acquire

◆他通過用心的學習獲得了很好的法語知識。

誤：He earned a good knowledge of French by careful study.

正：He acquired a good knowledge of French by carefulstudy.

析：earn 和 acquire 均可表示“獲得”，但前者多指通過自身勞動而得報酬或因自身的功勞而獲得榮譽等，后者則多指通過自己不斷的努力或經過一個漫長的過程而獲得某種知識、技能、智力、名聲等。

across

◆不要杞人憂天。

誤：Don’t across the bridge until you come to it.

正：Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.

正：Don’t walk across the bridge until you come to it.

析：across 是介詞或副詞(不是動詞)，cross 是動詞。

◆湖面結冰了, 所以我們就從冰上走過。

誤：The lake was frozen, so we walked through the ice.

正：The lake was frozen, so we walked across the ice.

析：across 和 through 都可表示從一邊到另一邊的意思，但前者主要涉及平面(與on有關)，而后者則主要涉及立體空間(與in有關)。

◆幾天前我碰到了她, 就把這消息告訴她了。

誤：I came over her the other day and told her the news.

正：I came across her the other day and told her the news.

析：come (run) across 是習語，意為“碰到(某人或某物)”。

act

◆受過訓練的狗可以為盲人引路。

誤：A trained dog can act for a guide to a blind man.

正：A trained dog can act as a guide to a blind man.

析：act for 指“代理”或“代表”；act as 指“擔任”、“充當”、“起...的作用”。如：As the chairman is ill, I’m asking Mr Smith to act for him.(主席病了, 我請史密斯先生代理)。

◆他在偷東西時被逮個正著。

誤：He was caught in the act to steal.

正：He was caught in the act of stealing.

析：catch sb in the act of doing 是固定句型, 意為“抓住某人做某事”。 (from www.yywords.com)

active

◆他積極參加體育活動(踢足球)嗎?

誤：Is he active in sports (football)?

正：Does he go in for sports (football)?

析：be active in (積極參加)通常不用于體育活動方面。go in for 意為“從事”、“參加”等。注意可以說：He is active in politics.(他積極參加政治活動)。

◆他積極參加俱樂部的工作。

誤：He takes active part in the work of the club.

正：He takes an active part in the work of the club.

析：take part in 表示“參加”，take an active part in 表示 “積極參加”，前者不用冠詞，后者因有 active 修飾，要用 冠詞。

activity

◆爬山是他最喜愛的活動之一。

誤：Climbing mountains is one of his favourite activity.

正：Climbing mountains is one of his favourite activities.

析：activity 表示活動的總稱或表示抽象意義的活動時, 它是不可 數名詞。它若表示具體意義的活動，尤指某一領域內的特殊的 活動或某人具體所做的事(如消遣方面的活動等)，則為可數名 詞，此時多用復數形式。比較：Activity is better thandoing nothing.(活動一下比什么都不干要好)。He takes anactive part in social activities.(他積極參加社會活動)。

actual

◆我不是開玩笑，這都是他的原話。

誤：I’m not joking.These words of his are actual.

正：I’m not joking.These are his actual words.

析：actual(實際的，真實的，確實的)通常只用作定語，不能用作表語。

adapt

◆你能適應這新的工作嗎?

誤：Can you adapt (yourself) for the new job?

正：Can you adapt (yourself) to the new job?

析：表示“適應”，通常與介詞 to 連用；表示“改造或改編”，通常與介詞 for 連用。如：It is difficult to adapt this story for the film.(要把這故事改編為電影不容易)。

◆他們很快就適應了在鄉下住。

誤：Soon they adapted to live in the country.

正：Soon they adapted to living in the country.

析：adapt to 表示“適應”，其中的 to 是介詞。比較下面一句 中的不定式是表目的的狀語：These styles can be adaptedto suit individual tastes.( 這些式樣均可以改動以適應個人的不同愛好)。