rarely, seldom, hardly,scarcely

WORD CHOICE: rarely, seldom, hardly, scarcely Rarely and seldom both mean 'not often'. Seldom is more formal or literary : People rarely ask questions. |She was seldom seen in public. | The disease is rarely fatal. Hardly and scarcely both mean 'almost not' or 'only just'. For example, if you hardly had time to do something, you almost did not have time. Scarcely is more formal or literary : I hardly had time to ask her name. |We had scarcely arrived when he asked us to leave.Hardly and scarcely can also be used with 'ever' to mean 'not often, almost never', with 'any' to mean 'very few, almost none' etc : I've got hardly any money left. | Hardly anyone agreed with her.In speech, it is usual to say that you hardly ever do something, rather than that you rarely do it : I hardly ever go to the cinema.appreciate(VALUE)/əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt/verb[T]1 to recognize or understand that something is valuable, important or as described:There's no point buying him expensive wines - he doesn't appreciate them.We appreciate the need for immediate action.[+ that] I appreciate that it's a difficult decision for you to make.[+ question word] I don't think you appreciate how much time I spent preparing this meal.2I/We appreciate... used when you are thanking someone or showing that you are grateful:We really appreciate all the help you gave us last weekend.[+ ing form of verb] I appreciate your mak ing the effort to come.3would appreciate used when you are politely requesting something:I would appreciate it if you could let me know (= Please let me know) in advance whether or not you will be coming.not be much of a sthto not be a good example of something or not be very good at somethingI'm not much of a dancer, I'm afraid.It wasn't really much of a storm.come about phr vto happen, especially in a way that is not plannedThe opportunity to get into computing came about quite by accident.I don't know how this confusion has come about.if a ship comes about, it changes directioncome across phr vcome across sb/sthto meet, find, or discover someone or something by chanceI came across an old diary in her desk.I've never come across anyone quite like her before.if an idea comes across well, it is easy for people to understandYour point really came across at the meeting.if someone comes across in a particular way, they seem to have particular qualities= come over come across asHe comes across as a very intelligent, sensitive man.She sometimes comes across as being rather arrogant.I don't think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview.come across with [come across with sth] phr vto provide money or information when it is neededI hoped he might come across with a few facts.come after [come after sb] phr vto look for someone in order to hurt them, punish them, or get something from themShe was terrified that Trevor would come after her. come along phr vbe coming along informalto be developing or making progress= progressHe opened the oven door to see how the food was coming along.Your English is coming along really well.to appear or arriveA bus should come along any minute now.Take any job opportunity that comes along.a) to go to a place with someoneWe're going into town - do you want to come along? b) to go somewhere after someoneYou go on ahead - I'll come along later.come along!a) used to tell someone to hurry up= come onCome along! We're all waiting for you!b) used to encourage someone to try harder= come onCome along! Don't give up yet!come apart phr vto split or fall into piecesI picked the magazine up and it came apart in my hands. to begin to failThe whole basis of the agreement was coming apart.She felt as if her life was coming apart at the seams (=failing completely) .come around phr valso come round BrEto come to someone's home or the place where they work in order to visit them= come overI'll come around later and see how you are.Why don't you come round for lunch?also come round BrEto change your opinion so that you now agree with someone or are no longer angry with themcome around toIt took him a while to come around to the idea.Don't worry - she'll come round eventually.also come round BrEif a regular event comes around, it happens as usual By the time the summer came around, Kelly was feeling much better.AmE to become conscious again after you have been unconsciousBritish Equivalent: come roundWhen she came around her mother was sitting by her bed.come around fromYou might feel a little sick when you come around from the anesthetic.come at / [come at sb/sth] phr vto move towards someone in a threatening waySuddenly, he came at me with a knife.if images, questions, facts etc come at you, you feelconfused because there are too many of them at the same timeQuestions were coming at me from all directions. informal to consider or deal with a problem in a particular way= approachWe need to come at the problem from a different angle. come away phr vto become separated from the main part of something = come offOne of the wires in the plug had come away.I turned some of the pages and they came away in my hand.to leave a place with a particular feeling or ideaWe came away thinking that we had done quite well. come away withI came away with the impression that the school was very well run.come back phr vto return to a particular place or person= returnMy mother was scared that if I left home I'd never comeGinny's left me, and there's nothing I can do to persuade her to come back.to become fashionable or popular again→comebackWho'd have thought hippy gear would ever come back!High heels are coming back into fashion .to appear or start to affect someone or something again = returnThe pain in her shoulder was coming back again.It took a while for my confidence to come back.if something comes back to you, you remember it or remember how to do itAs I walked the city streets that evening, the memories came flooding back.come back toI can't think of her name at the moment, but it'll come back to me.to reply to someone quickly, often in an angry or unkind way→comeback come back atHe came back at me immediately, accusing me of beingcome before / [come before sb/sth] phr vto be brought to someone in authority, especially a judge in a law court, to be judged or discussed by themWhen you come before the judge, it's best to tell the whole truth.The case is due to come before the courts next month. come between [come between sb] phr vto make people argue and feel angry with each other, when they had been friends beforeNothing will ever come between us now.I didn't want to come between a husband and wife.to prevent someone from giving enough attention to somethingShe never let anything come between her and her work. come by phr vcome by sthto manage to get something that is rare or difficult to get How did you come by these pictures?Jobs were hard to come by .come by (sth)to make a short visit to a place on your way to somewhereHe said he'd come by later.I'll come by the house and get my stuff later, OK? come down phr va) if a price, level etc comes down, it gets lowerIt looks as if interest rates will come down again this month.b) to accept a lower pricecome down toHe's asking £5000, but he may be willing to come down to £4800.if someone comes down to a place, they travel south to the place where you areWhy don't you come down for the weekend sometime? come down toAre you coming down to Knoxville for Christmas?to fall to the groundA lot of trees came down in the storm.We were still out in the fields when the rain started coming down.come down on the side of sb/sth also come down in favour of sb/sthto decide to support someone or somethingThe committee came down in favour of making the information public.informal to start to feel normal again after you have been feeling very happy and excitedHe was on a real high all last week and he's only just come down.informal to stop feeling the effects of a strong drugWhen I came down, I remembered with horror some of the things I'd said.BrE old-fashioned to leave a university after completing a period of studycome down on [come down on sb] phr vto punish someone or criticize them severelyWe need to come down hard on young offenders.I made the mistake of answering back, and she came down on me like a ton of bricks (=very severely) . come down to / [come down to sb/sth] phr vif a complicated situation or problem comes down to something, that is the single most important thing It all comes down to money in the end.if something old has come down to you, it has beenpassed between people over a long period of time until you have itThe text which has come down to us is only a fragment of the original.come down with [come down with sth] phr vto get an illnessI think I'm coming down with a cold.come for / [come for sb/sth] phr vto arrive to collect someone or somethingI'll come for you at about eight o'clock.to arrive at a place in order to take someone away by forceMembers of the secret police came for him in the middle of the night.come forward phr vto offer help to someone, or offer to do something So far, only one candidate has come forward.The police are appealing for more witnesses to come forward with information.come from / [come from sb/sth] phr vif you come from a place, you were born there or lived there when you were youngI come from London originally.to be obtained from a place, thing, or person, or to start or be made somewhereA lot of drugs come from quite common plants.My information comes from a very reputable source.The idea came from America.to happen as the result of doing somethingcome from doing sthMost of her problems come from expecting too much of people.coming from him/her/you etcspoken used to say that someone should not criticize another person for doing something, because they have done the same thing themselvesYou think I'm too selfish? That's rich coming from you! where sb is coming from informalthe basic attitude or opinion someone has, which influences what they think, say, or doI can see where you're coming from now.come in phr vif a train, bus, plane, or ship comes in, it arrives at a place What time does your train come in?come in toWe come in to Heathrow at nine in the morning.if money or information comes in, you receive itReports are coming in of a massive earthquake in Mexico.We haven't got enough money coming in.to be involved in a plan, deal etcWe need some financial advice - that's where Kate comes in.come in onYou had the chance to come in on the deal.to join in a conversation or discussionCan I come in here and add something to what you're saying?to become fashionable or popular≠ go outTrainers really became popular in the 1980s, when casual sportswear came in.to finish a racecome in first/second etcHis horse came in second to last.if the tide comes in, the sea moves towards the land andcovers the edge of it≠ go outcome in for [come in for sth] phr vcome in for criticism/blame/scrutinyto be criticized, blamed etc for somethingThe government has come in for fierce criticism over its handling of this affair.come into [come into sth] phr vto receive money, land, or property from someone after they have diedShe'll come into quite a lot of money when her father dies.to be involved in somethingJosie doesn't come into the movie until quite near the end.Where do I come into all this?come into view/sightif something comes into view, you begin to see it The mountains were just coming into view.come into leaf/flower/blossomto start to produce leaves or flowersThe early roses were just coming into flower.not come into itspoken used to say that something is not important Money doesn't really come into it.come into your ownto become very good, useful, or important in a particular situationOn icy roads, a four-wheel drive vehicle really comes into its own.come of [come of sth] phr vto happen as a result of somethingI did ask a few questions, but nothing came of it.That's what comes of not practising - you've forgotten everything!come off phr vcome off (sth)to become removed from somethingThe label had come off, so there was no way of knowing what was on the disk.come off (sth)BrE to fall off somethingDyson came off his bike as he rounded the last corner, but wasn't badly hurt.informal if something that has been planned comes off, it happensIn the end the trip never came off.informal to be successfulIt was a good idea, but it didn't quite come off.The performance on the first night came off pretty well .come off sthto stop taking a drug that you have been taking regularly It wasn't until I tried to come off the pills that I realized I was addicted.come off best/better/worst etcBrE to gain or lose the most, more, the least etc from a situationAs far as pensions go, it's still women who come off worst.come off it!BrE spoken used to tell someone that you do not believe what they are sayingOh come off it! You can't seriously be saying you knew nothing about any of this.come on phr vcome on!spoken a) used to tell someone to hurryCome on, we'll be late!b) used to encourage someone to do somethingCome on, you can do it!Come on, cheer up!c) used to tell someone that you know that what they have just said was not true or rightOh come on, don't lie!d) used to make someone angry enough to want to fight youCome on, then, hit me!come on in/over/up etcspoken used to tell someone to come in, over, up etc, usually in a friendly wayCome on in - I've made some coffee.if a light or machine comes on, it starts workingA dog started barking and lights came on in the house. if an illness comes on, you start to be ill with itI can feel a headache coming on.if a television or radio programme comes on, it startsJust at that moment, the news came on.if rain or snow comes on, it startsThe rain came on just before lunchtime.to come onto a stage or sports fieldHe scored only two minutes after he'd come on.to improve or make progressThe children are really coming on now.Your English is coming on really well.come on sb/sthto find or discover someone or something by chance We came on a group of students having a picnic. come on strong informalto make it very clear to someone that you think they are sexually attractivecome on to / [come on to sb/sth] phr vto start talking about a new subjectI'll come on to this question in a few moments. informal if someone comes on to another person, they make it very clear that they are sexually interested in them →come-onThe way she was coming on to Jack, I'm amazed he managed to get out alive!come out phr vif something comes out, it is removed from a placeThese stains will never come out!if information comes out, people learn about it, especially after it has been kept secretNo doubt the truth will come out one day.It's come out that several ministers received payments from the company.if a photograph comes out, it shows a clear pictureI took loads of photographs, but most of them didn't come out.Some of the wedding photos have come out really well. if a book, record etc comes out, it becomes publicly availableWhen is the new edition coming out?if something comes out in a particular way, that is what it is like after it has been made or producedI've made a cake, but it hasn't come out very well.The cover has come out a bit too big.if something you say comes out in a particular way, that is how it sounds or how it is understoodHis words came out as little more than a whisper.That didn't come out the way I meant it to.I tried to explain everything to her, but it came out all wrong (=not in the way I intended) .if someone comes out in a particular way, that is the situation they are in at the end of an event or series of eventsThe more experienced team came out on top.come out ofShe came out of the divorce quite well.to be easy to noticeHis right-wing opinions come out quite strongly in his later writings.to say publicly that you strongly support or oppose a plan, belief etccome out in favour ofThe board of directors has come out strongly in favour of a merger.come out againstTeachers have come out against the proposed changes.At least he's got the courage to come out and say what he thinks.if the sun, moon, or stars come out, they appear in the skyThe sky cleared and the sun came out.if a flower comes out, it opensThe snowdrops were just starting to come out.if someone comes out, they say that they are gay when this was a secret beforecome out toThat summer, I decided to come out to my parents. BrE informal to refuse to work, as a protestNurses have threatened to come out in support of their pay claim.We decided to come out on strike .if a young woman came out in the past, she was formally introduced into upper class society at a large formal dance come out at [come out at sth] phr vif something comes out at a particular amount, that is the amount it adds up toThe whole trip, including fares, comes out at $900. come out in [come out in sth] phr vcome out in spots/a rash etcif you come out in spots etc, spots appear on your body If I eat eggs, I come out in a rash.come out of [come out of sth] phr vto no longer be in a bad situationThere are signs that the country is coming out of recession.to happen as a result of somethingOne or two excellent ideas came out of the meeting. come out of yourself informalto start to behave in a more confident wayPenny's really come out of herself since she started that course.come out with [come out with sth] phr vto say something, especially something unusual or unexpectedSome of the things he comes out with are so funny! come over phr va) if someone comes over, they visit you at your houseDo you want to come over on Friday evening?b) if someone comes over, they come to the country where you arecome over to/fromWhen did your family first come over to America? come over sbif a strong feeling comes over you, you suddenly experienceitA wave of sleepiness came over me.I'm sorry about that - I don't know what came over me (=I do not know why I behaved in that way) .if an idea comes over well, people can understand it easilyI thought that the points he was making came over quite clearly.if someone comes over in a particular way, they seem to have particular qualities= come acrossHe didn't come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview.come over asShe comes over as a very efficient businesswoman. come over (all) shy/nervous etc informalto suddenly become very shy, nervous etccome round phr vto come aroundcome through phr vif a piece of information, news etc comes through, it arrives somewhereWe're still waiting for our exam results to come through.There is news just coming through of an explosion in a chemical factory.to be made official, especially by having the correct documents officially approvedI'm still waiting for my divorce to come through.come through (sth)to continue to live, be strong, or succeed after a difficult or dangerous timeIf he comes through the operation OK he should be back to normal within a few weeks.It's been a tough time, but I'm sure you'll come through and be all the wiser for it.come through with [come through with sth] phr vto give someone something they need, especially when they have been worried that you would not produce it in timeOur representative in Hong Kong finally came through with the figures.come to phr vcome to a decision/conclusion/agreement etcto decide something, agree on something etc afterconsidering or discussing a situation= reachWe came to the conclusion that there was no other way back to the camp.If they don't come to a decision by midnight, the talks will be abandoned.come to a halt/stopa) to slow down and stop= stopThe train came to a stop just yards from the barrier. b) to stop operating or continuingAfter the election our funding came to an abrupt halt. come to sthto develop so that a particular situation exists, usually a bad oneI never thought it would come to this .We need to be prepared to fight, but hopefully it won't come to that (=that won't be necessary) .All those years of studying, and in the end it all came to nothing .It's come to something when I'm not allowed to express an opinion in my own house!what is the world/the country etc coming to?(=used to say that the world etc is in a bad situation) come to sthto add up to a total amountThat comes to £23.50.The bill came to £48.50.come to sbif a thought or idea comes to you, you realize or remember somethingThe answer came to me in a flash.I've forgotten her name, but maybe it'll come to me later. to become conscious again after you have been unconsciousWhen he came to, he was lying on the floor with his hands tied behind his back.when it comes to sth informalwhen you are dealing with something or talking about somethingHe's a bit of an expert when it comes to computers. come under [come under sth] phr vcome under attack/fire/scrutiny etcto be attacked, shot at etcThe government has come under attack from opposition leaders over proposals to cut health spending.to be governed or controlled by a particular organization or personThe organization comes under the authority of the EU. if a piece of information comes under a particular title, you can find it under that titleThe proposals come under three main headings. come up phr vif someone comes up to you, they come close to you, especially in order to speak to youOne of the teachers came up and started talking to me. come up toA man came up to him and asked for a light.if someone comes up to a place, they travel north to the place where you arecome up toWhy don't you come up to New York for the weekend? if a subject comes up, people mention it and discuss it = ariseHis name came up in the conversation.The subject of salaries didn't come up.if a problem or difficulty comes up, it appears or starts to affect you= ariseI'm afraid I'll have to cancel our date - something's come up .The same problems come up every time.if a job or an opportunity comes up, it becomes availableA vacancy has come up in the accounts department.to be dealt with in a law courtYour case comes up next week.be coming upto be going to happen soonWith Christmas coming up, few people have much money to spare.if the sun or moon comes up, it moves up into the sky where you can see it= riseIt was six o'clock, and the sun was just coming up.if a plant comes up, it begins to appear above the ground The first spring bulbs are just coming up.if food comes up, it goes back through your mouth from your stomach after being swallowedcoming (right) up!spoken used to say that food or drink will be ready very soon'Two martinis, please.' 'Coming up!'come up against / [come up against sth/sb] phr vto have to deal with problems or difficultiesWe may find we come up against quite a lot of opposition from local people.You've got no idea of what you're going to come up against.come up for [come up for sth] phr vcome up for discussion/examination/review etcto be discussed, examined etcThis matter will come up for discussion at next month's meeting.The regulations come up for review in April.come up for election/re-election/selection etcto reach the time when people have to vote about whether you should continue in a political positionThe governors come up for re-election next year. come upon / [come upon sb/sth] phr vto find or discover something or someone by chanceWe came upon a little cottage just on the edge of the wood.literary if a feeling comes upon you, you suddenly feel itA wave of tiredness came upon her.come up to / [come up to sth/sb] phr vto reach a particular standard or to be as good as you expectedThis doesn't come up to the standard of your usual work.The resort certainly failed to come up to expectations .be (just) coming up to sthto be nearly a particular timeIt's just coming up to 11 o'clock.come up with [come up with sth] phr vto think of an idea, answer etcIs that the best excuse you can come up with?We've been asked to come up with some new ideas. informal to produce an amount of moneyWe wanted to buy the house but we couldn't come up with the cash.How am I supposed to come up with $10,000?boring activity[sing.] (informal) an activity that is tiring or boring and takes a lot of time: the daily grind of family life ◆It's a long grind to the top of that particular profession.of machinessynonymsmean activity involving effort or exertion. WORK may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force <too tired to do any work>.physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion <farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor>.or suffering <years of travail were lost when the houselot would be years of back-breaking toil>.suggests dull and irksome labor <an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery>. implies labor exhausting to mind or body <the grind of the assembly line>. synonyms WORK, EMPLOYMENT, OCCUPATION, CALLING, PURSUIT, MÉTIER, BUSINESS mean a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living. WORK may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerativeor not <her work as a hospital volunteer>. EMPLOYMENT implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer <your employment with this firm is hereby terminated>. OCCUPATION implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training <his occupation as a trained auto mechanic>. CALLING applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession <the ministry seemed my true calling>. PURSUIT suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest <her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit>. BUSINESS suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs <the business of managing a hotel>.pick at[PHRASAL VERB] V P nIf you pick at the food that you are eating, you eat only very small amounts of it.Sarah picked at a plate of cheese for supper, but she wasn't really hungry.pick off[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P。

1. 否定副词位于句首时的倒装在正式文体中， never, seldom, rarely, little, hardly, scarcely, nosooner, nolonger, nowhere等含有否定意义的副词若位于句首，则其后要用部分倒装：I shall never forgive him. / Never shall I forgive him. 我永远不会宽恕他。

He seldom goes out for dinner. / Seldom does he go out for dinner. 他很少出去吃饭。

She hardly has time to listen to music. / Hardly does she have time to listen to music. 她几乎没时间听音乐。

He little realizes how important this meeting is. / Little does he realize how important this meeting is. 他不甚明白这个会议的重要性。

We had no sooner reached the airport than the plane took off. / No sooner had we reached the airport than the plane took off. 我们刚到机场,飞机就起飞了。

【注意】(1) 对于 not…until 句型，当 not until…位于句首时，其后的主句要用倒装语序：He didn’tleave the roomuntil the rain stopped. /Not unti l the rain stoppeddidhe leave the room. 雨停了之后他才离开这房间。

(2) 某些起副词作用的介词短语，由于含有否定词，若位于句首，其后要用部分倒装：On no accounts must this switch be touched. 这个开关是绝不能触摸的。

否定副词考研英语阅读否定副词是英语中用来表示否定的词语，常用的有：never (从不)，rarely (很少)，hardly (几乎不)，barely (勉强)，scarcely (几乎不)，not (不)，no (没有)，neither (也不)，nor (也不)，none (没有)等。

在考研英语阅读中，否定副词常常用来表达否定观点或否定事实，增强文章的负面情感或消极态度。

例如：1. Although the government promised to take action, they hardly made any substantial changes. (尽管政府承诺会采取行动，但他们几乎没有做出任何实质性的改变。

)2. The study found that the new drug was no more effective than the placebo. (这项研究发现，这种新药并没有比安慰剂更有效。

)3. The author argues that the current education system not only fails to provide equal opportunities, but also exacerbates social inequality. (作者认为，当前的教育体制不仅未能提供平等的机会，而且还加剧了社会不平等。

)4. The research suggests that neither genetic factors nor environmental factors alone can fully explain the development of certain diseases. (研究表明，单独的遗传因素或环境因素均无法完全解释某些疾病的发展。

)总之，在考研英语阅读中，否定副词能够帮助阐明作者观点、增强逻辑推理和表达否定观点或消极态度。

倒装句1.否定词Never ,seldom ,hardly, scarcely（几乎不）, barely, rarely,little ,not ,nowhere ,neither…(nor),by no means ,in no way, in no case ,at no time ,under no circumstances置于句首时，句子要部分倒装。

Eg：Neither will theory do without practice ;nor will practice do without theory.2.句型Not until…“主倒从不倒”，即仅对句子的后半部分进行倒装。

下面句型则刚好相反。

Not only…but alsoNo sooner …than(一……就……);Hardly…when ;Scarcely…when So…that;Such…thatEg: Not until i began to work did i realize how much time i had wasted.No sooner had he reached home than it began to rain.So angry was he that he couldn't speak.3.only强调状语置于句首时，句子要进行部分倒装。

Eg: Only by depending on the masses(大众）can we overcome difficulties.4.as或though引导让步状语从句表语/状语/动词原形+as/though+主语Eg: Clever as he is, he doesn't study well.Try as she might, she failed.Much as i like it , i will not buy it.5.省略if 的虚拟条件句中，将were, had ,should移至主语前。

seldom的用法就近原则一、理解"seldom"的含义及其用法"never"（从未）和"sometimes"（有时候）被广泛使用，但在日常英语中还有一个类似的词汇：seldom。

它意味着“很少”或“几乎不”，常用来表示稀少或罕见的情况。

学习如何正确使用"seldom"既可以丰富我们的词汇量，也能让我们更准确地表达自己的意思。

1. 作为副词，seldom通常放在句子中间，具体位置依赖上下文。

例如:- I seldom drink alcohol.（我很少喝酒。

）- She has seldom been to the opera.（她很少去听歌剧）2. 相对于较为正式的副词sthadly而言，seldom在口语和书面语中更为常见。

两者可以互换使用，表达相同的含义。

例如：- It seldom rains in this region. （这个地区很少下雨）- It hardly ever rains in this region. （这个地区几乎不下雨）3. 在否定句和疑问句中，seldom可与频率副词phrase "rarely, if ever"搭配使用以加强语气。

例如：- I seldom, if ever, go to parties. （我几乎从不去参加派对）- Do you seldom, if ever, eat out?（你几乎很少在外面吃饭吗？）二、表达"几乎不"的其他常用词汇除了"seldom"之外，英语中还有许多其他常用的表达“几乎不”的词汇，它们与"seldom"的意义相近，但略带一些差异。

以下是其中一些：1. Rarely（很少）：强调某种情况或行为发生的概率极低。

- She rarely goes shopping. （她很少购物。

一、程度副词1、very，much，very much1）very 修饰形容词或副词原形，与quite, pretty, fairly相似；much修饰形容词或副词比较级，与by far, rather , a lot ,a little 相似.例如：He walks very fast. He walks much faster than you.①修饰a-开头的表语形容词，不用very修饰，而用much或very much修饰。

例如：They are much alike. She is very much afraid of the snakes. He is much alone these days.②有些不分级别的形容词，如dead , ready , right , wrong , excellent等，表示终极意义时，不能再用增强语气的very来修饰，可用quite 修饰。

例如：You are quite right.③有些形容词有固定搭配，不用very, much 修饰。

例如：Well done, well worth, fast /sound asleep, wide awake2）very与much 都可以和形容词和副词的最高级连用，但very 必须放在定冠词之后，much 必须放在定冠词之前。

例如：This dictionary is much the best for learners.This dictionary is the very best for learners.此外very 还可以与first ,last 等词连用。

例如：He drank it to the very last drop.3）修饰动词用much，多用于疑问或否定句；肯定句多用very much, a lot , a great deal等。

例如：I have very much regretted the decision.①very , much, very much 三个词都可以修饰用作形容词的过去分词，如surprised , pleased ,excited , frightened , interested , satisfied , limited ,delighted 等等。

seldom是否定词吗算是否定词，seldom有否定的意思。

当陈述句部分含有seldom(=not often不常)，hardly(=almost not几乎不)，few(=not many很少)，little(=not much一点儿)，never(从不，永不)等这些本身具有否定意义的词时，简略问句部分用肯定式。

rarely，seldom，never区别这三个词均为频度副词，表示次数的多少，它们之间的区别主要在于意思有所不同：never表示“从不”，rarely和seldom均表示“很少”、“极少”，没什么区别（但根据朗文词典，seldom比rarely更正式、更具文学色彩——此细微区别一般学习者可以忽略）。

如：We seldom/rarely go there.我们很少去那儿。

He’s seldom / rarely late for work.他上班很少迟到。

He never gets up early in the morning.他从不早起。

hardly，scarcely区别这两个词的意思和用法大致相同，它们单独使用时不表示频度，而是表示“几乎不”“几乎没有”。

如：She scarcely/hardly looked at it.她几乎没看它一眼。

He had scarcely/hardly any friends.他简直没有什么朋友。

注意，单独使用的hardly，scarcely不表示频度，但hardly ever，scarcely ever却可以表示频度。

如：She scarcely/hardly ever calls me.她几乎从不给我打电话。

He scarcely/hardly ever washes the dishes.他几乎从不洗盘子。

补充说明。

另外有一点要注意，就这些副词均含有否定意义，所以后接反意疑问句时，要用肯定式；另外，当它们被置于句首时，其后句子要用倒装。

如：She hardly knows any English， does she?她几乎不懂英语，对吧?He never goes to parties， does he?他从不去参加社交聚会，对吗？Rarely / Seldom do we hear such fine singing from school choirs.我们很少能听到学校的合唱团有如此好的歌唱了。

简谈频度副词■崔长平河南遂平一高（463100）常见的频度副词有：always（总是），almost always（几乎总是），usually，generally（通常，一般），often，frequently（经常），sometimes，at times，at other times（有时），from time to time， occasionally，now and then（不时，偶尔），seldom，hardly，rarely，scarcely（很少，难得），never（从不）等。

频度副词的位置：1）在行为动词之前：e.g. The boy often asks a lot of questions that have nothing to do with his lessons.2）在系动词之后：e.g. It is usually difficult for me to select a good present for my wife.3）在情态动词（或助动词）与主要谓语动词之间：e.g. How do you usually spend your holidays?I have never seen such fine drawings before.He must not always be studying in bed.4）有时为了强调或对比，这类副词有的可以放在句首或句末。

当seldom，rarely，scarcely，hardly，never等否定词（有时often也如此）置于句首时，句子要倒装（这些词修饰说明主语时除外）。

e.g. Sometimes he goes to school by bus and sometimes he cycles to school.I am not late, usually.Very seldom does he eat any breakfast.Never have I met such a strange person.（Hardly anybody believed what she had said.）5）在省略句中，频度副词经常置于助动词、情态动词或系动词之前。

英语否定概念的表达形式大致可分为两类：显形否定与隐形否定。

显形否定一般借助否定词或含否定意义的句型表达，其否定含义较为直观，故有明否定之称；隐形否定无明显否定词，其否定含义往往要靠上下文或语境来推定，比较难以把握，故有暗否定或间接否定之称。

一、显形否定常用否定词1.no，not，never，none，nobody，nothing，nowhere，neither，nor，neither...nor，but，without，unless，but for，but that，in the absence of，regardless of，instead of，exclusive of，short of，rather than，anything but，any more than，out of the question，would no more...than2.由a-，dis-，il-，im-，ir-，un-，non-，anti-，mal-，under-等前缀及-less，-free，-proof等后缀合成的否定词3.hardly，scarcely，barely，little，few，seldom等半否定词英语中有一种介于完全否定和部分否定之间的“否定”，即基本否定。

所谓基本否定就是在语气上将否定对象基本上否定，即百分之九十以上否定，肯定部分仅占很小部分。

比较：Nobody believes that.（完全否定）Hardly anybody believes that.（基本否定）Not all the people believe that.（部分否定）基本否定的表达方式主要是用不完全否定词hardly,scarcely,rarely,barely,seldom,few,little等，来表达否定意义。

这些词很接近never,not,no,none等词，不过语气较弱，而且在否定意义上留有余地，不象never ,no等词那样绝对。