become和 grow真有此區別？

■本站特約作者  李翔

權太龍主編的《中國人容易理解錯的英語常用詞匯》(吉林科學技術出版社 2004年1月第1 版) P41：

17. become,  grow

越來越大了。

誤句

It becomes bigger and bigger.

正句

It grows bigger and bigger.

【分析】這里要用grow而不是become。grow和become作為系動詞時，都作“變得”或“變成”講，但兩者不能通用。become通常總是指由大變小或由多變少，而grow則總是指由小變大或由少增多。

【補充例句】It becomes smaller and smaller.

果真如此嗎？

■先請看英國的語料庫

在英國的語料庫中 become和grow與bigger and bigger和smaller and smaller搭配的真實例證：

▲查BUY-BNC BRTISH NATIONAL CORPUS (UK,1980s-1993) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/：

——共有 3個become 與bigger and bigger搭配的例句：

1. Consequently, as the stakes become bigger and bigger in the playing of the game, the scruples will become smaller and smaller when it comes to the back-alley work of player recruitment.

2. He recently drew up an ethics policy for United Biscuits, which he expects all his managers to endorse, because' as a business becomes bigger and bigger -- 

3. Gradually, the cracks in the limestone became bigger and bigger and water began to flow through them.

——共有 8個become 與 smaller and smaller搭配的例句：

1. …, because as computers become smaller and smaller, then they approach molecular dimensions and gain the realm of molecular reactions is the realm of chemistry, so physics and chemistry there intertwine absolutely inescapably.

2. He saw the figure in the yellow dress become smaller and smaller.

3. Consequently, as the stakes become bigger and bigger in the playing of the game, the scruples will become smaller and smaller when it comes to the back-alley work of player recruitment.

4. With each generation of computer technology, the physical space taken up by the electronic components has become smaller and smaller,  …

5. …, it is said to be damped because the fluctuations in real output become smaller and smaller over time.

6. The star goes on becoming smaller and smaller, denser and denser, until its gravitational pull has become so enormous that not even light can escape from it.

7. This process will continue with both consumption and income rising, but with the actual increase becoming smaller and smaller over time until eventually they become insignificant.

8. Cats are not particularly popular there, it seems, and this particular breed became smaller and smaller as an adaptation not only to the hot climates but also to the need to find restricted hiding-places.

從以上可以看出，在英國英語中become 和bigger and bigger搭配的例句與become 與 smaller and smaller搭配的例句之比為3:8。即become 和 smaller and smaller搭配的頻率是become 和bigger and bigger的2倍多一點。

▲查BUY-BNC BRTISH NATIONAL CORPUS (UK,1980s-1993) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/：

——共有 3個 grow與bigger and bigger搭配的例句：

1. Katy watched as Grandma wound it slowly round and round and the ball of wool grew bigger and bigger.

2. This plywood structure has grown bigger and bigger, and he has even carved gothic spires on its top.

3. He always looked to her like an infant who had grown bigger and bigger and then stopped growing without changing much.

——共有4 個grow與smaller and smaller搭配的例句：

1. Sometimes, she would stare at them as they were talking and they would grow smaller and smaller, like a genie going back into a lamp.

2. I also used to compare the buzzard to a kite, being allowed to gain height gradually and seeming to grow smaller and smaller until it went out of control and soared off into the distance with the wind.

3. The harvester moved round the field in a strict square, so that the standing crop grew smaller and smaller with every pass.

4. Everyone tended to get poorer as the lots grew smaller and smaller.

從以上可以看出，在英國英語中grow 與bigger and bigger搭配的例句 與grow 與smaller and smaller搭配的例句之比為3:4，即grow與bigger and bigger搭配的頻率和grow 與smaller and smaller搭配的頻率大致差不多。

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