23 as a matter of fact; as good as; as it is; as it was; in actual fact; in effect; in fact; in point of fact; in reality; in practice; in truth

● 本组词组均表“事实上”，in fact与as a matter of fact最常用。

● as a matter of fact主要用来补充前面内容或纠正前面所述内容。其复数形式是as matters of fact。如：I haven’t been here long. As a matter of fact, I just got off the plane yesterday.（我到这儿没多久。实际上我昨天才下飞机。）You told me that it was so, whereas a matter of fact it was not so.（你跟我说是这么回事，事实上不是这样。）As a matter of fact, you did a very good job.（事实上，你做得非常棒。）As a matter of fact, he didn’t know it either.（事实上，他也不知道。）

● as good as是固定结构，其后常跟形容词、动词、介词词组，本身起副词作用。如：This means that the US dollar is as good as devalued.（这意味着美元实际上已贬值。）Your words are as good as nothing.（你的话等于没有说。）I’ve hardly worn this coat—it’s as good as new.（这件衣服我几乎没穿—简直和新的一样。）Jim has as good as got a new job.（吉姆算是已经得到了一份新工作。）

● as it is可视为状语从句，其过去时形式为as it was。如：We were hoping to have a holiday next week—as it is, we may not be able to get away.（我们原来盼着下周放假，但照现状看，可能走不开了。）He might have been killed; as it is he was severely injured.（我们原以为他已经死了，但事实上他只是受了重伤而已。）Sorry, I can’t help—I’ve got too much to do as it is.（对不起，我爱莫能助，我有太多的事要做。）He pretended not to know her, as it was. She was his wife. （他装作不认识她，事实上她就是他的妻子。）

● in actual fact同in fact,比in fact语气强烈，例见in fact条。

● in effect介词词组，在句首时，常用逗号隔开。如：He is the manager, but in effect, his wife is the boss.（他是经理，实际上，他太太是老板。）All those good deeds, in effect, were done by him.（实际上，所有那些好事都是他做的。）In effect, this means we’ll all have to work longer hours for the same pay.（这实际上意味着我们都得加班加点地干活，而且不加工钱。）Their response was in effect a refusal.（他们的答复实际上是拒绝了。）

● in fact是本组词组中最常用的，用于句首、句中时常用逗号分开，fact之前偶有形容词。如：In fact, in the United States pigs are considered clever animal.（其实，在美国猪被认为是聪明的动物。）In fact, I know nothing about it.（实际上，我对此事一无所知。）No one believed it but, in fact, Mary did get an A on her book report.（虽然没人相信，但事实上玛丽的读书报告的确得了个优。）He doesn’t mind. In fact, he is very pleased. （他并不在意。事实上他非常高兴。）In actual fact, mutual understanding and sympathy between China and the countries of Southeast Asia have existed since ancient time.（事实上，中国和东南亚各国自古以来就互相了解、互相同情。）

● in point of fact的用法与in fact相同，常互换。如：In point of fact, it isn’t difficult to solve the problem.（实际上，这个问题不难解决。）He says he can ride, but in point of fact he has never been on a horse before.（他说他会骑马，但实际上，他以前连马背都从未上过。）In （point of） fact I am as inexperienced as he.（实际上，我和他一样没有经验。）He is certainly over 70. In point of fact his 73rd birthday falls on July 9th this year. （他肯定过了七十岁。事实上今年7月9日正逢他七十三岁的生日。）

● in reality常用于具对比含义的并列句中，与but连用，语气比in fact强烈，相当于in actual fact, 在句中位置灵活。如：We should guarantee him to be free in reality as well as in name.（我们应该向他保证不仅在名誉上，而且在实际上都是自由的。）He looks about sixty. In reality, he’s only fifty years old.（他看起来差不多六十岁，但实际上他才五十岁。）The image you see in mirage is not there in reality, it is merely an illusion.（你在海市蜃楼中看到的形象其实是不存在的，那只是幻影。）In reality black is not a colour, it is the absence of colour.（黑色实际上不是一种颜色，它没有颜色。）