第三節(jié) 冠詞作限定詞
冠詞是一個虛詞,本身不能夠獨(dú)立使用, 必須和一個名詞連用。TOEFL出題主要集中在a和an的區(qū)別,那些地方要加the那些地方不加。
考點(diǎn)一 不定冠詞a / an
不定冠詞a和an后面當(dāng)然接單數(shù),a和an 的主要區(qū)別是:
a 用于以輔音開頭的名詞前(指發(fā)音而不是拼寫), 如: a tower, a university
an用于以元音開頭的名詞前(指發(fā)音而不是拼寫), 如: an orange, an hour
不定冠詞a / an與可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)連用, 表示泛指 “一個”、 “某一個”, 有時還可代表一類人或事物. 在作表語或同位語的可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)前一般都要加不定冠詞(除非名詞前已有物主代詞作限定語, 如my pen).
例題:
(1)
How Native Americans developed corn is a puzzling, for no wild corn has ever been discovered, and it grows only where people plant and tend it.
應(yīng)改為: puzzle.
解釋: 不定冠詞a應(yīng)與可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)連用, puzzling是分詞, 不能單獨(dú)與a 連用, 故改為名詞puzzle
(2)
Whether a healthy adult tends to feel hungry two, three, or four times a daily is a question of physiology and of culture.
應(yīng)改為: day
解釋: 不定冠詞a應(yīng)與可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)連用, 而daily是形容詞, 不能單獨(dú)與a連用, 故改為 名詞day
(3)
Pewter, a metal with an ancient heritage, is still practical medium for the nonprofessional metal worker.
應(yīng)改為: still a practical
解釋: medium是可數(shù)名詞, 在句中作表語, 其單數(shù)之前應(yīng)該用不定冠詞
a, an的誤用是TOEFL常見的改錯題型
例題:
(1)
A emotion is not necessarily aroused by something in the outside world.
應(yīng)改為: An emotion
解釋: emotion是元音開頭的名詞, 前面的冠詞應(yīng)用an
(2)
If a atom loses any of its electrons, it becomes positively charged and can combine chemically with other atoms.
應(yīng)改為: an atom
解釋: atom是元音開頭的名詞, 前面的冠詞應(yīng)用an