商務英語郵件寫作指南：不可小覷的consult
The verb “consult” has three different meanings and accordingly behaves in three different ways. It is important to ensure your grammar and sentence structure match the meaning you intend.
單詞consult有三個不同的意思，相對應地也有三種不同的用法。在使用時，要確保每種用法的語法和句式結構都能對應的上，而且用的正確。
1. “Consult”usually means “to seek advice or information”. It is a transitive verb, which means it needs an object.
一. consult表示“尋求意見或信息”。這時，consult作及物動詞，需要加賓語。
WRONG
錯誤用法：
Would the employer be obliged to consult before reducing pay?
雇主在減薪前需要先咨詢嗎？
RIGHT
正確用法：
Would the employer be obliged to consult the employee representatives before reducing pay?
雇主在減薪前需要先咨詢員工代表嗎？
You can also consult a dictionary, an encyclopedia, or any other written reference.
你也可以向字典、百科全書或者任何書面文獻尋求信息。
E.g.: If you don’t know how to spell a word, consult a dictionary.
例句：如果你不知道怎么拼寫單詞，你可以去查字典。
Always put the person or thing being consulted after the word “consult”:
consult作及物動詞時，一定要在consult后加某人或某物。
WRONG
錯誤用法：
We recommend consulting the transaction with the works council.
我們建議向工會咨詢交易事項。
RIGHT
正確用法：
We recommend consulting the works council about the transaction.
我們建議向工會咨詢有關交易的事項。
In sentences like this, consult with is incorrect. Instead use about or for.
在consult后要加介詞的話，用with是不正確的，可以用about或者for代替。
You consult somebody about …
你可以向某人咨詢......
E.g.: The employer must consult the employee representatives about reducing pay.
例句：雇主必須向員工代表咨詢減薪事宜。
You consult something for …
你可以向某物尋求信息......
E.g.: He consulted the company website for information on internships.
例句：他在該公司的網頁上找實習工作的相關信息。
2. You can only use consult with when “consult”means “discuss something in order to make a decision”. In this case it is an intransitive verb, so you cannot write anything between the words “consult”and “with”:
二. 當你用consult表示“討論某事以便做決定”的意思時，你可以在consult后用介詞with，因為這時consult是不及物動詞，你不可以在consult和with之間加任何內容。
E.g.: He consulted with his lawyer for 15 minutes before returning to the meeting.
例句：在他回去開會之前，他向律師咨詢了15分鐘。
3. “To consult”can also mean “to act as a consultant”. In this case it is also an intransitive verb. It may be followed by “for”:
三. “to consult”也可以表示“作為一名顧問”的意思。這種用法，consult也是不及物動詞，后面可加介詞for。
E.g.: He retired last year, but still consults for his old firm.
例句：他去年退休了，不過仍然在為老東家做顧問。
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