matter既可以用作名词,又可以用作动词。现将它的用法归纳如下,供同学们学习时参考。
一、用作名词
1.用作可数名词,意为“事情,问题,情况”等。例如:
It 39; s quite another matter.(这完全是两码事。)
It 39; s no laughing matter.(这可不是开玩笑的事。)
That 39; s only a matter of time.(那只是个时间问题。)
2.用作不可数名词,意为“物质”。例如:
Most matter has three states.(大多数物质有三种形态。)
3. the matter意为“乱子,麻烦,毛病”,与 wrong同义,其后常跟介词 with。例如:
What 39; s the matter with you?(你怎么啦?)
What 39; s the matter with the machine?(这台机器出什么毛病了?)
注意:在“ What 39; s the matter…?”句式里, what是主语, the matter是表语。故在宾语从句中,应特别注意其语序。例如:
我不知道出了什么麻烦。
误: I don 39; t know what the matter is.
正: I don 39; t know what is the matter.
4.“ no matter+疑问词”用来引导让步状语从句,意为“不管,无论”。例如:
No matter what happened, he wouldn 39; t say a word.(不管发生什么事,他一句话也不肯说。)
No matter where he goes, the dog will go.(无论他去哪里,狗都跟着他。)
二、用作不及物动词
1.当 matter用作不及物动词时,它主要用于否定句、疑问句或条件状语从句中,意为“要紧,有关系”,相当于“ be important”。例如:
— I 39; m sorry I 39; m late.(对不起,我迟到了。)
— It doesn 39; t matter this time. But come to school earlier next time.(这次没关系,但下次要早点来学校。)
Age doesn 39; t matter.(年龄无关紧要。)
What does it matter?(这有什么要紧吗?)
2.有时, matter可以和 about连用,意为“对……(没)关系”。例如:
It doesn 39; t matter about closing the window.(关上窗户是不碍事的。)