matter 既可以用作名词,又可以用作动词。
一、用作名词
1.用作可数名词,意为“事情,问题,情况”等。例如:
It's quite another matter.(这完全是两码事。)
It's no laughing matter.(这可不是开玩笑的事。)
That's only a matter oftime. (那只是个时间问题。)
2. 用作不可数名词,意为“物质”。例如:
Most matter has threestates. (大多数物质有三种形态。)
3. the matter意为“乱子,麻烦,毛病”,与 wrong 同义,其后常跟介词 with 。例如:
What's the matter with you? (你怎么啦?)
What's the matter with themachine? (这台机器出什么毛病了?)
注意:在“ What's the matter … ?”句式里, what 是主语, the matter 是表语。故在宾语从句中,应特别注意其语序。例如:
我不知道出了什么麻烦。
误: I don't know what thematter is.
正: I don't know what is thematter.
4. “ no matter+疑问词”用来引导让步状语从句,意为“不管,无论”。例如:
No matter what happened, hewouldn't say a word. (不管发生什么事,他一句话也不肯说。)
No matter where he goes,the dog will go. (无论他去哪里,狗都跟着他。)
二 . 用作不及物动词
1. 当 matter用作不及物动词时,它主要用于否定句、疑问句或条件状语从句中,意为“要紧,有关系”,相当于“ be important”。例如:
- I'm sorry I'm late.(对不起,我迟到了。)
- It doesn't matter thistime. But come to school earlier next time.
(这次没关系,但下次要早点来学校。)
Age doesn't matter.(年龄无关紧要。)
What does it matter?(这有什么要紧吗?)
2. 有时, matter 可以和 about连用,意为“对……(没)关系”。例如:
It doesn't matter aboutclosing the window. (关上窗户是不碍事的。)