點解「Two Luggages」聽落唔對路:可數同不可數名詞
喺機場登機櫃枱,有個學英文嘅人同地勤講:「I have two luggages.」對方聽得明,微笑咗一下就繼續做嘢,但嗰句話裏面有樣好細微嘅嘢出咗錯。喺自然嘅英文入面,你幾乎唔會聽到 two luggages、many informations 或者 an advice。呢啲字嘅用法,同 bag、fact、tip 呢類字好唔同。
點解咁緊要
英文將名詞分成兩大類,而呢個分界線唔一定可以由字義一眼睇得出。Suitcase 係可數,但 luggage 唔係。Fact 係可數,但 information 唔係。當學習者將複數 -s 加錯喺其中一組,句子雖然仍然講得明,但會顯得講者英文未夠流利。更麻煩嘅係,喺寫作考試同專業電郵入面,呢類失誤會好快累積。一旦你知道邊啲名詞係不可數,以及點樣照樣數佢哋,一整類日常錯誤就會消失。
規律
有啲英文名詞被當成一個整體(mass),而唔係一件件個別嘅物件。你好難一粒粒去數米,或者一滴滴去數水,所以 rice 同 water 維持不可數。同樣嘅邏輯延伸到抽象概念,以及一束相關嘅事物:
- Luggage 將你所有袋當成一整堆旅行行李。
- Furniture 將椅、枱、梳化當成一整套。
- Information 將所有事實當成一整體嘅知識。
不可數名詞有三個共通習慣。佢哋配單數動詞(The news is good)。佢哋配 much 或者 a lot of,而唔係 many。佢哋亦都唔可以直接配 a 或者 an —— 你要講 some advice,而唔係 an advice。當你真係要數佢哋嘅時候,就加一個量詞:a piece of advice、two pieces of luggage、three items of furniture。
錯誤 / 自然 / 點解
| 錯誤 | 自然 | 點解 |
|---|---|---|
| I packed two luggages. | I packed two bags. / I have two pieces of luggage. | Luggage 不可數;數啲袋,或者用 pieces of luggage。 |
| She gave me an advice. | She gave me some advice. / She gave me a piece of advice. | Advice 冇 a/an 亦冇複數;用 some 或者 a piece of。 |
| I need many informations. | I need a lot of information. | Information 永遠唔加 -s;配 a lot of 或者 much。 |
| We bought three furnitures. | We bought three pieces of furniture. | Furniture 係成個類別;要數個別嘅 pieces。 |
| Do you have any news? Yes, I have two news. | Yes, I have two pieces of news. | News 睇落似複數,但其實係單數而且不可數。 |
| The company sells many softwares. | The company sells several software products. | Software 不可數;數 products 或者 programs。 |
| He gave me a lot of moneys. | He gave me a lot of money. | Money 維持單數;要數就數 dollars、coins 或者 bills。 |
| She published three researches last year. | She published three research papers last year. | Research 不可數;數 papers 或者 studies。 |
常見情境
喺機場。地勤問:「How many bags are you checking?」你答:「Two.」你唔會講「Two luggages.」如果你真係想用呢個字,就講:「I have two pieces of luggage to check.」
佈置新屋。朋友問你仲爭啲乜。你答:「A couch and a desk — just a few pieces of furniture.」唔係 a few furnitures。個別物件係 a couch、a desk、a lamp;成個類別係 furniture。
寫學校報告。你搵到六個有用嘅資料來源。喺畀老師嘅電郵入面你寫:「I gathered a lot of information from the library.」唔係 many informations。如果想講得具體啲,就寫:「I found six sources」或者「six pieces of information」。
喺公司問意見。你 message 一位資深同事:「Could I get some advice on this slide?」唔係 an advice。如果佢應承並且畀咗你一個具體貼士,你之後可以多謝佢 that piece of advice。
喺健身室或者訂辦公室器材。主管講:「We are ordering new equipment next month.」你唔會問:「How many equipments?」你會問:「How many pieces of equipment?」或者乾脆問「What are we getting?」
講錢。朋友問你有冇現金。你答:「I have some money on me — about twenty dollars.」Twenty dollars 係可數;money 本身先係嗰個不可數嘅大概念。
常見錯誤
- 喺抽象或者整體名詞加 -s:informations、advices、equipments、researches。喺標準英文入面,呢啲全部都唔加複數 -s。
- 喺不可數名詞用 a 或者 an:an advice、a luggage、a furniture。要用 some、a piece of 或者 an item of。
- 唔記得用單數動詞:The news are good 應該係 The news is good。同樣道理適用於 politics、economics 同 physics 呢類學科。
- 喺不可數名詞用 many:many informations、many luggages。喺否定句同問句轉用 much,喺肯定句轉用 a lot of。
- 將 people 同 furniture 當成一樣。People 係 person 嘅複數,配複數動詞(Many people are)。Furniture 維持單數(The furniture is)。
- 當你想表達「一份工作或者職責」嘅時候喺 work 加複數 -s:I have three works to do today 應該係 I have three tasks 或者 I have a lot of work to do。Works 只用喺藝術創作,例如 the works of Shakespeare。
- 唔記得 software 同 hardware 係不可數。要數就數 products、programs、devices 或者 components。
迷你練習
改寫每句,令佢喺流利講者聽落自然。
- She brought three luggages to the hotel.
- Can you give me an advice about my résumé?
- The teacher shared many informations during class.
- We need to buy a furniture for the living room.
- He has done two researches on this topic.
總結
英文將某啲日常字眼 —— luggage、advice、information、furniture、equipment、news、software、money、research、work —— 當成一個整體,而唔係可數嘅物件。佢哋永遠唔加 -s,配單數動詞,並且同 some、much 或者 a lot of 搭配。當你真係要一個數目嘅時候,就用一個量詞,例如 a piece of 或者 an item of。掌握呢一招,一整書架嘅彆扭句子就會悄悄噉自動修正。
想喺真實考試句子裏面練習數字、量詞同單位?喺 ExamRift 開始練習。