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VOA名师答疑2022--Decrease or Reduce?

时间:2023-01-05 01:17:01

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(单词翻译)

Decrease or Reduce?

This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the words "reduce" and "decrease."

Question:

Dear Teacher,

Would you please explain to me when to use "decrease" and "reduce?"

Thanks for giving us such valuable points.

Kind regards,

Mahmoud in Saudi Arabia

Answer

Hello Mahmoud! Thank you for writing to us! The words "decrease" and "reduce" are often thought of as having the same meaning. However, there are some differences, especially in the uses of "reduce."

Let's look at each word more closely1!

Decrease

"Decrease" is a verb that can take a direct object, meaning it is transitive. It can also be intransitive which means that it does not take a direct object.

"Decrease" means to grow less in amount, size or strength over time, or to cause to be less.

Online shopping and big stores like Target have helped to decrease shopping malls in the US from 2,500 in the 1980s to around 700 malls now.

Voter turnout numbers decreased during the midterm election2 in some states like West Virginia and Virginia.

Decrease can also be a noun3. It is the process of growing less over time. It is a countable4 noun. For example:

There has been a decrease in newspaper reading over many years, possibly because of the internet.

Now let's move on to "reduce."

Reduce

"Reduce" is a verb and has many more meanings. It is most often used as a transitive verb that takes a direct object, but sometimes, we can use it without a direct object.

The general meaning is to make something smaller. This meaning is most closely related5 to "decrease."

Electric cars could reduce our need for gasoline-powered cars.

Reduce can also mean to bring together into one and to narrow down.

Every year, I reduce my clothes by going through my closet and giving away some pieces.

We can also reduce a liquid by boiling it. This makes the taste stronger and there is less liquid.

If you bring sugar to a boil and then reduce it, you are left with a thick caramel sauce.

Reduce can also mean to bring to a certain state or condition, usually a negative one. We can use "reduce" with the preposition6 "to" to create a phrasal verb.

The concert reduced her to tears.

This sentence is in the active voice. This means that the concert moved the woman emotionally7 to such an extent8 that she cried.

We can also use the passive9 voice to mean that someone is reduced to a state or condition.

She was reduced to uncontrollable laughter after seeing the funny movie.

The forest was reduced to ashes by the wildfire.

Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you!

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected]

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

shopping mall – n. a large building or series of buildings containing stores and restaurants

closet – n. a usually small room that is used for storing things (such as clothing, towels, or dishes)

caramel – n. a light brown candy made from butter, sugar, and milk or cream

sauce – n. a thick liquid that is eaten with or on food to add flavor10 to it

negative – adj. emphasizing11 the bad side of a person, situation, or thing

active voice – n. a way of writing of speaking that uses active verbs where the subject performs the action of the verb.

passive voice – n. a way of writing or speaking that uses passive verbs where the subject receives the action of a verb.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 closely XwNzIh     
adv.紧密地;严密地,密切地
参考例句:
  • We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
  • The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。
2 election ujezm     
n.选举,选择权;当选
参考例句:
  • There is no doubt but that he will win the election.毫无疑问,他将在竞选中获胜。
  • The government will probably fall at the coming election.在即将到来的大选中,该政府很可能要垮台。
3 noun JHux3     
n.名词
参考例句:
  • What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词?
  • This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。
4 countable Lv9zbz     
adj.可数的,可以计算的
参考例句:
  • The word "person" is a countable noun.person这个词是个可数名词。
  • Countable nouns have singular and plural forms.可数名词有单数和复数之分。
5 related vkGzSv     
adj.有关系的,有关联的,叙述的,讲述的
参考例句:
  • I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
  • We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
6 preposition LQmxx     
n.介词
参考例句:
  • You should cancel this preposition in the sentence.你应该删去句子中的这个介词。
  • We use different preposition to talk about time,days,months and seasons.我们用不动的介词来谈论时间,日,月和季节等。
7 emotionally pt9zrX     
adv.感情上,情绪上,冲动地
参考例句:
  • a special school for emotionally disturbed children 为精神异常儿童开办的特殊学校
  • A wide range of emotionally stressful events may trigger a relapse. 多种令人情绪紧张的事情都可能引起旧病复发。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 extent rmVxT     
n.程度,范围,限度;广度,宽度,大小
参考例句:
  • The new race track is nearly six miles in extent. 这条新跑道将近六英里长。
  • What's the extent of the damage? 损坏的程度如何?
9 passive qLRxb     
adj.被动的;消极的
参考例句:
  • He has a passive expression on his face.他脸上有一种漠然的表情。
  • It lands the manager in a passive position.它使经理处于被动地位。
10 flavor 6jexf     
n.味,滋味,味道;风味;vt.调味,加味于
参考例句:
  • I like the flavor of chocolate.我喜欢巧克力的味道。
  • Each flavor was totally unique.每一种味道都是独一无二的。
11 emphasizing 258b936490774743e3a0937527bc721d     
强调( emphasize的现在分词 ); 加强语气; 重读; 使突出
参考例句:
  • The importance of electron spin in shaping atomic structure is worth emphasizing. 电子自旋在形成原子结构方面的重要性是值得强调的。
  • A point worth emphasizing is that hydrostatic equilibrium is fulfilled with great accuracy in stellar atmosphere. 值得强调指出,在恒星大气中,流体静力平衡是非常精确地成立的。

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