Determiners, Articles, and Quantifiers
冠詞是非英美人士最感頭痛的問題，因為冠詞的使用除了要判定可數與不可數之外，
還牽涉到習慣、邏輯與語意判斷，無法依靠機械性的文法規則去取捨。冠詞如果使用錯誤，很可能會寫出啼笑皆非的句子。許多非英語系國家的人士即便對英文駕輕就熟，仍然會對冠詞感到頭痛。
限定詞是在告訴讀者或聽者我們到底是在指特定事物還是一般事物 (a barn, the garage)，有時候我們也用限定詞來標示數目或數量 (lots of trees, several books, some confusion)。
定義
限定詞放在名詞前面，使名詞的含義明確。
A determiner is a word that comes before a noun to show how the noun is being used.
限定詞的分類
冠詞：the (定冠詞), a/an (不定冠詞)
指示詞：this, that, these, those…
所有格代名詞：my, your, his, her, their…
數詞或量詞：(可數) many, few, a few, some, a couple of, a lot of, lots of, …
(不可數) much, little, a little, any, a lot of, lots of, …
單位：a cup of, a glass of , a liter of, a piece of, …
名詞的可數與不可數
(應用原則)
單數的普通名詞加 a/an
複數名詞不加 a/an
不可數名詞不加 a/an，但可使用量詞或單位(counters)
(不可數名詞的種類)
1. 沒有固定形狀的物質名詞: water, oil, rice, sand, flour, air, oxygen
2. 抽象概念的名詞: anger, happiness, information, force, strength, power
3. 處理的方式或過程: integration, fabrication, pollution, purification
4. 學術領域的名稱:physics, chemistry, economics, mathematics, engineering
(科技領域中常見的不可數名詞)
Research – Much research has been published in this field.
Information – Not too much information is available on this phenomenon.
Equipment – The new equipment has already been installed.
Software – We are developing advanced software to complement our new line of servers.
Hardware – A company cannot rely only on advanced hardware.
(多數時不可數的常用名詞)
Literature (所有文獻) – In the literature, little attention has been devoted to this problem.
Work (整體工作) – Recent work has overcome these drawbacks.
Notation (整組不同符號) – The notation used in this paper is summarized below.
Terminology (整組不同術語) – In this paper, we employ standard terminology.
(a 與 an 的使用場合)
依照名詞第一個音節的發音而定
a machine / a blackboard / a universal joint / a unique solution / a one-step method
an algorithm/ an iteration / an SRAM chip / an X-ray machine / an RNA molecule
a simple algorithm / a new element / an unusual machine/ an interesting subject
(兩用名詞)
Language is what sets humans from animals.
(Language = system of sounds, words, patterns)
Professor Wu is fluent in four languages.
(Language = form of language used by a particular group or nation)
The door is made of metal. (物質名詞)
Gold, silver, and bronze are three different metals.(指三種不同的金屬)
Pressure varies proportionately with temperature. (不可數)
In the second experiment, the reaction was carried out at a greater pressure than in the first. (可數 a greater pressure = a greater amount of pressure)
(兩用名詞的例句)
According to this law, force is the product of mass and acceleration. An object with a mass of 10 kilograms and an acceleration of one meter per second, will have a force of 10 newtons.
A company must not overburden itself with debt. In the last 18 months before its collapse, Technocorp had taken on several unwise debts.
Voltage is the electrical pressure that exists between two points and produces a flow of current when a closed circuit is connected between the points. The unit of measurement of voltage is the volt. One volt is the difference in electric potential required to make a current of 1 ampere flow through a resistance of 1 ohm.
冠詞
三個冠詞 (the, a, an) 都是形容詞。the 叫定冠詞 (definite article)，因為它明確地指出名詞；a 和 an 叫不定冠詞 (indefinite articles)，因為它們未明確指出名詞。這些字也叫做名詞限定詞 (noun determiners)，因為它們的後面跟著名詞。
即使學會了冠詞的所有應用規則之後，你仍會發現有許多情況你不知道在何處使用正確的冠詞或是否使用冠詞。
- 不定冠詞接單數可數名詞：
I just had a cup of coffee. = I just had one cup of coffee. (我剛喝過一杯咖啡)
I have never seen a dolphin. (我沒看過海豚)
It is so easy that even a child can do it. = It is so easy that any child can do it. (這件事很簡單，連三歲小孩都會)
A man stopped me on the street this morning. = Someone/Somebody stopped me on the street this morning. (今天早上有個(男)人在街上叫住我)
She is looking for a husband. (她正在尋覓另一半)(a = somebody) - 定冠詞接單數普通名詞：
The girl is my friend. (這個女孩是我的朋友) →特別限定
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare suggested a link between madness and artistic creativity: 'The lunatic, the lover, and the poet', he wrote, 'Are of imagination all compact'. (瘋子、戀人與詩人都是幻想做成的) →代表「觀念」
Do not lean against the door. (請勿倚靠車門) →代表「共同認定的觀念」Do not lean against doors. / Do not lean against door.(標語的定冠詞使用情況比較特殊)
- 定冠詞接複數普通名詞：
The girls over there are my friends. (那邊的女孩們是我的朋友) →特別限定 - 定冠詞 + 形容詞：When the rich make war, it is the poor that die. - Jean Paul Sarte(富人發動戰爭，賠上性命的卻是窮人)
- 無冠詞」用於複數普通名詞：(泛指) 說明該名詞的「ㄧ般情況」
Good horses are hard to find nowadays. (這年頭好馬難求) - 「無冠詞」用於不可數名詞 (包含抽象、物質名詞)：I hate instant coffee. (我不喜歡即溶咖啡)
- 不定冠詞接「經過轉換」的不可數名詞：This is a good coffee. (cup of this drink)(這杯咖啡好喝) We'll have a/one coffee and a/one black tea. / We'll have two coffees. (我們要一杯咖啡，一杯紅茶)The country produces a light oil of which quality is considered the best of its kind.(這個國家生產某種輕油，其品質被視為同類油品中最好的)
- 定冠詞接抽象名詞或物質名詞：→「限定範圍的轉用」
Sugar is bad for you. (吃糖對你不好)The sugar is bad for you. (吃這種糖對你不好)
Will you please pass me the sugar? (麻煩把那罐糖遞給我) 「限定範圍」
Love is ephemeral. Art is eternal. (愛情轉眼成空，藝術永垂不朽)
He gave up his claim to the throne, all for the love of a plain woman. (他放棄繼承王位，只因迷戀一位平凡女子)
The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise. (孫子兵法是一部中國兵書)
There was a lag of several seconds between the lighting and the thunder. (閃電與雷聲之間有數秒的落差) - 不定冠詞接「有限定範圍或種類」的抽象名詞：There was an abundance of good food at the party. (宴會上有豐盛的食物)= There was good food in abundance at the party. He has a good command of English. Her deed displayed a rare courage that drew admiration from around the world.(她展現罕見的勇氣而受到舉世的讚揚)
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