问英语
原书主词条 · 2 个连续词条

quantity/quantities

原书 PDF 第 1240 页

quantity/quantities1

问

quantities of water 的说法是否有误？water 为不可数名词，表示其数量的名词怎么能用复数呢？

答

quantities of water (meat, sugar, blood, milk, information) 的用法是符合英语惯用法的。因为名词 quantity 除了作“与质量相对而言的数量”解，用作不可数名词之外，还可以表示事物的量，用作可数名词。例如：

  1. He lost a great quantity of blood. (Palmer) 他流了大量的血。

  2. A thirsty man will drink great quantities of water. (JED) 口渴的人会喝大量的水。

  3. We've had quantities of rain this summer. (ALD) 今年夏天降雨量很大。

  4. Modern industry needs considerable quantities of this metal... (STE) 现代工业需要大量的这种金属……

  5. “What does Canada export?” “Large quantities of wheat ____ sent abroad.” A. is B. are C. have D. is being (Michigan)

  6. The actual quantity of folic acid is required in the daily diet is not known. (TOEFL)

(应将 is required 改为 that is required 或 required)

(参见 amount/amounts)

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-7.md · 3071—3093 行PDF：第 1240 页 · quantity/quantities 1-2

quantity/quantities2

问

Co-occurrence of Quantitiers(数量词的搭配)

<table><tr><td rowspan="2">Quantitiers(数量词)</td><td colspan="2">Count(可数名词)</td><td rowspan="2">Non-count(不可数名词)</td></tr><tr><td>Singular(单数)</td><td>Plural(复数)</td></tr><tr><td>a great (small, large)quantity of</td><td>/</td><td>/</td><td>money</td></tr></table> [复旦大学编《英语》(非英语专业用)第3册,p.232] 从上面的表可以明显地看出,该书编者认为 a great quantity of 只能接不可数名词。但是,我认为这是不符合实际的。
答

与 a great(large, small) amount 不同, a great(large, small) quantity 既可以接不可数名词，也可以接可数名词。例句见 amount/quantity。

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-7.md · 3094—3105 行PDF：第 1240 页 · quantity/quantities 1-2