惯用语法：any not还是not any

 　　请看下面一题：

　　It is so difficult a problem¹ that _________ student in this class _________ work it out.

　　A. any, can't B. no, can C. every, can D. no, can't

　　【分析】此题很容易误选A，因为从句意上看，选A可将此句理解为“这个问题是如此之难，这个班任何一个学生都不可能做出来”。但按英语习惯，any(任何一个)作为非肯定句，它只能出现在否定词 not 之后，而不能在其前，即可说 not any, 但不说 any not。所以正确答案应选B。又如：

　　这工作太难了，恐怕谁也干不了。

　　正：The work is too difficult. I'm afraid no one can do it.

　　误：The work is too difficult. I'm afraid any one can't do it.

　　什么也阻碍不了我同她结婚。

　　正：Nothing can prevent² me from marrying³ her.

　　误：Anything can't prevent me from marrying her.

　　类似地，either⁴ (两者中的任意一个)作为非肯定词，它也应出现在否定词之后，而不能出现在否定词之前。如：

　　这两兄弟都不聪明。

　　正：Neither⁵ of the brothers is clever.

　　误：Either of the brothers is not clever.

1 problem   

n.问题；难题

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• This problem is too hard for me to solve.这个问题太难，我解决不了。

2 prevent   

v.预防，防止

参考例句：

• Nobody can prevent our getting married.谁也阻止不了我们结婚。
• My only idea was to prevent the woman from speaking.我唯一的想法就是不让那女人讲话。

3 marrying   

v.（使）结婚( marry的现在分词 )；娶；嫁；结合

参考例句：

• Her family disowned her for marrying a foreigner. 她的家人因她嫁给了外国人而与她断绝关系。
• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。

4 either   

adj.任一，两方的；prep.任一，随便任一个；conj.或，也

参考例句：

• I have bought two books,you can have either.我买了两本书，你要哪一本都可以。
• I don't think either of them are at home.我想他们中任何一个都不在家。

5 neither   

adj.皆不，两不；int.两者都不；conj.既非，既不

参考例句：

• I don't know that neither.那个我也不知道。
• He doesn't smoke neither does he drink.他既不抽烟也不喝酒。