sure和certain的区别

2024年3月19日发(作者：2012款三厢福克斯)

It is…that结构中只能用certain;不能用sure..

Sure与certain是近义词;均作“一定的;确信的”等解..两者用法相似;多数情况下可换用;但有时

不能换用..其用法区别大致如下：

一、 两者可换用的情况：

1． 跟不定式;可用人或物作主语..例如：

It is sure/certain to rain.

He is sure/certain to come.

You’re sure/certain to be happy with them.

2．跟连接代/副词引起的不定式;常用人作主语..例如：

I’m not sure/certain what to do.

He was not sure/certain when to start.

3．跟of或about引起的短语..sure后可跟of doing sth. 常用人作主语..例如：

I’m not sure/certain of that.

Are you sure/certain about it

I’m sure of his coming.

He’s sure of winning.

注：sure to do sth.与sure of doing sth.的区别：前者表示说话者认为“主语一定…”；后者表示

“主语自认为一定…”..例如：

He is sure to succeed. 说话者认为“他”一定会成功..

He is sure of succeeding. “他”自己认为一定成功

4．跟that引起的从句;常用人作主语..例如：

I’m sure/certain that he’ll come.

I was sure/certain that he had seen me.

I’m quite sure/certain I left the book on the table.

注：当sure或certain用于否定句时;其后跟whether或连接代/副词引起的从句;不跟that引起

的从句..例如：

I’m not sure/certain whether I’ve met him before.

I’m not sure/certain whether he will come.

I’m not sure/certain who he is.

I was not sure/certain what I ought to do.

I’m not sure/certain why he wants it.

以上几种情况中的sure与certain虽可换用;但隐含意思不同..Sure表示主观的推测或感觉;所

述事实并不一定如此；certain则指说话者有充分的理由或根据;肯定某事会发生..如下面两句

中的certain均不可用sure替换..例如：

I’m certain he wasn’t in the classroom. I saw him in the library.

I’m certain than he will go the concert. He told me so an hour ago.

5．与make连用构成短语;后跟从句;作“弄清楚；设法做到”解..例如：

Make sure/certain when the train leaves.

Have you made sure/certain that the train has already left

6．与for连用构成短语;在句中作状语..作“确实；毫无疑问”解..例如：I don’t know for

sure/certain that he’s dead.

I cannot sau for sure/certain when he will come.

二、 两者不可换用的情况：

1． 在“It is…that结构中只能用certain;不能用sure..

例如：

It is certain that he will come.

It was certain that our football team would win the game.

如是否定句;用whether;不同that..例如：

It is not certain whether he will come.

2． 在祈使句中通常用sure;不用certain..例如：

Be sure to tell me all the news.

Be sure and come as soon as possible.

Be sure you don’t upset any of them.

3．作定语时;sure作“有把握的；肯定的；可靠的”解；certain作“某个；某些”解..例如：

Put it in a sure place.

There was only one sure way to succeed.

A certain person called on me yesterday.

Certain students have failed in the exam.

4．Sure在美语中可用作副词作肯定答语;用以代替surely;相当于certainly;of course；而certain

则不能用作副词..例如：

I wonder if I could use your phone.

Sure. Go ahead.

Zhou Lan; can I have a look at your copy of China Daily

Sure; go ahead.