至于“动词”和“助动 介词”的误用，我们可以看下面两组例子：

(1)The police searched the suspects in the shopping centre, but nobody was arrested.

(2)I searched for my pocket and found some coins.

其实，(1)和(2)里的searched和searched for是倒置了。(1)要的是“寻找”（searched for）；(2)要的是“检查”（searched），两者对换才是。具体分析如下：

search: [ sə:tʃ ]

n. 搜寻,探究

He was doing a computer search of local news articles.

他在电脑上搜索当地的新闻报道。

Miserable, and unexpectedly lonely, she went in search of Jean-Paul...

内心痛苦、突感寂寞的她去寻找琼－保罗。

Egypt has said there is no time to lose in the search for a Middle East settlement.

埃及称寻求中东和解刻不容缓。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

The law already denies entry to people in search of better economic opportunities.

法律已经将那些逐寻更好商机的人们拒之门外。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

The search for my brother widened

对我弟弟的搜索范围扩大了。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

He framed this question three different ways in search of an answer.

为了寻求答案，他以3种不同方式提出了这个问题。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

He was rifling through her desk in a desperate search for the letter. 他拼命在她的书桌里搜寻那封信。（名词）

The company is casting its net wide in its search for a new sales director. 公司撒开大网到处物色新的销售主任。（名词）

All the ships in the vicinity of the crash joined in the search for survivors. 撞船事故发生地区的所有船只都参加了搜寻幸存者的工作。（名词）

The search for a new vaccine took priority over all other medical research. 在各种医药研究中, 应首先解决寻找新疫苗的问题。（名词）

in search of

in the search for

这两个词组用法相当。

We will be unceasing in the search for peace; 我们将坚持不懈地谋求和平。

Air photos are widely used in the search for petroleum. 航空象片广泛地应用在石油普查方面。

They set off in search of the lost child. 他们出发寻找失踪的孩子。

It fared worse with the family who left their hometown in search of better jobs. 那家人为寻找更好的工作离开家乡，运气却更糟。

The scientists are in search of a new element.
科学家们正在寻找一种新元素。

search v. 搜寻,探求,调查

形容词:searchable 名词:searcher 动词过去式:searched 过去分词:searched 现在分词:searching 第三人称单数:searches search后接搜寻的地点、方式等，如果要接搜寻的目标或对象要加一个for。

search指搜查某一具体的人、地方、事物以找到某物或某人，含非常仔细之意。

The policemen searched the house and found nothing.

警察搜查了房子，什么也没有找到。

She searched in vain for her passport.

她翻找自己的护照，但没找着。

The customs officers searched through our bags.

海关官员搜遍了我们的行李。

I‘ve searched high and low for those files.

我为了找那些文件，四处都翻遍了。

His house had clearly been searched and the book was missing.

显然有人来搜过他的房子——那本书不见了。

Firefighters searched the buildings for survivors.

消防队员在建筑物中搜寻幸存者。

searching the Web for interesting sites

在网上寻找有趣的网站

They searched for a spot where they could sit on the floor

他们在地板上寻找一处能够坐下的地方。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

You can search me if you think you‘re man enough.

有胆的话，你可以搜我的身。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

The man took her suitcase from her and then searched her.

那名男子拿过她手中的提箱，然后对她搜身。

Police searched for clues in the area.

警察在那一地带查找线索。

Police searched the area for clues.

警察在那一地带查找线索。

They searched the woods for the little boy.
他们在森林中搜寻到了那个小男孩。

Scientists are still searching for a cure to the common cold.科学家仍在寻求治疗感冒的方法。

She searched her desk for the necessary information

她在她的书桌上搜寻必要的信息。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

They searched for a spot where they could sit on the floor

他们在地板上寻找一处能够坐下的地方。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

The Turkish security forces have started searching for the missing men

土耳其安全部队已经开始搜寻失踪人员。

search me（强调不知道答案）我怎么知道

Where‘s the newspaper?‘ Search me, I haven‘t seen it.‘ ‘报纸在哪儿呢?’‘不知道, 我没看见.’

search sth/sb↔out

找出；查到；搜寻到

to look for sth/sb until you find them I want to search out an old school friend. 我想寻找我的一个老同学。

Fighter pilots searched out and attacked enemy aircraft.

战斗机驾驶员发现敌机后便进行攻击。