PREP2 中一道题

hesterwyx

There is a widespread belief in the United States and Western Europe that young people have a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents and that the source of the change lies in the collapse of the "work ethic."

(A) a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents

(B) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents

(C) a smaller commitment to work and a career than that of their parents and grandparents

(D) less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents had

(E) a lessening of the commitment to work and a career that their parents and grandparents had

为什么选D，不选C呢？是不是commitment不能用small来形容？那么D最后那个had如何解释？前面的have是时以动词，那么后面应该加did，从什么地方看出要用过去完成时呢?

zliycwn1

我觉得在美语中have可能可以作为比较特殊的实意动词

这里是主语比较 young peole和parents..比较 但是young people后有宾语 所以补充谓语比较好 不会产生歧义

dianecarton

less是副词，修饰动词have。have a commitment是个动词词组，表示前后比较的句子里，修饰的话应选择副词修饰have，而非形容词smaller修饰commitment.否则会造成歧义。

比如两年raise costs的比较，也是用less而不是fewer.

AlienX

umm...看法不一樣
smaller跟less都是形容詞.
less of vs. less:
用less of如果後接the/a/an/his/her/their之類, 如果不是可以不用of

less是用在不可數的東東上...commitment是一個abstract noun...不可數...

hesterwyx

我觉得less还是形容词，不是副词。不然的话变成have (less) of a commitment了，怎么能说have of something呢？

dianecarton

LZ参考一下PREP24---28，题号记得不太清楚了，有一道employment costs rose...的题目，看看两道题类似不？

AlienX

hmm...I know which question you are referring to.
in fact, I should take back the words, "smaller跟less都是形容詞"
因為less可以是形容詞, 也可以是副詞
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/less

可是我上面講的still hold true...(除了"smaller跟less都是形容詞")

I have a smaller car than you have.
I have less money than you have.

smaller vs. less要看後面的是不是可數的東東

amorela

ding

smartsky11

在

readerfan

还是不明白为什么不是did,而用had。XDF老师说，than后面的助动词，加优先于不加，但如果加错了(Had instead of did),还不如不加。Confused!!