“differ in”是一个常用的英语动词短语,核心含义是“在某方面/某点上不同;在……方面有差异”,用于说明两个或多个事物/人在具体领域、特征或属性上的区别。
强调“差异的具体维度”,即“在哪里不同”(而非“与谁不同”)。例如:
两本书在内容上不同 → The two books differ in content.
人们在口味上不同 → People differ in their tastes.
“differ in”的核心是“比较对象 + 差异的方面”,常见结构有两种:
结构:主语(复数/集合名词) + differ in + 差异的方面(名词/名词短语)
Students differ in learning styles.(学生们在学习风格上不同。)
Cultures differ in wedding traditions.(不同文化在婚礼传统上有差异。)
需结合“differ from”(与……不同),结构更完整:
The new phone differs from the old one in battery life.(新手机与旧手机在电池续航上不同。)
The two candidates differ from each other in their education policies.(两位候选人在教育政策上有分歧。)
“differ in”后接具体的“差异领域”(名词或名词短语),常见搭配包括:
观点/意见:differ in opinion(意见不同)→ They differ in opinion on this issue.(他们在这个问题上意见不一。)
外观/特征:differ in appearance(外表不同)→ The twins differ in height.(这对双胞胎身高不同。)
质量/性能:differ in quality/performance(质量/性能不同)→ These two laptops differ in performance.(这两台笔记本电脑性能不同。)
方法/方式:differ in method/way(方法不同)→ Teachers differ in the way they teach grammar.(教师们教语法的方式不同。)
价格/成本:differ in price/cost(价格不同)→ The two jackets differ in price by $50.(这两件夹克价格相差50美元。)
1、 主谓一致:主语是单数时用“differs”,复数用“differ”:
The new model differs in design.(新模型在设计上不同。)
The two models differ in design.(两个模型在设计上不同。)
2、 程度修饰:可加程度副词(如greatly, slightly, much)说明差异大小:
The two paintings differ greatly in style.(这两幅画风格差异很大。)
The two cakes differ slightly in sweetness.(这两块蛋糕甜度略有不同。)
3、 与“differ from”的区别:
“differ from”强调“与……不同”(比较对象),如:A differs from B.(A和B不同。)
“differ in”强调“在……方面不同”(差异维度),如:A differs from B in size.(A和B在大小上不同。)
否定:主语 + do/does/did + not + differ in + ...
→ They don’t differ in their goals.(他们在目标上没有不同。)
疑问:Do/Does/Did + 主语 + differ in + ...?
→ Do the two plans differ in cost?(这两个计划成本不同吗?)
通过以上用法,“differ in”能精准表达“事物在具体方面的差异”,是描述对比、分析区别的高频短语。