1.Paper是不可數名詞(uncountable),然則newspaper(報紙)是不是也不可數?

解作「紙張」的 paper 當然不可數,但 newspaper 是可以數的,正如 mail(郵件)是不可數名詞,email(電郵)卻可數。一個字和其他字合成新字之後,文法上就可能改變。I read three newspapers every day 即「我每天讀三份報紙」。

其實,paper 一字,假如解作「論文」,也可以加 s,例如two papers on SARS 是「兩篇探討非典型肺炎的論文」。解作「證件」,更必須加 s,例如 identification papers 是「身份證明文件」。

2.It is possible 和 It is capable 有甚麼分別?

It is possible 即「那是可能的」,至於「那」或 It 代表甚麼,一般須看 possible 之後說的是甚麼,例如:(1)It is possible that she does not like Tom.(= That she does not like Tom is possible她可能不喜歡湯姆)、(2)It was possible for him to get there in time.(= For him to get there in time was possible 他應可及時到達那裡)。 Possible 強調的是「可能」,而 It 代表句子下半截所說的事,當然不可用 I、he 等其他代名詞取代。

Capable 則是「有能力」。文法上,It is capable(它能夠)可改為 I am capable(我能夠)、He is capable(他能夠)等,例如:(1)I have a powerful computer. It is capable of solving highly complicated mathematical problems.(我有一臺強力電腦,能解決很複雜的數學問題)、(2)He is capable of getting even with you.(他有能力向你還以顏色)。這兩句的 capable 都不可以改為 possible,正如上一段兩句的 possible 都不可改為 capable。

3.有文法書說 I am stronger than him 這說法不對, him 應改為 he。究竟 he、him 怎樣分別?

根據最嚴格的文法,「我比他強壯」英文應說 I am stronger than he is (strong),可略作 I am stronger than he。不過,than he說起來拗口,一般人不會說,而會說 than him,約定俗成,than him這說法今天也不算錯,問題所說的文法書未免古板了一點。

假如你既不想句子拗口,又怕遇上古板文法家,那最好是說 than he is 之類,例如:I work longer hours than he does.(我每天工作時間比他長)。

有時,than 之後用 I 等主格代名詞(subject pronoun)或 me等受格代名詞(object pronoun),句子意思會有分別。例如 I like Mary more than he(likes Mary) 是「我喜歡瑪麗,多於他喜歡瑪麗」;I like Mary more than (I like) him 則是「我喜歡瑪麗多於喜歡他」。

可能引起誤會的時候,就必須寫清楚,例如:I like Mary more than he does、 I like Mary more than I do him。

As 的用法和 than 差不多,例如你可以說 He wears the same clothes as I do、 He wears the same clothes as I / me(他穿的衣服,和我的一樣)。

4.Summer holiday(暑期)、New Year holiday(新年假期)等,那 holiday要不要加 s ?

一天的假期,須用單數形式的 holiday,例如:Next Monday is a public holiday.(下星期一是公眾假期)。

說「三天/三星期的假期」等,也是用單數形式的 holiday,例如:We had a five-day holiday / We had a holiday of five days.(我們有五天假期)。

至於暑假、新年假期、聖誕假期等,多用複數形式的 holidays,例如:The summer holidays / New Year holidays are approaching.(暑假/新年假期快來了)。不過,也有人說 the summer holiday、the New Year holiday 等,並不算錯。We are going to New Zealand for our holiday(s). 即「我們會去紐西蘭度假」。

5.「連續五個星期二」是 five consecutive Tuesday 還是 Tuesdays?

Monday、 Tuesday 等是可數名詞,「連續五個星期二」當然應用複數形式的 Tuesdays,例如: I saw him on five consecutive Tuesdays.(我連續五個星期二都見到他)。

6.Log in 和 log on、fill in 和 fill out(a form)有甚麼分別?

Log in、log on 都是所謂「登入」,即輸入暗碼(password)以進入某電腦系統,意思、用法沒有分別,例如:When I get to the office every morning, the first thing I do is to log in / on(我每天早上回到辦公室,做的第一件事就是啟動電腦)。

說「填寫表格」,fill in、fill out 也都相同,例如:Please fill in / out the application form(請填寫這張申請表格)。不過,說「填寫資料」,習慣用fill in,不用 fill out,例如:Just fill in your telephone number(寫下你的電話號碼就可以了)。

7.報章有以下一句:All items are sold as is and where is. 那是甚麼意思? As 代表甚麼?

As is 或 as seen 是商界術語,指「(商品等)按現狀」。那 as可算是關係代名詞(relative pronoun)。

As 作關係代名詞,其實頗為常見,例如:(1) Such people as(=Those people who) knew him found him dependable.(認識他的人,都覺得他可靠)、(2) He uses the same dictionary as(=that)I do(他用的字典,和我的相同)。As 作關係代名詞,往往不用先行詞(antecedent);換言之,as 不必專指某個先出現的名詞(例如上文的people和 dictionary),而可泛指主要子句(main clause)所言事物,這子句用在 as 前後都可以,例如:He is getting married, as you have heard / As you have heard, he is getting married(他快結婚了,這是你也聽到的)。

至於 where is,我從前沒有見過,似是按 as is 句式寫成,意思是「(商品等)在其所在地方」。由此看來,所賣商品並非都在某一商店之內。Where is 即使是術語,也非常罕見,不宜仿效。

報章那一句,用普通英文寫,就是 All items are sold as they are and where they are(所有物品,都按其現狀,於其所在處出售)。對一般人來說,這樣寫會清楚得多。留意這一句的 as 可不是關係代名詞,而是連接詞(conjunction)。

8.KMB ( Kowloon Motor Bus 九巴 )、CEO (chief executive officer 總裁)、BBC ( British Broadcasting Company 英國廣播公司 )、HKEA (Hong Kong Examinations Authority 香港考試局) 等 acronym 之前,用不用冠詞 the,有規則可循嗎?

首先須指出的,是 KMB 和 CEO 只能算是 abbreviation(縮寫),不是 acronym。 Acronym(頭字詞)和縮寫一樣,也是由幾個字的頭幾個字母合成;但頭字詞可以和普通英文字一樣讀出來,例如北大西洋公約組織 NATO 讀 ['neitou],分兩個音節(syllable); C-E-O 之類縮寫,則只能逐個字母讀出。HKEA 一般讀 Hong Kong E-A,不是逐個字母照讀,可算是頭字詞。

逐個字母讀出的縮寫,用不用 the,看全寫而定。例如:(1) Kowloon Motor Bus / KMB is making huge profits(九巴盈利豐厚)。(2) The British Broadcasting Company / The BBC operates independently of the British government(英國廣播公司獨立經營,不受英國政府管轄)。

至於頭字詞,習慣都不用 the,即使全寫須冠以 the 也是如此,例如:(1) NATO / The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is dominated by the US.(北約受美國支配)、(2) HKEA / The Hong Kong Examinations Authority is responsible for organising public examinations.(香港考試局負責籌辦公開試)。

9.I started as a personal secretary in 1995, and since 1999 have been secretary to the Managing Director.(我一九九五年開始任私人秘書,一九九九年以後任公司總裁秘書)一語,為甚麼 personal secretary 冠以 a,secretary to the Managing Director 卻不冠以 a 或 t

說到某人的職位,假如用 as 或 be(包括 is、were等 be的變體)、seem、appear、become 等所謂連綴動詞(linking verb)帶出,而該職位是獨一無二的,則一般不用冠詞(article),例如:(1)As(the) publisher of the magazine, he has to answer for the publication of those obscene photographs.(雜誌刊出了那些淫穢照片,他身為社長,必須負責)、(2)The Soviet Union collapsed when Reagon was(the) President of the US.(列根任美國總統期間,蘇聯瓦解了)。這兩句括弧中的 the 字一般都不會寫出。

但假如不是說職位,而是說任職的人,則 a、an、the 這些冠詞不可略去,例如:(1)The publisher of the magazine has resigned.(雜誌社社長辭職了)、(2)The President of the US is probably the most powerful man in the world.(美國總統大概是全球權勢最重的人)。

又假如職位不是獨一無二的,則一般也會用冠詞。請比較以下兩句:(1)As a government minister, he is very well paid.(他任政府部長,薪金優渥)。(2)As Minister of Finance, he should know.(他是財政部長,應該知道)。

10.As well as 是不是只用於句中,等於 and?

As well as 和 and不大相同。As well as 是介系詞(preposition),and 則是連接詞(conjunction)。As well as 有「不但」的意思,常用來帶出一些對方應已知道的事,獨立於句子其他部份,不影響主要子句(main clause)的文法;and 則用來帶出相連的事物,用在子句之內,和文法結構息息相關。請比較以下兩句:(1)Tom and Mary are looking for employment.(湯姆、瑪麗都在找尋工作)。(2)Tom, as well as Mary, is looking for employment.(除了瑪麗,湯姆也在找尋工作)。第一句的 and Mary 使主詞(subject)變成複數,所以動詞也用複數形式的 are;第二句的 as well as Mary 獨立於主要子句之外,所以動詞用單數形式的 is。

「我認識甲、乙、丙」,英文是 I know A, B and C,不是 I know A, B as well as C。「我不但認識甲,還認識乙和丙」,英文是 I know B and C as well as A。留意 as well as 可用在 and 之後。

此外還須留意 as well as 在動詞之間的用法。「你不能既討好獨裁者,又保持磊落胸懷」一語,假如譯做 You cannot ingratiate yourself with the dictator as well as preserve your integrity,那就錯了。介系詞之後的動詞必須用 ing 形式,所以 preserve 應改為preserving。

As well as 不一定用於句中,也可用來起句,例如:As well as being a teacher, he is a writer(他不但是教師,還是個作家)。