啲睇落易到爆嘅 TOEIC 介詞陷阱

你飛快咁做緊 TOEIC Part 5。每題 20 秒，冇難度。然後撞到：

"Please submit your report _____ Friday."

A) by B) until C) at D) on

你停一停。四個都好似得喎？你揀咗 "until"，因為聽落合理，跟住繼續做題，靜雞雞蝕咗一分本來唔應該蝕。TOEIC 介詞陷阱嘅問題唔係條題目深 —— 而係佢哋睇落易到令你停咗仔細閱讀。

我哋睇下考官喺商業場景入面一次又一次重用嘅模式，等你預先認到佢哋。

快速答案

• TOEIC 介詞題考嘅係搭配模式，唔係文法規則。
• 四大陷阱區：時間（by/until/within）、地點（at/in/on 用喺辦公室）、電郵片語（in/on/at + 文件）、付款（within/by/to）。
• 策略：記模式，唔好記單一句子。

簡單規則

• By = deadline（最遲喺嗰個時間點之前）。
• Until = 持續嘅動作直到一個時間點。
• Within = 喺一個時間窗口之內。
• 商業地點：at = 具體一個點，in = 封閉嘅房，on = 樓層 / 表面。

真實例句

Deadlines 同日期

• Please submit the report by Friday.（喺星期五之前或當日完成。）
• The office will be closed until Monday.（佢一直連續關住直到星期一。）
• Payment is due on the 15th.（具體日子。）
• The proposal must be finalised by end of day.（Deadline。）
• All invoices are payable within 30 days.（喺 30 日窗口之內。）

開會同排期

• The conference call is at 3 p.m.（具體時間。）
• Our next review is on the 12th.（具體日子。）
• Annual targets are reviewed in Q4.（喺一個較長嘅時段入面。）
• The meeting starts at 9:30 sharp.（鐘錶時間永遠用 "at"。）
• The training session is scheduled for next Tuesday.（"For" + 已安排嘅活動。）

電郵同文件片語

• Please see the figures in the attached spreadsheet.（喺份文件入面。）
• That item is on the agenda for tomorrow.（列喺一個表面之上。）
• I'll respond at your earliest convenience.（固定片語，永遠用 "at"。）
• The contract is under review.（狀態片語。）
• Details are in section 3 of the proposal.

辦公室地點

• Please check in at the front desk.（具體一個點。）
• The all-hands is in the main conference room.（封閉空間。）
• HR is on the third floor.（樓層用 "on"。）
• The printer is in the corner of the break room.

發票同付款

• Please remit payment within 14 days of receipt.
• Make the cheque payable to Greenfield Solutions Ltd.
• The amount will be charged to your corporate account.
• A late fee applies after 30 days.

常見錯誤

• ❌ "Please reply until Friday." → ✅ "Please reply by Friday." · "Until" 意思係連續直到嗰個時間點；"by" 意思係喺嗰個 deadline 之前 —— 商業場景幾乎永遠係要呢個。
• ❌ "The meeting is in 3 p.m." → ✅ "The meeting is at 3 p.m." · 具體鐘錶時間永遠用 "at"，從來唔用 "in"。
• ❌ "Make the cheque payable for the supplier." → ✅ "Make the cheque payable to the supplier." · "Payable to" 係鎖死嘅商業片語。
• ❌ "The report is in the agenda." → ✅ "The report is on the agenda." · 議程被當成表面上嘅一張清單，所以用 "on"。
• ❌ "Please respond on your earliest convenience." → ✅ "Please respond at your earliest convenience." · 固定商業片語；得 "at" 呢個版本存在。
• ❌ "Our office is in the third floor." → ✅ "Our office is on the third floor." · 英文樓層號永遠用 "on"，就算辦公室本身係喺棟大廈入面（in the building）。
• ❌ "Payment is due in 30 days from now." → ✅ "Payment is due within 30 days." · "Within" 正確咁框住個窗口；"in 30 days" 意思係恰好喺第 30 日。

考試陷阱

TOEIC 介詞陷阱有三層。第一：四個答案都係常見、聽落合理嘅 preposition，所以你冇得靠直覺刪。第二：上下文好短 —— 通常得一句 —— 所以周圍嘅文字幫唔到你幾多。第三：考試會重用啲固定商業片語（"payable to"、"at your earliest convenience"、"on the agenda"、"within 30 days"），呢啲你必須當成一嚿嚟識。解決方法唔係瘋狂刷千題練習等佢自己入腦；而係將呢啲片語模式分塊咁記入腦，好似你記 "good at" 或者 "afraid of" 咁 —— 當成一個單位。重要警告：千祈唔好試圖死記真正嘅 TOEIC 試題。除咗違反規則之外，真題會被退役同更換；可以遷移嘅係模式。學模式，唔學具體句子。

對廣東話 learners 嘅額外提醒：「星期五之前」喺粵語入面好曖昧，所以好多人會直譯成 "until Friday"，但 "until" 喺英文嘅意思係「星期五嗰一刻之前一直持續」。商業 deadline 你想要嘅係 "by Friday"。同樣，「3 點」喺英文係 "at 3"，唔係 "in 3" —— 鐘錶時間永遠搭 "at"。

小測試

1. The application must be submitted _____ 5 p.m. on Friday.
2. The supply room is _____ the second floor, next to the kitchen.
3. Please remit payment _____ 30 days of receiving the invoice.
4. Make the cheque payable _____ ABC Industries Ltd.
5. Your meeting is scheduled _____ 10:30 a.m. _____ Thursday.

答案

1. by —— 交件 deadline 永遠用 "by"，意思係最遲喺嗰個時間。
2. on —— 商業英文入面樓層號永遠用 "on"，唔係 "in"。
3. within —— "Within 30 days" 框住一個窗口；"in 30 days" 會解作恰好喺第 30 日，發票唔係呢個意思。
4. to —— "Payable to" 係固定商業片語；其他 preposition 喺度都唔通。
5. at / on —— 鐘錶時間用 "at"，星期幾用 "on" —— 一句短句兩個 preposition，TOEIC 經典出題。

一句總結

TOEIC 介詞題獎勵嘅係模式辨認，唔係記單一句子。將上面個表打入你嘅肌肉記憶，啲「易到爆」嘅題目就真係會變到容易。