⾼中英语语法:冠词之零冠词的⽤法
五、零冠词的⽤法
1. ⽤于物质名词前。物质名词表⽰泛指或⼀般概念时,通常⽤零冠词:
Water boils at 100℃. ⽔在摄⽒100度沸腾。
Blood is thicker than water. ⽔浓于⽔(即亲⼈总⽐外⼈亲)。
表⽰泛指或⼀般概念的物质名词前,即使有⼀描绘性修饰语,仍⽤零冠词:
Don't eat rotten food. 不要吃腐烂的⾷物。
注:(1)若特指,物质名词前可⽤定冠词:
Is the water in the well fit to drink? 这井⾥的⽔能喝吗?
(2)表⽰⼀种、⼀杯、⼀场、⼀阵、⼀份等这样的概念时,可⽤不定冠词:
This is a very good wine. 这是⼀种很好的酒。
A coffee, please. 请给我来杯咖啡。
It was very cold and a heavy snow was falling. 当时天⽓很冷,正在下⼤雪。
2. ⽤于抽象名词前。抽象名词表⽰泛指或⼀般概念时,通常⽤零冠词:
Do you like music? 你喜欢⾳乐吗?
Failure is the mother of success. 失败是成功之母。
表⽰泛指或⼀般概念的抽象名词前,即使有⼀描绘性修饰语,仍⽤零冠词:
I like light music very much. 我⾮常喜欢轻⾳乐。
注:(1)若特指,抽象名词前可⽤定冠词:
I like the music of Mozart. 我喜欢莫扎特的曲⼦。
(2)若表⽰⼀种、⼀类、⼀⽅⾯、那种、这种等这之类的概念时,可⽤不定冠词:He lives a happy life. 他过着幸福的⽣活。Physics is a science. 物理是⼀门科学。
(3)表⽰动作的⼀次、⼀例、⼀番等时,可⽤不定冠词:
Let me have a look. 让我看⼀看。
(4)表⽰与抽象名词意义相关的具体的⼈或事,可⽤不定冠词:
The book is a delight to read. 这书读来很有趣。
3. ⽤于专有名词前。在通常情况下,专有名词前⽤零冠词:
Smith lives in London. 史密斯住在伦敦。
注:(1)若特指,专有名词前有时也可⽤定冠词:
The Smith you’re looking for no longer lives here.你的那个史密斯不住这⼉了。
(2)专有名词前使⽤不定冠词和定冠词的其他情况,见本章有关内容。
4. ⽤于复数名词前。复数名词表⽰类别时,通常⽤零冠词:
Teachers should be respected. 教师应该受到尊重。
泛指不定量的⼈或物,也⽤零冠词:
We are students of Class Five. 我们是五班的学⽣。
注:若特指,复数名词前应⽤定冠词:
The teachers should attend the meeting 教师应参加会议。
5. ⽤于单数可数名词前。单数可数名词前⽤零冠词,主要有以下情况:
(1)⽤于表⽰家庭成员或 nurse, cook, teacher 等名词前:
Mother is not at home. 妈妈不在家。
Ask nurse to put the child to bed. 叫保姆孩⼦抱到床上去睡觉。
Teacher was satisfied with our work. ⽼师对我们的⼯作很满意。
(2)⽤于动词 turn(变成),go(变成)后作表语的名词通常⽤零冠词:
He was a teacher before he turned writer. 他在成为作家之前是教师。/zn
He has gone socialist. 他成了社会主义者。
(3)在让步状语从句的倒装句式中,单数可数名词通常⽤零冠词:
Child as he is, he knows a lot. 他虽然是个孩⼦,但已经很懂事了。
Teacher though he is, he can't know everything. 他虽然是⽼师,但也不可能什么都懂。
(4)单数可数名词⽤作呼语,通常⽤零冠词:
How is she, doctor? 医⽣,她怎么样?
Can you drive me to the station, driver? 司机,请送我去车站,好吗?
(5)在某些独⽴结构中通常⽤零冠词:
The teacher came in, book in hand. ⽼师⾛进教室,⼿⾥拿着书。
He was sitting in the chair, pipe in mouth. 他坐在椅⼦⾥,嘴⾥叼着烟⽃。
(6)在“ kind [sort] of+名词”这⼀结构中,名词通常⽤零冠词:
This kind of book is very interesting. 这种书很有趣。
He is the sort of person I really dislike. 他这种⼈我真不喜欢。
注:注意以下两句在含义上的差别:
What kind of car is it? 这是什么牌⼦的车?
What kind of a car is it? 这种车质量如何?
music可数吗(8)当单数可数名词含义抽象化具有形容词意味时,通常⽤零冠词:
The man was more animal than man. 那个⼈与其说是⼈,不如说是畜⽣。
I was fool enough to accept his offer. 我接受他的提议真是太傻了。
Are you man enough for this dangerous job? 你有勇⽓敢做这项危险的⼯作吗?
5. 其他⽤零冠词的场合
(1)节假⽇、星期、⽉份、季节等通常⽤零冠词:
We had a good time on Christmas Day. 我们在圣诞节过得很愉快。
Monday comes before Tuesday. 星期⼆在星期⼀之后。
He was born in September, 1988. 他出⽣在1988年9⽉。
注:①我国⽤ Festival 构成的传统节⽇通常⽤定冠词:the Spring Festival 春节 / the Mid-autumn Festival [the Moon Festival]中秋节
②若表⽰特指或⼼⽬中的专指,星期、⽉份、季节等名词前可⽤定冠词:
He went abroad in the September of 1988. 他于1988年9⽉出国。
He came on the Sunday and went away on the Monday. 他星期⽇来,星期⼀就⾛了。
③表⽰“某⼀个”或受描绘性定语修饰表⽰“某种”这样的意义时,节⽇、星期、⽉份、季节等名词也可⽤不定冠词:
My birthday happened to be on a Saturday. 我的⽣⽇碰巧是星期六。
She came round to see me on a sunny Sunday. 她在⼀晴朗的星期⽇来看了我。
We had a nice Christmas. 我们过了⼀个愉快的圣诞节。
④当季节名词不强调时间⽽强调季节的内涵时,通常⽤ the:
Winter is coming. 冬天要来了。(单纯指冬天的时间)
The winter is coming. 冬天要来了。(暗⽰寒冷)
(2)某些表⽰⾃然界时间变化现象的名词,与某些介词(如at, after, before, till, until, towards, from 等)构成短语时,通常⽤零冠词:
at day-break 在天亮时 before dawn 在天亮前
at dusk 在黄昏时 after sunset 在⽇落后
after sunrise 在⽇出前 until sundown 直到⽇落
towards dark 天快⿊时 at midnight 在半夜
from dawn till dusk 从早到晚
当 day, night, evening, morning, afternoon 等表⽰抽象的时间概念时,通常⽤零冠词:Night fell. 天⿊了。
Evening came on. 夜幕来临。
It was late afternoon before he reached home. 傍晚时候他才到家。
(3)球类、三餐、茶点等名词前,通常⽤零冠词:
We play basketball in the afternoon. 我们下午打篮球。
What do you have for breakfast? 你早餐吃什么?
They were at tea when I called.我来访时他们正在喝茶(吃茶点)。
注:①球类名词若不是作为⼀项体育活动看待,⽽是作为⼀个实实在在的东西来看待,则可以⽤冠词:
The basketball is mine. 这个篮球是我的。
He bought a basketball. 他买了⼀个蓝球。
②三餐饭被特指可⽤定冠词,若受形容词修饰且⾮特指,可⽤不定冠词:
The supper she cooked was delicious. 她做的晚餐很可⼝。
We had a good lunch at Uncle's. 我们在叔叔家吃了顿丰盛的午餐。
(4)当名词后接有数词表⽰顺序时,名词前通常⽤零冠词:
Lesson 10 is more interesting than Lesson 11. 第10课⽐第11课更有趣。
There's a picture of a ship on page 15. 在第15页有张⼀艘船的照⽚。
(5)公园、⼴场、学校、语⾔等名词前通常⽤零冠词:
Hyde Park 海德公园 Central Park (纽约)中内公园
Zhongshan Park 中⼭公园 Tian An Men Square 天安门⼴场
speak English 说英语 Beijing University 北京⼤学
注:当语⾔名词表特指意义或指某⼀语⾔中的对应词时,通常⽤定冠词:
he English spoken in America and Canada 在美国和加拿⼤讲的英语
What's the English for this? 这个东西⽤英语怎么说?
另外,在语⾔名词后加上 language⼀词时,也要⽤冠词:the English language。
(6)表⽰学习、⽣活、娱乐等的单数名词,若表⽰相关的活动时,通常⽤零冠词:
go to school (bed, church, town, class, college, etc) 去上学(睡觉,做礼拜,进城,上课,上⼤学,等)
in bed (school, class, college, church, prison, hospital, etc) 在睡觉(上学,上课,上⼤学,做礼拜,坐牢,住院,等) be sent to hospital (prison) 被送往医院住院或(关进监狱)
School is over at twelve. 12点放学。
注:①若不是指活动,⽽是指具体的实物,则要⽤冠词。⽐较:
go to the bed 到床边去(侧重指“床”这个实体)
go to bed 上床睡觉(侧重指与“床”有关的活动,即睡觉)
be in the school 在这所学校⾥(侧重指“学校”这个地点)
be in school 在上学(侧重指与“学校”有关的活动,即读书)
②但是cinema, theatre是例外,它们表⽰相关活动时,其前要⽤定冠词:+
He often goes to the cinema (theatre). 他经常去看电影(看戏)。
I prefer the cinema to the theatre. 我喜欢看电影,不喜欢看戏。
③有时定冠词和零冠词的选择与英美英语的不同习惯有关:
in hosptital(英)住院 in the hospital(美)住院
go to university(英)上⼤学 go to the university(美)上⼤学
at table(英)在吃饭 at the table(美)在吃饭
(7)某些⽤介词 by 构成的⽅式的短语通常⽤零冠词:
①表⽰乘坐交通⼯具:
by bus 乘公共汽车 by bike (bicycle) 骑⾃⾏车
by plane / by air乘飞机 by ship (boat) 坐船
by land ⾛陆路 by sea 从海路
②表⽰⽤通讯或通信等⽅式:
by phone ⽤电话 by telegram ⽤电报
by letter ⽤信件 by post ⽤邮寄
by radio ⽤⽆线电 by hand ⽤⼿⼯
(8)表⽰正式的或独⼀⽆⼆的头衔或职位等,在⽤作宾语、表语、补语或同位语时,通常⽤零冠词:
John is captain of the team. 约翰是⾜球队的队长。
He is head of the foreign languages department. 他是外语系主任。
注:尽管有时也有⽤定冠词的现象,但以零冠词为普通。
(9)单数可数名词紧密联系的平⾏结构,通常⽤零冠词:
They are brother and sister. 他们是兄妹。
Please pass me pencil and paper. 请把纸笔递给我。
Boy and girl came up to me together. ⼀个男孩和⼥孩⼀起向我⾛来。
(10)有些短语⽤零冠词和定冠词均可,只是含义不同:
out of question毫⽆疑问 out of the question不可能,不值得考虑的
keep house 料理家务 keep the house 呆在家⾥不外出
in charge of 负责,管理,主管 in the charge of 在…的管理(负责)之下
(11)许多习语⽤零冠词:
catch fire 着⽕ give way 让路 lose heart 灰⼼
move hosue 搬家 send word 捎信 take place 发⽣
by chance 偶然 catch sight of 看见 make use of 利⽤
六、⼀点补充说明
以下⽤法的the有⼈认为是冠词,有⼈认为是副词:
1.⽤于最⾼级前:
Of all her children, Mary is the most honest. 她的三个孩⼦中,玛丽是最诚实的。
2.⽤于⽐较级前,表⽰某⼈或某物⽐以前更好或更坏,此时句中通常会有表⽰原因、理由或条件的短语或从句:
I feel the better for my walk. 散了⼀下步我觉得舒服多了。
I love him all the more for his faults. 正因为他这些缺点,所以我越发爱他。
3.⽤于“the +⽐较级,the +⽐较级”,表⽰“越…越…”:
The more a man has, the more he wants. ⼈越有越想要。
The higher up we go, the colder it becomes. 越往上⾛,天⽓就越冷。