1、名詞的可數和不可數:
與漢語不同,英語中名詞要區(qū)分可數與不可數。
籠統(tǒng)地講,物質名詞,如:water(水), iron(鐵), wood(木頭)等, 和抽象名詞,如:democracy(民主), freedom(自由), happiness(幸福)等為不可數。
不可數名詞前不能加a (an),后面不能加s (es),這是考試中對此類題目判斷的重要依據。
2、以下名詞為不可數名詞:
news(消息) information(信息)
furniture (家具) equipment(設備)
advice (勸告) weather(天氣)
work(工作) clothing(衣服)
baggage(行李)
work作 “工作” 解釋時為不可數名詞,“找工作”不能說to find a work, 應為to find a job; work作“著作”、“作品”解時是可數名詞,如:Deng Xiaopin's works (鄧小平著作)/ a work about Deng.
Xiaopin (一件關于鄧小平的作品);作 “工廠” 解釋時,單復數同形:a steel works (一個鋼鐵廠) / two chemical works(兩家化工廠)
實例:
We have a large staff but there ______ in the office.
A. haven't many furnitures
B. aren't many furnitures
C. hasn't much furniture
D. isn't enough furniture
解題思路:根據名詞數的概念A、B肯定錯,不必考慮;C、D的主要差異是“hasn't”與 “isn't”, 句子中有there,說明該句是there be句型,故正確答案為D.題中staff, office 等詞與解題無關。
注意辨別句子中斜體詞的數及其意義:
There is still much room for improvement. (仍有許多改進的余地)
He has published two important papers on this subject. (他在這個課題上已發(fā)表了兩篇重要論文。)
3、以下名詞單復數同形:
means(手段) headquarters(司令部)
works(工廠) species(物種)
aircraft(飛機) Chinese(中國人)
sheep(羊) fish(魚)
中國的計量單位:li(里), yuan(元), mu(畝)等
實例:
Every means has been tried out, but without satisfactory results. (每個方法都試過了,但結果不令人滿意。)
4、形式上是復數的學科名稱,如physics , statistics, dynamics 作單數看待;時間、距離、鈔票、重量等復數,可以看作一個整體作單數處理,如:Two days is not enough for me to finish the task. (要我完成此項任務兩天是不夠的。)
5、名詞做另一名詞的修飾語:
一般用單數形式,如:a college student中的college 為單數形式。
注意:
(1) 以下名詞做另一名詞修飾語時要用復數形式:sport → a sportsman (運動員)/ sale → a sales department(銷售部) / savings → a savings account (儲蓄存款)/ communication → a communications satellite (通訊衛(wèi)星) / greeting → a greetings →cable(慰問電)
(2) 不規(guī)則名詞修飾另一名詞時數的變化:a woman doctor (一個女醫(yī)生) → two women doctors (兩個女醫(yī)生) / the Chinese women's volleyball team (中國女排) / a children →hospital (兒童醫(yī)院)
6、family(家庭), group(小組), police(警察),committee(委員會), team(組), box(盒), audience(觀眾)等詞,可以是單數,也可以是復數,關鍵要看題目所給的提示,例如:
The whole box of matches _____ wet; I couldn't light a simple one
A. was
B. is
C. were
D. are
解題思路:這道題如果沒有后半句I couldn't light a simple one,是沒辦法解答的。這句話提示了兩點:
(1)時態(tài)為“過去時”,故B、D已不可能了;
(2)“a simple one”說明是指盒子內的一根根火柴,故答案為C.試想,如果我們把后半句改為 “I had to throw it away”,那么正確答案應是A.
所以,看清題目的提示對于解題是非常重要的。
7、注意以下表達方式中名詞的復數形式
to be / make friends with(友好 / 交朋友)
to change places with (交換位置)
to make preparations for(為…作準備)
to give regards to(向…問好)
to make matters worse(把事情弄糟)
to hurt feelings(傷害感情)
to be all smiles(滿臉堆笑)
to take sides (偏袒某方)
to have words with(吵架)
to burst into tears (突然哭了)
8、量詞的使用:
由于英語中名詞分可數與不可數,量詞的使用也有區(qū)別:
修飾可數名詞
(a) few / fewer / fewest
many / more / most
a great (good) many
many a
a number of
the number of
既可修飾可數名詞 也可修飾不可數名詞
a lot of / lots of
plenty of (time, money, people)
修飾不可數名詞
(a) little / less / least
much / more / most
a great (good) deal of
an amount of / amounts of
the amount of