摘要：即便加上liquid限制，但因state的可数性太强，还是要加限定词，也就是water in a liquid state的a不能丢。此a的含义更接近“一种”，即a liquid state=a kind of state which is liquid。

物体的固、液、气三态特征显著，凡人都正确认知和辨识物体三态，所以物体的态是可数名词。

即便加上liquid限制，但因state的可数性太强，还是要加限定词，也就是water in a liquid state的a不能丢。此a的含义更接近“一种”，即a liquid state=a kind of state which is liquid。

如同物体的态，事物和人物的“不同状态”也是容易被认知和区别的，所以《牛津高级学者辞》、《剑桥高级学者辞典》、《朗文当代英语词典》、《柯林斯高级学者辞典》将此义的state均标为可数名词，所以“处于......状态”是in a...... state。

品读例句：

【例句1】He was in a terrible state by the time he got home. (他回到家时，身体状况很糟糕。)[牛津高级学者辞典]

【例句2】When we bought the house, it was in a terrible state. (我们买房子的时候，房子的状况很糟糕。) [朗文当代英语词典]

【例句3】When we moved here the walls and ceiling were in an awful state. （当我们搬到这里时，墙壁和天花板都处于糟糕的状态。）[柯林斯高级学者辞典]

也可以将修饰用of放到state后面（偏分类性），如

【例句1】She was in a state of shock. (她处于一种震惊的状态。)[牛津高级学者辞典]

【例句2】After the accident I was in a state of shock. （事故发生后，我感到震惊。） [剑桥高级学者辞典]

【例句3】The country was in a state of war (=officially fighting a war). （这个国家正处于战争状态。）[朗文当代英语词典]

【例句4】The building was in a state of disrepair. （这座建筑年久失修。） [剑桥高级学者辞典]

【例句5】He was in a state of permanent depression. (他一直处于抑郁状态。)[牛津高级学者辞典]

【例句6】For the first few months after Daniel died, I was in a state of clinical depression.（丹尼尔去世后的头几个月，我处于临床抑郁症的状态。）[柯林斯高级学者辞典]

也可以前修饰和后修饰都有，如

【例句7】The building is in a bad state of repair (= needs to be repaired). (这座建筑的维修状况很差。) [牛津高级学者辞典]

【例句8】The boat was in a good state of repair. （这艘船修理得很好。）[朗文当代英语词典]

【例句9】She was in an extremely confused state of mind. （她处于一种极其困惑的状态。）[朗文当代英语词典]

【例句10】She was found wandering in a confused state of mind. （她被发现精神错乱。） [剑桥高级学者辞典]

【例句11】I came home to an unhappy state of affairs (= situation). (我回到家时，发现情况不妙。) [剑桥高级学者辞典]

来源：用心教育