學生易混淆字詞：principal、principle

前文提到了一些DSE學生易混淆的字詞，也提醒了學生要小心用字正確，方能避免失分。今次繼續介紹新例子：principal和principle。大家分辨到兩者嗎?試試以下的練習吧!

As a (principal / principle), Mr. Wong stands for the (principal / principle) that education should be free to all teenagers.



答案：principal; principle

筆者年紀較不輕，是AL考生，所以我會這樣記兩者的分別：

AL是中七學生必需面對的公開考試；學生要回校上課；學校有校長。從而記憶：principal就是校長了。

以下說說兩者的一些基本用法，可以幫大家在作文時正確使用：

Part One: Principal

Example One: Mr. Wong is the principal of Hong City Secondary School (香城中學).

校長一字可以大楷或小楷P開頭。一般來說，完整句子裡會用小楷，而名片之類則會用大楷。

除了校長外，此字還可以解作表演中的主要演出者，如演員、舞蹈家等等。

Example Two: The show had eight principals and more than twenty dancers. (adapted from Macmillan Dictionary)

此字甚至可以當形容詞用，解作主要的、最重要的：

Example Three: His principal reason for making the journey was to visit his family. (adapted from Longman Dictionary)

Example Four: The principal aim of the project is to provide an answer to this question. (adapted from Macmillan Dictionary)

如果大家作文時想寫the most important，可以考慮將之轉為principal，或能增加印象分！

Part Two: Principle

一如上句，此字可以解作信念、理念、道德、科學原則等等，但留意其用法之變化：

1. ... principle + that + S. V. O.

Example One: He stands for the principle that education is free to all teenagers.

2. principle + OF + noun phrase

Example Two: It is a basic principle of education that all teenagers can go to school.

3. ... stand by / be against + principle... (支持/反對)

Example Three: You must stand by the principle of free education.

Example Four: Are you against the principle of free education?

4. It is against + sb's + principle + TO-infinitive

Example Five: It is against my principle to kill them!
5. a + matter + OF + principle

Example Six: Should we tell lies? It is a matter of principle.

希望大家已經掌握到兩個字的分別和用法！今次到此為止，下次再介紹更多！



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