play与play with

play是一个多义动词。在表示“玩”的意思时，既可作不及物动词（主语一般是儿童）；也可作及物动词，这时，后面通常跟乐器名词（有冠词），球类名词或者棋，牌等。例如：The children are playing on the ground.孩子们在操场上玩。She played the piano quite beautifully.她钢琴弹得棒极了。Sometimes they played bridge together.有时他们在一起打桥牌。

play with也可表示“玩”的意思。一般用于小孩和动物，指一种不自觉的“玩耍；开玩笑“的意思。用于前者时，后接具体的东西；用于后者时，后接表示人的名词。例如：The little girl is playing with her toy bus. 小姑娘在玩她的玩具汽车。It was mean of him to play with her affections.他玩弄她地感情是卑鄙的。Don't play with him, he is in a bad humor.别和他开玩笑；他情绪不好。注意：play with后接人的名词时，有时容易产生歧义。请比较下面一句的意义：They are playing with each other.他们在相互玩弄。/ 他们在相互开玩笑。/ 他们相互在一起玩。　

prepare，prepare for，prepared for

prepare和另两个词组都是“准备”的意思，但含义和用法有别。prepare用作及物动词，后接名词时，表示“准备；调制，配置”的意思，它亦可接带to的动词不定式（表示“准备干某事”）或接不定式复合结构（表示“为某人做某事作准备）。例如：I can't see you tonight, I shall be preparing my lessons.我今晚不能见你，我要预备功课呢。After the discussion they prepared to write an article to air their views.经过讨论，他们准备写一篇文章来提出自己的看法。The nurse is preparing the child to go to hospital.保姆正在为孩子住院作准备。

prepare for和prepared for后均接名词或代词，都含有“为将来即要发生的某一行动或某种情况作准备”的意味。两者一般可以互换，不同的是prepare for是个动介型短语动词，作及物动词用，动作意味很强，可直接用作谓语；prepared for中的prepared是一个形容词，须借助动词be作表语，表示状态。例如：We were given two days to prepare for the examination.我们可以有两天的时间来准备考试。They were prepared for the worst.他们已准备好应付最坏的情况。注意：prepare for可分开来写，即prepare...for, 这时prepare是及物动词。当prepare后接表示物的名词时，prepare...for通常表示“为(某人）准备（什么）”。当prepare后接人的名词，介词for后接事物等名词时，它通常表示“培养或指导（某人）准备（什么）”。例如：We must prepare a room for our guest.我们必须为客人准备一个房间。They are preparing their child for college.他们培养孩子准备上大学。　

price，cost，expense

这组词都指“价钱，花费”。price意为“价格，定价，价钱”，主要指卖主给商品定的价格，一般都高于成本（cost)，也可引为做某事而付出的“代价”。例如：Labor was the first price, the original purchase money that was paid for all things.劳动是最初的价格，是人们购买一切东西所支付的最初货币。What a price she paid for saving the factory from the fire!为了使工厂不至于被火烧掉，她付出了什么样的代价啊！

cost意为“成本，费用，价钱”，多指对要价的支付，也指产品本身的成本，即设计，生产，运输付出的所有劳动及原材料的价值总和。引申为“代价”，即付出的牺牲。常用词组：at the cost of 以...为代价；at all costs (any cost)不惜一切代价。例如：We have paid a very high cost but we have also made very great achievement.我们付出了很高的代价，但也取得了巨大的成就。He rescued the boy from drowning at the cost of his own life.他救了这孩子，使其免于被淹死，却牺牲了自己的生命。

expense意为“费用，花费，开支”，常指为某物实际支付的金额总数，也可指各种花费，尤指金钱，也可包括时间，精力等。例如：They built a runway in a shorter time and at less expense than originally planned.他们修筑了一条跑道，所用的时间比原计划短，花的钱也少些。The board of the directors decided to cut down expenses by combining the three offices into one.董事会决定把三个办公室合并成一个，以节省开支。In order to meet the expenses for her studies, Kessy had to do extra work at night.为了支付学习费用，凯西只好晚上去加班工作。　

pretty，fairly,，rather

这组词都有“相当地”之意。pretty意为“相当，非常”，是个非正式的用法，表示程度相当高。常用短语有：pretty well, pretty soon, pretty certain。例如：People in the city can hardly imagine what a pretty rough life the countrymen live.生活在城里的人难以想象农村人的生活有多苦。We can safely draw a conclusion from her facial expression_r that she is pretty satisfied with the election result.从她面部表情我们可以有把握地得出这样的结论：她对选举结果相当满意。

fairly意为“相当，还算”，语气最弱，表示适度、尚可，不能与too及形容词，副词的比较级连用。还可以讲作“公正地，明白地”之意。常用短语：be fairly beside oneself几乎疯了；fairly and squarely光明正大地。例如：The children were fairly beside themselves with joy as they caught sight of their parents. 孩子们见到父母简直欣喜若狂。In our school most of the teachers were fairly young except for a few older teachers.除了几位老教师外，在我校大多数是很年轻的教师。

rather意为“相当，颇”，用来含蓄地表达某种想法，以避免直截了当的表达方式，但其所表示的程度实际上却颇高。rather通常修饰表示否定的词或本身为否定的意义，而fairly则修饰即表示肯定意义的词或本身为肯定的意义。常用短语：rather too...稍微太...一点；rather than:与其...不would rather...than宁愿。例如：I have got a fairly good memory for names, but I'm rather bad on dates.我记名字记得相当牢，可是记日期却不行。Before then, air pollution may have become an international, rather than national problem.在那以前，空气污染与其说是国家问题，倒不如说是一个国际问题。

under control，under the control of，in control (of)

under control意指"在控制下，被控制住"，是一表示被动意义的介词短语，通常用作连系动词be的表语。如果表示"在某人的控制下"，亦可用under one's control来表示。under control现在常常引申为"情况正常，状况良好"的意义。例如：The fire which threatened part of the business district this morning is now firmly under control.今早危及部分商业区的这场大火，现在已被控制住了。I noticed that his legs are not well under control.我发现他的两条腿不听使唤。My oldest son is no longer under my control.我的大儿子已不服我的管教了。You can go right back to sleep now, everything's under control.你可以回去睡觉了，一切均已恢复正常。

under the control of亦可解作in the control of,其后通常须接人或部门等名词，表示"受……控制，受……管辖"的被动意义，它一般用作表语或补语。例如：The university is under the direct control of Ministry of Education.这所大学直属教育部门管理。He was in the control of evil men who forced him to do wicked things.他受了坏人的控制，他们强迫他干坏事。 根据具体语境的不同，

in control既可表示"控制，管理（别人）"的主动含义，亦可表示"受控制"的被动含义。如果表明被控制的对象，其后须接of短语。例如：Mr. Zhang will be in control when I am out.我外出时由张先生负责。But the next moment he had himself in control.但是他马上就控制了自己。They were in control of the southern side of the mountain.他们控制着南山坡。 　

under one's arm与in one's arms

这两个介词短语中的arm是指"胳臂"，而不是"武器"的意义。注意不得任意改变两个短语中arm和arms的单复数形式。

under one's arm意为"在某人腋下的"。例如：The man who is carrying a parcel under his arm is my elder brother.（腋下）挟着一只包裹的那个人是我哥哥。He keeps the dictionary under his arm. 他把词典挟在腋下。

in one's arms意指"（小孩或东西）被搂在怀里"。例如：The woman who is coming here has a child in her arms.往这儿来的那位妇女抱着一个孩子。He has the big dictionaries in his arms on his way to the room.在去寝室的途中他怀里抱着几本大词典。 　

under repair与in repair

这两个介词短语一般都作表语，补语或后置定语。

under repair属于表示进行意义的介词短语，有被动的含义，等于being repaired（在修理中）。例如：The department store is now under repair (= is now being repaired) and it will be reopened on May Day.百货公司正在修缮，将于五一节重新开业。The machine is under repair.那台机器正在修理。

in repair表示某物处在一种"维修良好"的状态之中，常用in good repair,其反义语为in bad repair或out of repair（失修）。例如：They always keep the road in repair.他们总是把公路保养得很好。The pagoda that was built four hundred years ago, is still in (good) repair.那座四百年前建造的塔现在还完好无损。 　

under the sun与in the sun

under the sun亦可解作beneath the sun。它是个习语，决不可译作"在太阳下"。它有两个意思和用法：1.表示地点，意为"在世界上，任何地方"；2.用于加强语气，常放在疑问词之后，意为"到底，究竟"，等于on the earth。例如：The President's assassination shocked everyone under the sun.总统遇刺，全世界都为之震惊。In his opinion, California has the best climate under the sun.依他看来，世界上要数加利福尼亚的气候最好。What under the sun did he do it for?他做那件事到底是为了什么？

in the sun是"在太阳光下"的意思，指某人或某物处在太阳光的照耀下或之中，因此，它可引申为"晒太阳"，还可转义为"显要的，有利的"的意思，因为太阳光耀眼夺目并有益于人类。例如：His character is as fickle as the icicle in the sun.他的性格就象阳光下的水柱一样说变就变。Don't read in the sun.不要在阳光下看书。The cat likes to sit in the sun.猫爱晒太阳。The new generation of writers has achieved a place in the sun.新一代的作家已经功成名就。 　

up and down与ups and downs

up and down是副词词组（如果其后接有名词，则为介词词组），只有作状语，意为"上上下下地，前前后后地，来回地，到处"。它还可引申为"彻底地，完全地，坦率地"的意义。例如：The float bobbed up and down on the river. 筏子在江面载浮载沉。He thrust his hands into his pockets and walked up and down the office with measured steps.他把双手插在口袋里，迈着方步在办公室里踱来踱去。Where have you been? I have looked for you up and down for nearly half an hour.你刚才到哪里去了？我到处找你差不多有半个钟头了。Here is his hometown which he knows up and down.这儿是他十分熟悉的家乡。

ups and downs是名词词组，可用作主语和宾语，其前可加限定词my, your, the, this等。它的本意是指"高低，起伏"的意思，但它常用作喻意，表示"盛衰，成败，苦乐，好坏"等意思。例如：Life is full of ups and downs.人生充满苦和乐。The family suffers those ups and downs to which the great houses of Scotland have been ever liable.这个家庭遭遇的兴衰，是苏格兰许多大家族难以避免的。The fluctuations of market prices, their deviations from values, their ups and downs paralyze and compensate each other.市场价格的上下波动，市场价格的背离价值，市场价格的涨落都是相互抵消和互相补偿的。　

useful for与useful to

这是两个形容词词组，通常用作动词be或become的表语或后置定语，都表示"对...有用的"的意思，但在用法上有所区别。

useful for中的for表示目的或用途，其后通常接动名词或事物名词。例如：These books are useful for writing.这些书对写作很有用。Those old dusters will become useful for polishing the car. 那些旧掸子来掸汽车上的灰倒挺合用的。

useful to中的to表示对象，其后接表示人的名词或代词。useful for 有时也可接人的名词表示对象，这时两者可以换用。例如：Your suggestions have been most useful to us.你的建议对我们极有用处。This grammar book is particularly useful for foreign students.这本语法书对外国学生尤为有用。 　

up与down

up和down既是介词，又是副词，它们除了可分别表示"向上"和"向下"外，还有其他的意义。

1). up和down都可表示"沿着"，相当于along；或表示"在远端"，相当于at the far end of。例如：They are walking up/ down the street hand in hand.他们手牵手沿着街漫步。 Can you see the post office up/ down the road?你能不能看到这条路末端的邮电局？

2). up还常用来表示向高处，向重要的地方，向北方，向城市，向安静的住宅区及大学等。down则常用来表示向低处，向次要的地方，向南方，向乡村，向热闹的商业区及离开大学等。例如：He is flying up to Beijing from Nanchang.（指向重要的地方。）They went down to the countryside.（指向乡村。）I wouldn't consider going up north this summer.（指向北方。）She went down town to do some shopping.（指向商业区。）My son will go up to the university next year.（指向大学。）

valuable与valued

这两个形容词有时侯可以换用，尤其是在形容友谊、援助等方面表示"宝贵的或珍贵的"的意思时，常可以通用。例如：This valuable (or: valued) friendship between us should be kept on forever. 我们之间的这种珍贵的友谊应当永远保持下去。He is our valuable (or: valued) friend. 他是我们的挚友。

valuable是一个纯形容词，它主要指珠宝、黄金等"贵重的，值钱的"；它也可用来形容人的品质或特征等是"令人钦佩的"或"受人尊重的"的意思。例如：He lost a valuable diamond.他丢失了一颗贵重的钻石。She is the most valuable player.她是一位最受尊敬的运动员。

valued尽管也被有的词典收录为形容词，但它是动词value的过去分词形式，多少还带有些过去分词完成或被动的含义。因此，它的主要意义是指"已有评价的，经估价的"和"受重视的，受敬重的"。例如：This is a painting valued at ten thousand dollars.这是一幅估价一万的画。Rents were refused above the "valued rent" scale.超过"评定租金"等级的租金被拒绝缴纳。The friendship of the two countries was old and valued.两国间的友谊历史悠久并受到珍视。　

varied，various，variable

这三个形容词的词义互相渗透，它们之间的含义和用法有同有异，因此，往往容易混淆。 varied和various都可以指同一范畴的不同种类，在表示"各种各样，各不相同的"意思时，一般可以换用，只是前者侧重于"不同"的含义，后者则侧重于种类数目的"多"。

various作定语时，其后只能接复数名词；而varied还有"形形色色，多变化的"的意思，这时它既可接单数名词亦可接复数名词。试比较：Their opinions are varied. 他们的意见纷纭。（可用various换之，但varied强调了意见的"不同"）Representatives from various parts of the country have arrived in Beijing. 全国各地的代表到达了北京。（可用varied代替，但various强调了地区的数目）Various people declared they had seen the lost child, but few could give a definite description of him.很多人自称看见了那个失踪的孩子，但很少人能说清楚他的样子。（此句various"多"的数目概念更显然，不可用varied代替）The various life made her satisfied.那种丰富多彩的生活令她心满意足。The work of a JP (Justice of the Peace) is very interesting and varied.治安官的工作是非常有趣和内容多变的。

variable指自然现象（如气候等），人的情绪或脾气性格"多变的，易变的"或"反复无常的"。它还有"可变的(able to be changed)"的意思。必须注意，形容词varied有一种"改变了的，更改了的（having been changed) "的意思，显然有完成了的意味，因此决不可与variable混淆。

在古英语中，various也有"易变的（easy to be changed)"的意思。试比较：The variable weather tires us.多变的天气使人感到讨厌。Her variable mood greatly surprised me.她反复无常的情绪使我感到极为吃惊。The speed of the windscreen wipers is variable.汽车挡风玻璃上刮水器的速度是可变的。Our plan is varied.我们的计划更改了。 　

vary in，vary with，vary from

这三个短语动词中的in, with和from均为介词，其后须跟名词作宾语。由于动词vary后的介词不同，各短语的含义也有别。介词in, with,和from与其前的动词连系并不密切。

vary in中的in表示方面，即"在……方面"的含义，整个短语表示"在……方面不同"的意思。例如：Stars vary in brightness.星星的光亮度各不相同。The two pairs of clothes vary in price.这两套衣服在价格上是不同的。

vary with中的with表示伴随，整个短语表示"随……不同而不同，随……而改变"的意思。例如：The weight of a body varies with latitude and altitude, its mass does not.物体的重量随所处的经纬度而变化，而质量则与此无关。The prices of some goods vary with the season.某些货物的价格随着季节而变化。

vary from中的from表示比较，整个短语表示"与……不同，违反"的意思，有比较的意味。例如：It varies from the original.它与原作不同。This action varies from the law of nature.这种做法违反了自然规律。 　

visit与visit with

visit作及物动词用时，其后跟人，地方等名词作宾语，表示"访问，看望（某人），参观（某地）"的意思。间或用于被动语态，表示"遭受"的意思。例如：Her two girl cousins are visiting her from San Francisco.她的两个表姐将从旧金山来看望她。He visited, in all, five schools in China.他在中国共参观了五所学校。Last year Guangzhou was visited by the worst drought in 60 years.去年广州遭受了六十年不遇的特大旱灾。

visit with中的visit是不及物动词，同介词with一起构成及物动词词组。它有两个意思：1."访问，看望"，等于及物动词visit；2."与……叙谈，与……聊天"，相当于chat with或talk with，其with后只可接表示人的名词。visit with的这两种意义都见于美国。例如：The doctor regularly visited with her in the afternoon.大夫定期在下午来看望她。After going over the art exhibition, we visited with a painter for a while.参观了艺术展览会后，我们和一位画家交谈了一会儿。

very，much，most

它们作副词时，都用来表示程度，作"非常，很"解。

very用来修饰形容词和副词，应置于被修饰词之前。 much用来修饰动词，一般置于句末，但在否定句中及与某些动词如：enjoy, prefer, admire, regret等连用时，也可置于动词前。如：I am very fond of painting and I am very active in our school's art club.我很喜欢画画，并且积极参加学校的艺术俱乐部。He has learnt the language very quickly.他学习语言十分快。The naughty boy troubles me much.这个淘气的男孩老是烦我。I don't much like the idea.我并不十分赞成这个主意。I much admire your new invention.我非常欣赏你的新发明。

very常用来修饰现在分词，much 常用来修饰过去分词。但有些过去分词如delighted, disappointed, excited, frightened, interested, pleased, satisfied, surprised, tired, worried 等，已转化为纯粹的形容词，失去了动作意义，这一类完全形容词化的过去分词均可用very修饰。例如：The puppy looks very pleasing.这小狗看上去很可爱。We are much puzzled at the result.我们对结果十分惊奇。Are you very disappointed about losing the race?你是否对在比赛中失利很失望？

very只能修饰形容词与副词的原级，而much可修饰形容词与副词的比较级和最高级。例如：I paid much more than I should.我付的钱比我应付的钱要多得多。That novel is much the best of all.那本小说是所有小说中最好的。

very much是much的加强语，其用法与much相同，但在疑问句中多用much，不用very much。例如：We were very much moved.我们被深深地感动了。We very much enjoyed that concert.我们非常喜欢那场音乐会。Do you go out much?你经常外出吗？Did she like that film much?她是否非常喜欢那部电影？

very不能修饰只作表语的形容词，如：afraid, alive, alone, asleep, awake等。这些表语形容词中的有些词可用much修饰，另一些则须和其他几个固定的副词搭配使用。例如：I'm much afraid that you have given her too little care.我恐怕你给她的关心太少了。I'm fully awake now.我现在完全醒了。He is all alone here.他在这里独来独往。

most可用在部分形容词及副词前表示"非常，很"，作此意义的most前不能加定冠词the。但当most修饰形容词时，前面可以有不定冠词a。例如：They have been most kind to me.他们一直对我很好。（most修饰形容词时）She is a most beautiful woman.她是一个十分漂亮的女人。（most前可加不定冠词）She'll most probably go there and live with her son.她很可能去那儿和她的儿子一起住。（most修饰副词）

注意：most并不能修饰所有的形容词与副词，它只能修饰那些表达个人感情与主观看法的形容词与副词，不能修饰表示客观看法的形容词与副词。如可说most dangerous, most happy, most warmly,不可说most big, most tall, most quickly。 　

vague，ambiguous，obscure

这一组词均含有"模糊，笼统"之意。

vague："不清楚的，含糊的，模糊的"，由于光线暗淡而造成轮廓不清；指事物过于笼统无法表述清楚，用来描述故意被人说得模棱两可的事物。I have not the vaguest notion of where I left my umbrella.我丝毫想不起把雨伞放在哪儿了。He saw the vague shape of someone coming through the mist.他看见一个模糊的身影正从雾中走来。Because of his strong accent, his speech is vague and hard for me to understand.由于他强烈的地方口音，他的演讲对我来说非常模糊难懂。She's so vague that I can never understand what she's trying to say.她这样含糊其词，我根本弄不清她究竟想说什么。

ambiguous："含糊的，模棱两可的"，指对同一表达方式有两种或两种以上的解释，但无法推断是其中的哪一种。The sentence is ambiguous in sense, which makes the whole paragraph hard to understand.这个句子的意思模棱两可，这使得整个段落都令人费解。He kept making ambiguous remarks instead of straight forward yes-or-no replies.他那模棱两可的回答使我们无法确定其真正意见。The ambiguous reply enabled him to say either "Yes"or "No "without making himself embarrassed.这模棱两可的答复使他无论答"是"还是说"否"都不会受窘。

obscure："含糊的，不清楚的，朦胧的"，指物体或观点不清楚，不明确，往往难以理解或无法看清。I haven't the slightest idea of what he means because his explanation is obscure to me.我丝毫不知道他想说什么，因为他的解释对我来说不够清楚。There's more obscure poems written and printed every year than clear ones.每年写出和印出的诗歌，晦涩的远比明晰的多。Translating an obscure piece of writing is even more painstaking than writing it directly.翻译一篇晦涩的作品要比直接写一篇更费苦心。

would rather, prefer

这两者均可表示“宁愿，更喜欢”。

would rather是一个情态词组，后接省去to的不定式，表示某个具体的特定行为。prefer是一个实义动词，后接带to的不定式，也表示一个具体的特定行为。例如：He would rather join you in the research work.他宁愿加入到你的研究工作中来。Which would you rather have, bread or rice?面包和米饭，你更喜欢哪一个？We prefer to living this way.我们更喜欢这种生活方式。He preferred to go on a picnic with the girls.他更喜欢和女孩们去野餐。

两者接不定式时，可分别与than和rather than搭配，表示“宁愿...而不愿”，would rather...than与prefer...rather than的后半部分均接省去to的不定式。例如：He would rather work than play.他宁愿工作也不愿玩。He would rather be poor than get money in such a dishonest way.他宁愿受穷也不愿以这样一种不诚实的方法弄到钱。They preferred to die of hunger rather than take his bread.他们宁愿饿死也不愿接受他的面包。She prefers to be trouble rather than be taken care of by her parents.她宁愿有麻烦也不愿让父母照顾她。

prefer后能接名词或动名词作宾语，用动名词时，表示一个习惯性的动作。它也可与介词to搭配，表示“喜欢...而不喜欢。would rather则不能接名词及动名词。例如：Do you prefer coffee or tea?你喜欢咖啡还是茶？She prefers being alone.她喜欢一个人呆着。I prefer orange to red.相比于红色，我更喜欢橙色。He prefers reading novels to watching TV.相比于看电视，他更喜欢看小说。

prefer可跟带不定式的复合结构，而would rather则没有这种用法。例如：I prefer you not to come.我宁愿你不要来。I should prefer you not to stay there too long.我宁愿你别在那儿待得太久。