population是一個集合名詞,它的用法有時較為特殊,所以很容易用錯.下面談一下它的用法.
一、population常與定冠詞the連用,作主語用時,謂語動詞常用第三人稱單數(shù)形式.例如:
The world\'s population is increasing faster and faster.全世界的人口增長得越來越快.
At the beginning of the twentieth century,the world\'s population was about 1,700 million.在二十世紀初,全世界的人口大約是十七億.
二、當主語是表示\"人口的百分之幾、幾分之幾\"時,謂語動詞用復數(shù)形式.例如:
About seventy percent of the population in China are farmers.中國大約有百分之七十的人口是農(nóng)民.
三、有時population可用作可數(shù)名詞,其前可用不定冠詞.例如:
China has a population of about 1.3 billion.(=There is a population of about 1.3 billion in China.) 中國大約有十三億人口.
New York is a big city with a population of over 10 million.紐約是一個有一千多萬人口的大城市.
在表示多個地區(qū)的人口時,population要用復數(shù)形式populations.例如:
Many parts of the world,which once had large populations and produced plenty of crops,have become deserts.世界上很多地區(qū)一度人口眾多,種植大量的農(nóng)作物;現(xiàn)在,這些地區(qū)已經(jīng)變成了沙漠.
四、表示人口的\"多\"或\"少\",不用\"much\"或\"little\",而要用\"large\"或\"small\".例如:
India has a large population.印度人口眾多.
Singapore has a small population.新加坡人口少.
五、詢問某國、某地有多少人口時,不用\"How much...\",而用\"How large...\";在問具體人口時用\"What...\".例如:
-How large is the population of your hometown?你們家鄉(xiāng)有多少人口?
-The population of our hometown is nearly twice as large as that of yours.我們家鄉(xiāng)的人口是你們家鄉(xiāng)人口的將近兩倍.
-What is the population of Canada?加拿大的人口有多少?
-The population of Canada is about 29 million.加拿大的人口大約有二千九百萬.
六、population還表示\"某地、某類的動、植物或物品的總數(shù)\".例如:
In India,however,the population of tigers has increased,from 2,000 in 1972 to about 5,000 in 1989.然而在印度,老虎的總數(shù)已從1972年的2,000只增長到了1989年的大約5,000只.