1. 用作名词，意为“数量”“金额”等，通常用于 a (great, large) amount of 这类结构，其后通常接不可数名词；这类结构用作主语，其谓语的数取决于 amount 的数。如：

在这座桥上花了大量资金。

正：A large amount of money was spent on the bridge.

正：Large amounts of money were spent on the bridge.

偶尔也可见到其后接复数可数名词的用法，但不算普通。如：

The shopkeeper had a large amount of oranges in his storeroom. 店主在货仓里存有大量橙子。

Even small amounts of these substances are known to cause skin problems. 我们知道这种物质即使是一丁点也会损害皮肤。

2. 用作动词，意为“合计”“等于”“意味着”，通常是不及物动词，其后常接介词 to。如：

The cost amounted to 250 pounds. 费用共达250英镑。

It all amounts to a lot of hard work. 这一切就相当于很多繁重的工作。

Her resignation amounts to an admission of failure. 她的辞职等于承认失败。

由于其中的to为介词，所以后接动词时要用动名词。如：

This amounts to cheating the teacher. 这等于欺骗老师。

This amounts to doing the whole thing over again. 这等于要把整个事重做一遍。