三、使用名词单复数应注意的事项
(1)表示不可数名词量的概念,要使用单位名词。
(2) 某些数量词组只能修饰可数名词,如many, few, a number of等
(3)某些数量词组只能修饰不可数名词,如much, little, a little, a great deal of等。
(4)某些数量词语既可以修饰可数名词也可修饰不可数名词。如some, lots of, a lot of等。
(5) 有些名词的复数形式表示特殊的意义,如times 时代,works著作,goods 货物,greens 蔬菜,regards 问候,papers 论文等。
(6)有些名词常用复数形式,如shoes, gloves, savings, findings, trousers等。
(7)表示学科的名词看上去是复数,其意义是单数,如physics, politics, mathematics等。
四、 可数名词变复数
(1) 单数名词加s: students, apples, bags, trees, books, brothers.
(2) 以s、x、sh、ch结尾的名词加es: glasses, boxes, brushes, matches.
(3) 以辅音字母加y结尾的名词,变y为i加es: cities, babies, enemies.
(4) 以f或fe结尾的名词,多数变f为v加es: wives, knives.但有些词只加s: roofs, proof s,
(5) 以o结尾的名词,有些加es: Negroes, heroes, tomatoes, potatoes.其它加s: radio s, zoos, pianos, photos.
(6) 不规则名词:foot→feet, goose→geese, tooth→teeth, child→children, man→me n, woman→women, sheep→sheep, deer→deer, mouse→mice.
(7) 某些外来词变复数:datum→data, medium→media, bacterium→bacteria, curriculum→curricula, criterion→criteria, phenomenon→phenomena.
(8) 复合名词变复数:以不可数名词结尾的复合名词无复数形式,如:homework.
(9) 以man或woman为前缀的复合名词变复数,前后两个名词都变复数,如:manservant→ menservants, woman student women students.
(10) 其它复合名词变复数:grown-up→ grown-ups, brother-in-law→ brothers-in-law,
(11) 复合形容词做定语时,其中的名词保持单数:a six-year-old boy,a two-hundred-page book
【例句】1)A second doctor must confirm that these criteria ______ and the death must be re ported to the police department.
A) has been met
B) have been met
C) was met
D) was being met
criteria是复数形式,故A,C,D都为错误选项。正确答案为B。
2)The university authorities are seriously considering abandoning the traditional ______class.
A) fifth minutes
B) fifty minutes
C) fifty minutes’
D) fifty minute's
复合形容词用作定语时,其中的名词不变复数,故B不对。A不能做定语,D应为fifty minutes',正确答案为C。
英语名词分可数的和不可数两种。可数名词指一般动物和事物,如“Man/ friend/ driver/ student/ dog/ cat/ boat/ egg/ gun/ hand/ head/ lamp/ road/ table/ car ”等等
可数名词有两个数,即单数和复数。单数名词可以和不定冠词“ a/ an”或其他名词限定词(determiners)连用;复数名词可以和数目词,如“many/ a few/ some/ a lot of”等连用。
不可数名词指物质名词(material nouns)和抽象名词( abstract nouns),如:“air/ butter/ grass/ money/ sand/ water/ carefulness/ joy/ peace”等等。不可数名词可以和数量词,如“much/ a little/ little/ a great amount of”等连用。不可数名词只有单数,没有复数“-s”的形式。
有些人对名词数的概念不很清楚,对数目词(expressions of number)和数量词(expressions of quantity)也有些混乱,结果把数目词用在不可数名词之前或随意在不可数名词后面加上复数词尾 “-s”,这些都是语法上的错误。例如:
(1) Our workshop has ordered some new equipments from Germany.
虽然有些人把 equipment(配备)当成可数名词,但是它是不可数的,不可有“-s”。
(2) My teacher gave me some sound advices. 应该是“advice”。
(3)Do you have any special informations for me? “Information”才对。
(4)Most furnitures in my house are made of wood. 应该是“furniture...is...”
(5)Today, I have many new works to do. 必须是“a lot of new work”才是。
(6)Our foreign students have made great progresses in their studies. “Progress”(进步)不可数;不可有“-es”。
(7)All his money are kept in the bank. “Money”(金钱)属不可数名词;动词要单数的“is”。
上述这类有关不可数名词的错误,极为普遍既然如此,要怎样避免这种错误呢?.
首先,必须牢记不可数名词绝对没有复数形式。其次,随时准备些数量词,如“much/ little/ some/ a little/ a lot of/ plenty of”等,以便在必要时和不可数名词连用。最后,谨记:谓语动词必须和主语的数目一致。既然不可数名词没有复数形式,那么谓语动词若是简单现在时态(simple present tense),现在进行时态( present continuous tense)或现在完成时态(present perfect tense)的话,就必须以单数形式出现。例如:
(1) Bread is sold in coffee shops and supermarkets.
(2)His luggage is somewhere at the railway station
(3)Some money is being used to help the poor.
(4)The information required includes personal particulars and the present salary.
(5)A lot of time has been spent on this project.