation and being able to do things [differently from competitors].

 In this example, the noun phrase “these discoveries” is put at the beginning of the long sentence, then this noun phrase is the subject, subsequently, we can identify the predicate verb and object.

Since the identification of a sentence trunk is served to improve reading efficiency, we consider “the field known as neuroeconomics” as a bigger “sense group”instead of chopping this object into a too small segment.   

So the trunk of this long sentence is SVO - Thesediscoverieshave led to thefield (known as neuroeconomics)。这些发现导致了神经经济学的出现。

P3 Let’s look at the second example:

 [Although the same law（规律） holds for a living organism], theresult of this law is not inexorable（不可改变的 ） in thesame way.

Here, an adverbial clause of concession（让步状语从句） is put at the beginning of the long sentence, we shall skip this adverbial clause and identify the trunk from the rest of the sentence.

So the trunkof this sentence is SVP - the result of this law is not inexorable in the same way. 但是并不会以同样的方式产生不可改变的结果。

P4 Let’s look at the third example:

 [Travelling around Thailand in the 1990s],William Janssen was impressed with the basic rooftop solar heating system that were on many homes, where energy from the sun was absorbed by a plate and then used to heat water for domestic use.

 Here, an incidental adverbial（伴随状语）is put at the beginning of the sentence, and the subject in the incidental adverbial “William Janssen” agrees with that in the main clause（主句） , so we may skip the incidental adverbial and identify the trunk from the rest of the sentence.

So the trunk of this long sentenceis SVO - WilliamJanssen was impressed with the basic rooftop solar heating system. William Janssen对屋顶太阳能加热系统印象深刻。

P5 Here is the fourth example:

Breaking away from industrial agriculture (as the solution to hunger) may be very hard for some countries, but [in Britain], (where the immediate need to supply food is less urgent, and the costs and the damage of intensive farming have been clearly seen), it may be more feasible.   

This long sentence is joined by the coordinating conjunction（并列连词） “but”, so it has two trunks and we shall identify them from the two separate clauses respectively.

The trunk inclause 1 is SVP - Breaking away from industrial agriculture (as the solution to hunger) may be hard.摆脱现代化农业生产方式，同时解决饥饿问题是件（很）难的事情。

The trunk inclause 2 is SVP, too - itmay bemore feasible. 放弃现代化农业更为可行。

P6 Example 5:

We make a [very] (conservative) assumption that we are looking for a life form(that is [pretty well]like us), [since  if it differs radically from us] we may [well] not recognize it as a life form, quite apart from whether we’re able to communicate with it.

 Here, the trunk ofthis long sentence is SVO- we make a (conservative) assumption. 我们保守地假定。

However, the trunk is very short and it’s hard for us to explore more details from the trunk. Therefore, we shall investigate more specific information from the long sentence’s modifiers --- the appositive clause “that weare looking for a life form (that is [pretty well] like us)”introduced by the first “that”---“我们正在搜寻的生命形式与人类非常相似”。

P7 So much for this section. Thank you. Bye!