用法

(1)a [an]可与形容词等修饰语连用,加於单数可数名词之前:

(例:a fine day, a very fine day);

特别注意下列语词的字序:

many a boy

【文】

(=many boys)

such a thing

What an idle girl [How idle a girl] she is!

(她是一个多么懒惰的女孩啊!)

quite a young lady

rather an idle boy

as [so, too] heavy a burden

half an hour

(2)No such disaster will happen again.

(像这样的灾害不会再发生)

You could get no greater honor than this.

(你不可能获得比这更大的荣誉了。)

在上列句子中,如加入不定冠词而说成no such a disaster, no greater an honor就错了。

(3)this, that, some之类的限定词与my, his之类的所有格,不可与a [an]并用。

(如:a this girl, this a girl, a my daughter, my a daughter等均为错误)

(4)用于称呼时的名词,不加冠词:

Hello, friend!

(喂,朋友!)

(5)当作补语的名词,表官职、地位、任务等时,不加冠词:

Alice was elected chairperson.

(爱丽丝当选为主席。)

He acted as interpreter.

(他当译员。)

(6)在某些词组或独立短语中,可数名词前也不用不定冠词:

in class

(上课)

with child

(怀孕)

go to school

(上学)

He sat in a chair, pipe in mouth.

(他坐在椅子上,口啣烟斗。)

用法

my不能与a, an, this, that, no等连用放在名词之后; of yours [his hers, ours, theirs]的道理也是如此,另外在此种结构中的mine, ours, his, etc.读来仍然要比前面的名词放轻些。