1. maybe与may be
maybe 副词,意为“可能”“也许”,通常用于句首,有时也放在句中或句末;may be 是情态动词may加动词be,意为“可能是”、“可能在”等。比较以下各组句子,含义相同,但结构不同:
你也许是对的。
正:Maybe you are right.
正:You may be right.
他可能迷路了。
正:Maybe he has lost the way.
正:He may have lost the way.
正:It may be that he has lost the way.
另外,副词maybe可单独用作答语,但 may be 不能这样用。如:
A:Do you think he’ll come back? 你认为他会回来吗?
B:Maybe. (Maybe not.) 也许会回来吧(也许不会回来吧)。
2. sometime与some time
(1) sometime 用作副词,可用于过去或将来,意为“某个时候”。它也可分开写成some time。如:
We will hold a meeting sometime [some time] next week. 下个星期的某个时候我们将要开个会。
(2)some time有两个用法:一是用作副词词组,意为“任何时候”“某个时候”,此时与合写的sometime同义,可换用;二是用作名词词组,其意为“一段时间”,此时不能换成 sometime。如:
Please come over some time [sometime]. 请随时来玩。
We lived in the country for some time. 我们在农村住过一段时间。
3. everyday与every day
everyday为形容词,意为“每天的”“日常的”,用于名词前作定语;every day为副词性短语,意为“每天”,主要用作状语。如:
Morning exercise is his everyday routine. 他每天早晨都要锻炼。
Cooking breakfast is an everyday job. 做早饭是日常的工作。
This hen lays an egg every day. 这只母鸡每天下一个蛋。
4. everyone与every one
合写的everyone只能指人,不能指物,且其后一般不接of 短语;若是指物或后接 of 短语,可用分开写的every one。如:
Everyone must keep the law. 人人都要守法
Every one of the students passed the exam. 每个学生考试都及了格。
I bought a dozen eggs and every one of them was bad. 我买了一打鸡蛋,每个都是坏的。
注:anyone, any one等也有类似区别。如:
any one of the boys (books) 孩子们(书)当中的任何一个(本)
every one of the students (schools) 每一个学生(一所学校)
5. nearby与near by
nearby有两个用法:一是用作形容词,意为“附近的”,修饰名词时,可放在名词之前也可放在名词之后,此时不能分开写成near by;二是用作副词,意为“在附近”,此时它也可分开写成near by。如:
She lives in a nearby town [a town nearby]. 她住在附近的一个城镇。
She lives nearby [near by]. 她住在附近。
There is a hospital nearby [near by]. 附近有家医院。
6. someday与some day
两者意思一样,均表示“有朝一日”“将来有一天”,通常可换用,但比较而言,分开写的some day用得更多一些。如:
We’ll succeed some day. 有朝一日我们会成功的。
Someday you will be able to see what I mean. 以后你就能了解我所说的话