在英語寫作中，有很多同學把握不好名詞的數以及一些集合名詞的用法。名詞單複數變動的依據主要有以下三種：一是名詞本身屬於單數還是複數，二是根據名詞前的修飾成分，三是根據上下文的邏輯關係，看該名詞在句子中指代的是單數還是複數。請看例項：

誤用：This is irrelevant and， if I may say so， a rather naughty remark。

改為：This is

an

irrelevant and， if I may say so， a rather naughty remark。

說明：句中的irrelevant 是修飾名詞 remark 的，由於 remark 為單數可數名詞，所以應在修飾它的形容詞前使用合適的限定詞，根據後面的 a rather naughty 可知，這個限定詞應是不定冠詞。注意不要從漢語習慣出發，漏掉該用的不定冠詞。

句意：這話毫不相干，而且要是可以這樣說的話，還相當低階。

誤用：Before the boys could answer，

angry voice

was heard outside。

改為：Before the boys could answer，

an angry voice

was heard outside。

說明：voice 為可數名詞，在用作單數時，其前應有適當的限定詞。注意不要從漢語習慣出發，漏掉該用的限定詞。

句意：男孩們還來不及作出解答，就從外面傳來憤怒的聲音。

誤用：Considering that they are such

important part

of undergraduate courses， lectures are often presented in a remarkably poor manner。

改為：Considering that they are such

an important part

of undergraduate courses， lectures are often presented in a remarkably poor manner。

說明：句中的 part 為可數名詞，應在修飾它的形容詞前加上不定冠詞。注意不要從漢語習慣出發，漏掉該用的不定冠詞。

句意：鑑於演講課在大學本科課程中佔了很重要的地位，這些課就顯得上得非常差。

誤用：Undeniably， political stability and human

progresses

in the country depend on greater economic success。

改為：Undeniably， political stability and human

progress

in the country depend on greater economic success。

說明：progress（進步）是不可數名詞，不用複數形式。

句意：不可否認，國家政治的穩定和人的進步都依賴於更大的經濟繁榮。

誤用：I have played

a great deal of

glamorous women who have broken men’s hearts， so people tend to see me as that sort of person。

改為：I have played

a great number of

［

a lot of

］ glamorous women who have broken men’s hearts， so people tend to see me as that sort of person。

說明：由於是用於修飾可數的複數名詞 women，所以不能用 a great deal of。

句意：我已扮演過許多使男人傷心的、富有魅力的女角色，所以人們往往把我看成是那種人。

誤用：Dr Maturin could speak fluently in Latin and Greek， and as for modern

language

， to Jack’s certain

knowledges

he spoke half a dozen。

改為：Dr Maturin could speak fluently in Latin and Greek， and as for modern

languages

， to Jack’s certain

knowledge

he spoke half a dozen。

說明：modern language 在此指現代各種語言，其中的 language 應用複數；knowledge 為不可數名詞，不用複數，to one’s knowledge 為習語，意為“據某人所知”。

句意：st1：PersonName ProductID=“馬圖林” w：st=“on”>馬圖林博士能流利地用拉丁語和希臘語說話。至於現代語言，據傑克的可靠訊息，他會講六種。

誤用：He previously worked in the Ministry of Finance。 He comes， therefore， with a great deal of

experiences

and

expertises

。

改為：He previously worked in the Ministry of Finance。 He comes， therefore， with a great deal of

experience

and

expertise

。

說明：experience 表示“經驗”時，為不可數名詞，沒有複數形式；但表示“經歷”時，則可數。expertise（專門知識）也是一個不可數名詞，也沒有複數形式。

句意：他以前在財政部工作過。因此他來的時候已有豐富經驗和專門知識。

誤用：On their travels they indulged their hobby of collecting antique

furniture

s。 As a result their home had become something of a museum。

改為：On their travels they indulged their hobby of collecting antique

furniture

。 As a result their home had become something of a museum。

說明：furniture（傢俱）是一個典型的不可數名詞，沒有複數形式。

句意：他們在每次旅行時，盡興地滿足自己收集古董傢俱的嗜好。結果他們家成了類似博物館的地方。

誤用：Now supposing there was

such a piece of stamp

， and supposing it was worth a million dollars。 And supposing the man who owned it suddenly came into possession of

a second piece of stamp

， its duplicate。 What do you think would be the valve of each of

those two pieces of stamp

？

改為：Now supposing there was

such a stamp

， and supposing it was worth a million dollars。 And supposing the man who owned it suddenly came into possession of

a second stamp

， its duplicate。 What do you think would be the valve of each of

those two stamps

？

說明：stamp（郵票）是可數名詞，其前可直接用不定冠詞或數詞修飾，也可用複數形式，而不能借助 a piece of 表示“一張”。

句意：假定有這樣一張郵票，假定這張郵票值100萬美元。然後又假定這張郵票的主人一下子有了第二張郵票，即第一張郵票的複製品，你認為這兩張郵票各值多少錢？