李广富
动名词,即“动词原形+ing”变成名词使用,具有双重性,既有动词的某些特征,有动词的各种变化形式;又有名词的某些性质,在句中充当主语、宾语、表语、定语。同时也能被副词修饰或者支配宾语。
一、动名词的名词的性质
1. 作主语
动名词作为主语有以下几种表现形式:
1) 直接作为主语。
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)作为句子主语,直接出现。句意:散步对年轻人和老年人是一项很好的运动。]
2) 用it作形式主语,真正的主语作为后置主语。
例如:
It isnt easy trying to climb the mountain. [句中It作为形式主语,动名词短语trying to do sth. 才是真正的主语。]
能用于上述结构的形容词有:better,wonderful,enjoyable,interesting,foolish,difficult,useless,senseless,worthwhile等。但是important,essential,necessary等形容词不能用于上述结构。
用it代替动名词作形式主语的除了上述句型外,还有一种句型为:
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”的结构
这种句型一般是否定形式,There是引导词,作为形式主语,动名词做真正主语。意思是“不可能……”。
例如:
There is no joking about such matters.
4) 告示或简略的警告用语中,动名词在祈使句中作主语一般是否定的、省略的形式。
例如:
No climbing. (No climbing is allowed.)
5) 组成复合结构
动名词有自己的逻辑主语时,可在其前面加上所有格,使之变成复合结构,可作为句中主语。
例如:
Does our helping mean a lot to all of you?
My repairing the radio made it worse. [My repairing作为复合结构出现,作为句子主语,此时非谓语动词的形式,要特别注意。]
2. 作宾语
1) 动名词可以作为动词的直接宾语,可接动名词作宾语的动词有: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) 动名词也可以作为介词的补足成分,但是except和but两词需慎重考虑,情况需要多方面考虑。
有些词组后必须跟动词的动名词形式,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) 作为形容词的宾语
例如:
The book is well worth reading more than once. [be worth doing是“很值得做某事”,形容词worth后加动词的动名词结构做宾语。]
3. 作表语
动名词作表语时,多表示主语的职业、功能、行为等等性质,可以与主语互换位置,但不影响句子的意思。
例如:
Her hobby is playing volleyball. [playing volleyball作为表语,是hobby的内容。二者可以互换位置,而不影响句子的意思。]
The most important Easter tradition is giving each other Easter eggs,because eggs are the symbol of new life. [giving each other Easter eggs作为表语,是tradition的内容。二者可以互换位置,而不影响句子的意思。]endprint
4. 作定语
动名词作定语时,表示作用、用途,作为前置定语出现,指什么样的。
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作为前置定语,修饰examination意为“即将到来的考试”。]
二、动名词的时态语态
1. 动名词的一般式
1) 表示动作与谓语动词同时发生。
例如:
Everyone is practicing speaking English.
Seeing his mother, the baby could not help laughing.
2) 表示在谓语动词所表示的动作之后发生,与动名词的完成式用法相似,此时通常相关的动词有advise,delay等。
例如:
He denied telling/ having told me. (他否认告诉过我。)
I regret not coming/ having come earlier. (我后悔没有来早点。)
3) 在明确表示时间的动词和介词如after,on,upon或for之后,常用一般式代替完成式,表示动作发生在谓语动作之前。
例如:
After answering his question, she asked back.
2. 动名词的完成式
动名词的完成式就是将“have+过去分词”中的助动词have改为动名词即可,如having been,having come,having gone,having left等。动名词的完成式所表示的是动作或状态在谓语动词之前完成或结束。
例如:
Im sorry for having wasted your time. [动名词用完成式表示“浪费你的时间”在先,“感到抱歉”在后。]
3. 动名词的被动结构
当句中的逻辑主语是动作的承受者时,用被动语态。
例如:
After having been interviewed, he was offered the job.
No one enjoys being laughed at.endprint