Friday, August 27, 2010

五年經驗;結果會怎樣?

問: They should have about five years' experience in customer service(他們須有約五年服務顧客經驗)這一句, years之後的撇號( apostrophe)可以刪去嗎?

答:那 five years之後不加撇號,不是正式寫法,不宜仿效。要說有多少分鐘、小時、日、月、年等,英文習慣在 minute、 hour、 day、 month、 year等之後加撇號,否則宜改用其他寫法,例如 two hours' performance(兩小時表演)、 a day's rest(一天休息)、 three years' separation(一別三年)等,可改作 a two-hour performance/ a performance of two hours、 a one-day rest/ a rest of one day、 a three-year separation/ a separation of three years。讀者那一句,也可改作 They should have about five years of experience in customer service,不應寫作 about five years experience。

問: What will be the test result like?和 What will the test result be like?(測驗結果會怎樣?)這兩句哪一句正確?

答:英文問句,一般把輔助動詞( auxiliary verb)置於句子主詞( subject)之前,主要動詞則置於主詞之後,例如:( 1) What will he do?(他會怎麼辦?)( 2) Don't you know him?(你不認識他嗎?)讀者那一句, will是輔助動詞, be是主要動詞,句子當然應作 What will the test result be like?
有一點請留意:假如 be(即 is、 was等)是主要動詞,而不和 will、 can等輔助動詞連用,那麼,會像輔助動詞一樣,置於問句的主詞之前。請比較以下兩句:( 1) Is he there?(他在那裏嗎?)( 2) Will he be there?(他會在那裏嗎?)

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