amount
amount — noun
1. the total quantity of something thought of as one whole, not as separate items;
the total quantity of something thought of as one whole, not as separate items; it can also mean a money total.
We were shocked by the amount of snow on the school roof.
amount of + uncountable noun
Only a small amount of money was left in Nina's purse.
a small amount of + money
The recipe needs the same amount of butter and sugar.
A huge amount of time went into repairing the old bridge.
The doctor measured the amount of medicine in the glass cup.
文法句型
amount of [something]
a small / large amount of [something]
the same amount of [something]
用法筆記
Usually used with uncountable nouns such as time, money, snow, or water. With countable things, learners normally use 'number' instead, unless the items are being viewed as one mass or total cost.
常見錯誤
amount — verb
1. to have the same practical meaning or result as something else, even if the acti
to have the same practical meaning or result as something else, even if the action or words look different.
Ignoring the fire alarm amounts to putting every worker at risk.
amount to + -ing form
Charging extra fees after booking amounts to cheating the customer.
For Maple Street parents, closing the clinic amounts to leaving sick children unaided.
Under West Lake School rules, one more late payment amounts to dismissal.
- equal
broader and less idiomatic; not limited to judgement or consequence
- be equivalent to
more formal and explicit
- count as
more informal and often used in rules or categories
文法句型
amount to + noun
amount to + -ing form
用法筆記
Almost always appears as 'amount to'. Common when judging actions in moral, legal, or practical terms. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense says one thing is effectively the same as another, rather than describing the final outcome.
常見錯誤
2. to make a particular total when every part is added together.
to make a particular total when every part is added together.
The repair bill amounted to over eight hundred dollars.
amount to + money total
Mina's weekly bus fares to the hospital amount to nearly fifty dollars.
With tax included, Mia's hotel bill amounts to three days' wages.
By noon, the online orders had amounted to 420 meals.
文法句型
amount to + number
amount to + money
amount to + total
用法筆記
Used for figures, costs, quantities, and totals. The subject is usually a bill, a cost, sales, orders, or several smaller amounts taken together. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense gives a computed total, not the final importance or outcome.
常見錯誤
3. to end up producing a particular result, level, or value, often after time or ef
to end up producing a particular result, level, or value, often after time or effort has already been spent.
After six months of talks, the plan amounted to one short email.
amount to + final result
On Ken's first hospital shift, all his training amounted to very little.
amount to very little
For Rosa, the holiday amounted to two wet days indoors.
After two nights outside city hall, their protest amounted to nothing.
- turn out to be
plain-English equivalent with a wider range of subjects
- end up as
slightly more conversational
- come to
can be close in meaning, but is often used for totals instead
文法句型
amount to + noun phrase
amount to little / much / nothing
用法筆記
Often used when someone judges what all the effort, time, or activity finally produced. Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is the outcome that appeared in the end, not an equivalence in meaning or blame.