语法术语:“可变名词”和“时序副词”有网友问:我知道英语有可数名词与不可数名词,但第一次听到有人说“可变名词”,请问:什么叫可变名词?“可变名词”(variable noun),是当代英语词法中新兴的一个术语。尤其在《柯林斯高级英语词典》和《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》中经常见到,在名词词条下有 N-VAR 标识。“可变名词”,是针对同一个名词的“可数和不可数”以及“单数和复数”的相互转化而言,但前提是,词义不发生变化。例如,cake 一词,在词义不变的前提下,既可以是不可数名词,也可以是可数名词;既可以是单数,也可以是复数。例如:可数用法:Did you make these cakes yourselves? 这些蛋糕是你们亲手做的吗?I made a cake specially for you. 我特地为你做了个蛋糕。Lucy, would you like another cake? 露西,你还想再要一块蛋糕吗?不可数用法:There isn't enough cake to go round. 没有足够的蛋糕分给每人吃。Would you care for another piece of cake? 您再来一块蛋糕好吗?Would you like some chocolate cake? 来点巧克力蛋糕怎么样?但是,对于一个单复数意义有变化的名词而言,则不属于此类。例如,paper 一词,其单复数词义不同,所以,它不叫可变名词。1. He wrote his name down on a piece of paper for me. 他把他的名字写在一张纸上交给我。(不可数名词,“纸”)2. The teacher was busy setting a paper. 老师正忙于出考题。(可数名词单数,“试题”)3. I had to empty out the drawer to find the papers. 我不得不倒出抽屉的东西以找出那些文件。(可数名词复数,“文件”)关于“时序副词”(adverbs of sequence)有网友问:在人教版初中八年级英语的语法项目中,有这样一条语法术语:adverbs of sequence 不知道如何翻译。特请教专家老师。“时序副词”,即表示时间先后顺序的一类副词。例如:first, second, third, last (这类词既是形容词,也是副词)以及纯副词 firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly 等。此外,还有表示“时间范围大小”顺序的一类副词:yearly (annually), monthly, weekly, daily 等。不过,该术语在国内外语法书中比较少见。