⑤You could hardly expect him to help you, can you?
⑥The minister will talk about regional cooperation, wouldn't he ?
另外一种错误是助动词的错用，如：
⑦The clerks are working hard, don't they?
⑧Betty won't be a sportswoman, can she?
“isn't it”的滥用
最常见的错误来自“isn't it”的滥用，如：
⑨Jason likes this book very much , isn't it?
⑩She can sing well, isn't it?
11.Our team won, isn't it?
12.Young Singaporeans have become achievement - oriented , isn't it?
13.All our teachers are dedicated, isn't it?
14.They will go shopping on Sunday, isn't it?
这6个错误的附加语改正如下：
⑨Jason likes this book very much, doesn't he?
⑩She can sing well, can't she?
11.Our team won, didn't it?
12.Young Singaporeans have become achievement - oriented, haven't they?
13.All our teachers are dedicated, aren't they?
14.They will go shopping on Sunday, won't they?
" lsn't it ? "在下列3个句子中才是正确的用法：
15.It is fine today, isn't it?
16.That story book is interesting, isn't it?
17.It is worthwhile learning a second language well, isn't it?
现在再看看“John is smart , isn't it ?”错在哪里。很明显的，错在附加语里的代名词：应该是“he ”，不是“it”，全句如下：
John is smart, isn't he?作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-15 18:17 标题: 【2】动词的运用有学问 英语的动词必须在人称（person）、数目（number）、性别（ gender）和格（case）这些方面和主语取得一致或互相呼应。
在学生的英文作文中，动词与主语呼应上的错误，经常出现。
下面这句话来自一个重要的公共部门的通告，里面也出现了动词与主语不一致的错误：
ABC corporation, with its five main subsidiary companies, have taken over the operations of the previous electricity and gas departments of XXX with effect from 1 october 1995.
●动词和主语在人称和数目上要一致，如：
① I am a writer.
② Helen is an editor.
③ They have a good future.
④ Dr Chen teaches us English.
⑤ Some old houses were burnt to the ground.
⑥ A deserted hut has already been demolished.
●两个或两个以上的单数主语由连接词“and”贯串起来时，便成了复数，动词也要复数，如：
⑦ David and Jason are colleagues.
⑧The driver and the passenger were involved in a quarrel.
●两个主语由“with”或“as well as ”等连接时，动词要和第一个主语的人称及数目呼应，如：
⑨ A woman with her puppies is walking along the lake.
⑩ The monitor as well as the other students has been scolded.
●两个主语由“either……or”或“neither……nor”连接时，动词要和第二个主语的人称及数目呼应，如：
11. Either you or your friend is wrong.
12. Neither John nor his classmates have said it.
●集合名词（collective noun）当整体看待时，动词是单数，如：
13. The steering committee is made up of five members.
14. The jury has made its final decision.
有时可以个别看待集合名词里的成员，这时这些成员合起来便变成复数，动词也是复数了，如：
15. The committee have met once and they will meet again next month.
16. Despite hours of deliberations, the jury were still divided in their opinions.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-15 18:18 标题: 【3】学习词汇先认清方向 词汇是语言学习中重要的一环。不管学什么语言或写什么文章，丰富的词汇是不可或缺的要素。然而，许多学习语言的人常常为词汇不足而大伤脑筋。为什么会这样呢？主要原因是他们没有认清学习词汇的正确方向。
① I have to brush up （on） my economics for tomorrow's test.（温习）
② Seeing that there was much work to do, Henry decided to call off his European trip.（取消）
③ Can the government do away with some outdated systems?（废除）
除了片语动词之外，其他类型的惯用语也要加强，包括下列 5 种短语：
Ⅰ. 介词短语，如：in a nutshell; by leaps and bounds; under the weather; for the time being.
Ⅱ. 动词短语，如：act as a brake on; Keep tabs on; make a clean breast of; get out of the rut.
Ⅲ. 名词短语，如：child's play; a feather in one's cap; a feast for the eyes.
Ⅳ. 形容词短语；如：regular as clockwork; palatable to; compatible with; short of; few and far between.
Ⅴ. 谚语和成语，如：all is well that ends well; give him an inch and he will take an ell; never say die; strike while the iron is hot; the early bird catches the worm.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-15 18:19 标题: 【4】the定冠词省不得 在下面这段和产业买卖有关的英文里，存在着 4 个错误。你看得出来吗？
“If you have the intention to sell your flat. Please don't hesitate to call us, we'll offer you hightest selling price.”
第一个错误是句型形式“have the intention to sell”的错误；正确的形式是：intend to sell 或 have the intention of selling.
“……, please don't hesitate to call us, as we'll offer you……”
谈了 3 个错误，现在来谈最后一个错误，就是定冠词（ definite article）的消失：
“We'll offer you highest selling price.”
习惯上，最高级形容词（the superlative degree of adjectives）前面要用定冠词 the.因此，这句话要改为：
“We'll offer you the highest selling price.”
必须使用定冠词的例子
接下来，顺便把其他必须用定冠词的场合列下，作为参考。
㈠ 表示世上唯一的事物，如：
① the sun; the earth; the sky; the North Pole
㈡ 当一个名词被再次提起时，如：
② A car knocked against a tree. We can still see the mark on the tree made by the car.
㈢ 当名词后面有个修饰作用的短语或分句时，如：
③ The girl in red is my sister.
④ The thief who stole your wallet yesterday was arrested.
㈣ 加在某些形容词前面，以表示某类人或事，如：
⑤ The rich often get richer and the poor, poorer.
⑥ The doctor lost no time in giving help to the injured.
⑦ Don't expect the impossible.
㈤ 加在某些山川、河流、岛屿、国家名称之前，如：
⑧ the Alps; the Thames; the British Isles; the Philippines; the Atlantic Ocean.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-15 18:20 标题: 【5】定冠词的常见用法 在《定冠词省不得》一文里，谈到了 5 个必须用定冠词的例子。
定冠词也出现在其他 11 种情况中，非同时注意不可。
⑴用在单数名词前面，以代表同类的人或物，如：
● The ox is a useful animal for farmers.
● This type of work is easier for the teacher than for the student.
但当涉及 man 和 woman 这两个名词时，一般上不必用 the ：
● Man is mortal.
● Woman differs from man in many ways.
⑵用在单数名词前面来表示有关名词的抽象概念，如：
● Don't play the fool.
● Peter is fond of the bottle.
⑶用在数目字前面，如：
● Mr Li is somewhere in the 30s.
● She was not yet born in the 50s.
⑷用在测量单位前面，以表示“每”（each/per），如：
● Some factory workers are paid by the hour.
● This car usually does 15 kilometres to the litre.
⑸用在比较级形容词或副词之前，以加强其意义，如：
● The teacher explained the idea again, but his students were none the wiser.
● Your mind will function all the better if you have some time away from your work.
⑹用在“the more/better……the more/better……”结构里，如：
● The more we practise, the more we improve.
● The better the staff, the better the performance.
⑺用在乐器名称之前，如：
● The piano sounds better than the organ.
⑻用在剧院、电影院之前，如：
● Do you often go to the cinema?
● Tom went to the Lido last week.
⑼用在四个方向之前，如：
● The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
⑽用在复数姓氏之前，以表示有关家人，如：
● The Browns will visit us tonight.
⑾用在某些惯用语之前，如：
● We know the ins and outs of the matter.
● Compare the pros and cons before you make your decision.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-15 18:21 标题: 【6】动词主语别忘了呼应 在《动词与主语必须呼应——动词的运用有学问》一文里，谈到动词与主语呼应问题，并提出五个指导原则，以避免这方面的错误。但是指导归指导，错误还是像不速之客，如影随形，频频来访。在学生作业中，这种错误排列第一。其他场合也常见到动词与主语不搭配的语病。下面这广告第一句中的形容词分句里便出现了这种错误：
“Dear Owner/Resident, we have ready buyers who is upgrading.”
① Do you know the woman who is walking the dog?（陪狗散步）
② Those who have performed well in the tournament will be rewarded.
在①里，先行词 the woman 是单数，形容词分句里的动词 is 也是单数。反之，②里的先行词 those 是复数，who 后面的动词也是复数 have.
根据这原则，who is upgrading 中的 is 便要改为 are 了。
动词与主语不呼应的错误比比皆是。除了上述例子外，常见的错误还有下面几种类型：
③ Has Mr and Mrs Li decided to emigrate?
④ Do your uncle live in Malaysia?
⑤ There is several beautiful paintings on the wall.
⑥ The news of Henry's resignation were received with great surprise.
⑦ What we are doing are good for the nation as a whole.
⑧ Someone have forgotten to turn off the light.
在③里，助动词 has 和复数主语 Mr and Mrs Li 不符，要改为 have.第④句里的 do 和 your uncle 不搭配，要改为 does.第⑤ 句里的 is 和真正主语 paintings 的数不一致，应改为 are.这个句子也可改变为：“Several beautiful paintings are on the wall”。在⑥里的主语 news，其形式是复数，但意思是单数，动词也要单数的 was received 才行。⑦里的主语是名词分句（noun clause），是个单数的单位，动词也要单数的 is，不是 are.在⑧ 里的主语 someone 是单数代名词，随后的动词必须是 has forgotten 才对。
上述动词和主语不一致的毛病，屡见不鲜；即使英语能力好的人，也难幸免。
下面这句英语很好，但是里面的动词对吗？是 has 还是 have 呢？
“Its unique concept and impressive magnitude has made it the talking point of the region.”
① A stitch in time saves nine.
② Jason is an internationally known scholar.
此外，a/an 还有下列 6 种用途：
㈠常和time、measurement等有关的名词连用，以表示“每—” 的概念，如：
③ I teach five days a week.
④ This type of vegetables is sold at one dollar a kilo.
⑤ My car usually runs sixty kilometres an hour.
㈡常和 hundred, thousand, dozen 以及数目及数量连用，如：
⑥ That factory turns out at least a hundred tyres a day.
⑦ Noel's monthly salary is a thousand dollars.
⑧ I have a number of sponsored students.
⑨ Mary has a lot of money.
㈢在“of / at”后面出现，以表示“同一类”这概念，如：
⑩ Birds of a feather flock together.
11. Please come one at a time.
12. Things of a kind come together, so do people of a mind.
13. Tom is rather a fool.
14. I think Chinese is quite a useful language.
15. Many a student has asked that question.
16. The visitor left half an hour ago.
17. What a fine day it is!
18. How can you say such a thing?
㈤用在“so, as, too, how +形容词”这些结构里，如：
19. We have not had so hot a day before.
20. Susan is as clever a girl as Anna.
21. That is too difficult a book for beginners.
22. No one knew how serious a problem it was until later.
㈥出现在许多惯用语中，如：
23. Bob always has a bone to pick with others.
24. Some students turned a deaf ear to the teacher's advice.
25. All must learn a language with an eye to mastering it.
26. I hope you will make an effort to attend the meeting punctually.
27. Jason has an aversion to being idle.
28. The news of Jack's sudden resignation came as a bolt from the blue.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-15 18:23 标题: 【8】英语多义词 随着科技的突飞猛进以及电脑资讯的普及，科学术语、电脑词汇与日俱增；即使同一个字，有时意思在增加，用途也在扩大。工业或行政上的 input 和 output 和电脑上的意思，哪会完全相同？小孩时期看到在地上跑的 mouse 和现在出现在电脑旁的 mouse，形状相似，但意思也一样吗？
16. Many undergraduates here are interested in business administration courses.
17. We were surprised at the unexpected news.
18. Most successful people are distinguished for their courage and diligence.
19. David was very pleased with my work.
20. One can be tired of doing anything some of the time.
21. We are quite concerned about our friend's predicament.
22. Joelle is overwhelmed with joy.
23. Are you acquainted with that field of study?作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-18 20:18 标题: 【11】语态被动有方 英语动词有主动语态（the active voice）和被动语态（the passive voice）两种形式。如果主语是谓语动词的主宰，这就是主动语态；如果宾语成为动作的执行者，这就是被动语态。
在下列两个句子中，（a）是主动语态，（b）是被动语态。
① a. I have just bought a new book.
b. A new book has just been bought by me.
② a. Tom will invite you to dinner.
b. You will be invited to dinner by Tom.
Ⅰ及物动词 ① That house is building （= being built）.
② The trumpets are sounding （ = being sounded）.
③ The film is showing now （= being shown now）.
④ The guns are firing （= being fired）.
⑤ The drums are beating （ = being beaten）.
Ⅱ不及物动词 ⑥ The middle house won't let.
⑦ Porcelain sinks clean easily.
⑧ Such potatoes peel well.
⑥-⑧中的“出租”、“清洗”和“削”都有“被”的意思。
Ⅲ动名词 ⑨ Your office needs cleaning （= to be cleaned）.
⑩ The computer wants servicing （= to be serviced）.
11. This watch requires winding up （ = to be wound up）.
12. That good point bears repeating （= to be repeated）.
Ⅳ不定式动词 13. This is an apartment to let.
14. Give him a chair to sit down.
15. There is nothing to do for the time being.
16. You are to blame.
31. Caesar was an ancient hero. Do you admire the great Caesar and his deeds?
32. We enjoy reading the great works written by the immortal Shakespeare.
33. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
34. The wisdom of Solomon was recorded in history.
35. Tom showed a courage worthy of special mention.
36. I find it hard to forget the generosity with which David treated me.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-21 18:24 标题: 【16】举足轻重冠词 前几期谈过了英语冠词的用法以及一些应注意的事项。虽然如此，一般人的英语句子中，漏用或错用冠词的情况，还是很普遍。主要的原因是不重视冠词所扮演的角色，以为有无冠词或更换冠词，都无足轻重。当然，冠词只是个虚词，与其他词类比较，有点儿相形见绌。然而，在某些场合中，一个冠词的选择或取舍，即使不会使句子出错，也会直接影响句子的意思。
⒈altogether（完全地）：all together（全部）
（a） Dr Zhang was not altogether pleased with his salary.
（b） Please go all together.
⒉complement（辅助）：compliment（恭维）
（a） Different transport means complement one another very well.
（b） Sam complimented Helen on her assistance.
⒊uninterested（不感兴趣的）： disinterested（大公无私的）
（a） All were uninterested in the project.
（b） A good judge should be disinterested.
⒋formally（正式地）：formerly（以前）
（a） The guest was formally introduced to the host.
（b） Tom was formerly our class monitor.
⒌healthful（有利健康的）：healthy（身体健康）
（a） Villagers enjoy the healthful mountain air.
（b） Healthy people live happily.
⒍impractical（不切实际的）：impracticable（不易实行的）
（a） Such a plan is idealistic; it is impractical.
（b） No one will support an idea if it is impracticable.
⒎tasty（好吃的）：tasteful（有鉴赏力的）
（a） Many westerners like tasty Chinese Food.
（b） Helen made a tasteful arrangement of the furniture in the lobby.
⒏statue（雕像）：stature（身高）：statute（法令）
（a） There is a gigantic statue of Raffles in the park.
（b）Most basketball players are men of tall stature.
（c） It is necessary to remove an outdated statute or replace it with an up-to-date one.
⒐appreciable（明显的；可感觉到的）：appreciative（欣赏的；感激的）
（a） There has been an appreciable increase in food prices./ There is an appreciable difference in the attitude of two new clerks.
（b） David was very appreciative of his colleagues' cooperation in the project.
⒑burned：burnt（焚烧）
（a） The love of freedom burned in our hearts./ The candles have burned brightly since last night.（不及物动词）
（b） The boy burnt his thumb./ Betty has burnt all the letters from her former boy friend.（及物动词）作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-28 19:41 标题: 【20】“义同形异”的常用词 上一期谈过了“形式义异”的混淆词，这期要谈“义同形异”的常用词。
１.Over / above
"Over"和"above"这两个介词的意思是在…….上面。“我们可以说（1）The sky is above our heads,也可以说（2）The sky is over our heads.我们也可以说（3）He Spread his handkerchief over his face.但不能说*（4）He spread his handkerchief above his face. 同样的，可以说（5）John has travelled all over the world以及 （6）The King reigns over a great empire，但是（5）和（6）里的 "over"却不可以"above"取代。
（7） My friend came up to me and held my hand, said good-bye excitedly.
这里的“and”应该用来连接最后两个谓语才对：
My friend came up to me, held my hand, and said good-bye excitedly.
不然，就要把“said”改成“saying”。
My friend came up to me and held my hand, saying good-bye excitedly.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-28 19:46 标题: 【22】被动语态的动词 主动语态比被动语态直接而有力，多用主动语态，可以使文章充满朝气，呈现活力。在下列两组句子中， （b）比（a）有力：
（1） a.My first visit to New Zealand will always be remembered by me.
b. I will always remember my first visit to New Zealand.
（2） a.The crowing of cocks could be heard at dawn.
b. The cocks' crow came with dawn.
（1）This survey was based on facts.
（2）The last train is scheduled to leave at 9pm.
（3）You are expected to come on time.
（4）All are supposed to work hard.
除了上述这些动词之外，还有十种，几乎都以被动式出现。
（一）有关“疾病”的动词，如：
（1）Helen's left lung is infected.
（2）He is confined to the house by illness.
（3）The old man was seized with sudden chest pains.
（二）有关“疲乏”的动词，如：
（4） I am completely exhausted after the game.
（5）Tom was done up after the race.
（三）有关“喜乐”的动词，如：
（6）The children were fascinated by the toys.
（7）We were delighted to hear the good news.
（8） I am very pleased to see you here.
（四）有关“延迟”或“障碍”的动词，如：
（9）The workers were held up by the heavy rain.
（10）The road was blocked by ice.
（11）The train was delayed by 30 minutes.
（五）有关“惯性动作”的动词，如：
（12）Tom is addicted to smoking.
（13）Foreign workers are quite used to hard work.
（六）有关“烦恼”或“焦急”的动词，如：
（14）Who was upset by John?
（15）Mother was annoyed to know this.
（七）有关“惊奇”或“震惊”的动词，如：
（16） I was surprised to see him here.
（17）All were shocked to hear the bad news.
（八）有关“包围”的动词，如：
（18）The troops were surrounded.
（19）Troy was besieged.
（九）有关“沾污”或“污化”的动词，如：
（20）Judy's reputation is tarnished.
（21）The water was contaminated with oil.
（十）有关“害怕”或“混乱”的动词，如：
（22）All were frightened out of their wits.
（23）He was puzzled about what to do next.
要注意的一点是，上面这十类动词有些已渐渐失去了动词力量，转化为惯用语。作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-28 19:46 标题: 【23】few & a few 一 a 之别 下面是一句从一张餐馆广告中看到的话：
“If you have few years of experience in managing a fine dining restaurant and possess the capability to organize and operate banquet functions, you are the person we are looking for.”
这句话很清楚，但是否有不妥之处？有！看起来是芝麻绿豆事，但却是关系到数目和数量的问题。
英语里的数目词包括“many, a few, few, a large number of ”等。数量词是“much, a little, little, a great deal of”等。前者和可数复数名词连用，如例①-③；后者则和不可数名词连用，如例④-⑥：
① Jason has written many books.
② David has a few good friends.
③ There are a large number of people in the cinema.
④ How much money do you need?
⑤ I need only a little sugar for my coffee.
⑥ One can get a great deal of knowledge from reading.
在数目词中，有“few”和“a few”两个。看似相同，其实差别甚大，一不小心，可能有错。例如：
⑦ The minister is leaving Singapore for few days.
⑧ Many students here can speak English quite fluently, but a few can write well.
这里的副词“tomorrow”要变成“the next day”。理由是：间接引语里的时间副词或短语， 一般上要把其中的时间向前推，如： tomorrow: the next day; today: that day; last night: the night before; now: then; ago: before that time 等。
⑤ I asked what is wrong with him.
这里的“is”要变成“was”。须知：主句“I asked”和分句 “what is wrong with him”的动词时态必须配合。既然主句的动词 “asked”是过去时态，分句的动词也要过去时态“was”。此外，动词时态一般上也要推前，因此简单过去时态（Simple Past Tense）要变成过去完成时态（Past Perfect Tense），如：went : had gone; left : had left.
⑥ John told her don't do that again.
这里的“don't do”要变成“not to do”才对。理由是：祈使句变成间接引语时的形式是不定式动词：“to + verb / not to + verb”，如：to come / not to come; to do / not to do.
17. Can you tell me whom do you share your office with?
18. This is the last way which the idea can be pushed through.
19. What reason have you chosen this scheme for?
20. Can you tell me with whom do you share your office?
21. This is the best way through which the idea can be pushed.
22. For what reason have you chosen this scheme?作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-28 19:50 标题: 【26】beside 和besides 通用吗？ S是个简单的英文字母，可以加在可数复数名词后面，也可以用在简单现在时态动词的后面，以表示主语是单数第三人称。例如：
① He walks to school every day.
② Mary gets up early every morning.
③ That woman often talks loudly.
⑿（a） I like reading and writing.
（b） I like reading as well as writing.
（c） I like both reading and writing.
（d） I like not only reading but also writing.
（e） Besides reading, I also like writing.
⒀（a） He sings pop songs and listens to classical music.
（b） He sings pop songs as well as listening to classical music.
（c） He not only sings pop songs but also listens to classical music.
（d） Besides singing pop songs, he also listens to classical music.
（e） He listens to classical music in addition to singing pop songs.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-28 19:50 标题: 【27】sometime和sometimes同义吗？ 上一期谈到了带“s”和不带“s”的字，并举了“beside”和“ besides”说明两个字不同之处。
11. All of us have studied English for some time.
12. Betty has been grumbling for some time.
13. Please give me some time to think over your proposal.
14. Do you have some time now? I want to talk to you.
由于 sometimes, sometime和 some time 各有不同的意思，在同句里出现可以和平共处、相安无事：
15. Sometimes, I spent some time reading a sometime English lecturer's novel written sometime in 1996. （有时，我花了些时间阅读前英语讲师在 1996 年某时期所撰写的一本小说）作者: 小米 时间: 2008-3-28 19:51 标题: 【28】人称代词主格与宾格的选择方法 英语中的人称代词（Personal Pronouns）有主格、宾格和所有格之 分，如：
（14）I did not praise Maria as highly as Jason did.
（15）Jason did not praise me as highly as he praised Maria.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-1 19:41 标题: 【29】句子转折词的桥梁 “They are wasting resources, for example, time, energy and money.”
上面这句话不错，只是转折词“for example”不妥当；应该这样：
“They are wasting resources. For example, they use too much time, energy and money.”
不然就要换一换转折词，改用“such as”或“like”：
“They are wasting resources, such as （or like） time, energy and money.”
Again, also, then, besides, further, furthermore, moreover, next, in addition等，如：
① Jason teaches diligently. Besides, he writes a lot.
② English is a useful language. For one thing, it is an official language in the UN. Then, it is widely used in business, science and technology.
Ⅱ表示“反意见”：
But, however, still, yet, after all, for all that, in spite of, on the contrary, on the other hand等，如：
③ Jim is intelligent but lazy.
④ Singapore is not a big country.On the contrary, it is very small.
Ⅲ表示“困果关系”：
Therefore, so, hence, thus, accordingly, consequently, as a result 等，如：
⑤ Some people are over-ambitious. As a result, they are usually unhappy.
⑥ Tom did not work hard; hence, he failed.
Ⅳ表示“比较关系”：
Likewise, similarly, in a like manner 等，如：
⑦ You cannot writes without a pen. Likewise, you cannot cook without rice.
⑧ No one is allowed to speak Mandarin in an English class. Similarly, no one is allowed to speak English in a Mandarin class.
Ⅴ表示“举例示范”：
For example, in other words, for instance, that is 等，如：
⑨ There are some common errors in his composition. For instance, it is wrong to use "he" to replace "the queen".
Ⅵ表示“结束”：
To sum up, in brief, in short, on the whole, to conclude 等，如：
⑩ Some say Singapore is a nice place to live in. Others say it is not so nice. It is too competitive. In short, some like Singapore; some do not.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-1 19:41 标题: 【30】代名词的错误 “Everything on our menu is prepared fresh daily and they are delivered to you from our kitchen outlet along Jurong.”
① The man plucked out a grey hair from his head.
② They need funds, but they are running out of them now.
③ Jason said that he did not like the woman.
④ A person must restrict himself to doing what is right and useful.
如果脑子里没有这些语法概念，便会犯上误用代名词的错误。本文上面所指的 they 便是最好的例子。
除了 everything 之外，anything, nothing, everyone, someone, no one, somebody, nobody, anybody, anyone 和 each 等代名词也都是单数的。如果要用其他代名词取代它们，也必须是单数的才可以，而且后面的谓语动词也要搭配。就此而论，文中的 they 是不对的，必须改为单数代名词 it；同时后头的谓语动词也要变成单数的 is.这样一来，两个等立分句就很相称了。
同样的道理，刚刚举出的那些代名词应该这样用：
⑤ Nothing is difficult if it is properly done.
⑥ Nobody here has objected to the new proposal.
⑦ Each was annoyed by her strange idea.
⑧ Somebody wants to see you.
⑨ No one really knows the answer.
⑤ Tom's brother is an accountant, and this is the profession everyone envies."
这里的 this 指“accountant”。“会计师”是一种专业人士，和后头的“专业”（profession）并不相称，因此要把 this 改为 accountancy（会计工作），才合句子的意思。
⑥ The profit from the business was large, which I realised sometime later.
这里的“which I realised sometime later”是句形容词分句，应该出现在先行词后面，不应该脱离出来而独立。如果要用它来修饰全句话，更不合逻辑，应该改为⑦或⑧：
⑦ I realised sometime later that the profit from the business was large.（主句 + 名词分句）
⑧ The profit from the business was large. I realised this （matter） sometime later.（单句 + 单句）
㈣避免用代名词“they, you, it”影射脑子里的事物，如：
⑨ In Singapore, it relies heavily on tourism as a source of national revenue.
这里的 it 指向什么呢？如果是心目中的“政府”或“旅游促进局”，那就要明言，不要用不清不楚的 it：
⑩ In Singapore, the government……
11. In Singapore, the Tourist Promotion Board……
12. In less industrialised countries, they do not know the problems of urban development.
这里的代名词 they 是不是指 the people（人民）？如果是就用吧。In less industrialised countries, the people……过后，要再提这主语时，才用 they：……the people……They are only interested in their daily life.
其实，在这种主语不详的情况下，被动语态是最好的选择：
13. In less industrialised countries, the problems of urban development are not known.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-1 19:43 标题: 【32】形容词后缀不可乱加 下面这则广告中的形容词“irresistable”里的后缀（ suffix）不对，应该把“-able”改为“-ible”：
“We offer: competitive monthly salary, weekly incentives, attractive transport allowance, incentive trips and irresistable performance bonus.”
● He scanned the newspaper while he was having breakfast. → He scanned the newspaper while having breakfast.（副词分局缩为副词短语）
● Please show me the work which is completed. → Please show me the work completed. → Please show me the completed work.（从形容词分句缩为单词）作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-12 09:17 标题: 【34】倒装句拒绝顺序 当主语在谓语前出现时叫顺序（the natural order）。在某些情况下，我们可以把谓语成分放在主语前面，这种词序叫做倒装（ the inverted order）。
● Never have I seen such a wicked man.
● On no account must this employee be removed.
● Not until he told me had I heard anything of it.
● No sooner had I left than the rain came.
● Up jumped the puppy.
● In came John.
● Down fell the rotten branches from the tree.
● Out came a woman and her maid.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-12 09:18 标题: 【35】英语派生词哪里来？ 前几期谈到英文后缀和英文前缀。在这两篇文章里都没有全面探讨前、后缀的 功能。这里便来谈这问题。
“Another option is to prevent pneumonia in susceptible individuals by vaccination against the pneumococcal bacteria, which is a common cause of pneumonia.”
（a）确定是逻辑主语，使句子变成“Climbing up the hill, the explorers saw several boars.”
（b）把现在分词短语扩大为副词分句（也称状语从句）：“When the explorers climbed up the hill, they saw several boars/ several boars were seen.”
⒉垂悬副词短语，如：
② After putting a shrimp on the hook, the fish began to bite.
（a） After putting a shrimp on the hook, the fisherman found that the fish began to bite.
（b） After the fisherman had put a shrimp on the hook, the fish began to bite.
⒊垂悬不定式动词短语，如：
③ To write well, a lot of practice is needed.
④ To be a loyal employee, a sense of belonging is a must.
这两个句子的不定式动词短语（infinitive phrases）并不能修饰“practice”和“a sense of belonging”，真正的主语必须是“ 人”，如：
（a） To write well, one needs a lot of practice/a person has to practise a lot.
（b） To be a loyal employee, he or she must have a sense of belonging.
① Such being the case, we can go home now./……it is not wrong to call it a day.
第二，当分词含有介词或连词性质时，它不需要逻辑主语，所以没有垂悬问题存在。例如：
② Owing to a lack of funds, the project has to be discontinued.
③ Provided that there is sufficient time, everyone can do the job better.
第三，当分词短语是用来表示说话者的态度或意见时，也不需要逻辑主语，因此也不存在着垂悬问题。例如：
④ Judging from his facial look, the news must have been terrible.
⑤ Taken as a whole, there is nothing wrong with the logic behind that idea.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-12 09:28 标题: 【40】复数名词的误用 英语名词分可数的和不可数两种。可数名词指一般动物和事物，如“Man/ friend/ driver/ student/ dog/ cat/ boat/ egg/ gun/ hand/ head/ lamp/ road/ table/ car ”等等。
可数名词有两个数，即单数和复数。单数名词可以和不定冠词“ a/ an”或其他名词限定词（determiners）连用；复数名词可以和数目词，如“many/ a few/ some/ a lot of”等连用。
不可数名词指物质名词（material nouns）和抽象名词（ abstract nouns），如：“air/ butter/ grass/ money/ sand/ water/ carefulness/ joy/ peace”等等。不可数名词可以和数量词，如“much/ a little/ little/ a great amount of”等连用。不可数名词只有单数，没有复数“-s”的形式。
有些人对名词数的概念不很清楚，对数目词（expressions of number）和数量词（expressions of quantity）也有些混乱，结果把数目词用在不可数名词之前或随意在不可数名词后面加上复数词尾 “-s”，这些都是语法上的错误。例如：
① Our workshop has ordered some new equipments from Germany.
虽然有些人把 equipment（配备）当成可数名词，但是它是不可数的，不可有“-s”。
② My teacher gave me some sound advices. 应该是“advice”。
③ Do you have any special informations for me? “Information”才对。
④ Most furnitures in my house are made of wood. 应该是“furniture……is……”
⑤ Today, I have many new works to do. 必须是“a lot of new work”才是。
⑥ Don't walk on the grasses. 应该用“grass”。
⑦ Our foreign students have made great progresses in their studies. “Progress”（进步）不可数；不可有“-es”。
⑧ All his money are kept in the bank. “Money”（金钱）属不可数名词；动词要单数的“is”。
上述这类有关不可数名词的错误，极为普遍；只要看看学生的作文，便知道了。
既然如此，要怎样避免这种错误呢？
首先，必须牢记不可数名词绝对没有复数形式。其次，随时准备些数量词，如“much/ little/ some/ a little/ a lot of/ plenty of”等，以便在必要时和不可数名词连用。最后，谨记：谓语动词必须和主语的数目一致。既然不可数名词没有复数形式，那么谓语动词若是简单现在时态（simple present tense），现在进行时态（ present continuous tense）或现在完成时态（present perfect tense）的话，就必须以单数形式出现。例如：
⑨ Bread is sold in coffee shops and supermarkets.
⑩ His luggage is somewhere at the railway station.
11. Some money is being used to help the poor.
12. The information required includes personal particulars and the present salary.
① Dr Li has authorised David to act for him in his absence.
② The Ministry for Finance authorised the payment of annual increments.
③ One needs special authorisation to enter such a building.
④ This news came from an authoritative source, so it must be reliable.
⑤ The Commander-in-chief spoke in an authoritative tone.
⑥ As a senior officer, Jason is entitled to have authority over the clerical staff.
⑦ Who gave you authority to implement the new salary scheme?
⑧ Dr Wong is an authority on language teaching.
⑨ The authorities concerned must see to it that the same thing will not recur.
Ⅱclear（形容词）清楚的、明白的、无嫌疑的、债务已清的；
（副词）远离的
（动词）清除、解除。
clearance（名词）清除、许可（证）
（修饰语）清货
clearing （名词）林中空旷的
clearly（副词）清楚地
① The speaker's voice is clear enough to be heard.
② Can you make your last point clearer?
③ The suspect was clear of suspicion.
④ The gambler hopes to be clear of debts soon.
⑤ Unauthorised persons are advised to keep clear of the premises.
⑥ The police have cleared the road of obstruction.
⑦ If there exists misunderstanding among friends, please clear it up.
⑧ Have you seen any slum clearance?
⑨ The plane must get clearance for take-off.
⑩ Before Christmas, shopping centres have the habit of holding annual clearance sales.
11. The picnickers pitched their camp in the clearing.
12. Speak clearly or the audience at the back may not be able to hear you.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-12 09:29 标题: 【42】“疑问词+不定式动词”结构 英语有个很有用的结构，就是：疑问词+不定式动词（question word + to-infinitive）。
⑴当主语，如：
● When to hold the meeting has not yet been decided.
● Where to live is a problem.
● How to cope with the rising cost of living becomes a daily discussion topic.
⑵当宾语，如：
● We must know what to say at a meeting.
● He could not tell whom to trust.
● Do you know how to play bridge?
⑶当补足语，如：
● The problem is where to find the financial aid.
● The question is who to elect.
⑷当名词同位语，如：
● Tom had no idea which book to read first.
● Do you have a rough impression how to do it?
⑸当宾语补足语，如：
● Jim is not sure whose to choose.
● Mary and John are not certain whether to get married or not.
有点值得特别注意的是：当这结构当宾语时，它的作用等于名词分句，例如：
● I could not decide which dictonary to buy. / I could not decide which dictionary I should buy.
● Jack did not know where to find such a good teacher./ Jack did not know where he could find such a good teacher.
有些动词，如“ask, show, tell, advise, inform, teach”等，可以先有个宾语，然后才接着加上适当的“疑问词+不定式动词” 结构。例如：
● The chief technician showed the apprentice how to repair the machine.
● Have you told him where to get the application form?
⑩ John gave some evidence to indicate that the documents had been tampered with.
11. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
12. A lot of money has been donated to various charity organisations.
13. Some people today paid little attention to their extravagant acts.作者: 小米 时间: 2008-4-12 09:30 标题: 【44】合成动词 在英语的合成词（compound words）中，合成动词（compound verbs）的数目较少，主要有下面三种类别：
① The food cost $3, but he was overcharged by 50 cents.
② Some romantic scenes in our TV shows were overdone.
③ Don't overstate your predicament or people will not believe you.
④ Some reporters understated the seriousness of the regional financial turmoil.
⑤ The staff of the company felt that their contribution had been undervalued.
⑥ Chinese swimmers outdid their opponents.
⑦ This type of computer has outlived its usefulness.
⑧ The advantages of the new salary scheme far outweigh its disadvantages.