一句話用法:兩個都是「相當大的」,但 considerable 強調程度,substantial 強調份量/數量。
意思差異
- considerable (adj.) = 程度顯著的(多用在抽象事物:影響、努力、時間、注意力)
- substantial (adj.) = 份量足夠的(多用在可量化事物:金額、增加、比例、改變)
中文都翻成「相當大的」——但搭配不同。
各自的固定搭配
considerable + 抽象名詞:
- Reducing carbon emissions requires considerable effort from both governments and individuals.
- The new policy attracted considerable attention from the media.
- She has considerable experience working with non-native speakers.
substantial + 可量化名詞:
- The company reported a substantial increase in profits last quarter.
- A substantial proportion of teenagers now use social media daily.
口訣:considerable 配感覺,substantial 配數字。
學生常犯的錯
最常見的錯誤——硬把兩個字當完全可互換:
He made considerable money. ← 怪怪的 He made substantial money. ← 自然
This requires substantial effort. ← 也可以,但 This requires considerable effort. ← 更地道
如果你不確定,有具體數字或比例的句子用 substantial,講感覺/努力/影響的用 considerable。
Band 7 同義替換
如果一篇文章兩個都用過了,再換:
- significant(最安全的萬用替換)
- marked(特別用在「明顯的差異/改善」:a marked improvement)
試試看
填空:
- The reform led to a ___ rise in tax revenue. (數字 → substantial)
- Building trust takes ___ time and patience. (感覺 → considerable)
延伸閱讀:Band 6 → 7 詞彙升級