dozen,score,hundred,thousand,million的語法特點和用法規(guī)律
這些詞的用法極為相似,需注意的用法有:
1. 當這些詞與具體數(shù)字連用時,通常不加復數(shù)詞尾-s,也不后接介詞 of。如:
Down fell a dozen apples. 掉下來10來個蘋果。
He has lived here for two score years. 他已在這兒住了40年。
He was paid five hundred dollars. 他們付給了他500美元。
His wages were eight thousand pounds a year. 他的工資是每年8,000英鎊。
About three million workers were on strike. 參加罷工的大約有300百萬工人。
幾點說明:
(1) 有人認為dozen和score與具體數(shù)字連用時有時也接 of,但比較而言,dozen后很少接介詞of,而score后則接不接介詞of 均可以。
(2) 指特定人或物中的一部分時,其后必須用介詞of——此時of后接的要么是人稱代詞(如us, them),要么是帶有特指限定詞(如the, my, our, these, those等)的名詞。如:
About two hundred of them are students. 他們當中大經(jīng)有200人是學生。
I want three dozen of these eggs. 這種雞蛋我要3打。
About three thousand of the workers were wounded. 工人中大約有3,000人受了傷。
(3) 當 million 用作中心詞(即其后不接名詞或數(shù)詞)時,有時也可帶復數(shù)詞尾-s。如:
The television audience aggregated 30 millions. 電視觀眾合計達3,000萬人。
2. 當這些詞不與具體數(shù)字連用,而是表示不確定的泛指數(shù)時,則不僅要加復數(shù)詞尾-s,而且要后接介詞of,然后才能接名詞。如:
The city has dozens of bus lines. 那座城市有好幾十路公共汽車。
Scores of volunteers offered to help. 很多志愿者主動提供幫助。
We have been there hundreds of times. 那兒我們?nèi)ミ^數(shù)百次。
Thousands of students entered the contest. 數(shù)千名學生參加了這次比賽。
His investments amount to millions of dollars. 他的投資額達幾百萬美元。
幾點說明:
(1) 為加強語語氣,有時可用tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, thousand and millions等。如:
Hundreds of thousands are homeless. 幾十萬人無家可歸。
The dollar revenues each year were undoubtedly in the tens of millions. 每年美元稅收無疑數(shù)以千萬計。
(2) 若其后不出現(xiàn)名詞,則不用介詞 of。如:
It cost thousands. 買這東西用了好幾千呢。
There are hundreds begging in the streets. 街上有數(shù)以百計的乞丐。
Her acting has given pleasure to millions. 她的表演給千百萬人帶來娛樂享受。
3. 當這些詞與 a few, several, many 等數(shù)目不很具體的詞連用時,帶不帶復數(shù)詞尾 -s 均可,但是注意:若不帶復數(shù)詞-s,則通常不接介詞of;若帶復數(shù)詞尾-s,則其后必須要有介詞of。如:
油井向下延伸了數(shù)百英尺。
正:The oil well extended several hundred feet in depth.
正:The oil well extended several hundreds of feet in depth.
誤:The oil well extended several hundreds feet in depth.(www.hxen.com)
當然,若其后不接名詞,則自然不能接介詞of。如:
The devaluation of the pound has put our estimates out by several thousand(s). 英鎊一貶值使我們的估計數(shù)差了幾千鎊。