摘 要: 英語中有很多限定詞,當(dāng)幾個限定詞同時限定一個名詞時,它們有一定的順序要求。本文首先闡述了限定詞的定義,其次指出了按限定詞修飾名詞的位置,主要分為前位限定詞、中位限定詞和后位限定詞,最后就前位、中位、后位限定詞的搭配順序要求進(jìn)行了闡述。
關(guān)鍵詞: 英語教學(xué) 限定詞 搭配順序
在英語學(xué)習(xí)中,有些同學(xué)經(jīng)常對某些限定詞的順序問題感到困惑。比如到底應(yīng)該說There is no such a thing as ghost.還是There is no such thing as a ghost.是During such one discussion正確,還是During one such discussion正確。這主要是對前位中位后位限定詞的排列順序了解不夠透徹造成的。
1.限定詞的界定
限定詞是在名詞詞組中對名詞中心詞起特指、類指,以及表示確定數(shù)量和非確定數(shù)量等限定作用的詞類。名詞詞組除有詞匯意義外,還有其所指意義,是特指,即特指的對象,還是類指,即泛指一類人或物;是有確定的數(shù)量,還是沒有確定的數(shù)量。能在名詞詞組中表示這種所指意義的詞類就是限定詞(章振邦)。英語中限定詞主要有:
定冠詞(Definite article)the;
不定冠詞(Indefinite article)a,an;
零冠詞(Zero article);
物主限定詞(Possessive determine)your,my,his,her,our,your,their,one’s,its;
名詞屬格(Genitive noun)Tom’s,my father’s;
指示限定詞(Demonstrative determiner)this,that,these,those,such;
關(guān)系限定詞(Relative determiner)which,whose;
疑問限定詞(Interrogative determiner)what,whose,which;
不定限定詞(Indefinite determiner)some,any,no,each,every,enough,either,neither,all,both,half,several,many,much,(a)few,(a)little,other,another;
倍數(shù)詞(Multiplicative numeral)twice,three times,double,etc;
分?jǐn)?shù)詞(Fractional numeral)one third,three fifths,etc;
基數(shù)詞(Cardinal numeral)one,two,three,etc;
序數(shù)詞(Ordinal numeral)first,second,third,etc;
量詞(Quantifier)lots of,a lot of,plenty of,a great of,a good deal of,a large of,a small amount of,a quantity of,a great of,a good number of,etc.
2.限定詞的分類:前位、中位、后位
按照限定詞與限定詞的相互搭配關(guān)系,限定詞可分為:
前位限定詞(pre-determiner)、中位限定詞(central determiner)和后位限定詞(post-determiner)。
(1)前位限定詞包括:
①不定限定詞(Indefinite determiner)all,both,half;
②倍數(shù)詞(Multiplicative numeral)double,twice,three times,etc;
③分?jǐn)?shù)詞(Fractional numeral)one-third,two-fifths,etc;
④what,such,(a/an),etc.
(2)中位限定詞包括:
①定冠詞(Definite article)the;
②不定冠詞(Indefinite article)a,an;
③零冠詞(Zero article);
④指示限定詞(Demonstrative determiner)this,that,these,those;
⑤物主限定詞(Possessive determiner)my,your,his,her,our,your,their,one’s,its;
⑥名詞屬格(Genitive noun)Tom’s,my father’s;
⑦不定限定詞(Indefinite determiner)some,any,no,every,each,either,neither,enough;
⑧連接代詞what(ever),which(ever),whose,etc。
(3)后位限定詞包括:
①基數(shù)詞(Cardinal numeral)one,two,three,etc;
②序數(shù)詞(Ordinal numeral)first,second,third,etc;
③類序數(shù)詞next,last,other,another,etc;
④量詞(Quantifier)many,much,(a)few,(a)little,fewer,(the)fewest,less,(the)least,more,most;several,plenty of,a lot of,lots of,a great/large/good number of,a great/good deal of,a large/small amount of;
⑤such,etc.
3.限定詞之間的搭配順序:前+中+后
根據(jù)限定詞在名詞前的位置關(guān)系,即如果一個名詞詞組帶有上述三類限定詞,其搭配關(guān)系總是按照前位詞放在第一位,中位限定詞放在第二位,接著是后位限定詞,即按“前位—中位—后位”的順序排列。例如:
All(前)the(中)five(后)boys were absent that day.
Half(前)his(中)four(后)balls are broken.
I will never forget all(前)these(中)last(后)few后days.
Those(中)last(后)few(后)hours in hospital was horrible.
Several(后)hundred(后)people were killed in that battle.
All(前)other(后)students helped the teacher.
Such(前)a(中)thing as stealing is an abomination.
例題:The factory has turned out?搖?搖 ?搖?搖.
A.twice TV sets this year more than last year
B.TV sets this year twice as many as last year
C.twice as many TV sets this year as last year
D.TV sets twice more this year than last year
答案應(yīng)為C。Twice是前位限定詞,many位后位限定詞,應(yīng)放在twice后,TV sets之前。
值得注意的是:
(1)前位限定詞與前位限定詞及一般是相互排斥的,不能同時放在一起。例如不能說;all half his books,half twice my income.
(2)中位限定詞與中位限定詞也是彼此排斥的,不能同時出現(xiàn)。23760efec98f110428d067b5a64f46ab例如不能說a his money,her that problem.
例題:?搖?搖 ?搖?搖is such a spitfire.
A. His that third brother B. His third that brother
C. That third brother of his D. That his third brother
答案應(yīng)是C. his與that都是中位限定詞,相互排斥,不能同時使用,應(yīng)該使用雙重屬格。同樣,我的所有的衣服,不能說成“all the my clothes”,應(yīng)為“all the clothes of mine”.The和my都是中位限定詞,應(yīng)分開。
(3)后位限定詞與后位限定詞之間雖不相互排斥但有搭配限制。主要有以下幾種順序。
①序數(shù)詞+基數(shù)詞:序數(shù)詞與基數(shù)詞連用時,序數(shù)詞在前,基數(shù)詞居后。如:the first six months,the third five years;
②序數(shù)詞+量詞:如:during the first few years;
③類序數(shù)詞+基數(shù)詞:類序數(shù)詞next,last,other,another與基數(shù)詞連用時,類序數(shù)詞在前,基數(shù)詞居后。如:another three tasks,the last four years不是three another tasks,four last years;
④類序數(shù)詞+量詞:類序數(shù)詞next,last,other,another與量詞連用時,類序數(shù)詞在前,量詞居后。如:your next few questions;the other four people;
⑤such與其他后位限定詞連用時,其他限定詞在前,such居后。如;few such(things),many such(discussions),several such(boxes),four such(books),little such(interest),another such(stories)等。
4.“跨類”限定詞
(1)such和a,an連用時,應(yīng)放在a,an之前,屬前位限定詞。如:such a day,such an author等。但如果跟其他限定詞(包括后位限定詞)連用時,就總是處于最后位,要“跨類”,如:some such discussions,such必須放在some之后。有的語法書將such歸入“跨類”限定詞,即既屬前位限定詞,又屬后位限定詞。
例題:?搖?搖?搖 ?搖ghost exists in the world.That’s your illusion.
A.No such a thing as
B.No such a thing as a
C.No such thing as a
D.No such thing as
答案是C.such如果用在中位限定詞A前就是一個前位限定詞,如果與其他限定詞連用則為后位限定詞,所以不存在no such a的結(jié)構(gòu)。
類似的情況還有:后位限定詞many和中位限定詞what也都能與中位限定詞a,an搭配,并出現(xiàn)在它們的前面,如:What an idea!Many a chance has lost(=Many chances have lost).
(2)并非所有的后位限定詞都能隨意搭配,還須根據(jù)一定的含義與習(xí)慣使用。
例如little和few都不能單獨與more連用,other不能單獨用于基數(shù)詞之前,但是,當(dāng)前面出現(xiàn)中位限定詞冠詞或不定冠詞時,就可以連用了,如:a little more(water,a few more(books),the other ten(boys)等。
(3)有時,還會出現(xiàn)前、中、后位限定詞之問發(fā)生排斥的情況。例如前位限定詞all就不能與中位及后位那些表示不定量含義的限定詞搭配,中位的my,your等也不可與后位的more,less等并用,等等。當(dāng)然,其他特殊情況還有,如half a(year),a half(year),two half(decades),這里的half一會兒前位,一會兒后位,甚至用在后位的后位。又如,在two first awards,three second prizes等搭配中,基數(shù)詞又出現(xiàn)在序數(shù)詞前面。
總之,在學(xué)習(xí)中應(yīng)注意總結(jié),牢記住前位、中位、后位限定詞的分類。比如可以大致歸納一下,前位限定詞主要有all,half,both(可歸納為表示范圍);分?jǐn)?shù);倍數(shù)。中位限定詞主要有表指定的詞(this,the,my,Tom’s等);后位限定詞主要有表示多少的詞(two,three,many,lots of);還有表序數(shù)的詞(second,third,fifth)等。另外要特別記住such是個“跨類”的詞,既可以是前位限定詞,又可以是后位限定詞。這樣在運用時就不會感到不知所措了。
參考文獻(xiàn):
[1]Quirk,R,etal,A Grammarof Contemporary English[M].London:Longman,1972.
[2]Quirk,Retal,A Comprehensive Grammar of Contemporary Language[M].London:Longman,1983.
[3]Palmer F.Grammar[M].Harmondsworth:Penguring Books Ltd,1971.
[4]章振幫,新編英語語法教程,上海外語教育出版社,1990.