介词是一些非常常见的小词,例如at、for、in、on和to,通常位于名词或代词前面,表达与另外一个词之间的关系。
母语是英语的人在常见的介词使用中很少犯错,然而,英语学习者经常犯错,因为他们更多地是直接从自己的语言中翻译,而非听地道的英语。
提高介词使用能力最好的方法是:
1. listen to spoken English as much as possible
尽可能多地听英语口语
2. test yourself on common prepositions
自我测试常用的介词
下面罗列了10个常见的介词用法错误:
1) arrive at 还是 arrive in
*When we arrived to Claudio’s house…
at通常用在具体的地点前:school学校、restaurant餐厅、airport机场、aunt’s house阿姨的家;而in通常用在城市或国家前面。
✓ When we arrived at Claudio’s house…
我们到达克劳迪奥的家……
✓ The train arrived at Shibuya station thirty seconds late.
火车延迟30秒到达涩谷车站。
✓ On Friday, the president arrived in Poland.
总统于周五到达波兰。
✓ The K-pop band arrived in Phnom Penh last week.
韩国流行乐队上周到达金边。
2) at night
*We often go out in the night.
in可以用在in the morning, in the afternoon, 和in the evening里,但是night前面需要用at。
✓ We often go out at night.
我们经常在夜晚出门。
✓ Krakow is beautiful at night.
夜晚的克拉科夫很美。
3) look for 还是 wait for
*I was looking my glasses.
*Giulia was waiting me at the bus stop.
如果你想表达寻找,那么用look for或者search for;如果你想表达等待,那么用wait for。
✓ I was looking for my glasses.
我在寻找我的眼镜。
✓ Tomis looking for a new job.
汤姆正在寻找一份新工作。
✓Giulia was waiting for me at the bus stop.
茱莉亚正在车站等着我。
✓Lucy is waiting for her sister to finish class.
露西正在等她的妹妹放学。
4) for [period of time]
*I’ve been working here since five years
for用在一段时间前面,比如:a few minutes/three months/twenty years。
since和具体的时间点连用,比如:this morning/September/the day we met。
✓I’ve been working here for five years.
我已经在这里工作五年了。
✓She hasn’t drunk coffee for years.
她好多年不喝咖啡了。
✓She’s been living in Yokohama since February.
她从二月起一直住在横滨。
✓I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning.
昨天早上之后,我就没再见到她。
5) in [months and years]
*It’s my birthday on July!
in总是和年份或月份连用。
✓It’s my birthday in July!
我的生日在7月。
✓Ola was born in 2004.
欧拉出生在2004年。