for 用法, 例句及詳解

for 用法1

問：Rip is tall for his age.
如何解釋句中介係詞for 的含義?

答：這裡的介係詞for 用法是表示比較的“標準”(standard) 。Rip is tall for his age. 可以理解為Rip is taller than normal.請看下面的例句:

1. That dog is long-legged for a terrier. 對於犬更而言, 這條狗的腿要算是很長的了。(犬更是一種小狗)
2. It is quite warm tonight for February. 就二月份來說, 今天夜裡的天氣是夠熱的了。
3. On educational matters his views were advanced for his day. 他在教育問題上的觀點, 就他那個時代而論, 是很先進的。

for 用法2

問：He bought the stock for me. 請問句中for me 是表示“給我”, 還是“替我”?

答：就孤立的句子而論, for me 既可能指“給我”, 也可能指“替我”, 因為for 的這兩層含義在這裡都適用。
(a) 他給我買了股票。(He bought the stock; the stock was for me.或He bought me the stock.)
(b) 他替我買了股票。(He bought the stock; he did it for me.)

for 用法3

問：某大學招考研究生英語試題第I. 7 題:
Comrade Li _______ (work) for six hours in the laboratory.
標準答案要求填has worked, 是否還有其他正確答案?

答：由於句中沒有指出動作發生的具體時間, 所以還可以填works, has been working, will work, worked, 因為for + a period of time 不僅能與現在完成時連用, 而且也能與一般現在式、一般過去式、一般將來式和現在完成進行式連用。

for 用法4

問：(A) We stayed at the hotel (for) three weeks.
(B) He taught her for three years.
許多教科書上說, for 用於表示時間時, 在for 引導的片語中, for 常常可以省略。請問上面兩個句子裡的for 用法是否都可以省略掉?

答：當for 引導的時間片語用來修飾具有靜態意義的動詞時常常可以省略:

1. They lived in China (for) seven years.
2. The meeting lasted (for) two hours.

當for 與以all 開頭的名詞片語連用時, 必須省略for [參見for all day(×)] :

She’s been lying in bed all day.

但是, 當for 片語修飾動態動詞時或者用於否定句時, 則介係詞for 不能省略:

1. I’m going away for a few days. 我要離開幾天。
2. I haven’t seen him for three weeks. 我有三個星期沒有看見他了。

所以, CGEL 把下列句子看作是錯誤的:

1. × I taught her three years.
2. × I haven’t spoken to her three months.

另外, 當for 用法用在句子開頭時, 一般也不能省略:

1. He lived abroad (for) six years. / For six years, he lived abroad. 他在國外住了6 年。
2. 2. He waited anxiously at hospital (for) some time. / For some time, he waited anxiously at hospital. 他在醫院焦急地等了一會兒。

for 用法5

問：I have not studied Russian for two years.
葛傳椝:《英語慣用法詞典》(p. 261) 說上面的句子有兩個含義:

1. 我已經有兩年不學習俄語了。
2. 我學習俄語以來還不滿兩年。

請問上面的英語句子有第二個含義嗎?

答：我們認為, R. Quirk 等人的論述能很好地回答你提出來的問題。他們說:

“For has different meanings in the follow two sentences:
I’ve done that for years. [1]
I’ve not done that for years. [2]
In the positive [1], the action is included in the for time span, i.e. included duration. In the negative [2], on the other hand, the action is excluded from the for time span, i.e. excluded duration (‘It’s years since I’ve done that’, ‘I haven’t done that in years’). ”(CGEL, p.689)

[“For 在下面兩個句子裡有不同的含義:
I’ve done that for years. [1]
I’ve not done that for years. [2]
“在肯定句[1] 中, 行為包含在for 所表示的時間段之中, 也就是說, 這裡所指的時間段是內包持續時間。而在否定句[2] 中, 行為被排除在for 所表示的時間段之外, 也就是說, 這裡所指的時間段是排除持續時間(‘It’s years since I’ve done that’, ‘I haven’t done that in years’) ”]

由上面的論述可以看出, 你所提出的否定句I have not studied Russian for two years. 只有葛老所提出的第一種含義: 我已經有兩年不學習俄語了。並請與下列句子進行比較:

I have not seen you for ages.
我多年沒有與你見面了。

for 用法6

問：“Where did he go ?”“He went to another store _______.”
A. to buy slacks
B. or buying slacks
C. buy slacks
D. buying slacks
我知道正確的答案是A, 但是我不能向學生解釋為什麼選項B (for buying slacks)是錯誤的。難道for + V-ing 不能表示目的嗎?

答：M. Swan 在PEU 中談到過這個問題。他說:“for 可以用來表示某人的目的, 但後面只能接名詞:

We went to the pub for a drink.
我們去酒館喝了一杯。”

他認為We went to the pub for having a drink.是典型錯誤。但他同時指出, 當表示某物的用途時, 則可以採用for + V-ing 的格式:

1. Is that cake for eating or just for looking at? 那塊蛋糕是吃的, 還是光讓人看的?
2. What’s this money for? It’s for buying some food for dinner. 這錢是幹什麼用的? 是用來買正餐需要的食品的。

另見for 和 because用法的分析