李廣富
動名詞,即“動詞原形+ing”變成名詞使用,具有雙重性,既有動詞的某些特征,有動詞的各種變化形式;又有名詞的某些性質(zhì),在句中充當(dāng)主語、賓語、表語、定語。同時也能被副詞修飾或者支配賓語。
一、動名詞的名詞的性質(zhì)
1. 作主語
動名詞作為主語有以下幾種表現(xiàn)形式:
1) 直接作為主語。
例如:
Taking exercise everyday is a good habit.
Finding work is difficult these days.
Walking is a good form of exercise for both young and old. [句中Walking(散步)作為句子主語,直接出現(xiàn)。句意:散步對年輕人和老年人是一項很好的運動。]
2) 用it作形式主語,真正的主語作為后置主語。
例如:
It isnt easy trying to climb the mountain. [句中It作為形式主語,動名詞短語trying to do sth. 才是真正的主語。]
能用于上述結(jié)構(gòu)的形容詞有:better,wonderful,enjoyable,interesting,foolish,difficult,useless,senseless,worthwhile等。但是important,essential,necessary等形容詞不能用于上述結(jié)構(gòu)。
用it代替動名詞作形式主語的除了上述句型外,還有一種句型為:
It is no use/ useless/ useful/ no good/ great fun/ a waste of time/ nice/ good+ v-ing
例如:
Its no use trying to argue with him.
3) “There be”的結(jié)構(gòu)
這種句型一般是否定形式,There是引導(dǎo)詞,作為形式主語,動名詞做真正主語。意思是“不可能……”。
例如:
There is no joking about such matters.
4) 告示或簡略的警告用語中,動名詞在祈使句中作主語一般是否定的、省略的形式。
例如:
No climbing. (No climbing is allowed.)
5) 組成復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)
動名詞有自己的邏輯主語時,可在其前面加上所有格,使之變成復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu),可作為句中主語。
例如:
Does our helping mean a lot to all of you?
My repairing the radio made it worse. [My repairing作為復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)出現(xiàn),作為句子主語,此時非謂語動詞的形式,要特別注意。]
2. 作賓語
1) 動名詞可以作為動詞的直接賓語,可接動名詞作賓語的動詞有:admit,complete,finish,image等。
例如:
You can easily fake up an excuse to avoid going out with him.
Richard turned of the computer after he had finished writing the email.
I kept thinking of what David would say when he came back.
2) 動名詞也可以作為介詞的補(bǔ)足成分,但是except和but兩詞需慎重考慮,情況需要多方面考慮。
有些詞組后必須跟動詞的動名詞形式,如:give up,put off,burst out,get through,cant help,insist on,feel like,be good at,be tired of,be fond of,be afraid of,pay attention to,get to,get/ be used to,used to等。
例如:
I cant help recalling the words.
Please excuse me for opening your letter by mistake.
I do not feel like sleeping now.
3) 作為形容詞的賓語
例如:
The book is well worth reading more than once. [be worth doing是“很值得做某事”,形容詞worth后加動詞的動名詞結(jié)構(gòu)做賓語。]
3. 作表語
動名詞作表語時,多表示主語的職業(yè)、功能、行為等等性質(zhì),可以與主語互換位置,但不影響句子的意思。
例如:
Her hobby is playing volleyball. [playing volleyball作為表語,是hobby的內(nèi)容。二者可以互換位置,而不影響句子的意思。]
The most important Easter tradition is giving each other Easter eggs,because eggs are the symbol of new life. [giving each other Easter eggs作為表語,是tradition的內(nèi)容。二者可以互換位置,而不影響句子的意思。]endprint
4. 作定語
動名詞作定語時,表示作用、用途,作為前置定語出現(xiàn),指什么樣的。
例如:
a washing machine
the reading room
All the students are now busy reviewing their lessons for the coming examination. [be busy doing sth.是“忙于做……”,coming作為前置定語,修飾examination意為“即將到來的考試”。]
二、動名詞的時態(tài)語態(tài)
1. 動名詞的一般式
1) 表示動作與謂語動詞同時發(fā)生。
例如:
Everyone is practicing speaking English.
Seeing his mother, the baby could not help laughing.
2) 表示在謂語動詞所表示的動作之后發(fā)生,與動名詞的完成式用法相似,此時通常相關(guān)的動詞有advise,delay等。
例如:
He denied telling/ having told me. (他否認(rèn)告訴過我。)
I regret not coming/ having come earlier. (我后悔沒有來早點。)
3) 在明確表示時間的動詞和介詞如after,on,upon或for之后,常用一般式代替完成式,表示動作發(fā)生在謂語動作之前。
例如:
After answering his question, she asked back.
2. 動名詞的完成式
動名詞的完成式就是將“have+過去分詞”中的助動詞have改為動名詞即可,如having been,having come,having gone,having left等。動名詞的完成式所表示的是動作或狀態(tài)在謂語動詞之前完成或結(jié)束。
例如:
Im sorry for having wasted your time. [動名詞用完成式表示“浪費你的時間”在先,“感到抱歉”在后。]
3. 動名詞的被動結(jié)構(gòu)
當(dāng)句中的邏輯主語是動作的承受者時,用被動語態(tài)。
例如:
After having been interviewed, he was offered the job.
No one enjoys being laughed at.endprint