2) 句法功用
a) 作主語:
Walking is good exercise.
It’s nice talking to you.
There is no denying the fact that the new method has greatly raised labour productivity.
b) 作賓語:
Your shoes need polishing.
You mustn’t delay sending the tractors over.
He avoided giving us a definite answer.
c) 作介詞賓語: 動名詞作介詞賓語用的時候最多. 它常可以用在某些成語后面, 常見的有: insist on, persist in, think of, dream of, object to, suspect…of, accuse…of, charge…with, hear of, approve of, prevent…from, keep…from, stop…from, refrain from, be engaged in, look forward to, opposed to, depend on, thank…for, feel like, excuse…for, aim at, devote…to, set about, spend…in, get (be) used to, be fond of, be capable of, be afraid of, be tired of, be sick of, succeed in, be interested in, feel (be) ashamed of, be proud of, be keen on, be responsible for.
d) 作表語:
The real problem is getting to know the needs of the people.
動名詞和不定式都可以作主語或表語. 一般說來, 在表示抽象的一般的行為時多用動名詞; 在表示具體某詞動作, 特別是將來的動作時, 多用不定式.
e) 作賓語補足語: 分詞可以在see, hear, notice, watch, feel, find, keep, get, have等動詞后作賓語補足語.
The words immediately set us all laughing.
Once we caught him dozing off in class.
His remark left me wondering what he was driving at.
在see, hear, feel, watch, notice等動詞后, 及可用現在分詞, 也可用不定式構成賓語補足語. 用現在分詞時, 表示動作正在發生, 用不定式時表示動作發生了.
Do you hear someone knocking at the door?
Yes, I did. I heard him knock three times.
f) 作狀語: 現在分詞作狀語時, 通常都表示主語正在進行的另一動作, 來對謂語表示的主要動作加以修飾或作為陪襯.
I ran out of the house shouting.
I got home, feeling very tired.
Driving to Chicago that night, I was struck by a sudden thought.
現在分詞短語有時可以用作狀語表示原因, 相當于一個表示原因的狀語從句.
Not knowing her address, we couldn’t get in touch with her.
Seeing nobody at home, she decided to leave them a note.
Having already seen the film twice, she didn’t want to go to the cinema.
現在分詞短語有時可用作時間狀語, 相當于when引起的從句:
Seeing those pictures, he couldn’t help thinking of those memorable days they spent together.
如果兩個動作是完全同時發生的, 多用when 或while加分詞這種結構.
Be careful when crossing the street.
When leaving the airport, they waved again and again to us.
She got to know them while attending a conference in Beijing.
3) 前面帶有代詞或名詞的動名詞結構: 一個動名詞前面可以加一個物主代詞(或名詞的所有格結構), 來表示這個動名詞邏輯上的主語.
Their coming to help was a great encouragement to us.
Our sole worry is your relying too much on yourself.
Do you mind my reading your paper?
They insisted on my staying there for supper.
如果不是在句子開頭, 這個結構常常可以用名詞的普通格(或人稱代詞賓格), 這比用所有格更自然一些.
I don’t mind him going.
She hates people losing their temper.
4) 只能用動名詞作賓語的動詞: suggest, finish, avoid, stop, can’t help, mind, admit, enjoy, leave off, require, postpone, put off, delay, practise, fancy, excuse, pardon, advise, consider, deny, endure, escape, miss
5) 既可用動名詞, 也可用不定式作賓語的動詞: love, like, hate, dislike, begin, start, continue, intend, attempt, can’t bear, propose, want, need, remember, forget, regret, neglect, try, deserve, can’t afford等.
有時兩種結構之間意義差別不大, 有時卻有不同的意思. 在remember, regret, want, try等詞后差別是比較明顯的.
I remember seeing her once somewhere.
I must remember to take my notebooks with me.
I regret not having accepted your advice.
I regret to say I haven’t given you enough help.
She doesn’t want (need) to come.
The house wants (needs) cleaning.
We must try to get everything done in time.
Let’s try doing the work some other way.
6) 懸垂修飾: 分詞作狀語時, 表示的必須是主語的一個動作或狀態.
Walking through the park, we saw a lot of flowers. (walking是we的動作, 正確)
Walking through the park, the flowers looked very beautiful. (錯誤)
Standing on the tower, we could see the whole city. (正確)
Standing on the tower, the whole village could be seen. (錯誤)