become和 grow真有此区别？

■本站特约作者  李翔

权太龙主编的《中国人容易理解错的英语常用词汇》(吉林科学技术出版社 2004年1月第1 版) P41：

17. become,  grow

越来越大了。

误句

It becomes bigger and bigger.

正句

It grows bigger and bigger.

【分析】这里要用grow而不是become。grow和become作为系动词时，都作“变得”或“变成”讲，但两者不能通用。become通常总是指由大变小或由多变少，而grow则总是指由小变大或由少增多。

【补充例句】It becomes smaller and smaller.

果真如此吗？

■先请看英国的语料库

在英国的语料库中 become和grow与bigger and bigger和smaller and smaller搭配的真实例证：

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

——共有 3个become 与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个become 与 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.

从以上可以看出，在英国英语中become 和bigger and bigger搭配的例句与become 与 smaller and smaller搭配的例句之比为3:8。即become 和 smaller and smaller搭配的频率是become 和bigger and bigger的2倍多一点。

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

——共有 3个 grow与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 个grow与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.

从以上可以看出，在英国英语中grow 与bigger and bigger搭配的例句 与grow 与smaller and smaller搭配的例句之比为3:4，即grow与bigger and bigger搭配的频率和grow 与smaller and smaller搭配的频率大致差不多。

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