七、冠词的使用错误
冠词是英语限定词中最主要的一种，有且仅有两种形式：不定冠词 a （或者 an ）和定冠词 the 。但是冠词又是英语中最为常用的词类，而且由于汉语中没有与之对应的词类，所以考生对冠词的用法的掌握尤感困难。冠词的使用错误一般包括如下情况：
1. 该用冠词时漏用，如 all of sudden → all of a sudden ， tell truth → tell the truth ；
2. 不该用冠词时赘用，如 in the contrast → in contrast ， give a rise to → give rise to ； keep a pace with → keep pace with ；
3. the 与 a/an 误用，如 on a whole → on the whole ；
4. a 与 an 混用，如 a “ s ” sign → an “ s ” sign ， to a extent → to an extent ， a honor → an honor 。
例 1
We were very much surprised that the village
was such long way from the main road. 1.__________
在“ such+a(an)+ 形容词 + 名词”结构中，定冠词不能省略，所以应该在 such 后加上不定冠词 a 。
例 2
“I considered it a honor to be invited to address 1.__________
the meeting of world-famous scientists,” said
professor Johnson.
“ honor ”虽然首字母为 h ，却是一个以元音开头的单词，显然应该使用不定冠词 an ，这类题一般出现频率较少，却也容易犯错，在改错题应该格外注意，不容出错。
例 3
The nude human body at the rest must begin to 1.__________
combat a lowering of body temperature when the
air temperature stands at approximately 31.0℃．
“ at rest ”为习惯用语，表示“处于休息状态”的意思，中间不用任何冠词，故应该将 the 删去。
例 4
Geologists have been studying volcanoes for a long
time. Though they have learned great deal, they still 1.__________
have not discovered the causes of volcanic action.
“ a great deal ”表示“大量的，许多的”的意思，后面接不可数名词，此为习惯用法，前面不定冠词 a 不能省略。
练习题
1 They know that the inside of the earth is very
hot, but they are not sure what causes the great heat.
Some scientists now believe that much of heat 1.__________
inside the earth is provided by the radioactive
elements.
2 Communications satellites have made it possible
for an entire world be closer than ever before. 2.__________
3 A lighthouse must be high enough for its light to
be seen far away, but if it is too high, it has more
possibility to be destroyed by high wind; so it
is always true to say that the higher it is better. 3.__________
4 Scientists have suggested that supersonic
aircraft may disturb the upper atmosphere to
such extent that dangerous radiation from the 4.__________
sun might reach the earth.
5 Nowadays, higher education does not make
as much difference to the jobs women take as
it does in case of men. 5.__________
6 More than 90 percent of cigarette smoke is
made up of about dozen hazardous gases, 6.__________
carbon monoxide being the most important.
7 Primates are also known for their great
intelligence, related in a part to their great 7.__________
awareness of the environment plus the ability
to manipulate this environment
8 This tendency of technology to make workers
superfluous but at same time allowing 8.__________
their numbers to grow so large is deceasing
psychological tensions.
9 Most of the dollar differences stem from fact 9.__________
that women tend to be more recently employed
and have fewer years on the job.
10 This island is to south of North Korea. 10.__________
答案解析：
1. heat前加the。因为前面已经出现过了heat，所以此处为特指。
2. an→the。“the entire world”为习惯用法，表示“全世界，整个世界”，因为世界是独一无二的，所以不能使用不定冠词，必须改为定冠词。
3. better前加the。
4. such前加an。
5. case前加the。“in case of”表示“万一”的意思，显然不符合原句意思，应该改为“in the case of”意为“在……情况下”。
6. dozen前加a。
7. a删去。“in part”表示“部分”的意思，中间不需要任何冠词。
8. at和same之间加the。
9. from和fact之间加the。“fact”后面接同位语从句，所以此处定指。
10. to后面加the。
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