写作中,学生们常把握不好名词的数、所有格以及一些集合名词的用法。
1. He gave me a very good advice yesterday.
句中的a要去掉,因为advice是不可数名词。一些汉语概念为可数的词在英语中却是不可数的,表示数量时在要其前加a piece of,类似的词有:news, bread, work, paper, chalk, furniture, information等等。
2. That girl loves reading book.
可数名词单数不能孤零零地放在句子里,或前面加冠词,或将其变为复数。此处最好变为books.
3. He went into a book's shop and bought a dictionary.
一般表示有生命的东西的名词的所有格用’s,如my mother’s car, 而此处适宜用名词修饰名词,改为a book shop.
4. My family is watching TV.
一些集合名词如看成一个整体,则用单数的谓语动词,如My family is a happy one. 如果强调集合中每个个体的个人行为,则用复数的谓语动词。此处看电视是个体行为,应把is改为are。类似的词有:team, class, audience等。
5. I bought some potatos and tomatos at the supermarket.
中学阶段,以“o”结尾的名词中有四个词变复数时要加es,它们是tomato, potato, Negro, hero; 其余的都加s变为复数。
6. This has nothing to do with their believes.(这和他们的信仰没关系。)
以f, fe 结尾的词变为复数时一般去f, fe 加ves,如knife—knives, thief—thieves; 而roof 和belief直接加s变为复数。所以应把believes改为beliefs.