此文中南京环球教育陆雅芮老师将介绍因果关系连词（if）和让步关系连词（even though/although）省略的用法，让我们进行雅思写作时，句子更精炼。

　　如何避免使用if

　　If从句意为"如果……那么……"。在日常生活中，只要我们稍加留心，就能发现很多含有"如果……那么……"的句型，其实并不需要真的用上"如果……那么……"结构，无论中英文都一样。比如："如果坐火车的话，那么路上花的时间比较长；如果坐飞机的话，那么时间就比较短"完全可以简化为"坐火车花的时间比较长，坐飞机时间比较短"。

　　原句：If you fail to pass the drug test, we will have to dismiss you from you job.

　　修改：Failure to pass the drug test will result in job dismissal.

　　点评：原句用if引导从句并没有错，但其实我们可以完全将if从句省略，合并为一个句子。将动词表达if you fail to do sth.替换为名词表达failure to do sth.可使句子结构更姐紧凑，省略了you之后，还弱化了原句较为生硬的语气，表达效果更为理想。

　　原句：If one imitates, one cannot expect to be great.

　　修改：

　　① One cannot expect to be great by imitation.

　　② No person ever yet became great by imitation.

　　点评：分析原句，两个分句中的one指代内容相同，可以将两个句子合二为一：将if从句改为介词词组by imitation，并用适当的方式与主句连接。事实上，我们还可以将这个句子改得更加地道，将cannot否定形式改成肯定形式，如句②。

　　原句：If we want to end a war quickly, we must lose it.

　　修改：The quick way to end a war is to lost it.

　　点评：将if从句改写为名词词组，并用适当的方式与主句连接。

　　原句：If we were directed from government bureaucracy when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread.

　　修改：Were we directed from government bureaucracy when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread.

　　点评：虚拟条件句中有were、had或should时，可以省略if，把were、had或should提至主语之前，构成主谓倒装。

　　原句：Several staff members have checked the manuscript to see if it is accurate and easy to use.

　　修改：Several staff members have checked the manuscript for accuracy and ease of use.

　　点评：原句中的to see if 表目的，可直接用介词for替换，并将if从句中的形容词形式改为名词形式，以介词短语形式与主句连接。

　　原句：If words are taken out of context, they are not very likely to mean the same as they do when they are in context.

　　修改：Words taken out of context do not always means what they do in context.

　　点评：分析原句中的句子结构，后半句的they指代的就是前半句的words，所以可以直接将if从句改写为过去分词短语。过去分词短语用作定语时，一般置于其所修饰的名词之后，相当于定语从句，但更为简洁。

　　如何避免使用even though和although从句

　　Even though/although引导的从句表示"虽然……但是……"的意思。相信英语爱好者在书本中或课堂上都了解到了even though/although不能与but连用。但事实上，因为受中文表达习惯的影响，许多人包括英文老师也偶尔会在不知不觉得情况下将but脱口而出。甚至有不少资深的中国外交官在国际研讨会上也常常会犯将even though/although与but连用的低级错误。

　　要避免这样的错误其实并不难，尽量避免使用这个句式结构就是最好的办法之一。

　　原句：Although they were important in California, laundries created by Chinese immigrants were even more significant in other parts of the United States.

　　修改：Important as they were in California, laundries created by Chinese immigrants were even more significant in other parts of the United States.

　　点评：使用as引导让步状语从句，应将从句的表语或状语放在句首，形成倒装结构。如上句中important as they were= as they were important= although they were important。值得注意的是，若表语是单数可数名词，则该名词前不能用冠词。

　　原句：Even though the summer of 1889 was the warmest on the record, the winter of the same year was cold.

　　修改：The summer of 1889 was the warmest on record, followed by a cold winter.

　　点评：将从句或主句改写为过去分词短语，过去分词短语有时也可用作非限定性定语，前后常有逗号。

　　通过以上例句可以总结出一些地道表达的特点，在翻译和写作过程中，可以对自己所写的句子进行反复修改，以达到精简。