七減去四、有 - 古德明

七減去四、有 - 古德明

做數學練習,見到subtract4by7的指示,這和subtract4from7有甚麼分別?
兩個說法的分別,是by文法上不正確。By只可用於除數或乘數,例如:Fivemultipliedbytwois/equalsten(=Multiplyfivebytwo,andyougetten五乘二得十)、Tendividedbytwois/equalsfive(=Dividetenbytwo,andyougetfive十除以二得五)。Subtract則只可用from字:Ifyousubtractthreefromten,theremainderisseven(十減去三剩下七)。
貴欄說「我不名一文」可譯做Ihavenotasinglecent,為甚麼不是Idon'thaveasinglecent?

Idon'thaveasinglecent也是正確說法,此外你還可以說Ihaven'tgotasinglecent。要問「你有錢嗎?」同樣有三個說法:Haveyouanymoney?或Doyouhaveanymoney?或Haveyougotanymoney?要說「我有一點錢」,則有兩個說法:Ihavesomemoney或Ihavegotsomemoney。那havegot形式最常見,語氣也比較隨便。
不過,過去式則很少用got。例如一般不會說Ihadgotsomemoney,而會說Ihadsomemoney;很少人說Ihadn'tgotacent或Ihadnotacent,而會說Ididn'thaveacent;此外也很少人問Hadyougotanymoney?或Hadyouanymoney?而會問Didyouhaveanymoney?