2017年6月10日星期六

Everything和everybody - 古德明 | 2017-06-10 | | 蘋果日報

Everything和everybody - 古德明 | 2017-06-10 | | 蘋果日報

Everything和everybody - 古德明

問:以下兩句,那個選擇正確?──(1)I put everything back to its /their original position(s)(我把一切放回原位)。(2)Everybody is going to a new home. They /He will love it there(人人都會有一個新的家,並會為之高興)。
答:學過附加問句(question tag)者都會知道,主詞everybody、 everyone、somebody、someone、 nobody、no one之後,代名詞用they; everything、something、nothing之後,代名詞用it,例如:(1)Everybody is trying their best, aren't they?(大家不是都盡力而為嗎?)(2)Everything is okay, isn't it?(一切都妥當吧?)
附加問句之外,everybody等的代名詞一般也是用複數形式,但用單數也可以,例如:(1)Everybody was dressed in their best(人人都穿上了最好的衣服)。(2)Everyone was trying their best to win(人人都盡力爭勝)。用複數代名詞they、them、their的好處,是可兼指男女;假如把上兩句的their改為his or her,句子就覺累贅。當然,假如根據文意,everyone等指的都是男人或女人,那麼,單數形式代名詞讀起來也很自然,例如:Everybody was trying his best to win。
至於everything等的代名詞,一般都是用it,例如:Everything is not what it used to be(一切都和以前不同了)。
讀者示下的兩句,第一句最好用its,第二句則最好用They。



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