谈谈quantity的语法特点
1. 表示“数量”,若是指相对于质量来说的“数量”,是不可数名词。如:
Quality is more important than quantity, but without quantity there can be no quality. 质量比数量更重要,但没有数量就没有质量。
2. 若指具体的数量,通常为可数名词,此时可以连用不定冠词或用复数形式;要表示数量的多少可用 great, large, huge, small 等形容词修饰;既可用于修饰不可数名词,也可用于修饰复数名词。如:
He lost a great quantity of blood. 他失了大量的血。
Police found a small quantity of drugs in his possession. 警方发现他拥有大量(少量毒品)。
在某些表达中,quantity可以单独表示“大量”(没有large, great之类的修饰语)。如:
I was astonished by the sheer quantity of stuff in the trunk. 看到大箱子里的东西那么多,我感到十分惊讶。
3. 当a great (large, small) quantity of…结构作主语时,其谓语的数原则上与其中的名词的数保持一致。如:
A large quantity of beer was sold. 售出了大量的啤酒。
但是,若该结构变成quantities of…(大量的)这样的形式,则当它用作主语时,其谓语动词一律用复数(与其中名词的数无关)。如:
Quantities of books were on the desk. 在桌上有很多很多书。
Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea. 大量的石油渗到海里。
Quantities of food were spread out on the table. 许多食品摊放在桌子上。
4. 注意以下表达的用法:
(1) a quantity of 一些,一批
We need a quantity of baskets. 我们需要一批篮子。
(2) in quantity 在数量方面;大量地,大批地
These goods are greater in quantity than in quality. 这些货数量多,质量一般。
It is much cheaper if you buy it in large quantity. 如果你大批购买会便宜很多。
比较:We don’t sell coal in small quantities. 小批的煤我们不卖。