【former】在日常交流和书面表达中，“former”是一个常见但容易被忽视的词汇。它通常用于指代“以前的”或“前任的”，常用来描述某人过去的身份、职位或状态。本文将对“former”的用法进行总结，并通过表格形式展示其常见搭配与含义。
一、
“Former”是一个形容词，主要用于强调某个事物或人在过去的状态或身份，尤其是在与现在的情况对比时。它常用于正式或书面语境中，具有一定的正式性和准确性。
常见的使用场景包括：
- 描述某人的过去职位（如 former president, former employee）
- 指代过去的物品或状态（如 former owner, former condition）
- 在比较中使用（如 the former is better than the latter）
需要注意的是，“former”只能用于两个事物之间的比较，不能单独使用。如果只有一个对象，则应使用“previous”。
此外，“former”与“formerly”不同。“formerly”是副词，表示“以前地”，而“former”是形容词，修饰名词。
二、常用搭配与含义对照表
| 搭配 | 含义解释 | 示例句子 |
| former president | 前总统 | He was a former president of the company. |
| former employee | 前雇员 | She is now a consultant, but she used to be a former employee. |
| former owner | 前所有者 | The house was once the former owner’s residence. |
| former name | 原名 | His former name was James Smith. |
| former position | 前任职位 | She held a former position as manager before being promoted. |
| former partner | 前合伙人 | They are no longer business partners, but they were former partners. |
| former student | 前学生 | Many of the students are former members of the club. |
| former condition | 原始状态 | The building is in a much better condition than its former state. |
| former address | 原住址 | Please provide your former address for verification. |
| former name (in law) | 法律上的原名 | In legal documents, the former name may be listed for reference. |
三、注意事项
1. 不可单独使用：“Former”必须与另一个名词搭配使用，例如 “the former” 或 “a former”。
- ❌ Incorrect: He is former.
- ✅ Correct: He is a former teacher.
2. 避免混淆“former”与“formally”：
- Former 是形容词，修饰名词。
- Formally 是副词，修饰动词或形容词。
- 例句：He is formally recognized as the leader.（他被正式认可为领袖）
3. 适用于正式场合：在非正式口语中，人们更倾向于使用“ex-”前缀，如 ex-president（前总统），但“former”更为通用且适用范围更广。
四、结语
“Former”是一个简洁而有力的词汇，能够准确传达“过去的状态或身份”。掌握其正确用法有助于提升语言表达的清晰度和专业性。无论是写作还是日常交流，合理使用“former”都能使表达更加精准和自然。
