不论申请哪一个学位，每一样文书都有基本的字数限制。如何在字数限制内写出自己想要的内容并有力的表达也是学校评估学生写作能力的考量因素之一。

以下的英语字数缩减技巧不论是论文或是申请文书，都算是实用的技能。

Tip # 1:  动词优先（避免名词化）

先看看以下范文:

• We should take into consideration several factors.
• He must make a decision about what to do.
• They gave us information about the new research program.
  

这些句子在文法上是完全正确，但因为使用名词化的动词而导致力度下降，也就是不直接使用动词而选择该动词的名词型。。

• We should take into consideration several factors. [7个字]
• He must make a decision about what to do. [9个字]
• They gave us information about the new research program. [9个字]
  

红色部分就是名词化，我们可以将这部分直接用一个动词替换。透过这个动作可以将字数维持在特定限制内，因此写作时限限制文法结构一定能够帮你一个大忙 。

• We should consider several factors. [5个字]
• He must decide about what to do. [7个字]
• They informed us about the new research program. [8个字]
  

动词名词化还有另一个缺点就是容易写出被动语态结构。不多说，一起看看以下范文：

× The analysis of how X-factor impacts B gene expression was conducted. [11个字]

√  We analyzed X-factor’s impact on B gene expression. [8个字]

利用把名词化转成一个动词，轻轻松松把句子转成主动语态并成功缩减字数。

如果你查找常见的动词名词化，可以发现一个模式。动词使用像是“make”和“take”，动名词（verb + ing）或名词由-tion，-sion，-ment，-ence，和-结尾的，很高机率都有一个相对应的动词， 所以当你在修改英文时，利用寻找功能找出这些结尾和动词后修正就行。

什么时候该修改动词名词化？

有时候动词名词化的确是必须或无法避免的，但目前我们是过度使用了。下面我们列出常见的应修正名词化的情况：

• Meaningless verb + nominalization: Delete the meaningless one and convert the nominalization into the main verb
  • Joe will conduct research on the impact of the recent drought on local wildlife. → Joe will research the recent drought’s impact on local wildlife.
  • The board will make a decision next week about whether to accept you next week. → The board will decide next week whether to accept you.
    
• When the nominalization is the subject of a passive voice structure: Identify the true subject, and convert nominalization to a verb for that subject.
  • The approval of the plan was given by the committee yesterday. → The committee approved the plan yesterday.
    
• Back-to-back nominalizations: Make the first a verb, and keep the second or change the second to a question-word phrase.
  • Their interpretation of the implementation of the institute’s program was insightful. → They insightfully interpreted how the institute implemented its program.
  • First was their introduction of their analysis of dreams by the trauma patients. → First, they introduced how they analyzed the trauma patients’ dreams.
    
• When a nominalization in the subject is connected to a nominalization in the predicate [This is a hard one!]: Change each nominalization to a verb. Then consider the logical connection between the two parts and add the appropriate connectors (because, when, if, although, even though, despite, etc.).
  • Her understanding of the situation was evidenced by the quitting of her job. → She understood the situation … she quit her job → When she quit her job, she showed she understood the situation.
    
  
  

现在一起来练习今天所学习到的修改技巧！

Beginner

• We made an agreement not to buy the house.
• They reached the conclusion that we should run a new cohort study.
• Our review of the test results will begin tomorrow.
  

Intermediate

• The discovery of a new planet by the Frankfurt Observatory excited the scientific community.
• The failure of the staff to organize the festival properly was a disappointment to us.
• The undertaking of building the new company was complicated by their lack of experience.
  

解答看此 --> 转自Wordvice博客