［误］ I need a lot of clothing.

I'm going to make a new cloth.

［正］ I need a lot of cloth.

I'm going to make a new dress.

［析］ cloth是"布"、"布料"，没有复数形式。一块布料是a piece of cloth, 而clothes统指衣服，是复数名词，"一套衣服"要讲a suit of clothes， 如果是"一件件衣服"应讲shirt, dress, sweater等。而clothing是衣物的总称，是不可数名词。例如：This clothing is needed in warm countries.Her clothes are made of fine cloth.英语中的dress是指比较正式的服装，如a school dress(校服)，a student dress(学生套装)，a working dress(工作服)

。

coffee

［误］ Please give me two waters.

［正］

Please give me two coffees.

［正］ Please give me two cups of water.

［析］ 虽然coffee, water, tea等都是物质名词，但是只有coffee可用coffees取代若干杯coffee,而其他的却不行，其前要加a cup of或a glass of.

colour(color)

［误］ Colours of flowers are red, yellow and white.

［正］ Flowers are red, yellow and white.

［析］ 中文的"花的颜色有红色、黄色和白色"，若译为英文Colours of flowers are…，就显得重复了。

［误］

I like green colour.

［正］

I like green.

［正］ I like colour green.

［析］ colour green中的colour是green的同位语，所以这种说话方式英语是可以接受的。

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