今天又为大家带来一组易混淆的英语词汇，希望能对您有所帮助。basic, elementary, fundamental, primary这一组形容词都有“基本、基础的”之意。那么我们该如何区分呢？

　　1.Basic

　　You use basic to describe things, activities, and principles that are very important or necessary, and on which others depend.

　　Basic既可用于具体事物，也可用于抽象事物。

　　例句：

　　That law deprived me of my most basic rights.

　　那条法律把我的最基本权利都剥夺了。

　　2.Elementary

　　Something that is elementary is very simple and basic.

　　着重指基本的或开始的事物，也指初步的概念和原则、必要的因素及组成部分。

　　例句：

　　He is ignorant of even the most elementary facts.

　　他连最基本的事实都不知道。

　　A proton is an elementary particle of matter. 

　　质子是物质的基本粒子。

　　3.Fundamental 

　　You use fundamental to describe things, activities, and principles that are very important or essential. They affect the basic nature of other things or are the most important element upon which other things depend.

　　一般只用于抽象的事物；

　　例句：

　　Industry leaders want scientists to engage in fundamental research, not applied research.

　　行业领袖希望科学家从事基础性研究，而非应用性研究。

　　Our constitution embodies all the fundamental principles of democracy.

　　我们的宪法体现了民主的所有基本原则。

　　4.Primary

　　You use primary to describe something that is very important.

　　最初的、主要的，表示在进展顺序中居于首位。

　　例句：

　　A distinction should be made between the primary and secondary tasks.

　　要区别主要的和次要的任务。

　　I don't think young people's primary aim in life is to get drunk.

　　我觉得年轻人生活的主要目标并不是一醉方休。