former
former — 形容詞
1. used for describing someone or something that had a particular job, position, re
以前；曾任
過去擔任某職位但已不再
used for describing someone or something that had a particular job, position, relationship, or role at an earlier time but no longer has it
Omar met his former teacher at the market last Saturday.
Omar 上週六在市場遇到了他以前的老師。
former + teacher, boss, colleague — previous role nouns
The former president spoke at the university about climate change.
前總統在大學談論氣候變遷。
Rania still exchanges holiday cards with her former colleagues.
Rania 仍然會寄聖誕卡給過去的同事。
The old factory building was a former school before it closed down.
那棟舊工廠建築在關閉前曾是一所學校。
Christopher ran into his former landlord at the grocery store.
Christopher 在雜貨店遇見了他的前房東。
- previous
emphasises order in a sequence (previous job = the one right before the current one)
- past
broader in scope; can describe a whole period rather than a single role
- ex-
informal and strongly associated with romantic partners or quick labels
- one-time
slightly more formal; stresses that the role was temporary
文法句型
former + noun
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive position). Cannot be used alone as a predicate (*He is former). For the contrasting pair 'the former…the latter', see sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. identifying the first item among two people, things, or options that were stated
前者的
兩個中先提到的那個
identifying the first item among two people, things, or options that were stated earlier, often to set up a clear contrast with the second one
Between cycling and swimming, Maeve prefers the former activity.
在騎自行車和游泳之間，Maeve 比較喜歡前者。
the former + noun — contrasting two items
The store offered two plans, and the former was a lot cheaper.
那家店提供了兩種方案，前者便宜很多。
Arjun had to pick between law school and medical school and chose the former.
Arjun 必須在法學院和醫學院之間做選擇，而他選了前者。
Of the two candidates, the former had more experience but the latter was more energetic.
在兩位候選人中，前者經驗較豐富，但後者更有活力。
- first-mentioned
more explicit but less common in everyday speech
- first
simpler and works for any number of items
- latter
the second of the two items being contrasted
文法句型
the former + noun
用法筆記
Always paired with the definite article 'the'. Frequently contrasts with 'the latter' later in the same sentence or passage. This sense does not work with more than two items — use 'the first' instead for lists of three or more.
常見錯誤
former — 名詞
1. the person, thing, or choice that comes first in a pair that has already been re
前者
兩個裡先被提到的那個
the person, thing, or choice that comes first in a pair that has already been referred to in a conversation or piece of writing
Élise had to pick between Paris and Tokyo and chose the former.
Élise 必須在巴黎和東京之間選擇，而她選了前者。
the former — pronoun referring back to first of two
The former is a much safer option for students on a tight budget.
前者對預算有限的學生來說是更安全的選擇。
Between skiing and swimming, the former is more dangerous for beginners.
在滑雪和游泳之間，前者對初學者來說更危險。
Between the red dress and the blue dress, the former costs a little more.
在紅色洋裝和藍色洋裝之間，前者貴了一些。
- first one
simpler and works with any position in any list
- first-mentioned item
more formal but very clear
- latter
the second of the two items just mentioned
文法句型
the former
用法筆記
Functions as a pronoun replacing the noun phrase for the first item. Always requires 'the'. Typically appears with 'the latter' in the same sentence or paragraph to complete the contrast. Unlike the adjective sense, 'the former' stands alone without a following noun.
常見錯誤
former — 字尾
1. added to a number to show which school year group a student belongs to in an edu
…年級生
英國學校中特定年級的學生
added to a number to show which school year group a student belongs to in an educational system where classes are organised into numbered forms
Sivan is a fifth-former at a secondary school in Manchester.
Sivan 是曼徹斯特一所中學的五年級生。
[number]-former — compound noun for school year
All first-formers must wear the school's blue uniform jacket.
所有一年級生都必須穿學校的藍色制服外套。
The sixth-formers are busy preparing for their university applications.
六年級生正忙著準備大學申請。
Nadia's brother is a fourth-former and plays on the school rugby team.
Nadia 的弟弟是四年級生，並且參加學校的橄欖球隊。
文法句型
[number]-former
用法筆記
Primarily used in British school systems where year groups are called 'forms'. The compound is written as a single hyphenated word (e.g., first-former, sixth-former). 'Sixth-former' is the most common since the sixth form (ages 16-18) is a distinct stage before university.