核心问题
下面是摘自《英语相关词语辨异词典》(外研社，p.347)
“Several: lots of
前者这个形容词只能修饰复数可数名词,不能修饰集合名词;要修饰,就得改用后者这个修饰语。
比较:Several persons think (that) Dick has an extraordinarily high opinion of himself. 好些人认为,迪克自命不凡。(persons 是个可数名词)Lots of people think (that) Dick has an extraordinarily high opinion of himself. 许多人认为,迪克自命不凡。(people 是个集合名词)
我不明白 several 为什么不能修饰 people?
词典解答
several 不能修饰 people 的说法,是没有事实根据的(参见people)。请看下面的例证: Several people have asked where he is. (CEED) 有几个人问他在哪里。
另外,作“人们”“人”解的 people 并不是集合名词。请对比: five people(五个人) five classes(五个班级)。