大人の英文法

ネイティブチェックメモ(3) 

-名詞・冠詞・代名詞-

→はインフォーマントのコメント,※は参考情報。はA・B間で意見が分かれたもの。

適切な名詞の選択

● She is rumored to have been an actress (→actor). (A)  →(A):PCの問題。

a cake of soap → a bar of shape(A)  

● I’m getting on well with my colleagues (→workmates). (A)

● They considered his idea to be just a desk plan (→fantasy). (A)  

→(A):desk planは和製英語。

● I rent DVDs from a rental shop, but I often forget to return them by the deadline (→return date).(A・B)

→(B):deadlineは何かのprojectに使う。 

● The new shopping mall will play an important part in the local economy (→community).(B)

→(B):play a part economyよりmore tangibleなものに使う。economyなら ... will benefit the local economyがベター。  

It is said that about forty percent of Japanese people have ( hay fever / pollen allergy ).

→(A):pollen allergyを使う/(B):hay feverの方が普通。

● With regard to politics, I have no idea (→opinions). (A)

Most of the advanced countries depend on immigrants for labor force (→labor).

● Chika plays the flute, and her boyfriend the horn (→French horn).  (A)

→(A):楽器のホルンはFrench horn。  

● The sudden change in the weather forced the climbers to give up his attempt to reach the mountaintop (→summit). (A)

→(A):moutaintopは子どもっぽい。

● It seemed clear that the audience were charmed by Sheryl’s singing performance (→singing).   (A) 

● I want to buy a PC (computer, tablet, notebook computer). (A・B)

→(A):PCは古臭く響く。

I like reading sci-fi (→science-fiction) stories. (A)

→(A):sci-fiはやや古い語で,movie [film] の前に置くのが普通。

He has no sense of money (→loyalty, hard work, dutyなど).

→(A・B):日本語では「彼には金銭感覚がない」と言うが,sense of moneyとは言わない。

● I want to buy some souvenirs (→presents) for my family before having lunch.  (A) 

→(B):souvenirsも間違いではないが,自分ならsomethingを使う。

We wandered around the street (town [village]). (A)

→(B):streetはareaではないからaroundは使えない。

● The train came thirty minutes behind time (→schedule).  (A) 

● This room smells of tobacco (→cigarettes). (A)

● The online news article turned out to be a fake.

→(B):主語をpaintingにするか,a fakeをfake newsnewsはfakeだがarticleはfakeではない。なおfake newsは最近できた言い方で,fakeは典型的には芸術作品について使う。

● We have some cakes and tea (→tea and cake(s)) ready on the table.(B)

→(B):ただし常に飲み物が先というわけではなく,たとえばcheese and wineとは言う。

I forgot to bring my ( card key / key card ).

→(A):どちらも使う。/(B):key cardが正しい。card keyは和製英語。

 

冠詞/名詞の単複

● Despite the new policy, the economy hasn't shown a sign (→any signs) of recovery yet. (A)  

I don’t have brothers (→any brothers). (A)

● About 30 percent of the students got perfect scores (→a perfect score).(A)  

※配分単数がベターということ。

● British and American cultures (→culture) have a lot (of things) in common with each other.(A・B)

→(B):1つの文化とみなして単数形を使う。cultureは(There are many cultures in the world.のような文以外は)基本的に複数形にしない。

I wish I had a translator of dog ( language / languages ).

→(A):複数形を使う。/(B):単数形を使う。 現実に犬の言語は1つも知られていないから,複数ありうるという根拠はない。

● His lifestyle is typical of Japanese people (→a Japanese person). (A)

No one has ever succeeded in taking pictures (→a picture) of the animal.  (A)

※never/everで経験を表す文中では,SVOのOは単数形にするのが基本。この文の場合,picturesは複数の写真を(1回の機会で)撮影することを前提とした言い方になる。

● They looked alike ( except / except for ) the ( color / colors ) of their eyes.

→(B):except for,color。colorはone subjectだから単数にする。

● Most people use ( a computer / the computer / computers ) at work.

→(B):1人が(同時に)使うパソコンはふつう1台だから単数形でよいが,複数形(配分複数)も可。

theだと特定のパソコンを表すことになる。総称のtheはふつう主語の位置で使う。

We had ( heavy / a heavy ) rain yesterday.

→(B):heavy。rainは不可算名詞だから。

※Netspeakで「had * heavy rain」を検索すると,aが1,100件,無冠詞が2,000件。

@ I shouldn’t have ordered ( such / such a ) hot curry.

A I shouldn’t have made ( such / such a ) hot curry.

→(B):@Aどちらも全部可。「@はsuch a,Aはsuchがベターではないか」と尋ねたところ,それはイエスだがAでsuch aを使っても間違いとは言えない(カレーをone dishと考える)とのこと。

● In this region the winter temperature seldom drops (→temperatures seldom drop) below zero.(A)

● He continued his study (→studies) at the cost of his health.

※Wisdom4版にcontinue one's studies(学業を続ける)という例あり。ジーニアス6版では「one's studies=(主に大学での)学業」。

● This cup noodle (→cup of noodles) tastes better than the one I usually have. (A) 

● We told about our family (→families) by turns. (A)  

● The loss adds (→losses add) up to 1 million dollars. (A)

The disaster brought home to them the danger of flood (→floods). (A)

● I wonder why war breaks (→wars break) out even though everyone hopes for peace.  (A)

● My daughter goes in for the doll (→dolls). (A)

→(A):goesが動作動詞だから(習慣を表すことになる)。

E-mails (→E-mail) can be used anytime. (A・B)

● None of the candidates could get a majority vote (→a majority of the votes). (A)

● Until his wife was discharged from the hospital, Phi did all housework (→all the housework) himself.  (A)  

※all (the) membersのように集団を表す(複数)名詞の前のtheは,意味を誤解されるおそれがなければ省略可能だが,この文ではtheが必要。

The important thing is not to accept all things (→all the things) that your teacher says but to think by yourself.   (B)

Little is known about how ancient Egyptians (→the ancient Egyptians) built such huge pyramids.  (A)

● I hear the viewer ratings of yesterday’s game were record-high (→a record-high) 60.25 percent.  (A)

The girl, with the help of people around her, was able to go to music school (→a music school). (A)

● Draw the (→a) straight line to connect Point A and Point B.  (A)

● My room faces the south. → theを削除 (A)

● I’m so eager to go to the concert of B’z (→B’z concert).  (A)  

● The amount of bonus (→the [your] bonus) is at the manager’s discretion. (A)

→(B):The size of the bonus is ...

● Fill in each blank with one word so that each pair of sentences are (→is) close in meaning. (A・B)

● Lisa is ( a / the ) quiet type, so I talk a lot to keep up our conversation.

→(A):theを使う/(B):aも間違いではないが,theを使う。

● 絵の説明としてどちらを使うか?

The woman sitting on ( a / the ) bench is my sister.

→(B):the。女性が座っているベンチは1つに特定できるから。

● @Who’s the girl reading ( a / the ) book?

AWho’s the girl sitting on ( a / the ) bench?

→@についてAはaを使うというので,Bに尋ねたらやはりaを使うという。しかし「Aはtheなのになぜ@がaなのか?」とBに問い直すと,@もtheでよいとのこと。

@( American people / The Americans ) seem to express their opinions more clearly than A( us / us Japanese ).

→Aは「@はどちらでもよい」,Aは「us Japaneseは(学習者用の例文としても)使うべきではない」という見解。Bは「@でthe Americansを使うとinsultingに響く。Aでus Japaneseを使うとarrogantに響く」。

● The U.S. government should make ( regulations / the regulations ) for guns stricter.

→(A・B):どちらも可/(B)@は一般論,Aは特定の規制を念頭に置いている(銃規制について一定の知識がある)場合。

Nowhere in the world is the diversity of marine life greater than in ( coral reefs / the coral reefs ).

→(A):theを入れる/(B):theは入れない。

● I went camping last weekend and used ( the / a ) tent I bought six months ago for the first time.

→(B):theが正しい(後方照応)

● Lisa [She] is ( the / a ) singer who made the song.

→(B):theが正しい(その歌を作った人はふつう一人だから)

Hold ( a / the ) rope with both hands.

→(A):aを使う。/(B):theを使う。

● I’m interested in ( American history / the history of America ).

→(A):American historyの方が自然。始まりと終わりが明確な歴史なら,the history of Rome のように言う。

●She has a nice piano, but unfortunately, I don't have ( an instrument ) to play.(2014 学習院大)

質問:選択肢の1つにinstrumentsがあるが,これは誤りか?

→(B):誤り。any instrumentsなら正しい。

We could go to a café if you have ( time / some time ).

→(A):some timeを使う。/(B):timeを使う。

 

代名詞

● Himeji is famous for a (→its) beautiful castle. (B)

→(B):aだと城が複数あるように響くので不自然。その城のことが既に話題に出ている状況ならtheを使う。

● It is generally believed that the souls of ancestors (→our ancestors) return to this world during the Bon period.  (B)

● The (→That) plan will get nowhere.  (A)

● If you don't have an umbrella, you can use this (→this one).  (B)

→(B):「このを使っていい」の意味だからoneを加える。  

● I can't afford a new car. Instead, I want to buy a used car (→one). (A)

I prefer Australian beef to ( @American / AAmerican beef ).

→(A):Aを使う。@は英語的に不自然/(B):@の方が自然。同じ名詞の繰り返しは避ける。

A lot of people consider nuclear weapons to be inhumane ( @ones / Aweapons ).

→(A):Aを使う。/(B):どちらかを選ぶなら@を使う(同じ名詞の繰り返しは避ける)。ただし(  )に何も入れないのがベスト。

● Some Japanese people who study English want to be good speakers of English (→it), while others take pleasure in reading English books, no matter how difficult they are.(B)

→(B):同じ名詞を何度も繰り返すとぎこちなく響く。

●@Full-time workers’ wages were widely different from part-time workers’.

AFull-time workers’ wages were widely different from those of part-time workers.

→(A・B)Aがベター。Bによると,@は最後のアポストロフィを見落としやすいため。

● Once you have started to do anything, never give it up. (富山大)

→(A):anythingをsomethingに変えてitを削除する方が自然。

●You are new here, and as ( such ), I will have to train you.(2014 日本大)

質問:前に該当する名詞がないのに,代名詞のsuchをこのように使ってよいか?

→(B):かまわない。

●Even if ( located ) in remote areas, zoos are extremely popular among your families. (2018 日本女子大)

質問:下線部のyourはOKか?

(B):ノー。削除すべき。

 

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