英文語法拉雜談-談?wù)劽~復(fù)數(shù)

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表示名詞復(fù)數(shù),在中文方面顯得很簡單,如:一個蘋果、五個蘋果;一座橋、兩座橋;一匹馬、五十匹馬……名詞完全相同。英文名詞的復(fù)數(shù)表示法就復(fù)雜得多了,往往讓初學者感到混淆。我總覺得英文實在不能算是一種理想的語文,可是……
    一、最常見的名詞復(fù)數(shù)(Plural)就是在單數(shù)(Singular)名詞后邊加上一個s
    boy  boys cat  cats room  rooms horse horses tree  trees rose  roses
    二、如果名詞是以sh,ch,s或x結(jié)尾的話,那就要在單數(shù)的后面加上es
    lash  lashes 鞭子push  pushes branch branches match  matches coach  coaches 教練gas   gases ass   asses  驢子class  classes box   boxes fox   foxes
    三、如果名詞結(jié)尾是一個子音(consonant,就是除了a,e,i,o,u之外的字母)加一個y,那就要將y換成i,再加上es
    baby  babies family families pony  ponies city  cities country countries
    四、可是,如果名詞結(jié)尾是一個母音(vowel,就是a,e,i,o,u)加一個y,那只要在單數(shù)詞后加一個s就成了
    play   plays way    ways valley  valleys 山谷donkey  donkeys toy    toys boy    boys guy    guys
    五、當單數(shù)名詞的結(jié)尾是f或fe時,復(fù)數(shù)的寫法就是將f改為v,再加es
    thief  thieves shelf  shelves leaf   leaves calf   calves half   halves wolf   wolves wife   wives life   lives
    可是,f結(jié)尾的單數(shù)字,有許多只需加個s就成復(fù)數(shù)(你看,這又是英文的bugs)
    roof  roofs hoof  hoofs chief  chiefs cliff  cliffs gulf  gulfs
    六、結(jié)尾是o的單數(shù)詞,一部份只加s就成復(fù)數(shù)詞,但有的卻需加es,真令人捉摸不定呀
    piano  pianos photo  photos bamboo  bamboos zoo   zoos kangaroo kangaroos 袋鼠mulatto mulattos 白黑混血兒
    hero   heroes mango  mangoes potato  potatoes volcano volcanoes negro  negroes  黑人cargo  cargoes echo   echoes buffalo buffaloes tomato  tomatoes mosquito mosquitoes
    七、由于古老傳統(tǒng)的原因,一些單數(shù)詞得加en才能變成復(fù)數(shù)詞(鬼知道是什么原因):
    ox    oxen child   children (你看,這個就不守規(guī)矩了,不是加en ,是ren呀)
    brother  brethren (哎呀,這個這個……是bre,不是bro)
    八、一些單數(shù)詞得改頭換面一番,才能變成復(fù)數(shù)詞的哦:
    analysis  analyses 分析basis   bases  基礎(chǔ)datum   data   數(shù)據(jù)foot    feet formula  formulae/formulas 公式goose   geese louse   lice  虱子man    men mouse   mice medium   media/mediums  媒介memorandum memoranda/memorandums 備忘錄parenthesis parentheses 圓括號phenomenon phenomena  現(xiàn)象radius   radii 半徑tooth    teeth woman    women
    九、有些名詞是單數(shù)、復(fù)數(shù)不分的,很可愛是嗎?
    deer fish cannon sheep salmon 鮭魚trout 鱒魚(許多魚類都是這么"可愛"的呀。)
    十、一些名詞雖分單數(shù)、復(fù)數(shù),但出現(xiàn)次數(shù)多的總是單數(shù)詞:
    abscence clothing film help furniture 家具machinery 機械news scenery  風景sugar traffic  交通
    十一、另一些名詞則以復(fù)數(shù)詞出現(xiàn)的機會較多:
    bellows   風箱clothes police shorts   短褲scissors  剪刀spectacles 眼鏡shears   大剪刀trousers  長褲wages    工資
    十二、最后一類是compound nouns,這類復(fù)數(shù)詞是以主要的名詞來表示:
    coat-of-mail  coats-of-mail  鎖子甲daughter-in-law daughters-in-law 媳婦father-in-law  fathers-in-law  岳父man-of-war   men-of-war    兵艦maid-servant  maid-servants step-son    step-sons    晚子son-in-law   sons-in-law