set

set about, set forth, set in, set out

这组短语都有“开始”的意思。它们的区别是：

1.set in一般指生病,天气变坏或不愉快的事等; set about指着手做某项工作; set forth特指部队行军; set out主要指外出旅行。

2.set about接名词、代词或动名词; set out可接带to的动词不定式。

例如:

We called the picnic off when it set in to rain.天开始下雨,我们把野餐取消了。

He set about his work as soon as he had finished his meal.他一吃完饭就开始工作了。

The soldiers set forth for Shenyang.战士们开始向沈阳进发。

They set out for Britain yesterday.他们昨天动身到英国去了。

set sb to-v, set sb v-ing

这两个短语在意思上有所区别：set后接名词或代词加现在分词是“使某人或某物处于某种状态”的意思。如果加动词不定式则是“叫某人着手做某事”的意思。

set, lay, place, put

这组词共同的意思是“放置”。它们的区别是：

lay强调把某物放置或使某物处于水平位置;而set指使某物处于直立的位置;put强调把某物移进或移出某处或某位置,或使处于某种地位、情况或关系的动作;place则不强调动作,而强调某一确定的地点或情况。例如:

You placed me in a difficult position.你使我陷入了窘境。

I put the suitcase on the table.我把手提箱搁在桌上。

They were setting the table for dinner.他们正在摆餐具准备开饭。