almost和nearly这两个词，非常容易混淆。通常的语法梳理按不同情况分别讨论，但这样做有一个问题，就是没有什么规律，因此记忆起来很费劲。下面讲得“四句真言”定能帮助大家记忆深刻。
一通大肯，两个大否，三组不定代词，全都清清楚楚。
一、一通大肯
1. 普通的肯定句，almost和nearly可以通用。
She almost/nearly missed her train. 她差点儿误了火车。
二、两个大否
2. 含有not的否定句。在含有not的句子中，可以用not nearly但不能用nearly not；可以用almost not但不可用not almost。
These are basic rules so obvious they are almost not worth mentioning.
Almost not a day goes by without somebody asking me,
It's not nearly as hot as last year.
It`s not nearly as cold as last year.
3. 含有never的否定句。在含有never的全部否定的句子中，用almost，不用nearly。
Planes are crowded, airlines overbook, and departures are almost never on time.
Marley and Blackwell, although they worked together for a decade, were almost never photographed together.
三、三组不定代词
4. 在every以及 含有every的不定代词（everyone, everything, everybody）之前，almost和nearly可以通用。
In other words, nearly everyone is contributing to and profiting from the tech revolution
Almost everyone has some musical ability.
Almost everything I need is in the same room with me at all times.
Today we can keep tabs on nearly everything
Almost everybody had a cigarette in one hand and a martini in the other.
Nearly everybody would now agree that the gains in human welfare were worth the cost.
5. 在any以及 含有any的不定代词（anyone, anything, anybody）之前，almost和nearly可以通用。
Nearly anyone can get an edifice built in their name
The exercises are so simple that almost anyone can do them.
I’ll eat almost anything.
Somebody is seemingly willing to say nearly anything.
Think of almost anybody you like.
Nearly anybody will side with you when you are in the right.
6. 在no以及 含有no的不定代词（no one, nothing, nobody）之前，用almost，不用nearly。
Almost no one had heard of the Maldive Islands except for divers.
There's really almost nothing there.
Almost nobody thinks it would work.
四、全（all）都清清楚楚。
7. 在含有all的全部肯定的句子中，almost和nearly可以通用。
Nearly all the students have bikes.
Almost all fictional detectives are unreal.
五、其他
8. 注意否定词是指否定不定代词，或者含有否定功能的副词（not/never），而不是含有否定意义的形容词。含有否定意义的形容词，内容是否定的，但单词本身是形容词，不存在否定结构。否定结构是对系动词或行为动词来说的。
It is nearly impossible to do both perfectly
It is almost impossible to describe what took place in Cambodia during the 1970s.
9. 如果否定词不是单个地否定副词，而是一个否定句，那么nearly和almost通用。
This first film by local comedian Jack Neo nearly didn't get finished because of a cash crisis during production.
She looked so haunted, I almost didn't recognize her.
总结：
1. 如果有否定词放在后面，几乎次次要用almost；
2. not nearly是一个短语，意思是“差不多”。但not不能放在nearly的后面。
3. 其余情况都是通用的。
考点练习题（ ）1. Almost not a day goes by without somebody asking me,
A. nearly B. almost
答案：B
解析：almost后可以加not，但是nearly后不可以，not只能放在nearly前，表示差不多。
（ ）2. The message is usually not nearly as clear as the manager believes it to be.
A. nearly B. almost
答案：A
解析：nearly前可以加not，但是almost前不可以，not nearly表示差不多。
（ ）3. It`s not nearly as cold as last year.
A. nearly B. almost
答案：A
解析：nearly前可以加not，但是almost前不可以，not nearly表示差不多。
（ ）4. Tom and Jack are almost never on time.
A. nearly B. almost
答案：B
解析：有never的否定词，要用almost不用nearly。
（ ）5. Almost no one had heard of the Maldive Islands except for divers.
A. nearly B. almost
答案：B
解析：在no以及 含有no的不定代词（no one, nothing, nobody）之前，用almost，不用nearly。
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