provide(d)

1.下面四句意思相同：

• We provided them with board and lodging.
• We provided board and lodging for them.
• We provided board and lodging to them.
• We provided them board and lodging.

第三句不及第二句普通。第四句里provided有双宾语，是比较新的结构。

2.provide（规定）后面的以that引导的从句里用shall或should，不用will或would。例如：The contract provides that only the best materials shall be used.和The contract provided that only the best materials should be used.有时用虚拟现在式。例如：The contract provides（或provided）that only the best materials be used.

3.provided用作连接词，原来是provide（规定）的过去分词，provided...或provided that...作“规定…”解，也就是“以…作条件”的意思。也有人用providing代替provided，但有人认为不算正当。

provided...或provided that...可以说等于if...，通常都用在比较正式的英语里。例如：I will go provided (that) you will go with me. ＝I will go if you will go with me.但并不是一切可以用if的场合都可以用provided或provided that代替它。因为provided原来作“规定”解，它所引导的从句该是一种“规定”，而且那“规定”该是那“规定者”所认为该实现的。如I will go provided(that) you will go里的you will go是“规定”，I是“规定者”，I认为那“规定”该实现，就是说I认为you will go该是事实。I will not go provided (that) you will not go便不对，该把provided (that)改作if，因为这里的“规定者”I并不认为那“规定”you will not go该实现。下面各句里的if都不可改作provided或provided that：

• You may lose your membership if you make the same mistake again.
• What will happen if they see us?
• He said he would punish me if I was lazy.
• Things would have been different if we had taken another course of action.

假使你觉得provided难用，你尽可以不用它，在一切可以用provided的场合用if总是不错的。