trials
trials — noun
- trialssingular
- trialsesplural
1. a formal court hearing where evidence and arguments are presented so that a judg
a formal court hearing where evidence and arguments are presented so that a judge or jury can decide if the accused person has broken the law
The murder <hl>trial</hl> lasted six weeks before the jury reached a unanimous verdict.
trial + last + period of time + jury verdict
During the <hl>trial</hl>, the defence lawyer called three witnesses to the witness box.
during the trial + lawyer + witnesses
The judge ordered a <hl>trial by jury</hl> after both sides refused to settle out of court.
Elena's fraud case finally went to <hl>trial</hl> two years after her arrest.
The <hl>trial</hl> was adjourned when the lead prosecutor suddenly fell ill with pneumonia.
- hearing
less formal and usually shorter than a full trial; a hearing may decide a single legal point rather than the whole case
- court case
broader term that includes the entire legal dispute, not just the court proceeding itself
- proceedings
formal term covering all actions taken in a court of law
- settlement
an agreement reached outside of court before a trial happens
用法筆記
Commonly used in fixed phrases: 'stand trial' (be judged in court), 'go on trial' (start the legal proceeding), 'trial by jury' (a trial with a jury deciding the verdict). Subject is typically a person accused of a crime.
常見錯誤
2. a short period of testing to find out how well a product, method, or person work
a short period of testing to find out how well a product, method, or person works under real conditions
The pharmaceutical company is running clinical <hl>trials</hl> on a new treatment for heart disease.
clinical trials + treatment for disease
New customer service staff go through a three-month <hl>trial</hl> before they receive a permanent contract.
trial before permanent contract
Dr. Okonkwo downloaded the editing software for a free 30-day <hl>trial</hl> from the company website.
The racing driver completed the first <hl>trial</hl> lap in under one minute and forty seconds.
After several <hl>trials</hl>, the engineering team finally settled on a design that met the safety standards.
- test
broader and more general; a test can be any kind of check, while a trial usually happens over a set period
- experiment
implies a scientific or controlled procedure rather than a practical trial of an existing product
- pilot
used for a small-scale first trial of a project or system before wider use
用法筆記
Frequently appears in compound nouns: 'clinical trial', 'field trial', 'drug trial', 'trial run'. Often followed by 'of' or 'on': a trial of the new system, trials on patients.
常見錯誤
3. a person, thing, or situation that is difficult to deal with and causes trouble
a person, thing, or situation that is difficult to deal with and causes trouble or worry over a long period of time
Lena's younger brother loved playing practical jokes, which were a constant <hl>trial</hl> to the whole family.
constant trial + family + practical jokes
The daily two-hour commute is one of those little <hl>trials</hl> of city life that you learn to accept.
little trials of life + accept
Dealing with the broken central heating in winter proved a real <hl>trial</hl> for the elderly landlord.
The toddler's frequent tantrums in public places were such a <hl>trial</hl> that her parents stopped going to restaurants.
Ananya found her new supervisor's habit of micromanaging every task a constant <hl>trial</hl> at work.
- ordeal
stronger and more painful; an ordeal involves suffering, while a trial is more about general difficulty
- nuisance
less serious; a nuisance is merely inconvenient, while a trial suggests longer-term struggle
- burden
emphasises the weight of responsibility, while a trial focuses on the difficulty itself
- blessing
something that brings happiness or benefit, the opposite of a troublesome situation
用法筆記
Almost always used with an intensifier: 'a real trial', 'a constant trial', 'such a trial'. The sense is stronger than simply 'annoyance' — it implies ongoing difficulty. Unlike the other noun senses, this one is rarely used in the plural except in the fixed expression 'trials and tribulations'.
常見錯誤
4. an examination that students take for practice before they take the real, offici
an examination that students take for practice before they take the real, official examination
The maths teacher handed out the <hl>trial</hl> exam papers and gave the class exactly one hour to finish.
trial exam papers + teacher + class
Mei-Lin scored higher on the real exam than on any of the practice <hl>trials</hl> she took beforehand.
practice trials + real exam + score
The school runs mock <hl>trials</hl> every term to prepare students for the national GCSE examinations.
Although Theo passed all the <hl>trial exams</hl> with ease, he still felt nervous about the final chemistry test.
The <hl>trial</hl> results clearly showed that the students needed extra help with essay writing structure.
- mock exam
interchangeable with 'trial exam' but slightly more informal; common in both British and American English
- practice test
the standard American English term; less formal than 'trial exam'
- preliminary exam
formal term for an exam taken before the main one, often with official weight
用法筆記
More common in British English ('trial exams', 'mock trials') than American English, where 'practice test' or 'mock exam' is preferred. Usually found in the plural when referring to a series of practice exams before one major test.
常見錯誤
trials — verb
- trialspresent simple I / you / we / they
- trialses3rd person singular
- trialsing-ing form
- trialsedpast simple
1. to try out a product, system, or method in a planned, formal way to see whether
to try out a product, system, or method in a planned, formal way to see whether it performs as expected
The research team is <hl>trialling</hl> a new drug that could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
trialling a new drug + research team + Alzheimer's
The company <hl>trialled</hl> the updated payment system on two hundred users before the public launch.
trialled + system + on + number of users + before launch
Scientists are currently <hl>trialling</hl> the vaccine on more than five thousand volunteers across three continents.
The local education authority is <hl>trialling</hl> a four-day school week in six secondary schools this autumn.
Before putting the electric car on the market, the engineers <hl>trialled</hl> the battery system in extreme desert heat.
- test
more general and less formal; 'test' can be used in everyday situations, while 'trial' suggests careful, planned evaluation
- pilot
specifically means to try a new system or programme on a small scale before wider use
- evaluate
focuses on assessing results rather than the process of trying something out
文法句型
trial + noun phrase
trial + noun phrase + on + noun phrase
用法筆記
The past forms are 'trialled' (British spelling with double l) or 'trialed' (American spelling with single l). The present participle follows the same pattern: 'trialling' (British) or 'trialing' (American). Object is typically a product, system, or method rather than a person.