冠词的用法
要点梳理
冠词是置于名词之前,说明名词所表示的人或事物的一种虚词。冠词也可以说是名词的一种标志,它不能离开名词而单独存在。
在英语中,冠词可以分为定冠词和不定冠词两种。
一、不定冠词
不定冠词有a和an两种形式,a用在以辅音音素开头的单词前;an用在以元音音素开头的单词前。不定冠词的用法如下:
1.第一次提到某人(事物)且并非特指时,用不定冠词作介绍作用。例如:
Han Mie’s parents paid a visit to England recently.
Helen is studying in a middle school in China.
2.用在单数普通名词前指一类人(事物),但不具体说明何人(事物)。例如:
A car runs faster than a bus.
She is an English teacher.
3.用在单数名词前,表示“一”,是数的概念,但没有one强烈。例如:
I have a mouth, a nose and two eyes.
4.用在表示时间或度量单位的名词前,有“每一”的意思。例如:
The car is running 80 kilometers an hour.
5.用于某些习惯用语中。例如:
a few、 a little、 a lot of、 a number of、 in a hurry、 a long time ago、 an hour or two、 once upon a time、have a rest、 have a cold、 take a look at、 take a walk、for a while等。
二、定冠词
英语中的定冠词只有一个,即the。其用法如下:
1.特指某人(事物),或指双方都知道的人(事物),或上文提到过的人(事物)。例如:
Who is the boy?
I bought a bike yesterday. The bike is red.
2.用在世界上独一无二事物的名词前;用在江、河、湖和海、山脉等名词前;用在序数词前;用在表示乐器的名词前;用在形容词最高级前;用在方位词前。例如:
The teacher told us the moon moves round the sun.
The Changing River is the longest river in the world.
3.用在姓氏复数形式前面,表示“夫妇”或“一家人”。例如:
The Blacks are interested in watching football games.
The Wang have moved into the new flat.
4.用在有后置定语的名词前,表示特指。例如:
The girl in red has got her arm broken.
I’ll pass it to the soldier under the tree.
5.用在某些形容词前表示“一类人”。例如:
The weak, like the strong, have their own place in the world.
People, both the poor and the rich like watching TV.
6.用于某些习惯用语中。例如:
in the morning、 in the end、 in the middle of、 at the moment、 on the right / left、 on the other side of、go to the cinema、 the Summer Palace、 the Great Wall、 the USA等。
三、不用冠词的场合
1.复数名词或不可数名词表示一般意义而不表示具体的人或物时,不用冠词。例如:
Water is needed by all the living things.
Ducks swim very well.
2.名词前有指示代词、物主代词、不定代词或名词所有格时,不用冠词。例如:
I will buy this computer for my brother if I have any money.
3.泛指节日、季节、月份、星期等名词前不用冠词。例如:
Teachers Day、 Childrens Day、 in May、 at Christmas、 in summer等。
4.在三餐、棋类、球类运动名称前,以及称呼语、职位头衔名词前不用冠词。例如:
He went to school without breakfast.
Boys prefer playing football to playing the violin.
5.不用冠词的习惯用语。例如:
at noon、 at night、 at first、 by bus、 on foot、 go to school、 go to bed、 in hospital、 stay in bed、 at home、day and night、 face to face、 from morning till night、husband and wife等。
考例呈现
1.—What useful book it is!
—Yeah, it tells you how to play the guitar.
A.an B.a C.the D./
【答案与解析】B a用于辅音音素开头的单词前,an用于元音音素开头的单词前。useful的第一个音素为辅音,要用a。
2.Hawking, one of most famous scientists, passed away in March.
A.a B.an C.the D.不填
【答案与解析】C 固定结构:one of the+形容词的最高级+复数名词,意为“最……的……之一”。故选C项。
3.I spend hour playing drums every day.
A.a; the B.an; / C.an; the
【答案與解析】C 不定冠词用在表示时间的名词前,有“每一”的意思,an hour意为“一个小时”;乐器类前要加定冠词the。故选C项。
4.—I’m thirsty, Mom.
—Here is bottle of water for you.
A.a B.an C.the D./
【答案与解析】A 不定冠词用在单数名词前,表示“一”,是数的概念,a bottle of water意为“一瓶水”。故选A项。
5.We should have breakfast every day to keep healthy.
A.a B.an C./ D.the
【答案与解析】C 表示三餐的名词前不用冠词。故选C项。
6.There will be talk on good manners at the school hall this afternoon.
A.the B.an C.a D./
【答案与解析】C 表示泛指的数量“一”时,应用不定冠词a或an。其后的talk的第一个音素是辅音音素,应用冠词a。故选C项。