As you know, in English you generally make a word plural by adding an ‘s’ at the end. There seems to be some confusion, though, about how to make plurals of terms made up of more than one word. For example, do you say bicycles shops or bicycle shops? Do you say power of attorneys or powers of attorney?
众所周知,在英语中要把一个名词变成复数,只要在这个词的后面加上“s”就行了。不过,当一个名词变成了由几个名词组成的词组时,就让人摸不着头脑了。举个例子,如果你要表示自行车商店的复数形式,你是用“bicycles shop”还是“bicycle shops”?在表示授权书的复数时,你是说“power of attorneys”还是“powers of attorney”?
The answers are bicycle shops and powers of attorney.
正确的说法是“bicycle shops”和“powers of attorney”。
The rule is that you pluralise the “head” of the term.
名词词组复数变化的规则就是:变“重点词”。
The term bicycle shop is typical of most noun groups. The “head” is the last word in the group. The previous word or words act as an adjective. So the last word in the group is pluralised. Here are some more examples:
“自行车商店”这个名词词组是一个很典型的例子。在这个词组中,重点词是最后一个词,即商店(shop);前面的词或者词组只是起到了一个形容词的修饰作用而已。因此,在这个词组中,最后一个词变成了复数形式。更多类似的例子:
Bank account => Bank accounts
银行账户
Company car => Company cars
公司用车
Price limit => Price limits
价格限制
Termination notice => Termination notices
终止通知
Service charge payment => Service charge payments
服务费收费
Employee share option scheme => Employee share option schemes
雇员股份认购权计划
However, a term like power of attorney acts rather differently. Power is the “head” and of attorney is an adjectival phrase which describes the “head”. Here are some other examples of terms that behave in the same way:
然而,像授权书这样的词组就又是另外一番解释了。在这个词组中,重点词是权利(power),律师(attorney)一词只是用来充当形容词的修饰成分。更多类似的例子:
Article of association => Articles of association
公司章程
Code of conduct => Codes of conduct
行为守则
Conflict of interest => Conflicts of interest
利益冲突
Course of action => Courses of action
行动步骤
Notary public => Notaries public
公证人
Statement of claim => Statements of claim
起诉书
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 33
新东方四级词汇·词根+联想记忆法词根+联想记忆法 List 10
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 24
星火英语2008年6月版听力强攻第1课
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 17
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 81
2008年6月四级预测卷听力(星火)第3课
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 40
2008年6月四级预测卷听力(星火)第6课
大学英语四级词汇r
大学英语四级词汇u
大学英语四级词汇q
大学英语四级考试(CET4)历年真题听力2010年12月英语四级真题听力
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 22
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 52
CET4淘金式英语词汇(四级)第1课
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 1
闭着眼睛飘单词四级penalty- pillar
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 27
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 45
背1遍就想上考场四级单词 Week 3 Day 2_90
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 51
大学英语四级词汇b
背1遍就想上考场四级单词26
新四级听力听写练习第四单元lesson18
CET4淘金式英语词汇(四级)第6课
cet4英语词汇全攻略第6课
大学英语四级词汇c
赵丽教你巧记英语单词LESSON 29
星火英语点评历年四级真题2007年6月四级真题
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |