a) I don't doubt that John will come on time. 我相信约翰一定会准时到。
b) I doubt if he is honest. 说他老实,我看靠不住。
doubt 后面的连词用whether/ if或that,不知有何规律可循?
a) I don't doubt that John will come on time. 我相信约翰一定会准时到。
b) I doubt if he is honest. 说他老实,我看靠不住。
doubt 后面的连词用whether/ if或that,不知有何规律可循?
【答】1. 在否定句中,doubt 后面的宾语从句必须使用连词 that 或者 but that。如:
I don't doubt that John will come on time. 我相信约翰一定会准时到。
He never doubted that they would succeed. (摘自:English Grammatical Structure by L.G. Alexander, 1975) 他从不怀疑他们会成功。
I don't doubt (but) that they'll accept at once.(摘自:A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Randolph Quirk et al, 1985)我不怀疑他们会马上接受。
2. 在肯定句中,以前都认为 doubt 后面的宾语从句要用 if 或者 whether 引导,但是在新出版的英语原版辞书中有用 that 引导宾语从句的例句。
《牛津英语用法指南》第四版436节介绍了在doubt 后面使用的连词 whether/ if或that 的规律,原文如下:
动词 doubt 后面的从句可由 whether, if 或 that 引出。
Economists doubt whether interest rates will fall in the near future.
经济学家怀疑在不久的将来利率是否会下降。
I doubt if she'll come this evening.
我不能肯定今天晚上她是否会来。
The directors doubt that new machinery is really necessary.
董事们认为未必真的需要新机器。
在非正式文体里,人们有时候不用连词。
I doubt we'll have enough money for a new car.
我不确定我们有足够的钱买辆新车。
在 doubt 的否定形式后面,我们通常用 that 或不用连词。
I don't doubt (that) there will be more problems.
我毫不怀疑将会有更多的问题出现。
a) I don't doubt that John will come on time.
我相信约翰一定会准时到。
b) I doubt if he is honest. 说他老实,我看靠不住。
doubt 后面的连词用whether/ if或that,不知有何规律可循?
其基本规律是肯定句用whether /if 等作连词,否定句或疑问句用that作连词。
这条规律对名词 doubt 和doubtful同样适用,例如:
我怀疑此事是否正确。
I doubt whether/if it's true.
It's doubtful whether/if it's true.
There is a doubt whether/if it's true.
此事正确无疑。
I don't doubt that it's true.
There is no doubt that it's true.
谁会怀疑此事是正确的?
Who doubts that it's true?
“在肯定句中 doubt 后面接 if / whether-从句,在肯定句中 doubt 后面接 that-从句”的规律已基本过时了,新出版的原版词典都不再提及此规律,有的甚至直接用相反的例句给予否定。
比如《朗文高级》第4版就在 doubt 词条直接给以下例句(肯定句后接 that 从句):
doubt (that)
I doubt we'll ever see him again. 我想我们再也见不到他了。
再如《剑桥高级》也在 doubt 词条直接给出肯定句后接 that 从句的例句:
[+ that] They had begun to doubt that it could be completed in time. 他们开始怀疑能否及时完工。