名詞 + 介詞

很多名詞要搭配固定的介詞：名詞 + 介詞 + 名詞 / -ing。名詞後面的介詞往往和相關動詞後面的不一樣（動詞可能根本不加介詞），所以要整塊記。

• What's the reason for the delay?

  延誤的原因是什麼？

• Nobody knows the answer to this question.

  誰也不知道這個問題的答案。

• There has been a big increase in the number of tourists.

  遊客數量大幅增加了。

• The storm did serious damage to many houses.

  風暴給很多房屋造成了嚴重的損壞。

• There's no need for a taxi. I can walk.

  不用打車。我可以走過去。

• Thanks for the invitation to your wedding!

  謝謝你邀請我參加你的婚禮！

• Mai has a good relationship with her mother.

  阿梅和她媽媽關係很好。

• What's the matter with your leg? Did you fall?

  你的腿怎麼了？摔倒了嗎？

表示變化的名詞（increase、rise、fall、drop、decrease）：

• in + 發生變化的東西：an increase in prices（價格上漲），a fall in sales（銷量下降）。
• of + 變化的幅度（數字）：an increase of 10%（增長 10%），a drop of 5,000 visitors（減少 5,000 名遊客）。
• 兩者可以同時用：a rise of 20% in the price of rice（米價上漲 20%）。

• There was a 15% increase in rent this year.

  今年房租漲了 15%。

• Sales grew, with an increase of 10% in March.

  銷量增長了，三月份增長了 10%。

the cause of = 導致某事發生的東西（起因）；the reason for = 對為什麼的解釋（理由）。

• Police are still looking for the cause of the fire.

  警方仍在調查起火原因。

• Is there a reason for this rule?

  定這條規矩有什麼理由嗎？

對比一下：動詞常常直接接賓語，而相關的名詞需要介詞。

💡很容易在每個名詞後面都用 of 或 about（受中文“…的”影響）。實際上：reason for，answer to，demand for——只有 cause of 用 of。還要注意，affect 是動詞，effect 是名詞（effect on）。

• ✗Can you tell me the reason of your decision?

  ✓Can you tell me the reason for your decision?

  reason for。

• ✗The sun can do serious damage for your skin.

  ✓The sun can do serious damage to your skin.

  damage to。

• ✗I have a problem about my phone.

  ✓I have a problem with my phone.

  某樣東西出了毛病：problem with。

• ✗There is a big demand of English teachers here.

  ✓There is a big demand for English teachers here.

  demand for。

• ✗What's the answer of question 5?

  ✓What's the answer to question 5?

  answer to。

• ✗There has been an increase of the number of tourists.

  ✓There has been an increase in the number of tourists.

  of 用於數量；發生變化的東西用 in。