問：以下一句的be字，是怎樣用的？──Ever since Sennacherib made the city his capital in 700 BC, whoever ruled it has dominated the region, be they Assyrians, Arabs, or the British。
答：這一句是說：「辛那赫里布公元前七百年定都之後，據有這舊都者，無論是阿述人、阿拉伯人還是英國人，都能稱霸一方。」那be當然有「無論是……」的意思。英文有時會用be it / he / they / you等，代替whether it / he is或whether they / you are，另一寫法是whether it / he / they / you be，例如：（1）All citizens, be they rich or poor（或whether they be rich or poor / whether they are rich or poor）, shall be equal before the law（公民無論貧富，法律之前都應平等）。（2）Be he a Buddhist or a Christian, I don't like him（無論他是佛教徒還是基督徒，我就是不喜歡他）。
英文常用語be that as it may的be字，也有「無論」含義，全句是說「無論是否如此」或「即使如此」，例如："There is no evidence against him." "Be that as it may, I think he is guilty."（「沒有對他不利的證據。」「雖然如此，我還是認為犯罪的是他。」）
問：以下一句，which之前要不要加逗點？──I do not wish to be seen by the public, which would make me feel distressed（我不想公開露面，那會令我難過）。
答：這一句的which不是指the public，而是which之前那截句子所說的事。這個用法的which，前面一般會加逗點，例如：She is happy, which is good（她很快樂，那是好事）。