fault

1.at fault是“不知所措的”。也有人把这语用作in fault解，有人以为不正当。in fault是“有过失的”。to a fault是“过分的”。例如：She is cautious to a fault. cautious是好的，但过分地cautious就不好。to a fault不可用在原来指“不好”的词，如不可说She is careless to a fault。

2.find fault with（责备、挑剔）里的fault前面不可加上a，也不可改作复数形式，也不可把with改作其他词。注意下面每组里的两句意思不同：

• He found /ault with my composition.(他说我的作文不好。)
  He found afaultin my composition.(他在我的作文里找出一个毛病。)
• He did not find much fault with my composition.(他不曾多说我的作文不好。)
  He did not find manyfaults in my composition.(他不曾在我的作文里找出许多毛病。)

3.可以说I wrote the wrong address on the envelope, so it was my fault that the letter miscarried。不可说The letter miscarried because of the wrong address on the envelope, so it was my fault that I had written the wrong address。It was my fault that I had written the wrong address只可以有“我写错了那地址，是我的不是（不能怪别人）”的意思。再如你把一个男孩推了一下，他摔了一跤，你可以说It was my fault that the boy fell。不可说It was my fault that I gave the boy a push，这句只可以有“我把那男孩推了一下，是我的不是（不能怪别人）”的意思。

4.The cup broke through no fault of the girl是“这杯子的打碎并不是由于这女孩子的过失”。