1. 表示「布」「衣料」,是不可數名詞。如:
She bought some cloth to make herself a dress.
她買了些布要給自己做一件連衣裙。
再如:a piece of cloth(一塊布);three yards of cloth
(3碼布);a roll of cloth(一卷布)等等。
2. 表示用作某種特殊用途的布(如桌布臺布,揩布等),是可數名詞。如:
Clean the windows with a soft cloth.
用塊軟布擦窗子。
The box was covered with a black cloth by the magician.
盒子被魔術師蓋上黑布。
再如:a tablecloth(桌布), a dishcloth(洗碟布),
a face cloth(洗臉毛巾),等等。
1. 是衣服的統稱,不僅包括coat, shirt, dress等這樣的「衣服」,而且還包括 trousers, socks等穿在身上的所有東西。
2. 表示「衣服」,是一個沒有單數形式的複數名詞,其前不可加不定冠詞,也不可加數詞,但可用 some, these, those,
many, (a) few等詞修飾。如:
I need to buy some clothes.
我需要買些衣服。
These clothes wash well.
這些衣服經洗。
You look rather shabby in those clothes.
你穿著那種衣服顯得很寒酸。
I don’t have many clothes for summer.
我夏天穿的衣服不多。
As a student she lived very economically, rarely going
out and buying very few clothes.
作為學生,她過得很節約,很少外出,也難得買衣服。
3. 雖然不受數詞的修飾,但使用代詞時可用ones. 如:
When he got a job in a bank, he had to wear formal
clothes instead of informal ones.
他在銀行謀了份工作後不得不把非正式衣服換成正式衣服。
4. 可受某些名詞修飾,表示不同用途的衣服,如
school clothes(校服),
sports clothes(運動服),
work clothes(工作服),
play clothes(休閒服)等。
它還可以受季節名詞修飾,表示不同季節穿的服裝,如spring
clothes(春裝)、summer clothes(夏裝)、autumn clothes(秋裝)、winter clothes(冬裝).
另外還有men’s clothes(男裝);women’s clothes(女裝);children’s clothes(童裝)等,但是「嬰兒服裝」卻是
baby clothes, 通常不說babies』 clothes.
5. 表示一套衣服,可以藉助suit或set. 如:
George is wearing a new suit of clothes.
喬治穿著一套新衣服。
I’m going to take a set of clean clothes with me.
我要帶一套乾淨的衣服。
1. 表示「衣服」的總稱,是一個不可數的集合名詞。如:
We need warm clothing for the winter.
我們需要暖和的衣服過冬。
用作主語時,其後謂語動詞要用單數。如:
Loose clothing gives you greater freedom of movement.
穿寬鬆的衣服就能活動自如。
2. 表示一件衣服,可藉助單位詞article, item或piece。如:
A coat is an article of clothing.
上衣是一件衣服。
The police examined several items of clothing.
警方檢查了幾件衣服。
3. 漢語說「衣食」,但英語通常說成food and clothing。如:
We are well provided with food and clothing.
我們吃得好,穿得好。
Food, clothing and shelter are all basic necessities of life.
衣、食、住所是生活的基本必需品。
4. 習語a wolf in sheep’s clothing的意思是「披著羊皮的狼」,其中的clothing習慣上不能換成clothes. 如:
He is not to be trusted. He is a wolf in sheep’s
clothing.
他是不能相信的,他是一個偽君子。
They were our worst enemies—wolves in sheep’s clothing.
他們是我們最危險的敵人——是披著羊皮的狼。