有時候學生匆匆忙忙的寫文章或商業類寫作，眼明手快，沒有覆閱便匆匆交功課。

　　Miss Carol今集挑選八組學生常見犯錯的詞彙問題作解說。

　　1. As spoken on the phone.../ As discussed.../ As agreed …

　　很多學生以為這個是慣用語，其實不論是面對面的對話還是在電話的談話，也是兩個人或以上的對話。Subject（I, you, we, they, he, she, it) 是需要的。

　　建議改成：As we discussed on the phone yesterday/ this morning...

　　2. We could care less OR We couldn't　　care less　　

　　中文翻譯為我們不在乎，說到我們可以少關心一個主題或是少關心一樣東西。

　　很多時候這個意思是我們根本不關心某一個話題所以並不在乎。例句：

　　The politician thinks we are interested in what he comments, but we couldn't care less what he says, to be honest.

　　3. First-come, first-serve

　　先到先得或是先到先接待的意思。很多同學以為這是一句成語，非也。

　　正確寫法應該是 First-come, first-served。

　　4. If worse comes to worse 就是如果發生最壞的情況或是一個假設性的寫法。正確寫法是：If the worst comes to the worst.

　　例句：The typhoon is still strong. If the worst comes to the worst, we can stay home instead of going to school.

　　5. Chalk full?

　　發音幾乎一樣但詞彙寫法不同。應該是Chock-full

　　Chock是舊式英語單詞，跟面頰（cheek）及滿到邊緣（full to the brim） 一樣的意思。

　　Chock-full就是擠滿的或是充滿的意思。

　　例句：My newly-invented mushroom soup, chock-full of corn, bacon and porcini, was absolutely delicious.

　　6.濫用literally

　　很多人以為literally可以在任何情況下使用或是一種修辭技巧。查實正確意思是"actually","Strictly speaking"

　　所以我們不能寫Tom's stomach is literally exploding. 

　　例句：Tom has a feeling that his stomach is about to burst; he literally gobbled 4 pizzas down!

　　7. A little OR little 

　　A little 有正面意思，"little"有反面意思。

　　There is a little milk in the bottle. 

　　樽內有少許牛奶。

　　強調是還有牛奶的。

　　There is little　　milk in the bottle. 

　　樽內有少許牛奶。

　　強調是不夠牛奶了。

　　8. Millions of thanks and regards

　　很多學生甚至在職人士喜歡在電郵最後部分加上thanks and regards / many thanks and regards, 甚至millions of thanks and regards作為歇後語。其實致謝是美好的事情，為什麼要躲在最後的部分。另外就是多謝什麼事情也應該交代清楚。

　　例句：Thank you for taking time to review my homework/contract/project plan.

　　Sometimes I like making mistakes, not those irrevocable ones for sure. We simply cannot learn anything from being perfect. That is why, sometimes, the most precious thing we can make is a mistake. 

　　Miss Carol 資深英語老師、國際英文考試主考官；前大專院校導師

及企業培訓導師。