韓 惠
動(dòng)詞不定式是由“不定式符號to+動(dòng)詞原形”構(gòu)成的一種非謂語動(dòng)詞結(jié)構(gòu)。有些動(dòng)詞不定式也可不帶to。動(dòng)詞不定式在句中可作主語、表語、賓語、定語、補(bǔ)語或狀語。不定式仍保留動(dòng)詞的某些特性,可以有自己的賓語或狀語。動(dòng)詞不定式和它后面的賓語或狀語一起構(gòu)成的短語,叫作不定式短語。現(xiàn)對動(dòng)詞不定式的用法作一簡要梳理。
一、作主語
動(dòng)詞不定式作主語時(shí)直接置于句首的情況不多,多數(shù)情況用it作形式主語,把真正的主語——?jiǎng)釉~不定式置于句末,尤其當(dāng)不定式短語較長時(shí)。動(dòng)詞不定式作主語時(shí),謂語動(dòng)詞用第三人稱單數(shù)形式。如:
As young adults, it is our duty to try our best to deal with each challenge.
It is hard for me to learn English.
二、作表語
動(dòng)詞不定式作表語,常用來說明主語的內(nèi)容、性質(zhì)或特征。如:
My job is to feed animals.
The first thing is to greet the teacher.
三、作賓語
在英語中,有些動(dòng)詞后要跟帶to的不定式作賓語,有些跟不帶to的不定式,有些既可跟帶to的,也可跟不帶to的不定式,還有的可跟疑問詞+不定式。有以下幾種情況:
1.可以接帶to的動(dòng)詞不定式作賓語的動(dòng)詞主要有:要求、選擇、同意(ask, choose, agree),期望、決定、學(xué)習(xí)(expect, hope, decide, learn),寧可、假裝、知道(prefer, pretend, know),希望、想要、愿意(wish, want, would like/love)。如:
He prefers to swim.
Id love to visit Beijing.
2.有些動(dòng)詞如decide, know, learn, show, teach, tell…或介詞on后可用疑問詞加不定式短語作賓語,但why后面的不定式不帶to。如:
Could you please tell me how to go to the post office?
They know how to make money.
He gave me some advice on how to learn English well.
3.動(dòng)詞feel, find, make, think等后面作賓語的若為不定式(短語),可以用it作形式賓語,而把真正的賓語放在句末,結(jié)構(gòu)是…feel/find/make/…it+adj./n.(for sb.)+to do…。如:
I find it difficult to remember everything.
We all think it a good idea to travel outside on weekends.
4.有些動(dòng)詞后既可接不定式也可接v-ing形式作賓語,但意思差別較大,此類動(dòng)詞有forget,remember等。接不定式作賓語時(shí),表示動(dòng)作尚未發(fā)生;接v-ing形式作賓語時(shí),表示動(dòng)作已經(jīng)發(fā)生。另有些詞后接這兩種形式時(shí)意義也完全不同。如:stop to do停下來做另外一件事,to do是目的狀語;stop doing停止做當(dāng)前正在做的這件事,doing是賓語。try to do盡力做,try doing試試看;go on to do接著去做另外的事,go on doing繼續(xù)做原來的事。如:
When I left home, I had forgotten to bring it with me.
I stopped using them last year.
四、作定語
動(dòng)詞不定式作定語時(shí),若句子的主語或賓語是它的邏輯主語且不定式與其所修飾的名詞、代詞等存在邏輯上的動(dòng)賓關(guān)系時(shí),動(dòng)詞不定式用主動(dòng)表被動(dòng)。如:
I have so much homework to do today.
Theres just so much to see and do here.
五、作補(bǔ)語
動(dòng)詞不定式作補(bǔ)語時(shí),在主動(dòng)語態(tài)句中作賓補(bǔ),在被動(dòng)語態(tài)句中作主補(bǔ),句子的賓語或主語是不定式動(dòng)作的邏輯執(zhí)行者。如果不定式是to be done,句子的賓語或主語就是其邏輯承受者。
1. 在主、被動(dòng)語態(tài)句里用帶to的動(dòng)詞不定式作補(bǔ)語的動(dòng)詞主要有:要求、允許、提議(ask, allow, permit, advise),期望、邀請、鼓勵(lì)(expect, suppose, invite, encourage),教導(dǎo)、告訴、想要(teach, tell, want),等待、希望、愿意(wait for, wish, would like/love)。如:
Id like/love to invite her to have dinner at my house.
Teenagers shouldnt be allowed to watch TV every day.
2. 多數(shù)感官動(dòng)詞和使役動(dòng)詞后若跟動(dòng)詞不定式作補(bǔ)語,在主動(dòng)語態(tài)句中不定式不帶to,但被動(dòng)語態(tài)句中一定要加上to。如:
Of course we want to see Liu Yu realize his dreams.
I was made to feel tense by this awful picture!
3. help后接動(dòng)詞不定式作補(bǔ)語時(shí),to可帶可不帶。如:
He often helps me to learn English.
Using email helps you write quickly.
4. be said, be sure, happen, seem等后面可以接帶to的動(dòng)詞不定式作補(bǔ)語。如:
He doesnt seem to be sleepy.
Be sure not to miss them if they come to a city near you.
六、作狀語
1. 目的狀語,置于句首或句末,置于句首時(shí)常常表示強(qiáng)調(diào)。如:
In order not to offend people, learning about language etiquette is just as important as learning grammar or vocabulary.
A group of young people got together to(in order to/so as to) discuss this question.
不定式(或不定式短語)作目的狀語時(shí),可用to do/in order to表達(dá),置于句首、句末皆可;但so as to do構(gòu)成的不定式作目的狀語時(shí),一般只置于句末。
2. 原因狀語,多見于“sb.+be+adj.+to do…”結(jié)構(gòu)中。如:
My dogs name is “Lucky”—a good name for him because I feel very lucky to have him.
3. 結(jié)果狀語,多見于“too…to”,“enough…to”結(jié)構(gòu)中。如:
1)He is too young to go to school.
2)The room needs to be big enough for three people to live in.
4.有些動(dòng)詞不定式作狀語,常說明前面形容詞的性質(zhì)和特性。這類形容詞一般是:cheap, dangerous, difficult, easy, fun, hard, interesting, necessary。不定式常用主動(dòng)形式表被動(dòng)意義。The mistakes you made are necessary for you to learn and understand. 這類句子中的動(dòng)詞不定式可改為主語。如:
It is necessary for you to learn and understand the mistakes you made.
5. 獨(dú)立動(dòng)詞不定式用作插入語時(shí),表示說話人的心理狀態(tài)或?qū)κ虑榈目捶?。如?/p>
To begin with, she spoke too quickly, and I couldnt understand every word.
七、動(dòng)詞不定式的復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)
動(dòng)詞不定式的復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)是“for/of sb. to do sth.”,for/of引出不定式動(dòng)作的邏輯主語。這種結(jié)構(gòu)在句子中可以作主語、賓語、表語、定語、狀語等。不定式復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)的介詞用for還是of,主要取決于前面形容詞的性質(zhì)。一般來說,若句中的形容詞是careful, clever, foolish, good, kind, nice, wise等說明主語的性格品質(zhì)的詞,要用介詞of。如:
School is a good place for students to study.
Its very kind of you to say so.
八、帶疑問詞的不定式短語
動(dòng)詞不定式前面可以帶疑問代詞what, which, who或疑問副詞how, when, where, why等。這種結(jié)構(gòu)相當(dāng)于名詞成分,在句子中作賓語、主語、表語等,或者單獨(dú)使用。如:
I dont know what to do.(作賓語)
Where to go is not decided yet.(作主語)
九、動(dòng)詞不定式的否定式
不定式的否定式是在不定式符號“to”前加not或never,即not/never to do…。如:
He told me not to watch TV.
His parents ask him never to drive after drinking.