英語中“許多”的表達法

陳永濤 王化清

英語中“許多”的表達法有許多，如many， a great / good many， quite a few， a （large） number of， large numbers of， most， many a， more than one， much， quite a little， a great deal of， a large amount of， a large quantity of和large quantities of。其中有的只能修飾可數名詞，有的只能修飾不可數名詞，有的既可修飾可數名詞，又可以修飾不可數名詞。

一、只能修飾可數名詞復數形式的有：many， a great / good many， quite a few， a （large） number of， large numbers of， most等，其后的謂語動詞要用復數形式。如：

A large number of houses were destroyed in the earthquake.

許多房屋在地震中被摧毀了。

A great many people lost their lives in the accident.

許多人在車禍中喪生。

注意：many/most 與many of/most of的區別。

many/most后直接接名詞的復數形式，意為“許多……”;而many of/most of后要接定冠詞the +名詞的復數形式，意為“……中的許多”。如：

There are 35 boys in our class. Most boys are from the countryside.

我們班共有35個男孩，許多都來自農村。

There are 35 boys in our class. Most of the boys are from the countryside.

我們班共有35個男孩，他們大多數來自農村。

注意：a number of與the number of的區別。

a number of后接名詞的復數形式，做主語時，動詞用復數形式，意思為“許多……”;而the number of后接名詞的復數形式，做主語時，動詞用單數形式，意思為“……的數量”。如：

A number of passengers are from the USA.

許多旅客都來自美國。

The number of the passengers is 20.

旅客的數量是20。

二、只能修飾可數名詞單數形式的有：many a， more than one， 其后的謂語動詞也用單數形式。如：

More than one student in our class likes collecting stamps.

我們班不止一個（許多）學生喜歡集郵。

試比較：許多學生喜歡觀看籃球比賽。

Many a student likes watching basketball games.

Many students like watching basketball games.

兩句漢語意思一樣，但名詞student與動詞like的形式不一樣。

三、只能修飾不可數名詞的有：much， quite a little， a great deal of， a large amount of等，其后的謂語動詞用單數形式。如：

Much time was wasted in watching TV series.

許多時間被浪費在看電視連續劇上。

Every day my daughter has quite a little homework to do.

我女兒每天都有許多家庭作業要做。

注意：a great deal of與a great deal的區別。

a great deal of后接不可數名詞，其意義為“許多”;而a great deal是副詞短語，修飾動詞，其意思為“十分，非常”。如：

A great deal of work was done by the children.

很多工作都被孩子們做完了。

Thanks a great deal.

非常感謝。

四、既可以修飾可數名詞，又可以修飾不可數名詞的有：plenty of ， a lot of， lots of， a mass of， masses of等，謂語動詞的單復數形式根據它們后面所接名詞的形式而定。如：

A lot of big trees were blown down last night.

昨天晚上許多大樹被大風刮到了。

Plenty of food was left for the next two weeks.

這些食物足夠未來兩周用了。

五、a large quantity of和large quantities of后既可接可數名詞復數形式，也可接不可數名詞，謂語動詞的單復數形式要根據quantity的單復數形式來決定。如：

A large quantity of flowers has been planted in our school.

我們學校種了許多花。（quantity是單數，故動詞用單數has）

Large quantities of food were sent to the flooded areas.

大量的食物被送往了洪澇災區。（quantities是復數，故動詞用復數were）

鞏固練習：

1._______________student failed in the test.

A. Many? ? ? ? ? B. Many a

C. Quite a little? ? D. A large quantity of

2. _______________money has been spent on the environmental protection.

A. A great deal? ? ? B. A great deal of

C. A lot? ? ? ? ? ? D. Quite a few

3. A large quantity of patients______ sent to the hospital at once.

A. have been? ? ? ? B. has

C. were? ? ? ? ? ? D. was

4. _______________the people are against going to Sydney， so they have to give it up.

A. Most of? ? ? ? ? B. A large number of

C. The number of? ? D. Many

5.After the new technique was introduced， the factory produced_______________tractors in 2007 as the year before.

A. as twice many? ? ? ? B. as many twice

C. twice as many? ? ? ? D. twice many as

6._______________people can write with the left hand.

A. Not many a? ? ? ? B. Many not

C. Not many? ? ? ? D. Not more than one

7.It is impossible for so_______________workers to do so_______________work in a single day.

A. few;much? ? ? ? ? ? B. few;many

C. little;much? ? ? ? ? ? D. little;many

8.The number of people invited_______________fifty， but a number of them_______________absent for different reasons.

A. were;was? ? ? B. was;was

C .were;were? ? ? D. was;were

9.As a result of destroying the forests， a large_______________of desert_______________covered the land.

C. quantity;have? ? ? ? B. quantity;has

C. number;have? ? ? ? ? D. number;has

10.There is_______________coal in this area.

A. a great deal? ? ? ? ? B. a lots of

C. quite a few? ? ? ? ? D. a large amount of

Keys：1-5 BBDAC? ?6-10 CADBD