dozen 英[ˈdʌzn] 美[ˈdʌzn]
dozen是一个名词,意思是(一)打;十二个;十几个;十多个;许多的意思。这些意思倒底怎么用呢?
1、作定语,dozen的意思是12个(打),用法与hundred, thousand …等类似。当dozen前面是数词或many,serveral时,dozen后不能加-s,dozen后不用"of",尽管有的词书也有 two dozen of 这样的用例,但这已属过时用法,在考试中应避免。如:
a dozen apples 十二个苹果(一打苹果)
My mother bought a dozen eggs.
我妈妈买了一打鸡蛋。
They began by baking two dozen loaves.
他们通过烘烤两打的面包开始。
2、与介词of连用,用dozens of表示"很多,许多"。当dozen前面没有具体数字时,dozens后加-s,再接of视为习惯短语。
I’ve been there dozens of times.
我去过那儿几十次。
She’s got dozens of boy-friends.
她的男朋友很多。
We have dozens of things to do now.
我们现在有很我事要做。
3、当与 a few, several 等数目不很具体的词连用时,加不加复数词尾-s均可,但需注意:不加复数词尾-s时,其后的介词of可以省略;加词尾-s时,其后介词 of不能省略。如:
several dozen (of) pencils=several dozens of pencils 几打铅笔
注:英语较少使用many dozen的说法,要表示类似意思可用dozens of。
4、当它后面的名词受 the, these, those 等特指限定词修饰时,或其后的接的是us, them这样的人称代词时,则此时必须用介词 of。如:
two dozen of these eggs 两打这种鸡蛋
three dozen of them 它们中的3打
注:score, hundred, thousand, million等也具有以上类似用法。
练习题
1、We already have ______ pencils, but we need two ______ pens.
A. dozen of, dozen B. dozens of, dozens
C. dozens of, dozen D. dozens of, dozen of
2、Shortly after the accident, two___________ police were sent to the spot to keep order.
A.dozens of B.dozens C.dozen of D.dozen
3、The woman wanted to buy three_____eggs,but there were only two____eggs left in the shop.
A.scores of;dozens of B. scores;dozens
C.score of;dozen of D.score of;dozen
答案:1、C,2、D,3、D