about是常用的字,具有好幾種不同的意思,大多數有圍繞在每一邊或到處的意思,例如:walk about(到處走),look about(四處看)。about也有nearly(幾乎)或approximately(大約)的意思,例如:about 100 books(大約一百本書)。about的通俗用法,有almost(幾乎)的意思,例如:about ready to go(幾乎準備要走)。at about,如:at about midnight(在午夜),是句冗長的片語,at可以省略,除非about指approximately(大約)時,才不用省略。?
around有很多about的基本意思,例如:on all sides(四面八方),here and there(到處)。我們可以說walk around(到處走),look around(到處看)。但是,around比about更口語,例如wait around(在附近等),to travel around(四處旅行),to have been around(曾經在附近)和around noon(正午左右)都適用於口語中。?
around有時候比round更適合,例如:around the world(周遊世界)和around the Horn(在合恩角附近)。Meet me round noon.(大約正午時分來見我)比Meet me around noon.更通俗。最好說寫都用Meet me about noon.
舉例一:你知道personal、personnel二個字的差別在哪裡嗎?
personnel表示「一群人」,personal則牽涉到一個特別的個人。如:This is a personal matter involving Judy and me.(這是裘蒂和我之間個人的事情。)The personnel in this office are very friendly.(這辦公室?的職員都很友善。)?