一、compare與contrast的誤用
我們先從兩者的定義入手來看兩者的區別。 Compare的定義為：to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different. Contrast的定義為：to compare two or more things to show the difference between them.由定義不難看出前者側重於找到兩個或多個事物的異同，而後者則側重於它們的`不同。
看個例句：It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours.
後一句的翻譯為：我們的情況與他們的情況有很大的不同，這很有趣。
再看一個引自OXFORD ADBANCED LEARNERS DICTIONARY的例子：
There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West.
The company lost $7 million in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.
When you look at their new system， ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
不難發現，Compare翻譯為與。。。相比而contrast可譯為明顯不同的是。。。，切記這種翻譯方式就不會用錯彼此了。
二、介詞使用錯誤
1、普通介詞的誤用
一般表現為固定搭配錯誤，如常把provide sb with sth用成provide sb sth; be satisfied with用成be satisfied for等等，雖然這樣的錯誤看似無傷大雅，但在考官眼裡就是影響順暢閱讀的，當然會影響最終成績。解決的辦法簡單而古老：把常見的固定搭配牢記於心，問題自然就解決了。
