商務(wù)英語(yǔ)郵件寫作指南：work到底能不能加s？
The word “work” can be a verb or noun or even an adjective. This entry looks at “work”and “works”as nouns.
work這個(gè)詞可以作為動(dòng)詞、名詞，甚至形容詞，在這里我們只討論work和works作為名詞時(shí)的用法。
“Work” has several different meanings, but one of the most common is “exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labour; toil”. In this sense it is an uncountable noun and has no plural form.
work有好幾種不同的意思，但有一點(diǎn)是相通的，那就是“通過(guò)努力來(lái)達(dá)到或完成某事，勞動(dòng)，辛苦工作”。在這種情況下，work是不可數(shù)名詞，沒(méi)有復(fù)數(shù)形式。
E.g.1:We have a lot of work.
例1：我們有很多工作要做。
E.g.2:We will start the work as soon as we have received the signed Power of Attorney.
例2：我們一收到簽訂好的委托書后就會(huì)開(kāi)始工作。
E.g.3:The work involved 17 hours of lawyer’s work and 5 hours of translator’s work.
例3：這項(xiàng)工作需要17個(gè)小時(shí)的律師工作和5小時(shí)的翻譯工作。
“Works” has a different meaning. It is used to describe construction or engineering projects.
works有不同的意思，通常用來(lái)形容工程施工等。
E.g.4:There are traffic jams all over the city due to the road works in the centre.
例4：由于市中心在修路，現(xiàn)在城市里到處都是交通堵塞。
E.g.5:Works on the bridge were delayed by 4 weeks due to bad weather.
例5：由于天氣原因，橋梁施工要推遲4周。
So you should never use “works” to describe the work you do when you’re sitting at a desk.
所以，works絕對(duì)不能用來(lái)表示那些你坐在辦公桌前完成的工作。
“Works”can also be used to mean an industrial plant.
works還可以用來(lái)指工廠。
E.g. Over two hundred people are employed at the works.
例句：這家工廠雇傭了200多人。
It may be used in combination with other words, e.g. “ironworks”, “steelworks”, “gasworks”. In this sense the word has no singular form. However, you may say, e.g. “one gasworks”.
works還可以和其他詞語(yǔ)一起組成復(fù)合詞，比如“鋼鐵廠”，“煉鋼廠”，“煤氣廠”。這種情況下，works是沒(méi)有單數(shù)形式的，但你可以說(shuō)“一家煤氣廠”（works單復(fù)同形）。
“Work”as a countable noun
work作為可數(shù)名詞的用法
“Work”is used as a countable noun when referring to works of art or literature，e.g. a work of art.
當(dāng)work指的是某個(gè)藝術(shù)作品或文學(xué)作品時(shí)，work就是可數(shù)名詞，比如：一件藝術(shù)作品。
Idioms with “works”
與works相關(guān)的表達(dá)
1.in the works –(informal) in preparation
1.（非正式用法）在準(zhǔn)備中
E.g. Various amendments to the Act are in the works.
例句：對(duì)于該提案的各種修訂案正在準(zhǔn)備中。
2.a spanner in the works –(informal) a problem
2.（非正式用法）一個(gè)問(wèn)題
E.g. The appearance of new evidence has thrown a spanner in the works.
例句：新證據(jù)的出現(xiàn)又引發(fā)了一個(gè)新問(wèn)題。
3.with the works –(slang) with the full range, with everything
3.（習(xí)語(yǔ)）所有事物
E.g. Give me a hot dog with the works.
例句：給我個(gè)熱狗，所有配料都要加。
4.give somebody the works – (slang) beat somebody up, give somebody severe treatment
4.（習(xí)語(yǔ)）給某人點(diǎn)顏色瞧瞧
E.g. We took him out the back door of the bar and gave him the works.
例句：我們把他帶出酒吧后門，給了他點(diǎn)顏色瞧瞧。
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