1 为什么不可说 How a good...？

1　为什么不可说 How a good...？

有一读者问：为什么只能说 How good a comrade he is! 而不能说 How a good comrade he is? 我们不是可以说 What a good comrade he is吗？

这是因为 how 与 what 的词性不同。 how 是一副词，其后不可接a，但可修饰形容词 good。 而 what 则是一感叹词，故而其后可接“a +名词”。

对于“how+形容词+a”结构中的 how，应与 as, so, too等副词联系起来学习和理解。它们作为副词，其后皆须接形容词，然后再接不定冠词 a, 如：

(1)“I am as good a man as any,” he said.（as之后先接形容词 good, 后接 a）

(2)She was so nice a girl that he fell in love with her at first sight.（so 之后先接形容词 nice, 后接 a）

(3)She is too good a girl for him. （too 之后先接形容词 good, 而后接 a）

下面句中的 no less great a 与 no more terrible an 等亦属上述结构：

(4)Bradshaw was no less great a genius.

(5)No more terrible an exposition was offered.

(6)It is far smaller a margin than we have been accustomed to.

2　如何理解How much more...?

有一读者问： 有这样一句话：

(1)Hygeia herself would have fallen sick under such a regimen; and how much more this poor old nervous victim?

如何理解、分析how much more...?

这是一种比较常见的疑问感叹句的省略结构，其意为“更何况……!”或“……就更不用说了!”。它是much more...的强调式。再如：

(2)If a nurse earns so many dollars a week, how much more a first-rate doctor like him?

(3)She loves her mother-in-law, how much more she does her own mother？

3　为何不选What great change?

有一读者问： 有一道选择题：

My town has taken a new look. _____

A. What great change!

B. A great change has been taken place.

C. How great it has changed!

D. How it has changed!

答案是D，为什么不是A?

A如改为What a great change就可选用了。

4　这个感叹句较口语化

有一读者问是否可以说：

(1)What a hot day today is!

可以，但是较口语化，较正式的说法是：

(2)What a hot day it is today!