Confused Words 容易混淆的詞語

Confused Words 容易混淆的詞語

 
語法知識（1）——容易混淆的形容詞
 
"fat / thin": people /animals
a fat/thin man, a fat/thin woman, a fat/thin cat
 
"thick / thin": usually apply to things
a thick/thin book, thick/thin material
 
"fat" for a few names of things
a fat book, a fat dictionary
 
"thick" (=stupid -- people)
Some of my students are really thick.
 
"tall / short": people/height
a tall/short man, a tall/short woman
 
"tall / small": building, mountain, tree, etc.
The opposite is small.
a tall building/mountain/tree a small building/mountain/tree
 
"high / low": buildings and things
a high/low building, a high/low stool
High for mountains, but low for hills.
a high mountain, a low hill
High and low can also refer to sound.
a high/low voice, a high/low note
 
"long / short": length, time, distance
a long/short skirt, a long/short time, walk, etc.
 
"loud / soft": "hard / soft"
a loud/soft knock, a loud/soft thud
Soft (opposite hard) also applies to texture.
a hard/soft apple, a hard/soft mattress
 
"old/young" :  people
an old/young man, an old/young woman
 
"old/new": things
an old/new handbag, an old/new house
New is used for a person who is a newcomer.
a new boss, a new secretary
 
"large/big/great": people or things
Large and big generally refer to size
a large/big man or woman, a large /big box
Great generally refers to importance
A great man, a great cathedral, a great idea
 
"small/little": small is the opposite of large/big .
Small is gradable and is attributive/predicative)
a small boy, a small house (attributive)
My house is very small. (predicative)
Little is usually attributive and can replace small in many contexts ( a little boy, a little house), it is also a quantifier. ( a little sugar = a small amount of )
Little is used particularly to express love, pity, etc. Your sweet little baby.
 
語法知識（2）—— 容易混淆和用錯的比較級/最高級
 
"Better/worse"
better is the comparative of well. Worse is the comparative of ill when referring to health.
How's Liz?- She's much better /nearly well.
How's Bob? -He 's still ill- much worse.
 
"Little"
We use the comparative /superlative of small.
A small/little boy, a smaller/the smallest boy.
The forms littler, the littlest are typical of children's speech and refer to size and age.
Don't hit him. He's littler than you are.
Susie's 6, and Jimmy's the littlest. He's 4.
 
"elder/eldest", "older/oldest"
Elder and eldest are used (attributive only) with reference to people in a family; elder is therefore never followed by than .
My elder brother/son, the eldest child. The noun is often deleted after the eldest/youngest.
I'm the eldest and Pam's the youngest. The elder is possible in : e.g. I'm the elder.
 
"old/older/oldest"
These are used attributively and predicatively with reference to people and things:
My older brother, my oldest son/oldest child
My brother is older than I am. Tim is the oldest in our family.
An older tree/book, the oldest tree/book
This oak tree is older than that yew tree.
This book is older than that one. It's the oldest book I have in my library.
 
語法知識（3）—— 幾個容易用錯的副詞
 
sometimes, some times, sometime, some time
1. sometimes( 有時，偶爾)（=occasionally）.
He sometimes smokes. 他偶爾抽煙。
2. some times (好幾次)（=several times）
I have been in Hong Kong some times. 我到過香港好幾次。
3. sometime (某一個時候)（現在或未來均可）
Come over and see me sometime. 隨便什麼時候，請過來看我。
4. some time (一些時間)
He had waited for us for some time when we arrived at the station. 當我們抵達車站時，他已等我們一些時候了。
 
Almost, nearly
這兩個詞均作'幾乎，差不多'解。 但nearly之後不可接否定字，如no, none, nothing, never等詞，almost 後可以接。
正確Almost no one believed her.幾乎沒有人相信她。
錯誤Nearly no one believed her. 幾乎沒有人相信她。
 
All together, altogether
1. All together adv. 在一起地
They came all together. 他們一起來。
2. Altogether adv. 總共，完全地
His debt amounted altogether to 1000 dollars.他的負債總共達1000美元。
 
Rather, fairly
Rather(相當地)可與 too或比較級連用，但fairly( 相當地，適度地)則不可以。
The examination is rather too difficult for a high school student.這個考試對於高中生來說相當難。
My sister is rather better now.我姐姐現在好多了。
He is fairly good actor.他是個相當好的演員。
 
語法知識（4）—— 副詞的比較
 
1. 原則上farther指距離，further 指程度，但兩者常互用。
We can't go any farther without a rest.
我們若不休息便走不動了。
It's not safe to go any further (=farther).
再走遠些就不安全了。
We will not discuss the subject any further.
我們不再討論這個主題 了。
注意： further 又作moreover, besides 解（或寫 成furthermore）
He said that he could not find it and, further, that nobody would ever find it.
他說他找不到它，並且沒有人會找到它。
 
2. Ill：惡劣地，不完美地，不利地
Don't speak ill of your neighbors.
不要說鄰居的壞話。
They were ill provided with ammunition.
他們的軍火供應不足。
 
3.  badly: 惡劣地；壞地； 非常地
He is very badly off.
他很窮。（badly off 是well off 的反義詞）
I need money badly。
我非常需要錢。
The soldier was badly wounded.
那個戰士傷得很重。
 
4.  latest 最遲（指時間）； last最後（指次序）
Who got up latest this morning?
今天早止誰 起來得最遲？
When did you last get a letter from her?
你上次什麼時候接到她的信？
It is a long time since I saw him last.
從上次見到他已是很長的時間了。
Who came in last?
誰最後進來？
 
5. like, love 的原級副詞通常用very much修飾，比較級和最高級時，like 和better, best連用， 而love 常 和more 和most 連用。
I like apple very much.
我非常喜歡蘋果。
I love her very much.
我非常愛她。
I like apples better than oranges.
我喜歡蘋果甚於橙。
I like apples best of all.
我最喜歡蘋果。
I love her more than him.
我愛她甚於他。
I love her most.
我最愛她。
 
語法知識（5）—— 容易用錯的名詞
 
1. custom 風俗 ; habit 習慣
It's the custom for the bride's father to pay for the wedding.
She was in the habit of taking a walk after dinner.
 
2. cost成本; price 售價
The cost of living rose two percent in the last year.
Fuel prices are rising steadily.
 
3. capital資本，首都; capitol 議會大樓
You'll need more capital if you want to open your own business.
The Capitol is the building in Washington D.C. where the US Congress meets.
 
4. council 會議，委員會; consul領事 ; counsel忠告
He has been on the Borough Council for years.
The French Consul in Addis Ababa
She counseled them not to accept this settlement.
 
5. comparison比較（相似處） ; contrast對比，比較（相異處）
On comparison ,the Escort was the more reliable car.
The contrast between the two sisters surprised him.
 
6. crime罪（法律上）; sin罪（宗教上） ; evil罪（倫理上）
We moved here ten years ago because there was very little crime.
The Bible says adultery is a sin.
 
7. customer顧客; client訴訟委託人
Next customer please!
Meeting with an important client.
 
8. dessert甜點 ; desert 沙漠
There is ice-cream for dessert.
The Sahara Desert.
 
9. employee雇工; employer雇主
bad employee relations
a fair employer
 
10. express快信，快車，表達 ; expression表達，表情
Orient Express 東方快車
Send these books by express.
A thoughtful expression
Pardon/forgive/excuse the expression
 
11. mission 任務 errand 差事
The soldiers' mission was to blow up the radio station.
I'm in a a hurry , I've got some errands to do.
 
12. means方法 meaning 意義
The quickest means of travel is by plane.
One word can have several meanings.
 
13. message 資訊（可數） information 消息（不可數的）
There is an important message for you.
This book gives all sorts of useful information on how to repair cars.
 
14. observance 遵守 observation 觀察 observatory 天文臺
the observance of Christmas rules奉行過耶誕節的習俗
She is in hospital under observation.
 
15. pork 豬肉 pig 豬
a pork chop 豬排
a dirty pig
 
16. product 製成品（可數）produce 自然之產物（不可數）
The country's main products are cocoa and gold.
The wine bottle was marked "Produce of Spain".
 
17. profession 職業（專門性）occupation 職業（一般性）
He is a lawyer by profession.
Please state your name, address, and occupation.
 
18. principle 原則 principal 校長； 本金
the principle of free speech
the principal of this school
 
19. stairs 室內樓梯 steps 室外樓梯
She sat on the bottom stair.
Mind the step outside the door.
 
20. surroundings 環境（外在的）circumstances 環境（內在的）
The house is situated in very pleasant surroundings.
Force of circumstance compelled us to close the business.
 
21. scene 一幕；出事地點（指部分景色，可數）scenery 風景（指全部景色，不可數）
Some of the more violent scenes are very disturbing.
The best part of the trip was the scenery.
 
22. success成功 succession 繼承
The play was an overnight success.
If Prince Charles dies, the succession passes to his son.
23.sock 短襪 stocking 長襪
a pair of cotton socks
She wore nylon stockings.
 
24. translation 翻譯 interpretation 口譯，通譯，解釋
a translation of Aristotle's 'Ethics'
It's difficult to put an accurate interpretation on the survey results.
 
25. task任務；工作（可數） work工作（不可數） job工作（可數） toil苦工（不可數）
He was given the task of stacking the chairs in the auditorium.
My father started work when he was 15.
Mary got a job as a teacher.
A life of toil
 
26. tax稅 taxation課稅 duty關稅
before tax / after tax
the reform of taxation
The duty on wine has gone up.
 
27. tour周遊 expedition探險（ 隊） excursion遠足 voyage航行
a bicycle tour
Tom led an expedition to the top of Kilimanjaro.
a day's excursion to the island
The voyage from England to India used to take six months.
 
28. weather天氣 climate氣候
What's the weather like in your hometown?
Los Angeles' warm , dry climate
 
29. street街道 avenue林蔭道 road平坦大路 route路線 path小路 boulevard 林蔭大道
101 Oxford Street, London
We explored every possible avenue, but couldn't find a solution.
a busy road/ at the end of the road
What's the best route to the cinema?
They used axes to clear a path through the jungle.
Sunset Boulevard
 
30. wage(s)工資 salary薪水
The job's not very exciting, but she earns a good wage.
She is on a salary of $1000.
 
31. exhibit陳列，陳列品 show小型展覽會 exhibition 博覽會
He is going to exhibit his roses at the flower show.
Many exhibits were donated by local millionaire.
The annual pet show takes place in August.
an exhibition of black and white photographs
 
32. flat(BrE) 公寓 apartment(AmE) 公寓 dormitory宿舍
They have a flat in Crouch End.
How many bedrooms do you have in your new apartment?
They sleep in dormitories when they are at school.
 
33. floor室內之地 ground室外之地
She is spreading mud all over the kitchen floor.
marshy ground
 
34. hospital醫院 clinic 診所
He is in hospital, recovering from an operation.
dental clinic
 
35. knowledge 知識 intelligence智力 wisdom智慧
You need specialist knowledge to do this job.
Use your intelligence!
a man of great wisdom
 
36. language語言 dialect方言
How many languages do you speak?
He can speak that kind of dialect.