◆这些座建筑物设计很差。

误：These buildings are of poor designs.

正：These buildings are of poor design.

析：名词 design 表示具体意义的结果(如：图案，设计图等)，是可数名词，表示抽象意义的“设计”，则为不可数名词。

◆他想打这个姑娘的主意。

误：He has design on the girl.

正：He has designs on the girl.

析：design 表示“企图”、“图谋”，总是用复数形式，尤其用于 have designs on [against](企图伤害……，企图把……据为己有)。又如：He has designs on [against] your life.(他图谋要害你的命)。

◆我们不知道那是偶然做的还是故意做的。

误：We don’t know if it was done by accident or on design.

正：We don’t know if it was done by accident or by design.

析：by design(故意地)是习语，要用介词by。不要受 on purpose (故意地)的影响，而误用介词 on design。比较：by chance(无意地)，by accident(无意地)等都用 by。

◆这本词典是供外国学生用的。

误：The dictionary is designing for foreign students.

正：The dictionary is designed for foreign students.

析：design用作动词除表示“设计”外，还可表示“计划”、“打算”等，如：His father designed him for a lawyer.(他父亲打算要他当律师)。不过此用法更多是用于被动形式，即用于be designed for sb (sth)，be designed to do sth，be designed as sth 等。如：The weekend party was designed to bring the two old men together.(这次周末聚会的用意是要使两位老人见面)，The room was designed as thechildren’splayroom.(这间房间计划用作儿童游戏室)。