陳永濤

英語中“許多”的表達法有許多，如many， a great/ good many， quite a few， a （large） number of， large numbers of， most， many a， more than one， much， quite a little， a great deal of， a large amount of， a large quantity of和large quantities of。其中有的只能修飾可數(shù)名詞，有的只能修飾不可數(shù)名詞，有的既可修飾可數(shù)名詞，又可修飾不可數(shù)名詞。

一、只能修飾可數(shù)名詞復數(shù)形式的有：many， a great/ good many， quite a few， a （large） number of， large numbers of， most等，其后的謂語動詞要用復數(shù)形式。如：

A large number of houses were destroyed in the earthquake.

許多房屋在地震中被摧毀了。

注意：many/ most 與many of/ most of的區(qū)別。

many/ most后直接接名詞的復數(shù)形式；而many of/ most of后要接“定冠詞the +名詞的復數(shù)形式”。如：

There are 35 boys in our class. Most boys are from the countryside.

我們班共有35個男孩子，許多都來自農村。

There are 35 boys in our class. Most of the boys are from the countryside.

我們班共有35個男孩子，他們大多數(shù)來自農村。

注意：a number of與the number of的區(qū)別。

a number of后接名詞的復數(shù)形式，做主語時，動詞用復數(shù)形式，意思為“許多……”；而the number of后接名詞的復數(shù)形式，做主語時，動詞用單數(shù)形式，意思為“……的數(shù)量”，如：

A number of passengers are from the USA.

許多旅客都來自美國。

The number of the passengers is 20.

旅客的數(shù)量是20。

二、只能修飾可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)形式的有：many a， more than one， 其后的謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式。如：

More than one student in our class likes collecting stamps.

我們班不止一個學生喜歡集郵。

試比較：許多學生喜歡觀看籃球比賽。

Many a student likes watching basketball games.

Many students like watching basketball games.

以上兩句話的中文意思一樣，但名詞student與動詞like的形式不一樣。

三、只能修飾不可數(shù)名詞的有：much， quite a little， a great deal of， a large amount of等，其后的謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式。如：

Every day my daughter has quite a little homework to do.

我女兒每天都有許多家庭作業(yè)要做。

注意：a great deal of與a great deal的區(qū)別。

a great deal of后接不可數(shù)名詞，意思是“許多”；而a great deal是副詞短語，修飾動詞，其意思是“十分，非?！?。如：

A great deal of work was done by the children in the park.

公園里很多的工作都被孩子們做完了。

四、既可以修飾可數(shù)名詞，又可以修飾不可數(shù)名詞的有：plenty of， a lot of， lots of， a mass of， masses of等，謂語動詞的單復數(shù)形式根據(jù)它們后面所接的名詞的形式而定。如：

A lot of big trees were blown down last night.

昨天晚上許多大樹被大風刮倒了。

Plenty of food was left for the next two weeks.

這些食物足夠未來兩周之用了。

五、a large quantity of和large quantities of后既可接可數(shù)名詞復數(shù)形式，也可接不可數(shù)名詞，謂語動詞的單復數(shù)形式要根據(jù)quantity的單復數(shù)形式來決定。如：

A large quantity of flowers has been planted in our school.

我們學校種了許多花。（quantity是單數(shù)，故動詞用單數(shù)has）

Large quantities of food were sent to the flooded areas.

大量的食物被送往了洪澇災區(qū)。（quantity是復數(shù)，故動詞用復數(shù)were）

【鞏固練習】

（ ）1. _______ student failed in the test.endprint

A. Many B. Many a

C. Quite a little D. A large quantity of

（ ）2. _______ money has been spent on the environmental protection.

A. A great deal B. A great deal of C. A lot D. Quite a few

（ ）3. A large quantity of patients _______ sent to the hospital at once.

A. have been B. has C. were D. was

（ ）4. _______ the people are against going to Sydney， so they have to give it up.

A. Most of B. A large number of C. The number of D. Many

（ ）5. After the new technique was introduced， the factory produced _______ tractors in 2014 as the year before.

A. as twice many B. as many twice

C. twice as many D. twice many as

（ ）6. _______ people can write with the left hand.

A. Not many a B. Many not

C. Not many D. Not more than one

（ ）7. It is impossible for so _______ workers to do so _______ work in a single day.

A. few； much B. few； many C. little； much D. little； many

（ ）8. The number of people invited _______ fifty， but a number of them _______ absent for

different reasons.

A. were； was B. was； was C. were； were D. was； were

（ ）9. As a result of destroying the forests， a large _______ of desert _______ covered the land.

A. quantity； have B. quantity； has

C. number； have D. number； has

（ ）10. There is _______ coal in this area.

A. a great deal B. a lots of

C. quite a few D. a large amount of

【Keys】

1～5 BBDAC 6～10 CADBDendprint