mode

mode — noun

1. a particular way in which something is done, experienced, or organized — for ins

1.名詞B1
釋義

a particular way in which something is done, experienced, or organized — for instance, whether you drive or take the train is your mode of travel, and whether you send an email or make a call is your mode of communication.

例句

Hoa chose the bus as her main mode of transport for getting to work.

mode of transport

The company switched to a remote mode of working after the pandemic began.

mode of working

同義詞
  • way

    more general and informal; the everyday replacement for 'mode'

  • method

    suggests a planned, systematic approach rather than a general arrangement

  • manner

    focuses on the personal style or behaviour aspect

  • system

    emphasizes an organized set of rules or procedures

文法句型

mode of + noun

用法筆記

Common in the phrases 'mode of transport', 'mode of communication', and 'mode of operation'. It often pairs with 'of' plus a noun describing the system or method.

常見錯誤

❌I like her mode of teaching English.
✅I like her way of teaching English.
💡'mode' sounds overly technical in everyday contexts; 'way' or 'method' is more natural.

2. in mathematics and statistics, the single value or score that appears more times

2.名詞B2
釋義

in mathematics and statistics, the single value or score that appears more times than any other in a collection of numbers.

例句

In the set of test scores 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, the mode is 5 because it appears twice.

the mode is [number]

Ritu calculated the mode of her survey data to identify the most common answer.

calculate the mode of [data]

同義詞
  • modal value

    the technical synonym; 'modal' is the adjective form

文法句型

the mode of + noun phrase

用法筆記

One of three measures of central tendency together with the mean (average) and the median (middle value). A data set may have more than one mode (bimodal) or no mode.

常見錯誤

❌The mode is the same as the average.
✅The mode is the most frequent value, while the average (mean) is the sum divided by the count.
💡learners often confuse mode with mean or median.

3. a particular style of appearance, especially in clothing, that is widely accepte

3.名詞B1
釋義

a particular style of appearance, especially in clothing, that is widely accepted and admired during a certain period in a society.

例句

Flared trousers were the mode in the 1970s but went out of style later.

the mode in [decade]

At the fashion show, Shirin noticed that bright colours were the current mode among designers.

同義詞
  • fashion

    the modern, everyday word; wider in scope

  • style

    broader than 'mode' — includes personal expression, not just period trends

  • trend

    emphasizes the directional movement, what is currently rising in popularity

  • vogue

    similar register to 'mode'; also somewhat formal or dated

文法句型

in mode

out of mode

the mode

用法筆記

Less common in modern everyday English than 'fashion' or 'style'. Found more in historical or literary descriptions. The French borrowing 'à la mode' (in the fashion) survives in dessert names ('pie à la mode').

常見錯誤

❌Wearing hats is the mode this year.
✅Wearing hats is the fashion this year.
💡'mode' for fashion is dated; use 'fashion' or 'style' in modern speech.

4. a fixed sequence of musical notes with a specific pattern of intervals between t

4.名詞B2
釋義

a fixed sequence of musical notes with a specific pattern of intervals between them, which gives a piece of music its basic tonal character — for example, the major mode sounds bright and happy while the minor mode sounds sadder and darker.

例句

Reuben practised the Dorian mode on his guitar until the notes felt natural and fluid.

the Dorian mode

The piece was in the minor mode, giving it a sad and serious feeling.

in the minor mode

同義詞
  • scale

    broader term — all modes are scales, but not all scales are modes; 'scale' includes chromatic, pentatonic, etc.

  • tonality

    refers to the system of keys and chords rather than the specific interval pattern

文法句型

[adjective] mode

in the [adjective] mode

用法筆記

Western music commonly uses the major and minor modes. The other church modes — Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian — are named after ancient Greek and medieval traditions and are often used in folk, jazz, and modal rock music.

常見錯誤

❌This song is in the mode of C major.
✅This song is in the key of C major.
💡'mode' and 'key' are related but not the same; a key specifies the tonic and scale, while a mode specifies the interval pattern within that key.

5. a grammatical category of a verb that shows how the speaker regards what they ar

5.名詞B2
釋義

a grammatical category of a verb that shows how the speaker regards what they are saying — for example, stating a fact (indicative), issuing a command (imperative), or expressing a wish or possibility (subjunctive).

例句

In French, the subjunctive mode follows expressions of doubt or emotion like 'il faut que'.

subjunctive mode

Christopher learned that the imperative mode gives direct commands like 'Sit down' or 'Help him'.

imperative mode

同義詞
  • mood

    the more common term in modern English grammar; 'mood' and 'mode' are interchangeable for this sense

文法句型

[adjective] mode

in the [adjective] mode

用法筆記

In English grammar, the term 'mood' is far more common than 'mode' for this concept, though 'mode' is used in some linguistic traditions. The three main modes in English are indicative (factual statements), imperative (commands), and subjunctive (wishes, hypotheticals).

常見錯誤

❌The indicative mode and the subjunctive mode are the same in English.
✅The indicative states facts, while the subjunctive expresses wishes or hypotheticals
💡for example, "I were" in "If I were you" is subjunctive.' — learners often miss the subjunctive because it is less visually distinct in English than in Romance languages.