2) 句法功用
a) 作主语:
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) 作宾语:
Your shoes need polishing.
You mustn’t delay sending the tractors over.
He avoided giving us a definite answer.
c) 作介词宾语: 动名词作介词宾语用的时候最多. 它常可以用在某些成语后面, 常见的有: 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) 作表语:
The real problem is getting to know the needs of the people.
动名词和不定式都可以作主语或表语. 一般说来, 在表示抽象的一般的行为时多用动名词; 在表示具体某词动作, 特别是将来的动作时, 多用不定式.
e) 作宾语补足语: 分词可以在see, hear, notice, watch, feel, find, keep, get, have等动词后作宾语补足语.
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等动词后, 及可用现在分词, 也可用不定式构成宾语补足语. 用现在分词时, 表示动作正在发生, 用不定式时表示动作发生了.
Do you hear someone knocking at the door?
Yes, I did. I heard him knock three times.
f) 作状语: 现在分词作状语时, 通常都表示主语正在进行的另一动作, 来对谓语表示的主要动作加以修饰或作为陪衬.
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.
现在分词短语有时可以用作状语表示原因, 相当于一个表示原因的状语从句.
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.
现在分词短语有时可用作时间状语, 相当于when引起的从句:
Seeing those pictures, he couldn’t help thinking of those memorable days they spent together.
如果两个动作是完全同时发生的, 多用when 或while加分词这种结构.
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) 前面带有代词或名词的动名词结构: 一个动名词前面可以加一个物主代词(或名词的所有格结构), 来表示这个动名词逻辑上的主语.
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.
如果不是在句子开头, 这个结构常常可以用名词的普通格(或人称代词宾格), 这比用所有格更自然一些.
I don’t mind him going.
She hates people losing their temper.
4) 只能用动名词作宾语的动词: 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) 既可用动名词, 也可用不定式作宾语的动词: 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.
有时两种结构之间意义差别不大, 有时却有不同的意思. 在remember, regret, want, try等词后差别是比较明显的.
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) 悬垂修饰: 分词作状语时, 表示的必须是主语的一个动作或状态.
Walking through the park, we saw a lot of flowers. (walking是we的动作, 正确)
Walking through the park, the flowers looked very beautiful. (错误)
Standing on the tower, we could see the whole city. (正确)
Standing on the tower, the whole village could be seen. (错误)