問:讀英文故事,見Let's play ball這一句,為什麼不說play with a ball或play with balls?
答:Let's play ball即「我們玩球戲吧」,那ball指「球戲」,是不可數名詞(uncountable noun),和to play football / basketball(打足球/籃球)等的football、basketball一樣,都不可冠以a,或用複數形式。
To play with a ball是指「拿個球來玩耍」,和to play ball不同,例如:(1)The cat was playing with a ball of wool(那隻貓正在玩毛線球)。(2)She played ball with her little daughter in the yard(她在院子和小女兒玩球戲)。留意play ball之後,也可以用with帶出以什麼作球,例如:The little ones played ball with a balloon(那些小孩子以氣球玩球戲)。
To play ball通常要大家合作,所以,俚語把「答應合作」叫做to play ball,例如:The pan-democrats refuse to play ball with the illegal government(民主派拒絕和那個非法政府合作)。
問:The meeting is scheduled for 1 January(會議定於一月一日舉行)這一句,假如日期1 January之前加上時間12:30 pm(下午十二點半),for要不要改為at?
答:動詞schedule(安排)之後,無論是說日期、時間還是其他事情,都可用for帶出,例如:(1)The meeting is scheduled for 12:30 pm on 1 January(或The meeting is scheduled to take place at 12:30 pm on 1 January)。(2)The cancer patient is scheduled for chemotherapy(那癌症病人已安排做化學治療)。