1.much of a/ more of a/ nothing of a / less of a/ somewhat of a ；这些词+名词时， 其中of a作为后置定语修饰前面的不定代词much。表示“程度”。
“much of a + 单数名词”，是英语中比较特殊的一种表达方式，在阅读中会时常见到。much 在这里实际是不定代词，表示“程度”，表示“在很大程度上；占了很大的比例”。说明：“该名词在很大程度上怎样”。名词前加了much of之后，实际上削弱了后面那个名词的100%de的完整性，降低了它的程度、性质、品质或身份等。
John is much of a conversationalist. 约翰很有健谈者的范儿。
说明他并不是真正的健谈者，只是有很多健谈者的样子或特质。所以“范儿”二字画龙点睛，使John的100%的健谈者身份遭到了降低。
如果句中没有much of，那么，John is a conversationalist. 约翰就是一个实实在在的健谈者了。在现代英语中，为了简练，在 much of a conversationalist 中，of 经常省略。因此：
John is much of a conversationalist. = John is much a conversationalist.
much 表示程度的上述用法，经常跟否定连用、跟too连用、跟very 连用、跟比较从句连用，而且of 均可省略。
I don’t like that young lady; she’s too much of a social butterfly.
我不喜欢那个年轻女子，她是个十足的交际花。
Climate change is still very much a subject for debate.
气候变化很大程度上仍是一个争论的话题。
《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
Physics used to be very much a male domain.
物理学曾在很大程度上是男人的领域。
He is very much a man of decision and action.
他是一个遇事非常果断、行动极为迅速的人。
I’m very much a family man and need to be close to those I love.
我是个非常恋家的男人，必须生活在所爱的人身旁。
《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
Despite his fabulous wealth, he is very much a man of the people.
他虽然腰缠万贯，却非常亲民。
It hasn’t been much of a holiday
这简直不像是假日。
It’s not much of a career, you may think.
你可能想这根本算不上是一份职业。
He’s not much of a tennis player.
他算不上 球好手。
I was never much of a scholar.
我从来不是那种用功的好学生。
It isn’t much of a job, but it will keep the wolf from the door.
那并不是一个什么了不起的工作，但靠它还能勉强度日。
much 经常用于比较级more，比较两个事物之间的程度大小，所以，“much of a + 单数名词”这个结构，也常用于比较。它的比较结构有两种：
（1）“more of a + 单数名词 + than”：说明前者比后者“程度大”或 “程度增加”。
（2）“less of a + 单数名词 + than ”： 说明前者比后者“程度小”或 “程度减弱”。
than后面的成分，在一定的上下文中可以省略不说。
上述两种比较结构，实际上表达了一种“取舍关系”，两个句式的意思正好相反。
例如：
（1）This is much of a sitting room.
这很像个起居室的样子。
（2）This is more of a sitting room than a kitchen.
这更像个起居室，而不是厨房。
= 与其说这是一个厨房，还不如说是个起居室。
To be honest, she was more of a hindrance than a help.
说实在的，她没帮上忙，反而成了累赘。
She’s more of a social animal than me.
她比我更喜欢社交。
You would be more of a hindrance than a help.
你帮不上忙，反倒会碍事。
He sees the proposal as more of a diplomatic gambit than a serious defense proposal
在他看来，与其说这是一项精心筹划的国防动议，倒不如说是外交上的一着妙棋。
（3）This is less of a sitting room than a kitchen.
这不像个起居室，而更是个厨房。
= 与其说这是一个起居室，还不如说是个厨房。
The boy didn’t have a girlfriend, much less a wife.
这小伙子连女朋友都没有，更不用提老婆了。
《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
It is less of a problem than I’d expected.
问题不像我预料的那么大。
Poverty is less of a problem now than it used to be.
贫穷问题已较过去有所缓解。
As time goes by, sleeping becomes less of a problem.
随着时间的推移，睡眠逐渐不再成为问题。
She was more of a hindrance than a help. 她非但没帮上忙，反而碍事。
John is more of a student than a teacher. 约翰更像个学生，不是老师。
Parking is less of a problem with a small car. 对于小汽车来说，停车场地不会有问题。
He is less of a fool than he looks. 他不象看上去那样笨。
2. “much of a +名词”：
much of a表示“在很大程度上”。含义又折扣，表示某人或某物的顶多90%而已。
It’s not much of a day for a walk. 今天的天气不适于散步。
His brother is not much of a companion for him. 他兄弟与他情趣不甚相投。
Breaking the law is too much of a risk. 违反法律太危险了。
He was too much of a gentleman to ask them for any money. 他太绅士气了，不好意思向他们要钱。
He was too much of a coward to tell the truth even to his closest friend. 他太胆怯，甚至对最亲密的朋友也不敢说出真相。
I find this town too much of a backwater. 我觉得这个城镇太闭塞。
3. “more of a +名词：
这个比较级形式是“much of a +名词”的变式。含义加强版的意思。“更是，更像……”
This is more of a sitting room than a kitchen. 与其说这是一个厨房，还不如说这是一个起居室。
She was more of a hindrance than a help. 她非但没帮上忙，反而碍事。
4. “less of a +名词”：
含义减缩版的意思，“没有那么……”
Parking is less of a problem with a small car. 对于小汽车来说，停车场地不会有问题。
He is less of a fool than he looks. 他不象看上去那样笨。
5.“nothing of a +名词”：
nothing of意为“根本不”。
Mr. Smith is nothing of a musician. 史密斯先生全无音乐家的风味。
She is nothing of a good keeper. 她根本不是个好主妇。
She thinks nothing of a difficulty like that. 这点困难她根本不放在眼里。
She can ride a motorcycle, to say nothing of a bicycle. 她摩托车都会骑， 自行车更不在话下了。
She thinks nothing of walking thirty miles a day.
她认为一天步行三十英里不足为奇。
《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
6.“somewhat of a +名词”：
somewhat of意为“有点儿，有些”。
类似用法还有：kind /sort of
The cake we made was somewhat of a failure. 我们做的蛋糕不大成功。
It was somewhat of a surprise to us. 我们对此感到有点惊奇。
I found it somewhat of a difficulty. 我觉得这事有些困难。
What happened to them remains somewhat of a mystery. 他们到底出了什么事，到现在仍可以说是个谜。
7.真题再现
Community isn’t so much a place as it is a state of mind ．
与其说社区是一个地方，不如说是一种精神状态。
高考真题- 2017 浙江 阅读A
The teacher’s role is more of a coach or observer.
老师的角色更像是一个教练或是观察者。
四级真题- 2019年 6月 2卷 信息匹配
I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader ．
我心想,他是怎么做到即使没有手臂,仍然处于领先地位的。
高考真题- 2016 全国3卷 完形填空
In that sense, I’m pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I’d freely like to admit ．
从这个意义上说，虽然我不愿承认，但我非常确信志愿服务是一种自私的行为。
高考真题- 2019 全国2卷 阅读B
Hogg says that scooping is less of a problem than many think.
霍格说，剽窃并不像很多人认为的那样是个大问题。
六级真题- 2017年 12月 2卷 信息匹配
One in 10 buyers rand toilet rolls made from recycled paper among their top considerations, highlighting how overall the environment is much less of a consideration for shoppers than product quality.
1/10的购买者会将回收用纸制造的厕纸作为首选，这表明对于消费者而言，对环保方面的考虑远不及产品质量。
四级真题- 2017年 6月 2卷 阅读A
Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps.
每个男人都希望自己的儿子和自己相像，这种相像是指人生轨迹而不是外表。
高考真题- 2016 天津 阅读B
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