點樣講小數、分數同比例而唔會卡住

點樣講小數、分數同比例而唔會卡住

喺一個商務會議入面,有個學英文嘅人試吓讀出 3.14 呢個數,佢講「three point fourteen」。成個房靜咗一靜。有人輕輕噉糾正佢:「three point one four。」呢個係細事,但喺講課、電話,或者學術聽力段落入面,聽錯咗數字點讀,可以令你蝕咗成句嘅意思。

點解呢樣嘢重要

小數、分數同比例,聽落同佢哋喺紙上面睇落好唔同。Native speaker 成日全速噉將呢啲數字塞入句子中間:「The recipe calls for two thirds of a cup, and the ratio is about three to one。」啲學英文嘅人只係喺書面見過呢啲數字,就會跟唔上條線索。一旦你睇到啲規律,其實好簡單,而且佢哋周圍都出現 —— 喺煮嘢、天氣、財經、體育比分同學術講座入面。

規律

小數係由小數點之後逐個數字噉讀。 0.5 呢個數係「zero point five」或者淨係「point five」。3.14 呢個數係「three point one four」,唔係「three point fourteen」。小數點後面每個數字逐個講一次。個 point 字代替咗個符號。

分數喺底(分母)用序數,而如果分子大過一就加 -s。所以 1/3 係「one third」或者「a third」,而 2/3 係「two thirds」。Half 一家係不規則:1/2 係「a half」或者「one half」。

比例喺兩個數之間用 to。2:1 係「two to one」。當某樣嘢係一個整體嘅比例嗰陣,英文成日用 in:1 in 5 即係「one in five」(每五個入面有一個)。

試吓呢啲:

  • 0.75 → 「zero point seven five」或者「point seven five」
  • 2.5 → 「two point five」
  • 1/4 → 「a quarter」或者「one quarter」(亦都係「one fourth」)
  • 5:2 → 「five to two」

錯誤 / 自然 / 點解

錯誤 自然 點解
Three point fourteen Three point one four 小數點後面嘅數字逐個讀。
Two third of the students passed. Two thirds of the students passed. 分子大過一,所以分數係複數:thirds。
The ratio is two on one. The ratio is two to one. 比例喺數字之間用 to,唔係 on。
One in five customer complained. One in five customers complained. One in five 之後,名詞用複數,因為佢指住一個群體。
Zero point twenty-five inches Zero point two five inches 「Twenty-five」係砌埋數字;小數唔係噉。
Half of an hour Half an hour 固定短語 half an hour 跳過咗 of。
The score is three to two for us. The score is three to two, in our favor. 體育比分用 to,但 for us 聽落怪怪哋;in our favor 先自然。
One and half cups of flour One and a half cups of flour 帶分數喺 half 前面用 a。

常見情境

一齊煮嘢。「Add a third of a cup of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. If you want it sweeter, go up to two thirds。」留意係 a third 同 two thirds,唔係 one third 同 two third。

天氣報告。「There's a 30 percent chance of rain, with about 0.4 inches expected by evening。」講者會講「zero point four inches」或者「point four inches」。

喺咖啡店夾單。「Let's split this three ways — that's about twelve dollars each。」講夾分,英文成日用 N ways 代替分數。

學術講座。「Roughly one in seven adults reports difficulty sleeping, and the ratio of women to men in the sample is about three to two。」One in seven 同 three to two 兩個都嚟得好快;如果你聽漏咗 in 同 to 呢啲細細個字,你就蝕咗個關係。

網購。「The screen is 6.1 inches, and the battery lasts 1.5 days。」讀出嚟:「six point one inches」同「one and a half days」(或者喺科技語境講「one point five days」)。

體育評述。「It's two to one at halftime, and the shot accuracy is up to fifty-five percent。」比分用 to 讀,而百分比仍然跟佢自己嘅規則。

常犯嘅錯誤

  • 將小數點後面當作完整數字噉讀(「three point fourteen」),而唔係逐個數字。
  • 唔記得分數上面嘅複數 -s(講咗「two third」而唔係「two thirds」)。
  • 喺要去咗 of 嘅固定短語入面用咗 of:half an hour、half a day、half the class。
  • 喺口語入面講 one half,而其實 a half 聽落更自然(「a half-hour break」)。
  • 混淆 one in five(比例)同 one out of five(一樣得,但稍為正式)同 one of five(意思係五樣嘢入面其中一樣)。
  • 將 3:1 讀做「three one」而冇個 to 字。
  • 喺快速口語入面漏咗 point 呢個細細個字 —— 練習清楚噉講出嚟。

迷你練習

讀出每個數字,然後寫低你會點樣用完整英文字講出嚟。

  1. 0.25
  2. 2/3 of the audience
  3. The ratio of staff to students is 1:8.
  4. The bottle holds 1.5 liters.
  5. One in four respondents disagreed.

總結

小數係喺 point 之後逐個數字噉讀。分數喺分子大過一嗰陣加 -s,而 half 同 a half 係最受歡迎嘅不規則例子。比例用 to,而比例好多時用 in。練習大聲講出嚟,直到嗰啲細細個字 —— point、to、in、a half —— 變得自動自覺,噉快速英文入面嘅數字就唔會再喺你唔為意嗰陣捉住你。

想喺真實嘅試題句子入面練習數字、量詞同單位?喺 ExamRift 開始練習。