语法细微差别

在C2水平，细微的语法选择会带来真正的意义差异——例如 "a few"（肯定：一些）与 "few"（否定：几乎没有），或 "the number of"（单数动词）与 "a number of"（复数动词）。

Examples

• A few people understood the joke. (some did)
• Few people understood the joke. (almost none did)
• The number of applicants has grown. (singular verb — "the number" is the subject)
• A number of applicants have withdrawn. (plural verb — "applicants" is the real subject)
• She's hardly ever late. (= almost never, not "hardly, ever late")

Common Mistakes

Practice

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