16. that代有定冠詞的名詞,one代有不定冠詞的名詞
我們可以說:“The study of idiom is as important as that of grammar.”。為何不能說“This is a point of idiom rather than that of grammar.”呢?
【解答】that代表有定冠詞的名詞,one代表有不定冠詞的名詞。問題中的第二句是有不定冠詞的名詞(a point),所以應該用one代表,全句應改正:
This is a point of idiom rather than one of grammar.
當然這個句子里的one略去亦無妨。但要用必須用one,不可用that,因為that是the變的,屬于定冠詞范圍之內。第一句中的that,正是代表the study的,而第二句中的one,則是代表a point的。再看這樣的例句:
The cost of oil is less than that of gas.(油的價錢少于煤氣的價錢。)句中that = the cost。
但如果說:“A cake made of wheat costs less than that made of rice.”時,則that等于a cake,所以要不得,應把that改為one才對。(one = a cake)
I prefer a flat in Taipei to that in Singapore. 句中that不能代表a flat,應改為one。
有些句子字面上沒有冠詞,實際是有冠詞隱藏在內,例如:
Modern schools(= The schools of modern times)are far better than those of a century ago.(現代的學校比一個世紀前的好得多了。)
又,前面有the,后面并不一定非接that不可,如“The step you have taken is that of much risk.”的說法,就是錯誤的,應將that改為one才對。因為that = the step,而one = a step,這個句子只能說:
The step you have taken is a step of much risk.(你所采取的步驟是〔一個〕很危險的〔步驟〕。)
現用one代替a step,以求簡化。
The subject is too vast a one to be treated in an essay of this length.(這個題目太大了,這樣短短的文章中包含不下。)
This book is such a one as is needed by every student of English.(這是每一個研究英語的人都需要的一本書。)
Your cat is black;my young one is white.(你的貓是黑的;我的小貓是白的。)
沒有形容詞時就不要加冠詞,如:
He has many books;I want to borrow one.(他有許多書,我要向他借一本來看。)
This book is one that is needed by every student of English.(這是一本每個研究英語的人所需要的書。)
但有時可以加上定冠詞,而意思便不同了。