商務英語郵件寫作指南：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這個詞可以作為動詞、名詞，甚至形容詞，在這里我們只討論work和works作為名詞時的用法。
“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，但有一點是相通的，那就是“通過努力來達到或完成某事，勞動，辛苦工作”。在這種情況下，work是不可數名詞，沒有復數形式。
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開始工作。
E.g.3:The work involved 17 hours of lawyer’s work and 5 hours of translator’s work.
例3：這項工作需要17個小時的律師工作和5小時的翻譯工作。
“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絕對不能用來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還可以和其他詞語一起組成復合詞，比如“鋼鐵廠”，“煉鋼廠”，“煤氣廠”。這種情況下，works是沒有單數形式的，但你可以說“一家煤氣廠”（works單復同形）。
“Work”as a countable noun
work作為可數名詞的用法
“Work”is used as a countable noun when referring to works of art or literature，e.g. a work of art.
當work指的是某個藝術作品或文學作品時，work就是可數名詞，比如：一件藝術作品。
Idioms with “works”
與works相關的表達
1.in the works –(informal) in preparation
1.（非正式用法）在準備中
E.g. Various amendments to the Act are in the works.
例句：對于該提案的各種修訂案正在準備中。
2.a spanner in the works –(informal) a problem
2.（非正式用法）一個問題
E.g. The appearance of new evidence has thrown a spanner in the works.
例句：新證據的出現又引發了一個新問題。
3.with the works –(slang) with the full range, with everything
3.（習語）所有事物
E.g. Give me a hot dog with the works.
例句：給我個熱狗，所有配料都要加。
4.give somebody the works – (slang) beat somebody up, give somebody severe treatment
4.（習語）給某人點顏色瞧瞧
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，給了他點顏色瞧瞧。
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