复合介词短语

复合介词短语（complex prepositional phrases）——也叫多词介词或复合介词——由两个或更多的词组成，整体作为一个介词使用。in spite of、with regard to、on behalf of 这类短语是正式英语写作的常客。它们能让写作者表达简单的单词介词无法传达的细微关系。

什么样的介词短语算「复合」？

复合介词短语通常遵循以下几种结构：

结构	示例
介词 + 名词 + 介词	in spite of, on behalf of, by means of, in terms of, in lieu of
介词 + 名词	despite（历史上曾作 "in despite of"）, aboard, inside
副词／形容词 + 介词	prior to, due to, close to, apart from
介词 + 名词 + 介词 + 名词	in the event of, at the expense of, for the sake of

它的决定性特征是：整个短语作为一个完整的介词单位起作用。你不能删掉或调换其中的成分，否则意思就被破坏了。

正式写作必备的复合介词

让步与对比

这些短语引出与主要观点相冲突或对其加以限定的内容：

In spite of / Despite

• In spite of the economic downturn, the company reported growth.
• Despite significant opposition, the policy was implemented.
• 注意："In spite of" 和 "despite" 可以互换。"Despite" 稍微简洁一些；"in spite of" 语气可能更强。永远不要写 "despite of"——这种写法一律错误。

Regardless of

• Regardless of the outcome, the research contributed valuable data.
• 这个短语强调：无论后面是什么情况，主句都成立。

Notwithstanding

• Notwithstanding these limitations, the findings are significant.
• 非常正式；常见于法律和学术文本。也可以放在名词之后：These limitations notwithstanding, the findings are significant.

目的与原因

For the purpose of

• For the purpose of this analysis, we define "urban" as any area with a population exceeding 50,000.
• "to" 或 "for" 的正式替代说法。常用来界定范围。

For the sake of

• For the sake of clarity, the data has been presented in tabular form.
• 强调某个行为背后的好处或动机。

On account of

• On account of the adverse weather conditions, the trial was postponed.
• "because of" 的正式对应说法。书面语比口语更常用。

By virtue of

• By virtue of her seniority, she was appointed to lead the committee.
• 表示某种品质或特征是某件事的原因。

指涉与关联

With regard to / With respect to / In regard to

• With regard to the second question, the data is inconclusive.
• With respect to timeline, the project remains on schedule.
• 这三个基本可以互换。注意："In regards to"（带 's'）在正式写作中被视为不规范。请用 "in regard to" 或 "with regard to"。

In terms of

• In terms of profitability, the new product line exceeded expectations.
• 在口语和书面语中都极其常见。很有用，但容易用得过多——想一想换一个更简单的介词行不行。

As for / As to

• As for the remaining issues, they will be addressed in the next meeting.
• As to whether this approach is viable, further testing is required.
• "As for" 引出话题的转换。"As to" 引出一个问题或尚不确定的方面。

In the case of

• In the case of developing nations, the challenges are particularly acute.
• 在更宽泛的讨论中引出一个具体的情形。

代表与替代

On behalf of

• On behalf of the entire team, I would like to express our gratitude.
• 意思是「代表」或「为了……的利益」。不要和 "on the part of" 混淆（后者表示某个行为是由某人做出的）。

In lieu of

• In lieu of a formal report, the team submitted a summary memo.
• 意思是「代替」（instead of）。非常正式；常见于法律和商务语境。

In place of

• Solar panels were installed in place of the aging heating system.
• 与 "in lieu of" 相近，但正式程度稍低。

补充与包含

In addition to

• In addition to the primary findings, several secondary patterns emerged.
• 补充信息。比 "besides" 或 "as well as" 更正式。

Along with

• The report, along with the supporting documents, was submitted on Friday.
• 添加一个伴随的成分。注意：谓语动词与主语保持一致，而不是与 "along with" 引出的短语一致。

Apart from

• Apart from a few minor errors, the manuscript was well prepared.
• 视语境而定，既可以表示「除……之外（都不）」（排除），也可以表示「除……之外（还有）」（包含）。

正式程度与语域

复合介词短语往往会提高文章的正式程度。这在学术和职场语境中很有用，但可能让随意的文字显得生硬或做作。

选择合适的语域（register）

非正式	中性	正式
because of	due to	on account of / by virtue of
about	regarding	with regard to / with respect to
except for	other than	with the exception of
instead of	rather than	in lieu of
also / and	as well as	in addition to
even though	although	notwithstanding / in spite of
before	prior to	in advance of
like	similar to	in a manner consistent with

目标不是永远选最正式的那一个，而是与你文章的语域相匹配。在学术论文里，"with regard to" 很得体；在博客文章里，"about" 更好。

避免过度使用

高水平学习者的一个常见错误，是为了显得「更学术」而在句子里塞满复合介词短语。结果就是臃肿的文字：

堆砌： With regard to the implementation of the policy in terms of its effectiveness in the context of developing nations, in spite of the challenges associated with resource allocation, the outcomes were, in large part, in line with expectations.

修改后： Despite resource allocation challenges, the policy was largely effective in developing nations.

只有当复合介词短语确实能提高精确度或正式程度时才用它。如果它只增加长度而不增加意义，就换成更简单的说法。

复合介词短语的标点

复合介词短语放在句首时，后面加逗号：

• In spite of the delays, the project was completed on time.
• With regard to the second proposal, the board has several concerns.
• In addition to cost savings, the new system improves efficiency.

短语出现在句中时，要不要加逗号取决于它是不是插入成分：

• The project, in spite of the delays, was completed on time.（插入成分——需要逗号）
• The decision was made on the basis of the available evidence.（必要成分——不加逗号）

复合介词短语的常见错误

错误	更正	说明
despite of the rain	despite the rain	"Despite" 后面不接 "of"
in regards to	in regard to	标准正式英语中 "regard" 不加 's'
on the behalf of	on behalf of	这个固定短语中没有 "the"
irregardless of	regardless of	"Irregardless" 不规范
in terms in quality	in terms of quality	这个短语必须用 "of"
in despite of	in spite of 或 despite	"In despite of" 是古旧用法
for the purposes to	for the purpose of	这个短语要求 "of" + 动名词

介词动词与短语动词

高级英语中最有挑战性的内容之一，是与介词或小品词结合的动词。这些组合——介词动词、短语动词和短语介词动词——在意义、语法和正式程度上各有不同的表现。弄清它们之间的区别，对写出准确、地道的英语至关重要。

「动词 + 介词／小品词」组合的三种类型

1. 介词动词

介词动词（prepositional verb）是动词后面跟一个介词，而这个介词不能与它的宾语分开。介词保留其核心意义，整个组合的意思相对一目了然。

• depend on——The outcome depends on several factors.
• consist of——The committee consists of twelve members.
• result in——The policy change resulted in a 15% cost reduction.
• account for——Exports account for 40% of the nation's GDP.
• refer to——The author refers to several earlier studies.
• belong to——This document belongs to the finance department.
• apply to——The same principle applies to all cases.
• contribute to——Several factors contributed to the outcome.

关键语法规则： 介词必须紧挨在宾语前面，二者不能分开。

• 正确：The outcome depends on the data.
• 错误：The outcome depends the data on.（绝对不可能）

2. 短语动词

短语动词（phrasal verb）是动词与一个小品词（particle）的组合——小品词看起来像介词，但实际上是动词的一部分。这种组合会产生新的意义，而这个意义往往无法从单个词推断出来。

• carry out——执行、实施（The team carried out the experiment.）
• look into——调查（Management is looking into the complaint.）
• bring about——引起、导致（The reforms brought about significant change.）
• set up——建立、设立（The organization set up a new branch.）
• break down——分解分析／出故障（Let's break down the data by category.）
• point out——指出（The reviewer pointed out several inconsistencies.）
• put forward——提出（She put forward an alternative explanation.）
• turn down——拒绝（The committee turned down the proposal.）

关键语法规则： 及物的短语动词，小品词可以与动词分开。当宾语是代词时，必须分开。

• The team carried out the experiment.（连在一起——正确）
• The team carried the experiment out.（分开——正确）
• The team carried it out.（代词——必须分开）
• The team carried out it.（代词未分开——错误）

3. 短语介词动词

短语介词动词（phrasal-prepositional verb）由动词加一个小品词再加一个介词组成。它们永远不可分开。

• come up with——想出（She came up with a solution.）
• look forward to——期待（We look forward to your response.）
• put up with——忍受（The staff could no longer put up with the conditions.）
• keep up with——跟上（It is difficult to keep up with technological advances.）
• get away with——逃脱惩罚（The company got away with minimal penalties.）
• look down on——看不起（The policy was seen as looking down on smaller firms.）

介词动词 vs. 短语动词：关键区别

区分二者很重要，因为它影响语序、正式程度和意义。

特征	介词动词	短语动词
可分开吗？	永远不可	通常可以（宾语是代词时必须分开）
意义	通常一目了然	通常是习语性的
正式程度	中性到正式	通常偏非正式
被动语态	正常	有时别扭
示例	rely on（意思清楚）	make up（意思多变）

如何检验

如果宾语能放在动词和介词／小品词之间，那就是短语动词：

• look into the matter / look the matter into——可以分开 = 短语动词
• depend on the results / depend the results on——不能分开 = 介词动词

如果去掉小品词后意思发生根本变化，那就是短语动词：

• carry out（执行）vs. carry（搬运）——意思变了 = 短语动词
• rely on（依靠）vs. rely（很少单独使用）——介词不可缺少 = 介词动词

学术与职场写作必备的介词动词

学术和职场文本明显偏爱介词动词而不是短语动词，因为介词动词听起来更正式，意思也更清楚。

分析与研究

动词	示例
focus on	This study focuses on the relationship between diet and performance.
concentrate on	The analysis concentrates on three key variables.
elaborate on	The author elaborates on this point in Chapter 4.
comment on	Several critics have commented on the methodology.
reflect on	The discussion reflects on the implications of the findings.
speculate about	Researchers speculate about possible explanations.

因果

动词	示例
result in	The intervention resulted in improved outcomes.
result from	The improvement resulted from sustained effort.
lead to	Deforestation leads to soil erosion.
contribute to	Multiple factors contributed to the decline.
stem from	The problem stems from a fundamental design flaw.
give rise to	The discovery gave rise to a new field of research.

数量与比例

动词	示例
account for	Renewable energy accounts for 30% of total production.
amount to	Total losses amounted to $2.5 million.
relate to	The increase relates to changes in consumer behavior.
correspond to	Each symbol corresponds to a specific data point.

一致与遵从

动词	示例
comply with	All participants must comply with the guidelines.
conform to	The results conform to the predicted pattern.
adhere to	The study adheres to established ethical standards.
align with	The findings align with previous research.

在正式写作中替换短语动词

在学术和职场语境中，短语动词通常会被更正式的单个动词或介词动词取代。这不是要完全回避短语动词——而是要选择合适的语域（register）。

短语动词（非正式）	正式替代说法
find out	discover, determine, ascertain
carry out	conduct, perform, execute
look into	investigate, examine, explore
bring about	cause, produce, generate
set up	establish, create, institute
point out	indicate, highlight, note
make up	constitute, comprise
go up	increase, rise
go down	decrease, decline
come up with	devise, develop, propose
put forward	propose, suggest, advance
turn down	reject, decline
break down	analyze, decompose, categorize
leave out	omit, exclude
take into account	consider

重要细节： 短语动词在正式写作中并不算错——只是用得少一些。一个用得恰到好处的短语动词，能让学术文章读起来更顺畅。关键在于意识：清楚自己是在做语域上的选择。

动词搭配介词的常见错误

高级写作中的许多错误，来自给动词配错了介词。这些无法从规则推导出来——必须作为固定搭配来记。

错误	更正	说明
depend of	depend on	永远用 "on"
consist in（表示「由……组成」时）	consist of	"Consist in" 确实存在，但意思是「以……为本质特征」
result to	result in（导致）/ result from（由……引起）	方向很重要
comply to	comply with	永远用 "with"
focus in	focus on	永远用 "on"
account on	account for	永远用 "for"
contribute for	contribute to	永远用 "to"
insist to	insist on	永远用 "on"
succeed to do	succeed in doing	接动名词，不接不定式

高级介词速查

本节集中整理了正式写作、学术写作和职场写作中的高级介词用法。起草或修改文章时，可以把它当作速查资料。

常用介词的正式替代说法

正式写作往往要求更精确或更庄重的介词。下表把日常介词与其正式对应说法一一对应起来。

常用介词	正式替代说法	示例
about	regarding, concerning, with respect to, pertaining to	Regarding your inquiry, we can confirm the shipment date.
after	following, subsequent to	Following the presentation, questions were invited.
before	prior to, in advance of, preceding	Prior to the experiment, all instruments were calibrated.
because of	due to, owing to, on account of, as a result of	Due to unforeseen circumstances, the meeting has been rescheduled.
but / except	with the exception of, excluding, save for	All departments, with the exception of Finance, met their targets.
like	such as, similar to, analogous to	Countries such as Japan and Germany have aging populations.
about（表示「大约」）	approximately, in the region of, on the order of	The project cost was in the region of $2 million.
through	by means of, via, through the medium of	Data was collected by means of structured interviews.
without	in the absence of, lacking	In the absence of conclusive evidence, no determination was made.
among	amongst（英式正式用法）, amid	Amid growing concern, the government issued a statement.

用法说明

• "Regarding" 与 "with regard to"： 两者都正确。"Regarding" 更简洁；"with regard to" 更正式。避免用 "in regards to"（不规范）。
• "Due to" 与 "owing to"： 传统上，"due to" 修饰名词，"owing to" 修饰动词：The delay was due to rain（修饰 "delay"）vs. The event was canceled owing to rain（修饰整个分句）。在现代用法中这一区别正在淡化，但严谨的写作者仍然遵守它。
• "Such as" 与 "like"： 在正式写作中，"such as" 引出例子，"like" 引出比较。Countries such as Japan...（日本是其中一个例子）vs. Countries like Japan...（与日本相似的国家）。学术写作规范严格遵守这一区别。

学术写作中的介词句式

学术写作所依赖的介词句式，数量少得出人意料。以下句式通用于各个学科，是撰写研究论文、报告和正式议论文的必备工具。

框定范围

这些短语界定所讨论内容的边界：

• In the context of——In the context of developing economies, the implications are significant.
• Within the framework of——Within the framework of cognitive theory, this behavior is predictable.
• In the field of——In the field of molecular biology, recent advances have been transformative.
• For the purposes of——For the purposes of this study, participants were divided into three groups.
• With a view to——The data was organized with a view to identifying patterns.
• In keeping with——In keeping with established methodology, a control group was used.

证据与支撑

这些短语把论断与证据联系起来：

• On the basis of——On the basis of the results, the hypothesis was supported.
• In support of——Evidence in support of this claim is presented in Table 3.
• In accordance with——In accordance with ethical guidelines, informed consent was obtained.
• In line with——These findings are in line with previous research.
• On the grounds that——The application was rejected on the grounds that it lacked sufficient detail.
• In view of——In view of the evidence, the original conclusion must be revised.

对比与比较

这些短语建立分析性的关系：

• In contrast to / In contrast with——In contrast to the control group, the experimental group showed improvement.
• As opposed to——The study used qualitative methods as opposed to quantitative ones.
• In comparison with / Compared to——In comparison with the 2020 data, the 2023 figures show a 20% increase.
• As distinct from——This refers to organizational culture as distinct from organizational structure.
• Rather than——The team chose to revise the model rather than abandon it entirely.

过程与方法

这些短语描述某件事是如何完成的：

• By means of——Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews.
• In the form of——Feedback was provided in the form of written comments.
• In terms of——In terms of statistical significance, the result was marginal.
• With reference to——With reference to Figure 2, the trend is clearly visible.
• On the part of——A lack of engagement on the part of stakeholders was noted.
• In response to——In response to the criticism, the authors clarified their methodology.

介词固定搭配速查表

下表列出正式写作中经常出错的「形容词 + 介词」和「名词 + 介词」固定搭配（collocations）。

形容词 + 介词

形容词	介词	示例
aware	of	aware of the risks
responsible	for	responsible for the oversight
consistent	with	consistent with prior findings
dependent	on	dependent on external funding
relevant	to	relevant to the discussion
capable	of	capable of sustained growth
sensitive	to	sensitive to environmental changes
subject	to	subject to regulatory approval
compatible	with	compatible with existing systems
conducive	to	conducive to learning
indicative	of	indicative of a broader trend
susceptible	to	susceptible to bias
analogous	to	analogous to the previous case
commensurate	with	commensurate with experience
tantamount	to	tantamount to an admission
inherent	in	inherent in the system
contingent	on/upon	contingent on funding approval
incumbent	on/upon	incumbent upon the institution to act

名词 + 介词

名词	介词	示例
basis	for	the basis for the decision
impact	on	the impact on performance
emphasis	on	greater emphasis on quality
influence	on	a significant influence on outcomes
approach	to	an innovative approach to problem-solving
response	to	the government's response to the crisis
contribution	to	a major contribution to the field
demand	for	growing demand for renewable energy
evidence	of / for	evidence of correlation / evidence for the theory
alternative	to	a viable alternative to surgery
barrier	to	a barrier to entry
threat	to	a threat to biodiversity
solution	to	a practical solution to the problem
increase / decrease	in	an increase in production
access	to	access to education
reliance	on	excessive reliance on fossil fuels

正式写作中的常见错误

以下错误在学术论文、商务报告和职场信函中频繁出现。每一条都代表一种值得记住的规律。

1. 动词后面用错介词

错误	正确	说明
discuss about the issue	discuss the issue	"Discuss" 是及物动词——不需要介词
emphasize on the point	emphasize the point	"Emphasize" 是及物动词——不需要介词
comprise of five parts	comprise five parts	"Comprise" 是及物动词；"consist of" 才要带 "of"
request for assistance（作动词时）	request assistance	"Request" 作动词时是及物动词
mention about the topic	mention the topic	"Mention" 是及物动词——不需要介词

2. 漏掉介词

错误	正确	说明
comply the rules	comply with the rules	不及物动词——必须加 "with"
respond the question	respond to the question	不及物动词——必须加 "to"
participate the project	participate in the project	不及物动词——必须加 "in"
subscribe the theory	subscribe to the theory	不及物动词——必须加 "to"

3. 介词放在句末

「不能以介词结尾」这条老「规则」其实是个误区。很多时候，把介词往前挪反而会让句子别扭、生硬：

• 自然：This is the theory that the data is consistent with.
• 生硬：This is the theory with which the data is consistent.

两种写法在语法上都正确。在正式的学术写作中，有时更倾向于「前置」的写法（把介词挪到前面）。在其他所有语域中，把介词放在句末都自然且被接受。丘吉尔有一句著名的俏皮话很好地说明了这一点："This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put."

4. 重复介词的错误

有些错误是多加了一个不必要的介词：

错误	正确
inside of the building	inside the building（正式写作中）
outside of the scope	outside the scope（正式写作中）
off of the table	off the table
alongside of the road	alongside the road

注意："Inside of" 和 "outside of" 在非正式用法中可以接受，但在正式写作中应避免。

学术固定表达中的介词

学术英语中的某些表达，其介词用法无法用规则推断。这些必须作为完整的单位来记：

表达	含义
at the outset	在开始时
in the first instance	起初、首先
at the forefront of	处于……的前沿、在……中最突出
on the whole	总体上、大体而言
in the long run	从长远来看、最终
at this juncture	在这个时刻
to this end	为此
in this regard	在这方面
on these grounds	基于这些理由
in its own right	凭其自身、本身就
by and large	大体上、基本上
for the most part	大部分、通常
at any rate	无论如何、不管怎样
in the event of	如果（某事）发生
at the discretion of	由……决定
on the grounds of	因为（正式）

总结：一套判断框架

在正式写作中选择介词时，问自己三个问题：

1. 有没有固定搭配？ 如果这个动词、形容词或名词有标准的介词搭档，就用它。不要替换。
2. 我在用什么语域写作？ 让介词的正式程度与文章的正式程度相匹配。商务信函用 "regarding"；博客文章用 "about"。
3. 我是不是加了多余的介词？ "discuss"、"emphasize"、"comprise" 这类动词不需要介词。多加一个是常见错误，会让文章一看就不是母语者写的。

拿不准时，查一本明确标注介词搭配的学习型词典，或者在已出版学术文本的语料库中搜索这个短语。