我们经常会看到有些名词变复数时并没有遵循上述规则。这就是名词的不规则变化。还有一些名词,单复数是同一个形式的。不过,我们还是可以通过一些比较,发现其中的一些奥妙。以下我将为大家讲讲名词的不规则变化。
一、有些名词中保存了英语中古旧的复数形式,如:
man-menwoman-women
tooth-teethfoot-feet
child-childrengoose-geese
mouse-miceox-oxen
二、有些是外来词,仍保有原来的复数形式,如:
Phenomenon-phenomena(现象)
Formula-formulae(公式)
Thesis-theses(论文)
Basis-bases(基础)
Analysis-analyses(分析)
Criterion-criteria(标准)
Crisis-crises(危机)
Appendix-appendices(附录)
三、部分单词的复数形式不变。
例:fish→fish;sheep→sheep;cattle→cattle;deer→deer;salmon→salmon,means→means
四、compoundnouns,这类复数词是以主要的名词来表示
例:daughter-in-law→daughters-in-law媳妇;father-in-law→fathers-in-law岳父
man-of-war→men-of-war兵舰;maid-servant→maid-servants
step-son→step-sons晚子;son-in-law→sons-in-law。
但是,也有些合成名词,特别是由man和woman构成的合成名词,里面所含的成分,全都要变为复数,如:
Man-servant-men-servants,womandoctor-womendoctors等
五、有些名词经常是带着-s词尾的,但通常都作单数看待,如:
Phonetics(语音学),physics(物理学),optics(光学),politics(政治),news(新闻)等。
六、另一些名词则以复数词出现的机会较多
例:bellows风箱;clothes;police;shorts短裤;scissors剪刀;spectacles眼镜;shears大剪刀,trousers长裤,wages工资,belongings所有物,surroundings环境,savings储蓄,findings调查结果,arms武器,clothes衣服,stairs楼梯,等
七、另外还有一些名词,其复数形式有时可表示特别意思
例:goods货物,waters水域,fishes(各种)鱼,papers文件,证件,greens青菜,manners礼貌,ruins废墟,troops军队,looks外貌,times时代,等
第三部分:不可数名词的计量方法
(1)一般用“数字+of+计量单位+名词”表示,(注意:当数字大于一时,表示计量单位的名词可以有复数形式)。如:
a piece of news一则新闻 a piece of meat一块肉 a glass of wine一杯酒 two bowls of rice两碗米 a sum of money一笔钱 five bags of flour一袋面粉a drop of water一滴水 three bottles of milk三瓶牛奶 two pieces of advice两条建议
(2)用much/some/alittle/little/alotof/plentyof+不可数名词
练习题:
1、All the people at the conference are______。
a.mathematic teachers c.mathematics teacher
b.mathematics teachers d.mathematic’s teachers(C)
2、All the______ in the hospital got a rise last month。
a.women doctors c.woman doctors
b.women doctor d.woman doctor(a)
3、---Are there any________on the farm?
---Yes,there are some。
A.horse B.duck C.chicken D.sheep(D)
4、---They are thirsty. Will you please give them______?
---Certainly。
A.some bottles of waters B.some bottles ofwater
C.some bottle of water D.some bottle of waters (B)
5、Mike hurt one of his______in the accident yesterday。
A.tooth B.feet C.hand D.ear (B)
6、There is some_______ on the plate。
A.cakes B.meat C.potato D.pears (B)
7、The little baby has two_______ already。
A.tooth B.tooths C.teeth D.teeths(C)
8、We need some more____.Can you go and get some,please?
A.potato B.potatos C.potatoes D.potatoe(C)
9、Please remember to give the horse some tree___。
A.leafs B.leaves C.leaf D.leave(B)
10、He gave us____on how to keep fit。
A.some advices B.some advice C.an advice D.a advice(B)
11、Please pass me_____。
A.two glass of water B.two glasses of waters
C.two glasses of water D.two glass water(C)
12、There are a lot of_______ down there but hardly any _______。
A.sheeps,people B.sheep,people C.sheeps,peoples D.sheep,peoples(B)
13、This table is made of__________。
A.many glass B.glasses C.some glasses D.glass (D)
14、______can get a better view of the game than the participants。
A.Looker-on B.Lookers-on C.Looker-ons D.Lookers-ons(B)
15、Some______ are flying kites near the river。
A.child B.boy C.boys D.childs (C)
16、Mr.Smith always has________ to tell us.
A.some good pieces of news B.some pieces of good news
C.some good piece of news D.some piece of good news (B)
17、Twelve_______were hurt,but no_________were lost in that accident。
A.person;life B.people;lives C.peoples;lives D.persons;life(B)
18、In the view of the foreign experts,there wasn’t____oil here。
A.much B.lots of C.a great deal of D.many (A)
19、The police investigated those_____about the accident。
A.stander-by C.standers-by
B.stander-bys D.standers-bys(B)
20、Generally there are______television programs for children on Saturday。
A.little B.much C.a large number of D.alarge amount of (C)