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2024-07-15 03:38| 来源: 网络整理| 查看: 265

“a total of”后面应该是单数还是复数?

已有 61360 次阅读 2018-1-2 11:35 |个人分类:科学感想|系统分类:教学心得

有些简单的英语语法问题,学习考试是一回事,真正使用又是一回事。比如:“a total of”后面应该是单数还是复数?这个问题是因审稿人的一个错误问题而起。

查了一下中文网,这个问题没说清楚。查了一下英文网,似有一个意见较为合理。

比如有这么一个问题:

A total of 10 babies is sleeping. (A)

A total of 10 babies are sleeping. (B)

Ten babies in total are sleeping. (C)

上面三句话那句正确?结论是A错误,B和C正确。

原因是 集合名词(collective noun)“total”在满足下面三个条件时要以复数处理:

it is explicitly used with the word, number, or the word, number, is implied (in a strict sense*),

the items being counted are identified/clarified/specified, AND

the size of the number is given.

也就是说,如果“total”明白无误地与“number”一起使用,或者明确在指数量(严格地说,后面是否能插入“number”),后面如果为可数名词,并且有明确的数目大小或多少时,要用复数形式。

如:

A total of number of 3500 students were at the seminar. [Plural]

A total [number] of 11 shells are in my possession. [Plural]

如果只满足上面第1和2,但不满足条件3时,用单数:

The total number of students in attendance was unbelievably large. [Singular]

其他如下面的例子也是没有全满足上述条件时用单数的情况:

My total is 11. Theirs is much higher. [Singular]

'How many pennies do we now have?' 'The current total is 22.' [Singular]

但细说起来,在英国英语和美国英语中,“total”后面应该是单数还是复数还是有差别的。如:

There are ten babies. [Universally correct]

There are ten babies in total. [Universally correct]

There are a total of ten babies. [Plural. British?]

There is a total of ten babies. [Singular. American?]

见:

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/8545/a-total-of-10-babies-is-vs-a-total-of-10-babies-are-vs-ten-babies-i

https://wap.sciencenet.cn/blog-39731-1092681.html 上一篇:《Tears》下一篇:人工智能(AI)之“圣杯”式胜利 收藏 IP: 113.58.87.*| 热度|


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