不定代词指的是all, each, every, both, either, neither, none,little, few, many, much, other, another, some, any,no,以及由some, any, no, every构成的复合代词。 1.不定代词可以作限定词,直接用在名词的前面。例: somestudents 一些学生 many books 许多书 each boy 每个男孩 大部分不定代词还可以用于“of +名词”结构,注意这一结构中的名词必须有限定词修饰。例: some of the students (不能说:* some of students) many of the books (不能说:*many of books) each of the boys (不能说 *each of boys) 而在人称代词之前,则一定用of 结构。例: some of them 他们中的一些人 (不能说:*somethem) all of us 我们全体 (不能说:*allus) each of you 你们每一个 every, no 不能作代词,前者用every one来代替,后者用none 来代替。例: Every one has been checked up.每一个都检查核对过了。 If you need a repairman, there's none better than mybrother.如果你需要一位修理工,没有谁比我的弟弟更好的了。 everyone/everybody 之后不接of短语,而everyone 之后接of 短语。例: Every one of us was surprised to hear the news.我们每一个人听了这个消息后都很惊奇。 all 或both 后接of短语时,of 常常省去。例: all (of) my friends 我的所有朋友 both (of) Tom's friends 汤姆的两个朋友 2.little 和few 都可以作代词和限定词用,little用来指不可数的事物或修饰不可数的事物;而few则用来指可数的事物(人)或修饰可数的事物(人)。 Many people read Marco Polo's book, but few believe what he said.很多人读过马可波罗的书,但很少有人相信他所说的话。 Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering aroundand listening to mother or father read a good story.(孩子们)围在一起听父亲或母亲读美丽的故事很少有别的娱乐活动比这更能使家人们的心灵接近了。 little 和 few 表示说话人否定的意思,而a little 和a few表示说话人肯定的意思,前者常常翻译为“很少、几乎没有”,后者翻译为“一些”。但不能得出结论说alittle 或a few 就比little 或few多。两者不存在孰多孰少的比较,只是表示说话人的语气不同。例如某人口袋里有10元钱,可以是little, 也可以是a little。例: It's impossible for me to buy a TV set now. I have little moneyleft.我现在不可能买一台电视机,我几乎没有钱了。 We can have a cup of tea with a little money in my pocket.我们可以用口袋里仅有的一点钱喝杯茶。又例: There is a little water left. You can drink it.还有一点水,你可以把它喝了。 There is little water left. Would you please fetch some?几乎没有水了,去打些水来好吗? A little 和a few都有“more than none (胜于无)”或 “morethan expected (比期望的要多)”之意。 “Have we run out of eggs?” “No, there are afew left. ” “我们的鸡蛋吃完了吗?”“没吃完,还有一些。” “Is there any oil in the bottle?” “Yes,there's a little in it. ” “瓶子里还有油吗?” “还有一些。” 至于a few, a little所表示的绝对数量,其大小取决于说话人的观点。LongmanEnglish Grammar (外语教学与研究出版社, P.187)中举了一个例子,从这个例子我们可以看到:a few, alittle 实际上也可以表示很大的绝对数量。 Mrs. Lacey left a little money in her will －－－－ about＄1,000,000！莱西夫人在她的遗嘱中留下了一小笔钱。——约一百万美元! A.J. Thomson和A. V. Martinet 指出:“There is no difference inquantity between little and very little, few and very few. But thespeaker who adds very wants to be more emphatic. ” (A PracticalEnglish Grammar Third Edition, P.29)也就是说, little 和very little, few 和veryfew 所表示的数量没有区别,用very时表示说话者更强调而已。 至于quite a few, some few, a good few,在语气上是肯定的,即言其多的。例: “How many postcards have you received?” “ Quite a few. ”“你收到多少明信片?” “相当多。” 3.some 和any的比较: some有肯定的意思,因此常用在肯定句里;有时候句子形式上是疑问句,但实际上表达邀请或建议,也用some。例: There are some books on the bookshelf.书架上放着书。 Would you have some beer? 喝点啤酒怎样? 说话人暗示希望听者给予肯定答复时,也用some。例: Could you lend me some money ? 能借给我一些钱吗? “some +单数可数名词”中的some相当于a(n) 或 acertain； 而“some +复数可数名词”中的some作“一些”解。例: Some boy has cut the tree down.是一个男孩把这树砍了。 Some boys are singing. 有些男孩在唱歌。 any 有否定、疑问的意思。例: There are not any electric fans in the hall.大厅里没有电扇。 There was not any water in the pool. 塘里没有水。 Did you find any houses at the foot of the hill?你发现山脚下有房子吗? I am not sure whether there is any petrol in the tank.我不能肯定油箱里是否还有油。 any 有强调性用法,意义象no matter who/what,用在不可数名词或可数名词的单数形式之前。例: I wish you would tell me something about it； any information isbetter than none. 我希望你能告诉我关于这事的一些情况,任何情况都行。 These books are obtainable from any bookseller. 这书在任何书商那里都可以买到。 由some, any构成 的复合词,其用法与some,any的用法类似。 4. another 和 every 可以用在数词的前面。例: Two hours passed. Another two hours passed. He never turned up.两小时过去了,又过去了两小时,他还是没有出现。 We flew to Beijing every three months.我们每三个月飞一次北京。 many a后接单数名词,意思是“许多”,是比较文雅的说法。例: Many a man has been arrested after the demonstration.那次示威后很多人被逮捕了。 5. 数量词的用法: a couple of, dozens of , hundreds of, the majority of, a minorityof, a number of 等后接复数可数名词;而 a large / smallamount of, a bit of, a great deal of 后接不可数名词;a lotof, lots of, plenty of, a quantity of, quantities of等则后接可数或不可数名词。 She read a number of books during the summer vocation.暑假期间她读了很多书。 A large amount of money has been wasted.浪费了很多钱。 | 
